Valon Ethemi

Macedonian footballer (born 1997)
Valon Ethemi
Ethemi in 2023
Personal information
Date of birth (1997-10-03) 3 October 1997 (age 26)
Place of birth Palatica, Macedonia
Height 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Konyaspor
Number 72
Youth career
2010–2015 Renova
2015–2016 Dinamo Tirana
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2017 Adriatiku Mamurras 22 (4)
2017–2021 Kukësi 95 (9)
2021– İstanbulspor 97 (20)
2024– → Konyaspor (loan) 6 (1)
International career‡
2018 Albania U21 1 (0)
2022– North Macedonia 4 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 5 March 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 12 November 2023

Valon Ethemi (Macedonian: Валон Етеми; born 3 October 1997) is a Macedonian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Süper Lig club Konyaspor on loan from İstanbulspor.[1] A former youth international for Albania, he plays for the North Macedonia national team.

Club career

Early career

Ethemi was born in Palatica, Želino Municipality to ethnic Albanian parents but later moved to Albania where he joined the Dinamo Tirana academy as a 17-year-old, where he remained for one year before joining professional side Adriatiku Mamurras in the Albanian First Division, the second tier of football in Albania. He featured in 22 league games for the club during the 2016–17 campaign, scoring 4 goals in the process which landed him a move to Albanian Superliga champions Kukësi.

Kukësi

He officially joined Kukësi on 28 August 2017, penning a three-year contract and receiving squad number 27.[2] Later on 6 September, he was on the bench for his side's 2017 Albanian Supercup loss to Tirana.[3] He played his first Albanian Superliga match three days later on the opening league game of the season, coming on as a 76th-minute substitute for Ndriçim Shtubina in the 1–0 home win over newly promoted Kamza.[4] He scored his first league goal for the club on 16 October 2017 in a 4–2 home victory over KF Teuta Durrës. His goal, scored in the 31st minute, made the score 2–0 in favor of Kukësi. He was later subbed out, being replaced by Rauf Aliyev in the 78th minute.[5]

İstanbulspor

Ethemi helped İstanbulspor achieve promotion in the 2021-22 season for the first time in 17 years.[6] He started in İstanbulspor return to the Süper Lig in a 2–0 season opening loss to Trabzonspor on 5 August 2022.[7]

International career

On 28 May 2018 Ethemi made his debut with Albania U21 in a friendly match against Bosnia and Herzegovina U21 after being named in the starting line-up.[8]

On 12 June 2022 Ethemi made his debut with North Macedonia in a match of UEFA Nations League against Gibraltar.

Career statistics

As of match played 10 January 2024[1]
Club Season League Cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Adriatiku Mamurras 2016–17 Albanian First Division 22 4 0 0 — — 22 4
Kukësi 2017–18 Albanian Superliga 33 2 7 1 — 0 0 40 3
2018–19 Kategoria Superiore 31 1 8 4 4[a] 0 — 43 5
2019–20 Kategoria Superiore 31 6 4 0 2[b] 1 1[c] 0 38 7
Total 95 9 19 5 6 1 1 0 121 15
İstanbulspor 2020–21 TFF First League 16 1 0 0 — 2[d] 0 18 1
2021–22 TFF First League 35 6 2 0 — 3[e] 1 40 7
2022–23 Süper Lig 30 12 2 0 — — 32 12
2023–24 Süper Lig 14 1 0 0 — — 14 1
Total 95 20 4 0 0 0 5 1 104 21
Career total 212 33 23 5 6 1 6 1 247 40
  1. ^ Three appearances in the UEFA Champions League, One appearance in the UEFA Europa League
  2. ^ Appearances in the UEFA Europa League
  3. ^ Appearance in the Albanian Supercup
  4. ^ Appearances in the 2020–21 TFF First League promotion play-offs
  5. ^ Appearances in the 2021–22 TFF First League promotion play-offs

References

  1. ^ a b Valon Ethemi at Soccerway. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  2. ^ "Kukësi "peshkon" një talent, firmos mesfushori Valon Etemi" [Kukësi “fishes” a talent midfielder Valon Ethemi signs] (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. 29 August 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  3. ^ "Finalja e Superkupës, Tirana godet në fund" [Supercup final, Tirana strikes at the end] (in Albanian). Sport Ekspres. 6 September 2017. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  4. ^ "Kukësi mposht Kamzën falë një penalltie, Bakaj debuton me gol (VIDEO)" [Kukësi defeats Kamza thanks to a penalty, Bakaj debuts with goal (VIDEO)] (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. 9 September 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  5. ^ "Kukesi vs. Teuta Durres – 16 October 2017 – Soccerway". int.soccerway.com. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  6. ^ "İstanbulspor, 17 yıl sonra Spor Toto Süper Lig'de". Pusula Haber.
  7. ^ "Trabzonspor lige galibiyetle başladı!". Haber7.
  8. ^ "Shqipëria U-21 humbet miqësoren me Bosnje-Hercegovinën" (in Albanian). Albanian Football Association. 28 May 2018. Retrieved 28 May 2018.

External links

  • v
  • t
  • e
Konyaspor – current squad