Granit Xhaka
Encyclopedia
Granit Xhaka is a Swiss
footballer of Albanian
descent who plays as a midfielder for FC Basel
in the Swiss Super League
.
, who is also a professional footballer. Their family moved to Switzerland
while the children were very young.
and both moved to FC Basel in 2002. Granit played for various FC Basel youth teams and since 2007 has been a member of the U-21 squad. Between 2008 and 2010 he played 37 games for the U-21 team, scoring eleven goals.
Since the beginning of the Season 2010/11
, Granit plays for the FC Basel first team. He made is first team debut in the third qualifying round of the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League in the away match against Debreceni VSC
in the Szusza Ferenc Stadium
. Towards the end of the game he scored the second goal in Basel’s 2–0 victory. He scored his first Super League goal in the 5–1 home win against FC Thun
on 15 May 2011. At the end of the 2010–11 Swiss Super League
Granit Xhaka won the Super League Championship title with FC Basel.
in 2009 in Nigeria
. The Swiss team won the World Cup.
He played his first game for the Switzerland national under-19 football team
on 25 May 2010, as a substitute, as the team beat Austria national under-19 football team
3–2 in the Schwaz
, Austria
. He scored his first goal for the U-19 on 7 September 2010 as the team won 3–0 against the Czech Republic
.
on 3 September 2010, as a substitute, as the team beat Republic of Ireland under-21 national football team 1–0 in the Cornaredo Stadium
, Lugano
. This was the last game in the qualification Group 2
to the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
. Xhaka was member of the Swiss U-21 squad that competed in the final tournament, hosted by Denmark
, between 11 and 25 June 2011. The Swiss team reached the final without conceding a goal, but lost to Spain U-21
2-0.
at Wembley Stadium
against England
, in a 2–2, draw on 4 June 2011. In November of the same year, during his sixth international appearance, he scored his first international goal in the 1–0 away win against Luxembourg
.
International
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
footballer of Albanian
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
descent who plays as a midfielder for FC Basel
FC Basel
Fussball Club Basel 1893, widely known as FC Basel is a Swiss football club based in Basel. They are one of the most successful clubs in Swiss football, having won the Swiss Super League 14 times, the third most for any Swiss club. They were most successful in the late 1960s and 1970s, winning the...
in the Swiss Super League
Swiss Super League
The Swiss Super League or Axpo Super League is the top tier of the Swiss Football League. The Swiss Super League is currently ranked 16th according to UEFA's ranking of league coefficients, which is based upon Swiss team performances in European competitions.-Names:-Participating clubs:The teams...
.
Early life
Granit Xhaka is the younger brother of Taulant XhakaTaulant Xhaka
Taulant Xhaka is a Swiss footballer of Albanian descent who plays for Basel in the Swiss Super League.-Early life:...
, who is also a professional footballer. Their family moved to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
while the children were very young.
Club career
The brothers started their youth football by FC Concordia BaselFC Concordia Basel
FC Concordia Basel is a Swiss football club based in Basel. The club was founded in 1907. They play in the 2nd regional league which is the fifth level, and their home stadium is Rankhof Stadium....
and both moved to FC Basel in 2002. Granit played for various FC Basel youth teams and since 2007 has been a member of the U-21 squad. Between 2008 and 2010 he played 37 games for the U-21 team, scoring eleven goals.
Since the beginning of the Season 2010/11
2010–11 Swiss Super League
The 2010–11 Swiss Super League was the 114th season of top-tier football in Switzerland. It began on 17 July 2010 and ended on 25 May 2011. The league comprised ten teams....
, Granit plays for the FC Basel first team. He made is first team debut in the third qualifying round of the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League in the away match against Debreceni VSC
Debreceni VSC
Debreceni VSC or just Debrecen or DVSC is a football club from the city of Debrecen in Hungary. They are best known for reaching the group stages of the UEFA Champions League 2009–10 season. Debreceni VSC has been the most successful Hungarian club since 2000. The club has won the Hungarian...
in the Szusza Ferenc Stadium
Szusza Ferenc Stadium
Szusza Ferenc Stadium is a football stadium in Újpest and the home of Újpest FC. The stadium was designed by Alfréd Hajós and opened on 17 September 1922...
. Towards the end of the game he scored the second goal in Basel’s 2–0 victory. He scored his first Super League goal in the 5–1 home win against FC Thun
FC Thun
FC Thun 1898 is a Swiss football team from the Bernese Oberland town of Thun. The club currently plays in the Swiss Super League after being promoted in the 2009/10 season. The club plays at the Arena Thun which accommodates a total of 10,300 supporters, both seated and standing...
on 15 May 2011. At the end of the 2010–11 Swiss Super League
2010–11 Swiss Super League
The 2010–11 Swiss Super League was the 114th season of top-tier football in Switzerland. It began on 17 July 2010 and ended on 25 May 2011. The league comprised ten teams....
Granit Xhaka won the Super League Championship title with FC Basel.
Switzerland youth squads
Granit Xhaka has played for Swiss youth squad at the U-17 level. He participated in the Under-17 World CupFIFA U-17 World Cup
The FIFA U-17 World Cup, founded as the FIFA U-16 World Championship, later changed to the FIFA U-17 World Championship and known by its current name since 2007, is the world championship of association football for male players under the age of 17 organized by Fédération Internationale de Football...
in 2009 in Nigeria
2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup
The 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup was the thirteenth tournament of the FIFA U-17 World Cup held in Nigeria from October 24 to November 15, 2009.The tournament was won by Switzerland, beating 1-0 the host team, Nigeria...
. The Swiss team won the World Cup.
He played his first game for the Switzerland national under-19 football team
Switzerland national under-19 football team
The Swiss national under-19 football team is the national under-19 football team of Switzerland controlled by Swiss Football Association.-See also:* Switzerland national football team* Switzerland national under-21 football team...
on 25 May 2010, as a substitute, as the team beat Austria national under-19 football team
Austria national under-19 football team
The Austria national under-19 football team is the national under-19 football team of Austria and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association.The team competes in the UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship, held every year....
3–2 in the Schwaz
Schwaz
Schwaz is a city in Tyrol, Austria. It is the administrative center of the Schwaz district . Schwaz is located in the lower Inn valley, and has a population of about 13,000....
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. He scored his first goal for the U-19 on 7 September 2010 as the team won 3–0 against the Czech Republic
Czech Republic national under-19 football team
The Czech Republic national under-19 football team is the national under-19 football team of the Czech Republic and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic. The team competes in the UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship, held every year...
.
Switzerland under-21
Xhaka played his first game for the Switzerland national under-21 football teamSwitzerland national under-21 football team
The Switzerland national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Switzerland and is controlled by the Swiss Football Association...
on 3 September 2010, as a substitute, as the team beat Republic of Ireland under-21 national football team 1–0 in the Cornaredo Stadium
Cornaredo Stadium
Cornaredo Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Lugano, Switzerland. It is used mostly for football matches. It is a home ground of AC Lugano. The stadium is able to hold 15,000 people and was built in 1951. The stadium has 5,000 seats and 10,000 standing places...
, Lugano
Lugano
Lugano is a city of inhabitants in the city proper and a total of over 145,000 people in the agglomeration/city region, in the south of Switzerland, in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, which borders Italy...
. This was the last game in the qualification Group 2
2011 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship qualification Group 2
The teams competing in Group 2 of the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championships qualifying competition were Armenia, Estonia, Georgia, Republic of Ireland, Switzerland and Turkey.-Standings:Qualification...
to the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
2011 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
UEFA U-21 Championship 2011 was the 18th staging of UEFA's European Under-21 Football Championship. The final tournament was hosted by Denmark between 11 and 25 June 2011....
. Xhaka was member of the Swiss U-21 squad that competed in the final tournament, hosted by Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, between 11 and 25 June 2011. The Swiss team reached the final without conceding a goal, but lost to Spain U-21
Spain national under-21 football team
The Spain national under-21 football team, is the national under-21 football team of Spain and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation. The team, nicknamed La Rojita , competes in the biannual European Under-21 Football Championship.Following the realignment of UEFA's youth...
2-0.
Switzerland senior team
Xhaka made his international debut for SwitzerlandSwitzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
against England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
, in a 2–2, draw on 4 June 2011. In November of the same year, during his sixth international appearance, he scored his first international goal in the 1–0 away win against Luxembourg
Luxembourg national football team
The Luxembourg national football team is the national football team of Luxembourg, and is controlled by the Luxembourg Football Federation. The team play most of their home matches at the Stade Josy Barthel, in Luxembourg.- History :...
.
International goals
-
- Scores and results table. Switzerland's goal tally first:
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 November 2011 | Stade Josy Barthel Stade Josy Barthel Stade Josy Barthel is the national stadium of Luxembourg, home to the Luxembourg national football team and also used for athletics. It is located on route d'Arlon, in Luxembourg City.It was first constructed in 1928 and it was entirely rebuilt in 1990... , Luxembourg City, Luxembourg Luxembourg Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south... |
1–0 | 1-0 | Friendly | |
Titles and Honours
Basel- Swiss Super LeagueSwiss Super LeagueThe Swiss Super League or Axpo Super League is the top tier of the Swiss Football League. The Swiss Super League is currently ranked 16th according to UEFA's ranking of league coefficients, which is based upon Swiss team performances in European competitions.-Names:-Participating clubs:The teams...
Champion: 20112010–11 Swiss Super LeagueThe 2010–11 Swiss Super League was the 114th season of top-tier football in Switzerland. It began on 17 July 2010 and ended on 25 May 2011. The league comprised ten teams.... - Uhrencup WinnerUhrencupThe Uhrencup is a club football tournament, held annually in Switzerland.The tournament usually features four teams , each playing two matches, and is held in July at Stadion Brühl in Grenchen. As a friendly tournament, the format tends to be fluid...
: 2011
International
- FIFA U-17 World Cup World Champion2009 FIFA U-17 World CupThe 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup was the thirteenth tournament of the FIFA U-17 World Cup held in Nigeria from October 24 to November 15, 2009.The tournament was won by Switzerland, beating 1-0 the host team, Nigeria...
: 2009 - UEFA U-21 European Championship2011 UEFA European Under-21 Football ChampionshipUEFA U-21 Championship 2011 was the 18th staging of UEFA's European Under-21 Football Championship. The final tournament was hosted by Denmark between 11 and 25 June 2011....
: 2011 Finalist