Arton Zekaj

Arton Din Zekaj (Serbian Cyrillic: Артон Дин Зекај; born 16 April 2000) is a Kosovan professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for French club Lille.

Arton Zekaj
Personal information
Full name Arton Din Zekaj
Date of birth (2000-04-16) 16 April 2000
Place of birth Subotica, FR Yugoslavia
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Defensive midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Lille
Number 13
Youth career
0000–2015 Spartak Subotica
2015–2018 Partizan
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016 Partizan 0 (0)
2016 → OFK Bačka (loan) 0 (0)
2018 Sopot
2018– Lille 1 (0)
2018– → Lille II 16 (0)
National team‡
2014–2016 Serbia U15
2016 Serbia U16
2017 Serbia U17
2019– Kosovo U21 1 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 5 October 2019
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 9 September 2019

Club career

Early career

Zekaj has played with the youth teams of Partizan.[1] During the 2016–17 season, he was on loan to OFK Bačka and licensed for the senior team, but failed to make a debut in the Serbian SuperLiga. On 14 February 2018, Zekaj joined Serbian League Belgrade side Sopot.[2]

Lille

On 4 July 2018, Zekaj joined Ligue 1 side Lille, on a three-year contract.[3][4] On 11 August 2018, he made his debut as professional footballer in a 3–1 home win against Rennes after coming on as a substitute at last minutes in place of Lebo Mothiba.[5] Seven day later, Zekaj made another debut with Lille, but with second team in a Championnat National 2 match against Épinal after being named in the starting line-up.[6]

International career

Serbia
"Zekaj expected be invited to one of the upcoming gatherings of Kosovo U21 and guessed this is very big talent due to an Albanian would had it impossible to play for Partizan or Serbia national teams."

—Kosovo U15 coach Isa Sadriu shares his first impression for Zekaj.

Youth

Zekaj was a member of Serbia U15 from 2014 until 2016, when he was promoted to Serbia U16. In 2017, he became part of Serbia U17 and in some matches played with the Serbia national youth teams was squad captain.

Kosovo
"For me, it is great pride that I have chosen Kosovo and that I will wear this jersey, as in this way I will make them proud as my parents, my family and all the people of Kosovo and also a great man who is no longer among us – the legend, Fadil Vokrri."

—Zekaj shares his first impression after the permitting to play for Kosovo.[7]

On 3 April 2017, Zekaj visited Pristina together with his father, a consultant and a representative of Partizan and met with the leaders of the Football Federation of Kosovo. The meeting was held to clarify procedures to enable him to play for Kosovo national team.[8][9]

On 27 April 2019, The Football Federation of Kosovo confirmed through a communiqué that Zekaj is obtained with the Kosovan passport and is ready to play for Kosovo national under-21 team in the next 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification matches in September 2019.[10]

Under-21

Zekaj was planned to be called up from Kosovo U21 in June 2019 for 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification matches against Andorra U21 and Turkey U21,[10] but due to injury, could not be part of the national team.[11]

On 2 September 2019, he received a call-up from Kosovo U21 for the 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification match against England U21[12] and made his debut after being named in the starting line-up.[13]

Personal life

Zekaj was born in Subotica, modern-day Serbia to Kosovo Albanian parents from Prizren.

Career statistics

Club
As of 5 October 2019[14]
Club Season League Cup Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Lille 2018–19 Ligue 1 1000—10
2019–20 0000—00
Total 1000—10
Lille II 2018–19 Championnat National 2 10000—100
2019–20 6000—60
Total 16000—160
Career total 17000—170

References
  1. ""Đavolčići" ponovo poklekli u finišu: Partizan nosi tri boda iz Kragujevca" ["Devils" clapped again in the final: Partizan wears three points from Kragujevac]. SrbijaSport (in Serbian). 24 August 2017.
  2. "Регистрације" [Registrations] (PDF) (in Serbian). Football Association of Serbia. 14 February 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 February 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  3. "Arton Zekaj rejoint le LOSC" [Arton Zekaj joins the LOSC] (in French). Lille OSC. 4 July 2018.
  4. "Kapiten Orlića Arton Zekaj iz Sopota u Lil!" [Eagle's captain Arton Zekaj from Sopot to Lille!]. MozzartSport (in Serbian). 4 July 2018.
  5. "#LOSCSRFC (3-1) Tout part de là" [#LOSCSRFC (3-1) Everything starts from there] (in French). Lille OSC. 11 August 2018. LOSC: Maignan – Çelik (Ié, 86'), Soumaoro (cap.), Dabila, Ballo-Touré – Xeka, Mendes – Pépé, Benzia (Ikoné, 90'), Bamba – Mothiba (Zekaj, 90'+3)
  6. "Lille II (1–0) Épinal". Soccerway. 18 August 2018.
  7. "Zekaj: Jam krenar që kam zgjedhur Kosovën" [Zekaj: I'm proud to have chosen Kosovo] (in Albanian). Football Federation of Kosovo. 27 May 2019.
  8. "Reprezentuesi i Serbisë shpreh dëshirën të luajë për Kosovën" [Representative of Serbia expresses the desire to play for Kosovo] (in Albanian). Koha Ditore. 13 April 2017.
  9. @kosovanfooty (14 April 2017). "Arton Zekaj (16) part of..." (Tweet). Archived from the original on 22 April 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2017 – via Twitter.
  10. "Presidenti Ademi priti futbollistin e ri Arton Zekaj, i dëshiron mirëseardhje në folenë Dardane" [President Ademi welcomes the new footballer Arton Zekaj, welcomes in the Dardanian nest] (in Albanian). Football Federation of Kosovo. 27 May 2019.
  11. "Prekazi publikon listën, beson te lojtarët e rinj" [Prekazi publishes the list, believes in new players] (in Albanian). Football Federation of Kosovo. 27 May 2019.
  12. "Prekazi: Anglia favorite, por ne do të japim më të mirën" [Prekazi: England is favorite, but we'll give our best] (in Albanian). Football Federation of Kosovo. 2 September 2019.
  13. "Anglia–Kosova, formacionet zyrtare, starton Arton Zekaj" [England–Kosovo, official lineup, starts Arton Zekaj]. Lipjani News (in Albanian). 9 September 2019. Në këtë ndeshje starton ardhja e re te Kosova, Arton Zekaj
  14. "Arton Zekaj". Soccerway. Retrieved 5 October 2019.


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