Endri Çekiçi

Endri Çekiçi (born 23 November 1996) is an Albanian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Turkish club Ankaragücü and the Albania national team.

Endri Çekiçi
Personal information
Full name Endri Çekiçi[1]
Date of birth (1996-11-23) 23 November 1996
Place of birth Pogradec, Albania
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Winger
Club information
Current team
 Ankaragücü
Number 88
Youth career
2008–2013 Pogradeci
2013–2014 Dinamo Zagreb
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013 Pogradeci 6 (1)
2013–2014 Teuta 0 (0)
2014–2019 Dinamo Zagreb 6 (0)
2015–2019 Dinamo Zagreb II 43 (8)
2016–2017 → Lokomotiva Zagreb (loan) 35 (6)
2019–2020 Olimpija Ljubljana 43 (17)
2020– Ankaragücü 11 (1)
National team‡
2011–2012 Albania U17[lower-alpha 1] 9 (0)
2013–2014 Albania U19[lower-alpha 1] 6 (0)
2015–2018 Albania U21[lower-alpha 1] 14 (1)
2020– Albania 1 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 10 January 2021
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 18 October 2020

Club career

Early career

Çekiçi started his career with his local club Pogradeci in 2008, where he made his professional debut on 16 February 2013 at the age of 16 years, 2 months and 24 days old. He came on as a 56th-minute substitute for the goalscorer Vangjel Zguro in a home Kategoria e Parë fixture against Besëlidhja which ended in a 1–0 win for Pogradeci.[2] He was in the starting formation for his next game a month later on 16 March in a 3–0 home win against Naftëtari, where he was subbed off for Kristi Laçka in the 58th minute.[3] He scored his first professional goal on 4 May 2013 against Burreli, scoring in the 11th minute to put his side 2–0 up, but it wasn't any enough as Burreli came from behind to take the 2–3 elite and to win the match.[4] In total he made 6 league appearances for the club during the 2012–13 season, scoring one goal in the process to help his side finish 5th in the league.

He joined Kategoria Superiore side Teuta in the summer of 2013 ahead of the club's Europa League qualifier against Moldovan side FC Dacia Chișinău.[5] Çekiçi came on as an 81st-minute substitute in the home leg of the fixture which ended in 3–1 win for Teuta.[6]

Dinamo Zagreb

In February 2014, Dinamo Zagreb and Teuta reached an agreement for the transfer of Çekiçi for €60,000. He was assigned in the youth team after successfully passing a trial early on. He signed his first professional contract on 23 November 2014, his birthday; the contract would keep him at Maksimir Stadium until June 2019.[7] Çekiçi stated that this was the best birthday present for him.[7]

Çekiçi made his competitive Dinamo Zagreb debut on 11 February by entering in the last minutes of a 1–0 away win over Istra, valid for the first leg of 2014–15 Croatian Cup quarter-finals.[8] He made his first league appearance later that month in the 1–1 draw at Osijek for the matchday 22.[9] Çekiçi played his first match as starter on 28 February in the home match against RNK Split, notably winning a penalty kick in 16th minute which resulted in him getting injured and substituted.[10] Following the examinations, it was reported that Çekiçi had injured achilles tendon that kept him sidelined for the next three months.[11]

He returned on action on 2 May 2015 by playing the second half of the 1–5 away win over the same opponent which was enough for Dinamo Zagreb to clinch the 2014–15 Croatian First Football League title for the 10th consecutive time and 17 overall.[12] He finished his first season in Croatia by making 4 league appearances, collecting 109 minutes, and one cup appearance.

During the 2015–16, on 22 September 2015, Çekiçi scored his maiden Dinamo Zagreb goals in the 7–1 victory over Oštrc Zlatar valid for the 2015–16 Croatian Football Cup.[13] In the first part of the season, his time was even more limited, playing only 15 minutes.

Loan to Lokomotiva Zagreb

In January 2016, Çekiçi joined Lokomotiva Zagreb on a one-and-a-half loan.[14] He made his first appearance for his new club on 12 February by appearing as a substitute in the 2–0 away loss to Rijeka.[15] He scored his first Prva Liga goal on 13 March in the 3–2 away defeat against his parent club Dinamo Zagreb; he also gave an assist for the temporary 2–2 equaliser which earned him Fans' Player of the Week Award.[16] He finished the second part of the 2015–16 season with three goals in eleven appearances.

Olimpija Ljubljana

In February 2019, Çekiçi signed a contract with Slovenian club Olimpija Ljubljana.[17]

MKE Ankaragücü

On 5 October 2020, Çekiçi joined Turkish Süper Lig club Ankaragücü.[18]

International career

Albania under-17

Çekiçi received his first Albania under-17 call-up by manager Džemal Mustedanagić for a friendly tournament developed in August 2012 in Romania.[19]

He was called up in October 2011 to be part of the team in the qualifying rounds of the 2012 UEFA European Under-17 Championship. He debuted on 13 October by starting in the first match against Slovakia which finished 2–1 for Çekiçi's side.[20] Çekiçi then played in the next two matches against Germany and Estonia as Albania clinched a spot for the elite round.[21][22][23]

In the elite round, Çekiçi retained his spot in the starting lineup[24] as Albania suffered defeats to Serbia and the Netherlands, and won in the third match against the Republic of Ireland, eventually getting eliminated with a third-place finish.[25]

Çekiçi continued to be part of under-17 even in the qualifying rounds of the 2013 UEFA European Under-17 Championship. He appeared in all three matches as Albania finished in third position which confirmed elimination.[26]

Albania under-19

Çekiçi was first approached to under-19 side by manager Foto Strakosha for the 2014 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualifying round.[27] He played his first match as a starter on 12 November 2013 versus Greece as Albania slumped into a 1–0 defeat.[28] He also played in the remaining two matches as Albania finished Group 6 in the last position with two points.[29]

Çekiçi then was part of the squad for the following European qualifying campaign, as he was called up by Altin Lala for the 2015 edition.[30] He captained Albania in all three Group 7 matches as Albania once again finished last, losing to Denmark, Portugal and Wales.[31]

Albania under-21

He was called up for the first time to the Albania under-21 squad by coach Skënder Gega for the friendly match against Romania U21 on 8 October 2014.[32] In that match, he came on as a substitute in the second half as Albania lost 3–1.[33]

Çekiçi received another call up by the newly appointed coach Redi Jupi for the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifying matches against Israel and Portugal in September 2015.[34] He debuted against the former by coming on as a second-half substitute, netting a penalty kick in the 84th minute to rescue his side a 1–1 home draw.[35] He then played as a starter in the remaining matches, collecting 608 minutes as Albania finished Group 4 in fourth place.[36]

Çekiçi went on to be a member of the under-21 squad in the following qualification tournament under new coach Alban Bushi; he was called up for the friendly match against France U21 on 5 June 2017 and the 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification opening match against Estonia U21 on 12 June 2017.[37] In the opening match of the qualifiers against Estonia U21, Çekiçi started from the bench due to a small injury and was put in play in the 86th minute in place of Kristal Abazaj where the match finished in a goalless draw.[38] He missed out the second match against Northern Ireland U21 on 31 August 2017 as he didn't travelled with the team to Northern Ireland due to visa issues.[39]

Senior team

In September 2020, Çekiçi was included in the Albania senior team squad for the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League C matches against Belarus and Lithuania,[40] but did not make any appearances. He eventually debuted on 14 October 2020 in the second match against Lithuania, replacing Qazim Laçi during the second half in a goalless draw.[41]

Career statistics

Club
As of 2 December 2017[5][42]
Club statistics
Club Season League Cup Europe[lower-alpha 2] Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Pogradeci 2012–13 Kategoria e Parë 61———61
Teuta 2013–14 Kategoria Superiore ——10—10
Dinamo Zagreb 2014–15 Croatian First League 4010——50
2015–16 102210—42
2017–18 —10——10
Total 504210—102
Dinamo Zagreb II 2015–16 Croatian Second League 113———113
2017–18 143———143
Total 256———256
Lokomotiva Zagreb 2015–16 Croatian First League 123———123
2016–17 2332080—333
Total 3562080—456
Career total 711262100—8714
  1. Official UEFA matches only.
  2. Including continental competitions, such as UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League

Honours

Club
Dinamo Zagreb[42]
Olimpija Ljubljana

References
  1. "Endri Çekiçi". Turkish Football Federation. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  2. Pogradeci 1–0 Besëlidhja Soccerway
  3. Pogradeci 3–0 Naftëtari Soccerway
  4. Pogradeci 2–3 Burreli Soccerway
  5. Endri Çekiçi – UEFA competition record
  6. UEFA Europa League 2013/14 - History - Teuta-Dacia UEFA.com
  7. "Endri Çekiçi firmos për 5 vjet me gjigandët kroatë të Dinamo Zagreb" [Endri Çekiçi signs for 5 years with croatian giants of Dinamo Zagreb] (in Albanian). Ora Sport. 24 November 2014. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  8. "Istra 1961 vs. Dinamo Zagreb 0 – 1". Soccerway. 11 February 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  9. "Osijek vs. Dinamo Zagreb 1 – 1". Soccerway. 22 February 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  10. "Dinamo Zagreb vs. Split 2 – 0". Soccerway. 28 February 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  11. "Drama e Çekiçit, hero dhe dëmtim te Dinamo Zagreb" [Çekiçi's drama, hero and injury at Dinamo Zagreb] (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. 1 March 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  12. Leonard Trebicka (2 May 2015). "Nga Spliti në… Split, Çekiçi kthehet me titull!" [From Split to… Split, Çekiçi returns with title!] (in Albanian). Sport Ekspres. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  13. "Legjionarët / Endri Çekiçi, dy gola në fitoren e thellë të Dinamos në Kupë" [Legionaries / Endri Çekiçi, two goals in the heavy win of Dinamo Zagreb] (in Albanian). AlbanianSport.net. 22 September 2015. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  14. "Endri Çekiçi transferohet te Lokomotiva e Zagrebit" [Endri Çekiçi transferred at Lokomotiva Zagreb] (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. 14 January 2016. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  15. "Rijeka vs. Lokomotiva Zagreb 0 – 0". Soccerway. 12 February 2016. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  16. "Legjionarët / Endri Çekiçi, tifozët e shpallin lojtarin më të mirë të javës" [Legionaries / Endri Çekiçi, the fans name him the best player of the week] (in Albanian). AlbanianSport.net. 15 March 2016. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  17. Uredništvo (4 February 2019). "Cekici: O Olimpiji sem slišal lepe stvari" (in Slovenian). Nogomania. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  18. "Endri Çekici Ankaragücümüzde" (in Turkish). MKE Ankaragücü. 5 October 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  19. "Kombëtarja U17, nis sot turneun miqësor në Rumani" [U17 national team begins the friendly tournament in Romania today]. aSport.al (in Albanian). 6 August 2012. Archived from the original on 6 January 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  20. "Slovakia U17 vs. Albania U17 1–2". Soccerway. 13 October 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  21. "Albania U17 vs. Germany U17 1–2". Soccerway. 15 October 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  22. "Estonia U17 vs. Albania U17 1–1". Soccerway. 18 October 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  23. "UEFA U17 Championship Group 12". Soccerway. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  24. "Shpallet lista e Kombëtares U-17" [National under-17 team list is announced] (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. 21 March 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  25. "UEFA U17 Championship Group 5". Soccerway. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  26. "UEFA U17 Championship Group 8". Soccerway. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  27. "Kombëtarja U19 nis eliminatoret, lista e lojtarëve dhe orari i ndeshjeve" [National team U19 starts the qualifying round, players list and match schedule]. aSport.al (in Albanian). 11 November 2013. Archived from the original on 7 August 2017. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  28. "Greece U19 vs. Albania U19 1–0". Soccerway. 12 November 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  29. "UEFA U19 Championship Group 6". Soccerway. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  30. "Barazon Kombëtarja, Lala: Kualifikohemi në Europian" [National team drew, Lala: We qualify for the European] (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. 7 November 2014. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  31. "UEFA U19 Championship Group 7". Soccerway. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  32. "U-21 ben gati miqesoren kunder Rumanise" [U-21 ready for the friendly versus Romania] (in Albanian). Albanian Football Association. 30 September 2014. Archived from the original on 7 August 2017. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  33. "Shpresat munden në Rumani, dështon "armata" e Gegës" [Our hopes gets beaten in Romania, Gega's "army" fails] (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. 9 October 2014. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  34. "Grumbullohet kombetarja U-21" [U-21 National team is gathered] (in Albanian). Albanian Football Association. 28 August 2015. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  35. "Shpresat barazojnë me 10 lojtarë ndaj Izraelit, Jupi: I kënaqur me reagimin e skuadrës" [Our hopes equalize with 10 players against Israel, Jupi: Satisfied with team's reaction] (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. 3 September 2015. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  36. "Qualifying round Group 4". UEFA. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
  37. "Alban Bushi shpall listën e U21 për Francën dhe Estoninë" [Alban Bushi announces the U21 list for France and Estonia] (in Albanian). Albanian Football Association. 1 June 2017. Archived from the original on 5 July 2017. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  38. "Under-21 – Albania vs. Estonia". UEFA. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  39. "Kombëtarja U21 në telashe, dëmtohen 3 futbollistë. Çekiçit nuk i japin vizën" [U21 national team in trouble, 3 players are injured. Çekiçi is not given a visa] (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. 31 August 2017. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  40. "Būsimas Lietuvos varžovas – patyrusio italo sustyguota Albanijos rinktinė". sportas.lt. 6 September 2020. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  41. "Endri Ҫekiҫi » Nations League C 2020/2021". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  42. Endri Çekiçi at Soccerway. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
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