Ermal Krasniqi

Ermal Krasniqi (born 7 September 1998) is a Kosovan professional footballer who plays as a winger for Liga I club Rapid București and the Kosovo national team.

Club career

Early career / Ballkani

Krasniqi started his career in 2016 as an 18-year-old with Feronikeli, where after a year he was transferred to the club of his hometown Malisheva, with whom he managed to take third place in the Kosovo Second League, after good performances with Malisheva in the summer in 2018 he was transferred to the Kosovo Superleague side Llapi, but due to the lack of minutes he was forced to transfer to another Kosovo Superleague side Ferizaj in January 2019, where he managed to play in ten games and score six goals, helping the team to stay in the middle of the table.

On 7 August 2019, Krasniqi signed a two-year contract with Kosovo Superleague club Ballkani.

CFR Cluj

On 10 January 2023, Krasniqi signed a three-and-a-half year contract with Romanian club CFR Cluj, and received the number 7 jersey. Media reported that the transfer fee was €200,000. He made his debut 13 days later in a Liga I match against Farul Constanța, scoring and assisting in the 3–0 away win.

Krasniqi amassed five goals from 22 appearances in all competitions during the remainder of the season, but fell out of favour after Andrea Mandorlini replaced Dan Petrescu as the head coach of the club in the summer of that year.

Rapid București

On 28 December 2023, fellow Liga I club Rapid București signed Krasniqi on a two-and-a-half-year deal with the option of another year. The undisclosed transfer fee was rumoured to be worth €1 million plus 25% interest.

International career

Under-21

On 29 August 2020, Krasniqi received a call-up from Kosovo U21 for the 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification match against England U21, and made his debut after coming on as a 57th minute substitute in place of Valmir Veliu.

Senior

On 11 November 2022, Krasniqi received a call-up from Kosovo for the friendly matches against Armenia and Faroe Islands. His debut with Kosovo came eight days later in a friendly match against Faroe Islands after being named in the starting line-up. After his debut with Kosovo, there were hints that he switched his allegiance to Albania, but on 19 June 2023, Krasniqi made his competitive debut with Kosovo in the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying match against Belarus after coming on as a substitute at 25th minute in place of injured Leart Paqarada, which sealed his allegiance to Kosovo.

Career statistics

International

As of match played 12 November 2023

Honours

Ballkani

• Kosovo Superleague: 2021–22
• Kosovar Cup runner-up: 2019–20