Anel Raskaj

Anel Raskaj (born August 19, 1989) is a Kosovo Albanian footballer currently playing for AFC Eskilstuna.

Halmstads BK

Anel 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 January 30 newly promoted Norwegian club Sandnes Ulf confirmed that they had signed Raskaj on a one-year contract.

AFC Eskilstuna

On 27 December 2016 it was confirmed, that Raskaj had signed with AFC Eskilstuna.

Anel Raskaj as team captain for Kosovo in 2010

On March 27, 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, 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 February 17, 2010, Raskaj was again called up to Kosovo national team, against Albania. On June 10 Anel 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 July 28, 2010 Anel Raskaj announced that he had chosen to represent the Kosovo national team, 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.

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.