Mario Mitaj

Mario Mitaj
Mitaj with Lokomotiv Moscow in 2022
Personal information
Full name Mario Mitaj
Date of birth (2003-08-06) 6 August 2003 (age 21)
Place of birth Athens, Greece
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Position(s) Left-back
Team information
Current team
 Al Ittihad
(on loan from Lokomotiv Moscow)
Number 12
Youth career
2017–2020 AEK Athens
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2020–2022 AEK Athens 11 (0)
2021–2022 AEK Athens B 20 (0)
2022– Lokomotiv Moscow 36 (0)
2024– → Al Ittihad (loan) 10 (1)
International career‡
2019 Albania U16 1 (0)
2018–2019 Albania U17 6 (1)
2020– Albania U21 11 (0)
2021– Albania 21 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 11 January 2025
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17:04, 19 June 2024 (UTC)

Mario Mitaj (born 6 August 2003) is a professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Saudi Pro League club Al Ittihad, on loan from Russian club Lokomotiv Moscow. Born in Greece, he represents Albania at international level.[2]

Club career

AEK Athens

On 12 August 2020, Mitaj signed his first professional contract with Greek club AEK Athens and immediately started training with the first team.[3]

On 18 October 2020, he made his first league appearance in a game against PAOK, thus becoming the youngest foreign player in club history to feature in a competitive fixture, at 17 years, 2 months and 13 days old.[4]

On 2 February 2021, he signed a new contract, running until the summer of 2023.[5]

On 10 August 2021, the Albanian defender signed a new deal, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2026.[6]

Lokomotiv Moscow

On 27 August 2022, Mitaj signed a five-year contract with Russian Premier League club Lokomotiv Moscow.[7] The transfer fee was €3 million and AEK also kept a percentage for the next Mitaj's transfer.

Loan to Al Ittihad

On 3 September 2024, Mitaj was loaned to Saudi Pro League club Al Ittihad for one year, with an option to buy.[8] The fee is reported to be around 1.2 million €.

International career

Having lived in Nea Ionia, Attica, Greece for a large part of his life, Mitaj was eligible to represent both Albania and Greece at international level. After having featured in all young Albanian squads, he earned his first cap for Albania's senior squad on 31 March 2021, in a 2–0 victory over San Marino for the 2022 European FIFA World Cup qualifiers, becoming cap-tied to Albania in the process. With this appearance, he became Albania's second youngest ever international player at 17 years and 237 days old.[9]

He is selected from the list of 26 Albanian players of the Sylvinho coach to participate in UEFA Euro 2024.[10]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 30 November 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
AEK Athens 2020–21 Super League Greece 10 0 2 0 1[b] 0 13 0
2021–22 1 0 0 0 2[c] 0 3 0
Total 11 0 2 0 3 0 16 0
AEK Athens B 2021–22 Super League Greece 2 20 0 — — 20 0
Lokomotiv Moscow 2022–23 Russian Premier League 14 0 4 0 — 18 0
2023–24 21 0 6 0 — 27 0
2024–25 1 0 3 0 — 4 0
Total 36 0 13 0 — 49 0
Al-Ittihad (loan) 2024–25 Saudi Pro League 8 1 2 0 — 10 1
Career total 75 1 17 0 3 0 95 1
  1. ^ Includes Greek Cup, Russian Cup, King's Cup
  2. ^ Appearance in UEFA Europa League
  3. ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League

International

As of match played 14 october 2024[11]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Albania 2021 1 0
2022[a] 1 0
2023 8 0
2024 11 0
Total 20 0
  1. ^ Conclude with Non-FIFA international football

References

  1. ^ "Mario Mitaj". FC Lokomotiv Moscow. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  2. ^ Mario Mitaj at Soccerway
  3. ^ "Mario Mitaj signed a professional contract with AEK!". aekfc.gr. 12 August 2020.
  4. ^ "ΘΕΜΑ Μάριο Μιτάι: Ο νεότερος ξένος στην ιστορία της ΑΕΚ" [SUBJECT Mario Mitai: The youngest foreigner in the history of AEK]. amna.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  5. ^ ""Έδεσε" και τους Μιτάι και Μαχαίρα η ΑΕΚ (vid)" (in Greek). Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  6. ^ "ΑΕΚ: Επέκτεινε το συμβόλαιο του Μιτάι μέχρι το 2026" (in Greek). sport24.gr. 10 August 2021.
  7. ^ "МАРИО МИТАЙ – НОВЫЙ ЗАЩИТНИК "ЛОКОМОТИВА"" (in Russian). Lokomotiv Moscow. 27 August 2022.
  8. ^ "Митай на правах аренды перешёл в саудовский "Иттихад"" (in Russian). FC Lokomotiv Moscow. 3 September 2024.
  9. ^ "ΑΕΚ: "Έκλεισε" στην Αλβανία ο Μιτάι και "έγραψε" ιστορία". www.newsit.gr. April 2021. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  10. ^ Sinani, Renaldo (8 June 2024). "Trajneri Silvinjo publikon listën e Kombëtares me emrat e 26 lojtarëve për Kampionatin Europian "Gjermani 2024"". FSHF (in Albanian). Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  11. ^ "Mitaj, Mario". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 21 November 2022.