Anel Rashkaj

Anel Rashkaj (born 19 August 1989) is a Kosovan professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Finnish club SJK and the Kosovo national team.

Anel Rashkaj
Rashkaj with Sandnes Ulf in March 2014
Personal information
Full name Anel Rashkaj
Date of birth (1989-08-19) 19 August 1989
Place of birth Prizren, SFR Yugoslavia
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 SJK
Number 11
Youth career
0000–2003 Liria
2003 IF Leikin
2003–2006 Halmstads BK
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2011 Halmstads BK 112 (2)
2012–2016 Sandnes Ulf 131 (5)
2017 AFC Eskilstuna 13 (0)
2017 Prishtina 3 (0)
2018–2019 AFC Eskilstuna 27 (2)
2020– SJK 0 (0)
National team‡
2010– Kosovo 11 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 8 February 2020
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 12 January 2020

Club career

Halmstads BK
Rashkaj with Halmstads BK in 2010

Rashkaj started to play football for KF Liria, in Prizren, SFR Yugoslavia. At the age of 14 he moved with his family to Halmstad in Sweden, where he continued his football career in IF Leikin, however only for a few months before leaving for local rivals Halmstads BK.[1] Although he had not been selected as a trainee, a youth team player training with the senior squad, in 2007 he was put on the bench home against IFK Göteborg in Allsvenskan and in the following away game against Kalmar FF he made his debut, replacing Martin Fribrock, just days following his 18th birthday.[2]

Prior to the 2008 season. He was raised from the youth team to become a full member of the senior squad,[3] mainly being used as left winger.[4] In 2009 Rashkaj and Michael Görlitz were the only players to have played in all league games of the season, 30 matches in total, he also represented the club in all the other 17 games of the year, two cup and 15 friendly matches, thus being the only player that had played in all the club's matches in that year.[5] Anel Rashkaj scored his first league goal in 2009 against Kalmar FF.[6]

The 2010 season saw Janne Andersson leave as Halmstads BK manager and being replaced by Lars Jacobsson, the former assistant manager. Lars continued with Janne's 4-5-1 system, Rashkaj played most of his matches on the right side of the midfield, few times being used as left winger, scoring his second goal early in the season in Halmstad's 4–0 win over Åtvidabergs FF. The 2011 season started as the one before, Lars Jacobsson left the club and be replaced by Spanish Josep Clotet Ruiz, along with the new manager came a number of Spanish midfielders, which saw Anel moved from the starting lineup to the bench in the beginning of the league season, against many people's expectations.[7][8] In the mid of the 2011 season the Spanish players left as their loan ended with the club and Clotet Ruiz was sacked following a long serie of poor results, under new manager Jens Gustafsson Rashkaj returned to the starting lineup,[9] he was however unable to help Halmstad from bein relegated by the end of the season.

Following the end of the 2011 season, several Halmstad players decided to leave the club, Anel Rashkaj among them, as his contract with the club ended.[10] Rumors placed him in both Örebro SK and Kalmar FF.[11]

Sandnes Ulf

On 30 January 2012, newly promoted Norwegian club Sandnes Ulf, confirmed that they had signed Rashkaj on a one-year contract.[12]

AFC Eskilstuna

On 27 December 2016, Rashkaj signed with the newly promoted team of Allsvenskan side AFC Eskilstuna.[13] On 2 April 2017, he made his debut in a 3–1 away defeat against GIF Sundsvall after being named in the starting line-up.

Prishtina

On 11 August 2017, Rashkaj signed to Football Superleague of Kosovo side Prishtina, on a two-year contract.[14] On 20 August 2017, he made his debut in a 0–1 home defeat against Drita after being named in the starting line-up.[15] On 29 September 2017, Rashkaj disconnected the contract with Prishtina due to not adapting.[16]

Return to AFC Eskilstuna

On 18 December 2017, Rashkaj returned to Superettan side AFC Eskilstuna.[17] On 31 March 2018, he made his debut in a 0–0 home draw against IK Brage after being named in the starting line-up. On 21 November 2019, Rashkaj disconnected the contract with AFC Eskilstuna.[18]

SJK

On 8 February 2020, Rashkaj joined Veikkausliiga side SJK.[19] Six days later, he made his debut with SJK in the group stage of 2020 Finnish Cup against KuPS after being named in the starting line-up.[20]

International career
Anel Rashkaj as team captain for Kosovo in 2010

On 27 March 2009, In an interview with the local newspaper Hallandsposten, Rashkaj stated that he had been in contact with Swedish U21 co-manager Jörgen Lennartsson, who had told him that he just had missed out on the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship as he had not yet gained Swedish citizenship. He also stated in the interview that he would choose Sweden ahead of Kosovo, if he was considered good enough to get a position on the Swedish team.[1] In another interview with Fotbolldirekt.se, he stated that Albania had already approached him and he had however turned them down.[21]

In 2009. Rashkaj was called up to the unofficial Kosovo national team, playing under the name Team Kosovo, to play in two matches against Swedish opposition, first against 2008 Swedish champions Kalmar FF.[22] Rashkaj did not take part in the second match against Malmö FF.

On 17 February 2010, Rashkaj was again called up from Kosovo for a friendly match against Albania.[23]

On 10 June 2010, Rashkaj participated as team captain when Kosovo played a friendly against his club Halmstads BK on Örjans Vall in Halmstad, the match ended 4–4 with another Halmstads BK and Kosovo national player Kujtim Bala, scoring a goal.[24]

On 28 July 2010, Rashkaj announced that he had chosen to represent the Kosovo, stating that he wished to play national team football and that he believed he would have more chance of doing so with Kosovo rather than Sweden. He also stated that he had not yet fully closed the door regarding Sweden as U21 coach Jörgen Lennartsson had stated he wished to see Rashkaj in the U21 team and the 2011 U21 European Championship in Denmark. However, he has yet to obtain Swedish citizenship and Kosovo has yet to be approved by FIFA.[25]

Career statistics
As of 5 November 2016
Club performance League Cup Continental Total
SeasonClubLeague AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals
Sweden League Svenska Cupen Europe Total
2007 Halmstad Allsvenskan 30–30
2008 2703––300
2009 3012––321
2010 2611––271
2011 2602––280
Norway League Norwegian Cup Europe Total
2012 Sandnes Tippeligaen 21310–223
2013 30020–320
2014 26010–270
2015 OBOS-ligaen 29220–312
2016 25030–280
Total Sweden 11228––1202
Norway 13159––1405
Career total 243717––2607

References
  1. "Anel har många mål i kikaren" (in Swedish). Hallandsposten.se. 2009-03-27. Retrieved 2009-06-25.
  2. "Anel Raskaj debuterade" (in Swedish). SvenskaFans.com. 2007-09-03. Retrieved 2008-07-31.
  3. "Talanger till A-truppen" (in Swedish). hbk.se. Archived from the original on 2013-11-11. Retrieved 2010-07-28.
  4. "Kombinerar elitfotboll med studier" (in Swedish). hbk.se. 2008-09-04. Archived from the original on 2008-09-17. Retrieved 2010-07-28.
  5. "Anel har spelat samtliga matcher" (in Swedish). hbk.se. 2009-10-30. Archived from the original on 2013-11-11. Retrieved 2010-07-28.
  6. "Raskajs första allsvenska mål" (in Swedish). fotbollsverige.se. 2009-04-19. Archived from the original on 10 September 2010. Retrieved 2010-07-28.
  7. "Raskaj brinner för nya Halmstad" (in Swedish). hallandsposten.se. 2011-03-16. Archived from the original on 2011-10-16. Retrieved 2012-02-01.
  8. "Bortglömd Raskaj: "Bara mål som räknas"" (in Swedish). svenskfotboll.se. 2011-04-05. Retrieved 2012-02-01.
  9. "Det är klart att man tänker på framtiden" (in Swedish). sportal.se. 2011-07-20. Archived from the original on 2012-09-15. Retrieved 2012-02-01.
  10. "Spelarflykt hotar Halmstads BK: "Superettan lockar inte"" (in Swedish). fotbolltransfers.com. 2011-09-25. Retrieved 2012-02-01.
  11. "Anel börjar bli orolig" (in Swedish). hallandsposten.se. 2012-01-06. Archived from the original on 2012-01-14. Retrieved 2012-02-01.
  12. "Raskaj klar for Sandnes Ulf" (in Norwegian). sandnesulf.no. 2012-01-30. Archived from the original on 2012-04-28. Retrieved 2012-02-01.
  13. "Officiellt: Anel Raskaj klar för AFC Eskilstuna". FotbollTransfers (in Swedish). 27 December 2016.
  14. "Anel Rashkaj nënshkruan kontratë dyvjeçare" (in Albanian). FC Prishtina. 11 August 2017.
  15. "Rashkaj debuton me Prishtinën" (in Albanian). Koha Ditore. 20 August 2017.
  16. "Prishtina liron Anel Rashkajn" (in Albanian). FC Prishtina. 29 September 2017.
  17. "Officiellt: Anel Raskaj återvänder till AFC Eskilstuna". FotbollTransfers (in Swedish). 18 December 2017.
  18. "Anel Rashkaj mbetet lojtar i lirë, ndahet me AFC Eskilstuna" [Anel Rashkaj remains a free agent, leaves from AFC Eskilstuna] (in Albanian). Telegrafi. 21 November 2019.
  19. "Anel Rashkaj ja SJK sopimukseen" [Anel Rashkaj and SJK in agreement] (in Finnish). Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho. 8 February 2020.
  20. "Niukka tappio Suomen mestarin kotihallissa" [A slight defeat in the Finnish Champion's home hall] (in Finnish). Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho. 14 February 2020. SJK: Jesse Öst MV, Samba Benga, Tero Mäntylä, Jude Arthur, Keaton Isaksson, Joel Laitinen, Anel Rashkaj (78' Arjanit Krasniqi), Joonas Lepistö (78' Jeremiah Streng), José Nadson, Mehmet Hetemaj ja Denys Oliinyk (78' Serge Atakayi)
  21. "Superlöftet missar EM-slutspelet" (in Swedish). Fotbolldirekt.se. 2009-02-02. Archived from the original on 2009-02-07. Retrieved 2009-06-25.
  22. "Kalmar FF - Team Kosovo" (in Swedish). kalmarff.se. 2009-06-12. Archived from the original on 2012-03-05. Retrieved 2010-07-28.
  23. "Anel spelade med Kosovo" (in Swedish). hbk.se. 2010-02-19. Archived from the original on 23 August 2010. Retrieved 2010-07-28.
  24. "Målrik vänskapsmatch mot Kosovo" (in Swedish). hbk.se. 2010-06-10. Archived from the original on 13 August 2010. Retrieved 2010-07-28.
  25. "Anel har bestämt sig för Kosovo" (in Swedish). hbk.se. 2010-07-28. Archived from the original on 13 August 2010. Retrieved 2010-07-28.
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