Kristi Vangjeli
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 5 September 1985 | ||
| Place of birth | Korçë, Albania | ||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | FC Chornomorets Odessa | ||
| Number | 32 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1990-1995 | Skënderbeu Korçë | ||
| 1998-2001 | Agios Georgios | ||
| 2001-2004 | Aris FC | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2003–2011 | Aris FC | 106 | (0) |
| 2011– | FC Chornomorets Odessa | 11 | (0) |
| National team | |||
| 2007– | Albania | 32 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 4 February 2012. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Kristi Vangjeli (born 5 September 1985)[1] is an Albanian football defender, currently playing for FC Chornomorets Odessa in the Ukrainian Premier League and the Albanian national team. Prior to Chornomorets, Vangjeli played for Aris Thessaloniki FC in the Greek Super League. His preferred position is right back, but he can also play on the left as he has done for both club and country on a number of times, as well as defensive midfielder.
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[edit] Early career
- Skënderbeu
Vangjeli began playing football at the age of just 5 with local side Skënderbeu Korçë under the guidance of coach Benin Beta. As he lived near the Skënderbeu training ground, he would watch the first team players train which gave him the further ambition to succeed in the game. He stayed at Skënderbeu for 5 years until the age of 10, where he had been playing with his older brother Pavli.[2]
- Move to Greece
In 1997 his parents sent his brother Pavli on a 2 month trial with PAOK F.C., and when the club signed Pavli, his family then moved to Thessaloniki in Greece along with Kristi. As his brother was already at the club, his father did not want Kristi to try out for the PAOK team as well, as there was discrimination at the fact that they were Albanian, which the father felt could ruin Pavli's chances at the club.[2]
- Agios Georgios
Kristi had to wait for his chance, which was given to him while he was playing football at his school, a coach from a small local team was watching the young Albanian playing from outside the gates. As Kristi did not know Greek well at the time, he did not understand him very well but he understood that he was a football coach and that he would like for Kristi to train with his team, Agios Georgios F.C. After his first training session he joined the club and played for them the very next day. After 2 years at the club, he was promoted to the first team and began to train with them at the age of just 15. As he was tall, fast and lively he was playing as a forward at the time, which was noted in a friendly game by the coach of the Aris second team. In that friendly Vangjeli scored 2 goals for the 5th tier side and was immediately offered a trial at Aris.[2]
- Aris
Without Agios Georgios knowing, Kristi went on trial at Aris at the end of the season, which was a successful one, leading to a 2,000,000 Drachma move to Aris. It was at Aris B that he changed his position from a forward, firstly as a defensive midfielder. At the age of 17 he was promoted to the Aris first team and in his first friendly for the senior team he was played at right fullback by Ole Skouboe due to injuries, in which he excelled and was offered his first professional contract just one month later.
[edit] Club career
[edit] Aris
Vangjeli is a defender who can play at either right back or left back. In 2003, Vangjeli signed for the Greek side Aris and since then made over 100 appearances.
[edit] Chornomorets
After eight years at Aris, Vangjeli made a €300,000 move to Chornomorets Odessa in the Ukrainian Premier League on 30 August 2011, signing a three year contract.[3][4]
[edit] Career statistics
(correct as of 6 September 2011)
| Club performance | League | Cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Greece | League | Greek Cup | Europe | Total | ||||||
| 2003-04 | Aris FC | Superleague Greece | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 7 | 0 | |
| 2004-05 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 0 | – | 13 | 0 | |||
| 2005-06 | Football League | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 0 | |
| 2006-07 | Superleague Greece | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 19 | 0 | ||
| 2007-08 | 17 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 22 | 0 | ||
| 2008-09 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 | ||
| 2009-10 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 12 | 0 | |||
| 2010-11 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 28 | 0 | ||
| 2011-12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | |||
| Ukraine | League | Ukrainian Cup | Europe | Total | ||||||
| 2011-12 | Chornomorets | Ukrainian Premier League | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 12 | 0 | |
| Total | Greece | 106 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 130 | 0 | |
| Ukraine | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 12 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 117 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 142 | 0 | ||
[edit] International career
[edit] Albania U-21
Vangjeli's first international call up came in 2004 under Hasan Lika, following the players promotion to the Aris senior team.[2] He made his debut for Albania U-21s side against Greece in a 1-1 draw, which he played just 2 days before his 19th birthday.
[edit] Albania
Vangjeli has been playing for Albania since 2007 and has so far 19 caps.[5]
[edit] Honours
- Aris FC
- Greek Cup Finalist (3): 2004–05, 2007–08, 2009–10
- Football League Promotion (1): 2005-06
[edit] References
- ^ Conflicting reports over his date of birth. I chose to take UEFA.com's information as official.
- ^ a b c d Andi Matraxhiu (2011-03-18). "Vangjeli: Si më kërkuan para, që të luaja me kombëtaren Shpresa" (in Albanian). Sporti Shqiptar. http://www.sportishqiptar.com.al/hasan-lika-me-kerkoi-para-per-te-shpresa/. Retrieved 2011-03-24.
- ^ (Russian) "Кристи Вангели заключил контракт с «Черноморцем»". Official web-site of "FC Chornomorets Odessa". 2011-08-30. http://www.chernomorets.odessa.ua/club/news/5096/. Retrieved 2011-08-30.
- ^ "Kristi Vangjeli kalon tek Cernomorets" (in Albanian). Albania Soccer. 2011-08-31. http://www.albaniasoccer.com/lajme/shqiperi/kombetarja/5245.html. Retrieved 2011-08-31.
- ^ http://rsssf.com/miscellaneous/alba-recintlp.html#app
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