Full name Anel Raskaj Name Anel Raskaj 2003–2006 Halmstads BK Weight 73 kg | 2003 IF Leikin Height 1.80 m Number 21 Role Footballer Current team Sandnes Ulf | |
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Date of birth (1989-08-19) August 19, 1989 (age 26) Place of birth Prizren, SFR Yugoslavia | ||
Anel raskaj
Anel Raskaj (born 19 August 1989) is a Kosovo Albanian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Kosovan club Prishtina.
Contents
- Anel raskaj
- Anel raskaj talking about his goal
- Halmstads BK
- Sandnes Ulf
- AFC Eskilstuna
- Prishtina
- International career
- New Zidane
- Career statistics
- References
Anel raskaj talking about his goal
Halmstads BK
Raskaj started to play football for KF Liria, in Prizren, SFR Yugoslavia. At the age of 14 he moved with is his family to Halmstad in Sweden, where he continued his football career in IF Leikin, however only for a few months before leaving for local rivals Halmstads BK. Although he had not been selected as a trainee, a youth team player training with the senior squad, in 2007 he was put on the bench home against IFK Göteborg in Allsvenskan and in the following away game against Kalmar FF he made his debut, replacing Martin Fribrock, just days following his 18th birthday.
Prior to the 2008 season. He was raised from the youth team to become a full member of the senior squad, mainly being used as left winger. In 2009 Raskaj and Michael Görlitz was the only players to have played in all league games of the season, 30 matches in total, he also represented the club in all the other 17 games of the year, 2 cup and 15 friendly matches, thus being the only player that had played in all the clubs matches in that year. Anel Raskaj scored his first league goal in 2009 against Kalmar FF.
The 2010 season saw Janne Andersson leave as Halmstads BK manager and being replaced by Lars Jacobsson, the former assistant manager. Lars continued with Janne's 4-5-1 system, Raskaj played most of his matches on the right side of the midfield, few times being used as left winger, scoring his second goal early in the season in Halmstad's 4-0 win over Åtvidabergs FF. The 2011 season started as the one before, Lars Jacobsson left the club and be replaced by Spanish Josep Clotet Ruiz, along with the new manager came a number of Spanish midfielders, which saw Anel moved from the starting lineup to the bench in the beginning of the league season, against many people's expectations. In the mid of the 2011 season the Spanish players left as their loan ended with the club and Clotet Ruiz was sacked following a long serie of poor results, under new manager Jens Gustafsson Raskaj returned to the starting lineup, he was however unable to help Halmstad from bein relegated by the end of the season.
Following the end of the 2011 season, several Halmstad players decided to leave the club, Anel Raskaj among them, as his contract with the club ended. Rumors placed him in both Örebro SK and Kalmar FF.
Sandnes Ulf
On 30 January 2012. Newly promoted Norwegian club Sandnes Ulf, confirmed that they had signed Raskaj on a one-year contract.
AFC Eskilstuna
On 27 December 2016. Newly promoted Swedish club AFC Eskilstuna, had signed with Raskaj and he debuts against Örebro SK.
Prishtina
On 11 August 2017. Raskaj signed to Football Superleague of Kosovo side Prishtina.
International career
On 27 March 2009. In an interview with the local newspaper Hallandsposten, Raskaj stated that he had been in contact with Swedish U21 co-manager Jörgen Lennartsson, who had told him that he just had missed out on the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship as he had not yet gained Swedish citizenship. He also stated in the interview that he would choose Sweden ahead of Kosovo, if he was considered good enough to get a position on the Swedish team. In another interview with Fotbolldirekt.se, he stated that Albania had already approached him and he had however turned them down.
In 2009. Raskaj was called up to the unofficial Kosovo national team, playing under the name Team Kosovo, to play in two matches against Swedish opposition, first against 2008 Swedish champions Kalmar FF. Raskaj did not take part in the second match against Malmö FF.
On 17 February 2010. Raskaj was again called up from Kosovo for a friendly match against Albania.
On 10 June 2010. Raskaj participated as team captain when Kosovo played a friendly against his club Halmstads BK on Örjans Vall in Halmstad, the match ended 4–4 with another Halmstads BK and Kosovo national player Kujtim Bala, scoring a goal.
On 28 July 2010. Raskaj announced that he had chosen to represent the Kosovo, stating that he wished to play national team football and that he believed he would have more chance of doing so with Kosovo rather than Sweden. He also stated that he had not yet fully closed the door regarding Sweden as U21 coach Jörgen Lennartsson had stated he wished to see Raskaj in the U21 team and the 2011 U21 European Championship in Denmark. However, he has yet to obtain Swedish citizenship and Kosovo has yet to be approved by FIFA.
New Zidane
Halmstads BK's former manager, Janne Andersson, compares him with former French international star Zinedine Zidane and former Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fàbregas, claiming he has more talent than two earlier Halmstads BK players, Fredrik Ljungberg and Niclas Alexandersson.