Valmir Sulejmani

Valmir Bajram Sulejmani (born 1 February 1996) is a Kosovan professional footballer who plays as a forward for German club Hannover 96.

Valmir Sulejmani

Sulejmani with 1. FC Union Berlin in 2015
Personal information
Full name	Valmir Bajram Sulejmani
Date of birth	1 February 1996
Place of birth	Großburgwedel, Germany[1]
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)	Forward
Club information
Current team	Hannover 96
Number	19
Youth career
2001–2005	SC Wedemark
2005–2013	Hannover 96
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2013–2018	Hannover 96 II	90	(13)
2014–2016	Hannover 96	11	(0)
2015	→ Union Berlin (loan)	6	(0)
2015	→ Union Berlin II (loan)	1	(0)
2018–2020	Waldhof Mannheim	50	(24)
2020–	Hannover 96	0	(0)
National team^‡
2012–2013	Germany U17	5	(0)
2017–2018	Kosovo U21	4	(0)
2015–2016	Kosovo	3	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 21 July 2020 ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 7 September 2018

Club career

Youth career

Sulejmani started his youth career at Hannover 96's academy at age nine. During the 2012–13 season he played for Hannover U-19 youth team in the Under 19 Bundesliga making seven appearances and scoring one goal in 5–2 win against Holstein Kiel U-19 team on 12 May 2013.[2] He started the 2013–14 season on 11 August 2013, playing against Rot-Weiss Erfurt U-19 in the loss 3–1.[3] He managed to score two goals that season: the first came a week after the season's opening match, on 18 August 2013 in 4–2 win against St. Pauli U-19[4] the second on 1 September 2013 in a 4–1 win against Hamburger SV U-19.[5] Sulejmani finished playing the 2013–14 season with total of six appearances and two goals scored and made his debut with Hannover 96 II on 19 October 2013 against Victoria Hamburg playing as a starter in a 0–2 away victory.[6]

First team

Sulejmani played on 26 October 2013 in the 9–2 defeat by Hannover 96 II of Werder Bremen II[7] before he was called up to Hannover 96's first team for the match against Werder Bremen on 3 November 2013, where he was an unused substitute.[8] He made his debut for Hannover 96 at age 17, on 14 December 2013, in the match against Nürnberg, replacing Artur Sobiech in the 74th minute. Hannover came back from 3–0 down to draw 3–3, with Sulejmani assisting on Hannover's second goal scored by Mame Diouf in 87th minute.[9] In the next fixture against SC Freiburg on 21 December 2013, Sulejmani was included in the starting line up, playing the first half of the match before being substituted off for Artur Sobiech, as the match finished in a 2–1 loss.[10]

Loan to Union Berlin

On 29 January 2015, Sulejmani was loaned to the 2. Bundesliga side Union Berlin until the end of the 2014–15 season as a replacement for long injured Maximilian Thiel, rejoining head coach Norbert Düwel, who had previously been assistant coach at Hannover 96.[11]

International

Under-17

Between 2012 and 2013. Sulejmani has played five matches for the Germany U17.[12]

Under-21

Sulejmani revealed to the Albanian sports media that he had been in contact with FSHF and was available for selection by the Albania, given his Albanian background, despite having played for Germany at the youth level.[13] On the other hand, Albania's coach, Gianni de Biasi, declared that Sulejmani is in his plans.[14]

On 1 August 2014, the Albania national under-21 football team's coach Skënder Gega declared that he has invited Sulejmani to join the Albania national U21 team for the friendly match on 6 August 2014 against Qatar U-20.[15] Two days later, on 3 August 2014, the media reported that his club Hannover 96 had not given him permission to play for the Albania U-21, but Sulejmani himself declared that he would be part of the team in future matches.[16] On 1 October 2014, Sulejmani received another call-up from Albania under-21 for the friendly match against Romania U21,[17] but declined the invitation.

Senior

On 7 October 2015, Sulejmani received a call-up from Kosovo for a friendly match against Equatorial Guinea[18] coming on as a substitute in the 57th minute for Mërgim Brahimi.

Under-21

On 5 June 2017, Sulejmani received his first call-up from the Kosovo U21 team when he was named to the starting line-up for a 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification match against the Norwegian U21 team.[19]

Career statistics

Club

As of 30 July 2020[20]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Hannover 96 II	2013–14	Regionalliga Nord	10	0	0	0	—		10	0
	2014–15		16	0	0	0	—		16	0
	2015–16		23	4	0	0	—		23	4
	2016–17		28	4	0	0	—		28	4
	2017–18		13	5	0	0	—		13	5
	Total		90	13	0	0	—		90	13
Hannover 96	2013–14	Bundesliga	6	0	0	0	—		6	0
	2014–15		0	0	0	0	—		0	0
	2015–16		4	0	0	0	—		4	0
	2016–17	2. Bundesliga	1	0	0	0	—		1	0
	Total		11	0	0	0	—		11	0
Union Berlin (loan)	2014–15	2. Bundesliga	6	0	0	0	1[lower-alpha 1]	0	7	0
Waldhof Mannheim	2018–19	Regionalliga Südwest	32	18	0	0	0	0	32	18
	2019–20	3. Liga	18	6	1	2	0	0	19	8
	Total		50	24	1	2	0	0	51	26
Career total			157	37	1	2	1	0	159	39

1. One appearance with 1. FC Union Berlin II

International

As of 9 October 2016[21]

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Kosovo
	2015	2	0
	2016	2	0
Total		4	0

References

1. "Valmir Sulejmani – Hannover 96" (in German). Hannover 96. Archived from the original on 23 July 2015.
2. "Hannover 96 U19 vs. Holstein Kiel U19 - 12 May 2013 - Soccerway". Int.soccerway.com. 12 May 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
3. "Rot-Weiß Erfurt U19 vs. Hannover 96 U19 - 11 August 2013 - Soccerway". Int.soccerway.com. 11 August 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
4. "Hannover 96 U19 vs. St. Pauli U19 - 18 August 2013 - Soccerway". Int.soccerway.com. 18 August 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
5. "Hannover 96 U19 vs. Hamburger SV U19 - 1 September 2013 - Soccerway". Int.soccerway.com. 1 September 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
6. "Victoria Hamburg vs. Hannover 96 II - 19 October 2013 - Soccerway". Int.soccerway.com. 19 October 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
7. "Hannover 96 II vs. Werder Bremen II - 26 October 2013 - Soccerway". Int.soccerway.com. 26 October 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
8. "Werder Bremen vs. Hannover 96 - 3 November 2013 - Soccerway". Int.soccerway.com. 3 November 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
9. "Hannover 96 vs. Nürnberg - 14 December 2013 - Soccerway". Soccerway. 14 December 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
10. "Freiburg vs. Hannover 96 - 21 December 2013 - Soccerway". Int.soccerway.com. 21 December 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
11. "1. FC Union Berlin leiht Valmir Sulejmani von Hannover 96 aus" [1. FC Union Berlin loans Valmir Sulejmani from Hannover 96] (in German). 1. FC Union Berlin. 30 January 2015. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
12. "U 17-Junioren: Valmir Sulejmani" [U 17-juniors: Valmir Sulejmani] (in German). DFB. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
13. Asport (6 November 2013). "17-vjeçari Sulejmani : Krenar të luaj në klubin e Altin Lalës. Kombëtarja? Kurrë mos thuaj kurrë". Asport. Retrieved 28 January 2014. Është e vërtetë që kam pasur kontakt me Federatën Shqiptare të Futbollit, respektivisht me Jetmir Salihun (red. përfaqësues i FSHF-së në Kosovë). Por në atë kohë unë kisha ftesë nga Kombetarja Gjermane, ftesë të cilën s’mund ta refuzoja. Ama kjo nuk do të thotë që unë një ditë të mos bëhem pjesë e Shqipërisë, pasi nuk mund të harroj origjinën time.
14. Gazeta Start (1 August 2013). "De Biazi: Valmir Sulejmani është në planet e mia". Retrieved 28 January 2014. Sulejmani? Po, e njoh shumë mirë. E kam ndjekur prej kohësh, madje e kam parë me kujdes në takimin me Fraiburgun. Nuk ka dyshime që është futbollist shumë interesant dhe në planet e mia. Nuk diskutohet që ai mund të luajë me ekipin U-21, por edhe më shumë, mund të jetë një alternativë e mirë për Ekipin A.
15. "Gega "vesh" kuq e zi Sylejmanin e Paqaraden". aSport.al. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
16. "Hannoveri e ndalon Sylejmanin ti bashkohet Shqipërisë për ndeshjen me Katarin". aSport.al. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
17. "U-21 ben gati miqesoren kunder Rumanise". Fshf.org. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
18. "Bunjaku bënë publike listën e futbollistëve për ndeshjen kundër Guinesë Ekuatoriale". Botapress (in Albanian). 7 October 2015.
19. "Kombëtarja U21 filloi përgatitjet për sfidën me Norvegjinë" (in Albanian). Football Federation of Kosovo. 5 June 2017.
20. "Valmir Sulejmani". Soccerway.
21. "Valmir Sulejmani". National-Football-Teams.

External links

• Valmir Sulejmani at Soccerway