Rudi Vata
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 13 February 1969 | ||
| Place of birth | Shkodër, Albania | ||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1980-1988 | Vllaznia | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1988-1990 | KS Vllaznia | 40 | (5) |
| 1990-1991 | Dinamo Tirana | 20 | (2) |
| 1991-1992 | Le Mans | 18 | (0) |
| 1992-1993 | Dinamo Tirana | 22 | (3) |
| 1993-1996 | Celtic | 45 | (4) |
| 1996-1998 | Apollon Limassol | 50 | (9) |
| 1998-2001 | Energie Cottbus | 81 | (2) |
| 2001-2002 | Rot-Weiß Ahlen | 10 | (0) |
| 2002-2003 | Tirana | 30 | (2) |
| 2003 | Yokohama FC | 24 | (3) |
| 2003-2004 | St Johnstone F.C. | 15 | (0) |
| 2004-2005 | Partizani | 20 | (1) |
| International career | |||
| 1990-2001 | Albania | 59 | (5) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2011-2012 | Vllaznia | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Rudi Vata (born 13 February 1969 in Shkodër) is a former Albanian footballer who played as a defender, and had also a short stint as a manager of Albanian team KS Vllaznia Shkoder.
Early life
Vata was born in the northern city of Shkodër and joined local side Vllaznia Shkodër at a young age, making his first team debut in 1988. Whilst travelling with the Albania U-21 team in France he sought political asylum in 1991.[1]
Football career
Vata's career in Western football began in France in 1991, when the KS Dinamo Tirana player claimed political asylum following an international match.[2][3] He played for Le Mans Union Club 72 and Tours FC, before playing for Celtic between January 1993 and 1995-96. He became the first Albanian to win an honour in a major European country when he won the 1995 Scottish FA Cup with Celtic.
Vata went on to play for Apollon Limassol (1996–1998), Energie Cottbus (1998–2001), Rot-Weiß Ahlen (January–June 2002) and SK Tirana (2002–2003). This was followed by a spell in Japan, from where he signed for St Johnstone F.C. in 2004. He retired from football in 2005 after a brief stint with KF Partizani Tirana.[4] He was capped 58 times and scored 5 goals for the Albanian national team.
Since retiring from the professional game, Vata has become a sports agent, specialising in Eastern European football, and facilitating the transfer of players such as Garry O'Connor and Aiden McGeady.[5]
Club statistics
| Club performance | League | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals |
| Albania | League | |||
| 1988/89 | Vllaznia Shkodër | Superliga | ||
| 1989/90 | ||||
| 1990/91 | Dinamo Tirana | Superliga | 6 | 0 |
| France | League | |||
| 1991/92 | Le Mans | Division 2 | ||
| 1991/92 | Tours | Division 2 | ||
| Albania | League | |||
| 1992/93 | Dinamo Tirana | Superliga | ||
| Scotland | League | |||
| 1992/93 | Celtic | Premier Division | 22 | 2 |
| 1993/94 | 10 | 1 | ||
| 1994/95 | 7 | 1 | ||
| 1995/96 | 6 | 0 | ||
| Cyprus | League | |||
| 1996/97 | Apollon Limassol | First Division | 25 | 4 |
| 1997/98 | 24 | 5 | ||
| Germany | League | |||
| 1998/99 | Energie Cottbus | 2. Bundesliga | 25 | 0 |
| 1999/00 | 25 | 1 | ||
| 2000/01 | Bundesliga | 30 | 1 | |
| 2001/02 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2001/02 | LR Ahlen | 2. Bundesliga | 8 | 0 |
| Albania | League | |||
| 2002/03 | Tirana | Superliga | 13 | 4 |
| Japan | League | |||
| 2003 | Yokohama FC | J2 League | 24 | 3 |
| Scotland | League | |||
| 2003/04 | St Johnstone | First Division | 15 | 0 |
| Country | Albania | 19 | 4 | |
| France | ||||
| Scotland | 60 | 4 | ||
| Cyprus | 49 | 9 | ||
| Germany | 89 | 2 | ||
| Japan | 24 | 3 | ||
| Total | 241 | 22 | ||
National team statistics
| Albania national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 1990 | 1 | 0 |
| 1991 | 1 | 0 |
| 1992 | 5 | 0 |
| 1993 | 6 | 0 |
| 1994 | 3 | 0 |
| 1995 | 5 | 1 |
| 1996 | 4 | 0 |
| 1997 | 7 | 1 |
| 1998 | 8 | 0 |
| 1999 | 8 | 1 |
| 2000 | 7 | 2 |
| 2001 | 4 | 0 |
| Total | 59 | 5 |
Personal life
Vata is married to Anne Frances from Wishaw, Lanarkshire in Scotland, whom he met during his time playing at Celtic. They have two sons together, both of whom were born in Scotland.
References
- ^ Phil Gordan (28 March 2009). "Earrings and beards welcome as Rudi Vata helps Stark's boys". Times Online. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
- ^ Gordon, Phil (25 March 2001). "The Albanian who came in from the cold". The Independent.
- ^ TheCelticWiki profile
- ^ Littbarski turns interest to Hibs
- ^ BBC Sport - Celtic's Aiden McGeady likely to snup Spartak - Vata
- ^ Rudi Vata at National-Football-Teams.com
External links
- Vata at Celtic FC - Football-Heroes.net
- Rudi Vata at National-Football-Teams.com
Template:Albania squad 2000 Rothmans International Tournament
- Use dmy dates from December 2010
- 1969 births
- Living people
- Footballers from Shkodër
- Sports agents
- Albanian footballers
- Association football defenders
- Albania international footballers
- KS Vllaznia Shkodër players
- KS Dinamo Tirana players
- Albanian expatriate footballers
- Expatriate footballers in France
- Ligue 2 players
- Le Mans FC players
- Albanian expatriates in France
- Tours FC players
- Expatriate footballers in Scotland
- Celtic F.C. players
- Albanian expatriates in Scotland
- Expatriate footballers in Cyprus
- Apollon Limassol FC players
- Albanian expatriates in Cyprus
- Expatriate footballers in Germany
- Bundesliga players
- 2. Bundesliga players
- FC Energie Cottbus players
- Albanian expatriates in Germany
- Rot Weiss Ahlen players
- KF Tirana players
- Expatriate footballers in Japan
- J2 League players
- Yokohama FC players
- Albanian expatriates in Japan
- St Johnstone F.C. players
- KF Partizani Tirana players
- Albanian Superliga players
- Scottish Football League players
- Cypriot First Division players
- KF Vllaznia Shkodër managers
- Albanian Superliga managers