Shkelqim Demhasaj

Shkelqim Demhasaj
Personal information
Date of birth (1996-04-19) 19 April 1996 (age 28)
Place of birth Schaffhausen, Switzerland
Height 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Neuchâtel Xamax
Number 9
Youth career
2007–2013 Schaffhausen
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2017 Schaffhausen 58 (21)
2017–2020 Luzern 78 (10)
2020–2023 Grasshoppers 57 (14)
2022 → Winterthur (loan) 8 (2)
2022 → Grasshoppers II 6 (8)
2023–2024 Aarau 35 (8)
2024– Neuchâtel Xamax 13 (6)
International career‡
2016 Switzerland U20 2 (0)
2017 Switzerland U21 2 (0)
2018 Kosovo 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 4 November 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17 November 2018

Shkelqim Demhasaj (born 19 April 1996) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for Swiss Challenge League club Neuchâtel Xamax. Born in Switzerland, he has represented the Kosovo national team.

Club career

Luzern

On 22 June 2017, Demhasaj joined Swiss Super League side Luzern, on a three-year contract.[1][2] On 20 July 2017, he made his debut with Luzern in the second qualifying round of 2017–18 UEFA Europa League against the Croatian side Osijek after coming on as a substitute at 77th minute in place of Cedric Itten.[citation needed]

Grasshoppers

On 2 July 2020, Demhasaj joined Swiss Challenge League side Grasshoppers, on a three-year contract.[3] During the 2020–21 Challenge League season, he scored ten goals for Grasshopper and notably helped the club achieve promotion to the Super League.

Loan to Winterthur

In the new season, Demhasaj saw notably less play time, however, and also suffered a dearth of goals scored. As a result, he was loaned out to FC Winterthur on 11 February 2022.[4] He scored in his first game for Winterthur four minutes after coming on in the 61st minute, in a 4–0 win over FC Wil. He also supplied the assist for the final goal of the game. After suffering another injury, he was out of commission between March and May, returning only for the last two games of the season. He scored a second goal for Winterthur in the final game of the season, converting a penalty for the final 5-0 victory over SC Kriens, a victory that was instrumental in securing promotion for Winterthur. It was Demhasaj's second promotion in two years.

Return to Grasshoppers

Demhasaj returned to Grasshoppers for the next season.[5] He still did not see much more playtime following his return, however, beginning the start of the season with the reserve squad instead. Due to Grasshoppers's personnel issues in the offense, due to injuries, he was nominated to the starting lineup again on 18 March 2023, in an away win against FC Sion, but failed to make an impact in just under 70 minutes of play. On 25 April 2023, he was again nominated to the starting lineup against BSC Young Boys and this time showed a MVP worthy performance, with one goal and one assist in the 4–1 victory. As a result he was nominated as Man of the Match by bluewin.[6] He scored two more goals in the final games of the season. His opening goal in the 3rd minute of a 2–2 draw against FC St. Gallen was voted as Goal of the Season, by the Grasshoppers fans.[7]

FC Aarau

Despite the improved impact towards the end of the season, Demhasaj's expiring contract was not renewed following the season's end and his departure was announced on 18 June 2023.[8] Later that month, Swiss Challenge League side FC Aarau announced him as their new forward,[9] for the next two seasons. At Aarau, he will rejoin former teammates Nikola Gjorgjev, Aleksandar Cvetković, and Nuno da Silva with whom he had helped Grasshoppers to promotion in 2021.

Neuchâtel Xamax

On 27 June 2024, Demhasaj transferred to Aarau's Challenge League opponents Neuchâtel Xamax for an undisclosed fee.[10][11]

International career

On 12 November 2018, Demhasaj received an urgent call-up from Kosovo for the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League matches against Malta and Azerbaijan to replace the injured Bersant Celina.[12] On 17 November 2018, he made his debut with Kosovo in a UEFA Nations League match against Malta after coming on as a substitute at 84th minute in place of Vedat Muriqi.[citation needed]

Personal life

Demhasaj was born in Schaffhausen, Switzerland to Kosovo Albanian parents from Donji Crnobreg, a village near Deçan. He holds Kosovan and Swiss passports.[citation needed]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 30 June 2023[13]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Schaffhausen 2013–14 Swiss Challenge League 5 1 0 0 — 5 1
2014–15 10 1 1 0 — 11 1
2015–16 9 2 1 0 — 10 2
2016–17 34 17 3 1 — 37 18
Total 58 21 5 1 0 0 63 22
Luzern 2017–18 Swiss Super League 32 6 4 2 1[a] 0 37 8
2018–19 31 4 5 3 2[a] 1 38 8
2019–20 15 0 1 1 4[a] 0 20 1
Total 78 10 10 6 7 1 95 17
Grasshoppers 2020–21 Swiss Challenge League 31 10 3 1 — 34 11
2021–22 Swiss Super League 13 0 2 1 — 8 1
2022–23 13 3 2 1 — 15 4
Total 57 13 7 3 0 0 64 16
Winterthur (loan) 2021–22 Swiss Challenge League 8 2 — — 8 2
Grasshoppers II 2022–23 1. Liga Group 3 5 7 — — 5 7
Aarau 2023–24 Swiss Challenge League 0 0 0 0 — 0 0
Career total 206 53 22 10 7 1 235 64
  1. ^ a b c Appearance(s) in the UEFA Europa League

International

As of 17 November 2018[14]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Kosovo 2018 1 0
Total 1 0

References

  1. ^ "Shkelqim Demhasaj wechselt zum FC Luzern" [Shkelqim Demhasaj joins FC Luzern] (in German). FC Luzern. 22 June 2017.
  2. ^ "Zyrtare: Demhasaj e bën hapin e madh, i bashkohet gjigantit zviceran" [Official: Demhasaj makes the big step, joins with Swiss giant] (in Albanian). Telegrafi. 22 June 2017.
  3. ^ "Demhasaj und Correia verstärken GC-Sturm" [Demhasaj and Correia intensify GC storm] (in German). Grasshopper Club Zürich. 2 July 2020.
  4. ^ "DEMHASAJ ON LOAN TO FC WINTERTHUR". Grasshopper Club Zürich. 11 February 2022.
  5. ^ "START OF TRAINING FOR THE HOPPERS". Grasshopper Club Zürich. 17 June 2022.
  6. ^ "GC als grosser Spielverderber – die YB-Meisterparty ist vertagt". www.bluewin.ch (in German). Bluewin. 25 April 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  7. ^ "DEMHASAJ-VOLLEY "GOAL OF THE SEASON 22/23"". gcz.ch. Grasshopper Club Zürich. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  8. ^ "Shkelqim Demhasaj leaves Grasshopper Club Zurich". Grasshopper Club Zürich. 16 June 2023. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  9. ^ "Zwei-Jahres-Vertrag für Shkelqim Demhasaj". FC Aarau. 28 June 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  10. ^ "Shkelqim Demhasaj nouveau renfort xamaxien". Neuchâtel Xamax FCS. 27 June 2024. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  11. ^ "Shkelqim Demhasaj wechselt zu Xamax". FC Aarau. 27 June 2024. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  12. ^ "Challandes e fton Shkelqim Demhasajn" [Challandes invites Shkëlqim Demhasaj] (in Albanian). Football Federation of Kosovo. 12 November 2018. Pas lëndimit të Bersant Celinës në ndeshjen e së shtunës në skuadrën e tij, përzgjedhësi Bernard Challandes e ka ftuar në grumbullim Shkëlqim Demhasajn për dy ndeshjet e ardhshme kundër Maltës dhe Azerbajxhanit
  13. ^ Shkelqim Demhasaj at Soccerway. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  14. ^ "Shkelqim Demhasaj". EU-Football.info. Retrieved 17 November 2018.