Visar Bekaj

Kosovo-Albanian footballer (born 1997)

Visar Bekaj
Personal information
Full name	Visar Bekaj
Date of birth	(1997-05-24) 24 May 1997 (age 26)
Place of birth	Pristina, FR Yugoslavia
Height	1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team	Hatayspor
Number	12
Youth career
2003–2013	Ramiz Sadiku
2013–2015	Prishtina
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2014–2020	Prishtina	159	(0)
2020–2023	Tirana	103	(0)
2023–	Hatayspor	3	(0)
International career^‡
2013	Albania U17	3	(0)
2017–2018	Kosovo U21	8	(0)
2015–	Kosovo	5	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 3 March 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 8 June 2021

Visar Bekaj (born 24 May 1997) is a Kosovan professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Turkish club Hatayspor and the Kosovo national team.

Club career

Prishtina

2019–20 season

On 27 June 2019, Bekaj commenced his fifth season with a draw in 2019–20 UEFA Europa League preliminary round match against Gibraltarian side St Joseph's after being named in the starting line-up.^[1]

Failure to join with 1899 Hoffenheim

On 4 July 2019, Prishtina through a communiqué stated that Bekaj, most likely in Gibraltar against St Joseph's has played his last official match with Prishtina and is soon expected to move to 1899 Hoffenheim.^[2]^[3] On 4 September 2019, Bota Sot confirms that Bekaj's transfer to 1899 Hoffenheim has failed after the German club request in TMS system to Prishtina was missing.^[4]

Return to Prishtina

Bekaj returned to Football Superleague of Kosovo side Prishtina,^[4] On 13 September 2019, he played the first game after the return against Llapi after being named in the starting line-up.^[5]^[6]

Tirana

On 29 August 2020, Bekaj signed a three-year contract with Kategoria Superiore club Tirana.^[7] His debut with Tirana came on 1 October in the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League play-off round against Young Boys after being named in the starting line-up.^[8]

International career

Youth career and first senior call-up

In December 2012, Bekaj received a call-up from Albania U17 for a selection camp in Pristina, Kosovo from 3–4 December 2012.^[9] On 7 October 2015, he received a call-up from Kosovo for the friendly match against Equatorial Guinea.^[10] His debut with Kosovo came on 13 November in a friendly match against Albania after coming on as a substitute at 89th minute in place of captain Samir Ujkani.^[11]

Return to youth team

On 21 March 2017, Bekaj received a call-up from Kosovo U21 for a 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification match against Republic of Ireland U21,^[12] and made his debut after being named in the starting line-up.^[13]

Honours

Tirana

Kategoria Superiore: 2021–22; runner-up: 2022–23
Kupa e Shqipërisë runner-up: 2022–23
Albanian Supercup: 2022

References

^ "UEL: Prishtina – St Joseph's 1–1" (in Albanian). FC Prishtina. 28 June 2019.
^ "Visar Bekaj do të transferohet jashtë vendit" [Visar Bekaj will be transferred abroad] (in Albanian). FC Prishtina. 4 July 2019.
^ "Portieri Visar Bekaj në Hoffenheim?" [Goalkeeper Visar Bekaj at Hoffenheim?]. Indeksonline (in Albanian). 6 August 2019. Pas shumë viteve të kaluara te ekipi nga kryeqyteti, Bekaj dëshiron të vazhdoj karrierën jashtë Kosovës. Ai është negociata me skuadren gjermane Hoffenheim. "Ende nuk kam nënshkruar kontratë por jemi afër marrëveshjes" tha Bekaj për Indeksonline
^ ^a ^b "Dështon transferimi i Bekajt në Gjermani, ja ku do ta vazhdojë karrierën" [Bekaj's transfer to Germany is failing, where he will continue his career] (in Albanian). Bota Sot. 4 September 2019. Visar Bekaj mund të mbetet te FC Prishtina. Kjo pasi që transferimi i tij te skuadra gjermane Hoffenheim është pranë dështimit .Afati kalimtar i transferimeve në Gjermani ka përfunduar, ndërkohë që ka munguar kërkesa e klubit gjerman në sistemin TMS në drejtim të FC Prishtinës
^ "Formacioni zyrtarë i Prishtinës" [Official line-up of Prishtina]. Korneri.net (in Albanian). 13 September 2019.
^ "Java IV: Prishtina – Llapi 0:1" [Week IV: Prishtina - Llapi 0:1] (in Albanian). FC Prishtina. 14 September 2019.
^ "KF Tirana mirëpret Visar Bekaj!" [KF Tirana welcomes Visar Bekaj] (in Albanian). KF Tirana. 29 August 2020.
^ "Visar Bekaj nga minuta e parë, formacionet zyrtare: Young Boys – Tirana" [Visar Bekaj from the first minute, official lineups: Young Boys – Tirana]. Gazeta Blic (in Albanian). 1 October 2020.
^ "Seleksionimi 03–04 dhjetor 2012" [Selection 03–04 dhjetor 2012] (in Albanian). Albanian Football Association. December 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
^ "Kosova publikon listën e lojtarëve kundër Guinesë" [Kosovo publishes the list of players against Guinea] (in Albanian). Gazeta Express. 7 October 2015. Archived from the original on 6 December 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
^ "Festë, emocion dhe spektakël futbolli" [Holiday, emotion and football spectacle] (in Albanian). Football Federation of Kosovo. 13 November 2015.
^ "Lista e futbollistëve të Përfaqësueses U21" [List of the players of national U21 team] (in Albanian). Football Federation of Kosovo. 21 March 2017. Archived from the original on 3 April 2019. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
^ "Kosova U21 e pafat kundër Irlandës, humb me rezultat të ngushtë" [Kosovo U21 unlucky against Ireland, loses with a close result] (in Albanian). Football Federation of Kosovo. 25 March 2017. Archived from the original on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 11 September 2021.