Kristi Vangjeli

Kristi Vangjeli (born 5 September 1985) is an Albanian professional footballer who plays for Albania national team. 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.

Early years

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. On the third round of 2013–14 UEFA Europa League, Vangjeli's Chornomorets faced his childhood club Skënderbeu Korçë. He left the club in January 2014.

Return to Aris

On 28 January 2014, Vangjeli signed a contract with Superleague Greece club Aris Thessaloniki.

Skënderbeu Korçë

On 30 June 2014, Vangjeli signed with Skënderbeu Korçë and returned to his hometown Korçë after 15 years absence. During his presentation he said that playing with Skënderbeu Korçë is a "dream come true". The contract that he signed with the club meant that he would play for them only in their Champions League campaign, and, if Skënderbeu were eliminated, he would return to Aris Thessaloniki.

He made his European debut with Skënderbeu Korçë in the first leg of the second qualifying round against Belarusian side BATE Borisov, playing full 90 minutes in a goalless draw at Borisov Arena. He played in the return leg at Skënderbeu Stadium, with Skënderbeu who didn't earn more than a 1–1 draw, being eliminated in the process due to away goal rule.

After Skënderbeu's Champions League campaign ended, Vangjeli remained with Skënderbeu, signing a one-year contract to play for the White and Reds until the end of the 2014–15 season. In the 2014 Albanian Supercup match against Flamurtari Vlorë, he played in the enire match that ended with a 1–0 win at Qemal Stafa Stadium for Vangjeli's side, winning his first silverware of the season.

He made his Albanian Superliga debut in the opening match of the new season against the newcomers of Elbasani, helping the team to commenced the league season with a 1–0 win at neutral ground of Qemal Stafa Stadium, due to reconstruction of Elbasan Arena. On 17 October, he scored his first goal for the club in a 1–1 draw against Flamurtari in Flamurtari Stadium. That was his first ever goal in his 11-year career.

On 17 June 2016, he announced his departure from the club via an open later to the club fans, citing that he left the club for familiar and economic reasons.

Astra Giurgiu

On 17 June 2016, Vangjeli signed a contract with Romanian Liga I champions FC Astra Giurgiu.

Albania U21

Vangjeli's first international call up came in 2004 under Hasan Lika, following the players promotion to the Aris senior team. He made his debut for Albania U21s side against Greece in a 1–1 draw, which he played just two days before his 19th birthday.

Albania

Vangjeli has been playing for Albania since 2007 and has so far won 35 caps.

Club

As of 16 April 2014

International

As of 21 October 2014

Aris FC

• Greek Cup: Runner-up 2004–05, 2007–08, 2009–10
• Greek Second League (1): 2005–06

Chornomorets Odessa

• Ukrainian Cup: Runner-up 2012–13
• Ukrainian Super Cup: Runner-up 2013

Skënderbeu Korçë

• Albanian Superliga (1): 2014–15, 2015–16
• Albanian Supercup (1): 2014; Runner-up 2015

Astra Giurgiu

• Romanian Supercup (1): 2016

• ^