Vasil Shkurti (born Vassilis Skourtis-Shkurtaj on 27 February 1992) is an Albanian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Flamurtari.

Vasil Shkurti
Shkurti with the Albania under-21s in 2014
Personal information
Full name Vassilis Skourtis-Shkurtaj
Date of birth (1992-02-27) 27 February 1992 (age 32)
Place of birth Chania, Greece
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
Flamurtari
Number 9
Youth career
2001–2006 Chania
2006–2009 Ajax
2009–2010 Olympiacos
2010 Lazio
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2011 Panionios 3 (0)
2011Thrasyvoulos (loan) 7 (0)
2011 Platanias 0 (0)
2012 Vilaverdense 14 (3)
2012–2013 Tondela 13 (2)
2013–2014 Roda JC 8 (1)
2014 Niki Volos 10 (4)
2015 Asteras Tripoli 9 (1)
2016 Skoda Xanthi 12 (0)
2016–2017 Aris Limassol 19 (4)
2017–2018 Luftëtari 33 (13)
2019–2020 Kukësi 46 (28)
2020–2021 Jiangxi Liansheng 9 (1)
2022 Kukësi 9 (1)
2022–2023 Laçi 26 (6)
2023–2024 Polis Chrysochous 7 (2)
2024– Flamurtari 13 (7)
International career
2010–2011 Albania U-19 2 (1)
2011–2014 Albania U-21 13 (2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 1 June 2024

Club career

edit

Early years

edit

Born in Chania, Greece, to an ethnic Albanian family. Shkurti played youth football for four clubs, including Ajax, Olympiacos and Lazio. He arrived at the latter in January 2010 as compatriot Igli Tare acted as the club's director of football.[1]

In the 2010–11 season, Shkurti made his senior debut, representing Panionios in his country of adoption but also being loaned by the Superleague side to Thrasyvoulos in January 2011. Roughly one year later, he moved to Portugal with lowly Vilaverdense, and the following campaign he signed with Tondela in that nation's Segunda Liga, led by former Benfica and Portugal great Vítor Paneira.[2]

Shkurti did not settle with any team in the following years, representing in quick succession Roda (Dutch Eredivisie), Niki Volos, Asteras Tripoli and Skoda Xanthi (all in the Greek top level) and Aris Limassol from the Cypriot First Division.

Luftëtari

edit

On 8 September 2017, Shkurti joined Albanian Superliga side Luftëtari on a one-year contract[3]– as the transfer was done after the deadline, he remained ineligible to play for the club until the next transfer window.[4] He made his competitive debut on 31 January 2018 in a 3–0 away loss against Laçi for the first leg of the quarter-finals of the Albanian Cup, and first appeared in the league four days later in the goalless draw to Lushnja.

Shkurti scored his first goals on 10 February 2018, in the 3–2 win at Teuta Durrës.[5] On 1 March, he netted the lone goal at Flamurtari to help the team climb to sixth place,[6] also giving them the first win at Vlorë in 40 years.[7]

Kukësi

edit

On 3 January 2019, Shkurti moved to Kukësi on a two-year deal.[8] He was presented the following day, alongside his former teammate Eduart Rroca.[9]

Career statistics

edit
As of 26 May 2022[10][11]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Panionios 2010–11 Superleague Greece 3 0 0 0 3 0
Thrasyvoulos (loan) 2010–11 Football League 7 0 0 0 7 0
Platanias 2011–12 Football League 0 0 0 0 0 0
Vilaverdense 2011–12 Terceira Divisão 14 3 0 0 14 3
Tondela 2012–13 Segunda Liga 13 2 4 0 17 2
Roda 2013–14 Eredivisie 8 1 1 0 9 1
Niki Volos 2014–15 Superleague Greece 10 4 1 0 11 4
Asteras Tripoli 2014–15 Superleague Greece 4 0 0 0 4 0
2015–16 Superleague Greece 5 1 2 2 2 0 9 3
Total 9 1 2 2 2 0 0 0 13 3
Xanthi 2015–16 Superleague Greece 12 0 0 0 12 0
Aris Limassol 2016–17 Cypriot First Division 18 4 1 0 16 4
2017–18 Cypriot First Division 1 0 0 0 1 0
Total 19 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 20 4
Luftëtari 2017–18 Albanian Superliga 15 6 1 0 16 6
2018–19 Albanian Superliga 18 7 0 0 2 0 7 4
Total 33 13 1 0 2 0 0 0 36 13
Kukësi 2018–19 Albanian Superliga 16 5 7 4 0 0 23 9
2019–20 Albanian Superliga 30 22 4 1 2 0 1[a] 0 37 23
Total 46 27 11 5 2 0 1 0 60 32
Jiangxi Liansheng 2020 China League One 1 0 2[b] 0 3 0
2021 China League One 8 1 8 1
Total 9 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 11 1
Kukësi 2021–22 Albanian Superliga 9 1 0 0 9 1
Laçi 2022–23 Albanian Superliga 0 0 0 0 9 1
Career total 192 57 21 7 6 0 3 0 222 64
  1. ^ Appearances in Albanian Supercup
  2. ^ Appearances in China League One relegation play-offs

Honours

edit

Kukësi

References

edit
  1. ^ "Primavera, l'attaccante albanese Vassilis Skourtis in prova alla Lazio" [Primavera, Albanian forward Vassilis Skourtis on trial at Lazio] (in Italian). La Lazio Siamo Noi. 28 January 2010. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
  2. ^ "Vasilis convocado para a seleção albanesa sub-21" [Vasilis called to the Albania under-21 national team]. Record (in Portuguese). 24 August 2012. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  3. ^ "Zyrtare/ Luftëtari prezanton Vasil Shkurtajn, skuadra qipriote hezitoi ta linte të lirë" [Official / Luftëtari present Vasil Shkurti, Cypriot side hesitated to let him go for free]. Panorama Sport (in Albanian). 8 September 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  4. ^ "Shkurtaj: Pritja gjashtëmujore, rraskapitëse" [Shkurtaj: The six-month waiting, exhausting] (in Albanian). Sport Ekspres. 11 February 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  5. ^ Halili, Erjon (10 February 2018). "Sukaj "zgjon" Vllazninë, Kamza "pushton" Kukësin, Laçi i merr pikë Partizanit" [Sukaj "awakens" Vllaznia, Kamza "invade" Kukësi, Laçi take a point from Partizani] (in Albanian). Super Sport. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  6. ^ "VIDEO/ 40 vite pa fituar, Luftëtari thyen tersin e fushës së Flamurtarit. Vlonjati Shkurtaj nderon gjirokastritët" [VIDEO/ 40 years without winning, Luftëtari break jinx at Flamurtari's field. Shkurtaj honours Gjirokastra]. Panorama Sport (in Albanian). 1 March 2018. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  7. ^ "Statistikat/ Fusha e Flamurtarit makth, Luftëtari ka 40 vite pa fituar në Vlorë" [Statistics/ Flamurtari's field a nightmare, Luftëtari have not won in Vlorë in 40 years]. Panorama Sport (in Albanian). 1 March 2018. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  8. ^ "Zyrtare/ Shkurtaj firmos me Kukësin, ja detajet e marrëveshjes" [Official/ Shkurtaj signs with Kukësi, here are the details of the deal]. Panorama Sport (in Albanian). 3 January 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  9. ^ "Prezantohen Shkurtaj e Rroca, Gjici e ka me Cungun: Kukësi i blinduar, i solla çfarë kërkoi. Tani s' pres më…" [Shkurtaj and Rroca presented, Gjici now at it with Cungu: Kukësi are armoured, I brought him what he wanted. Now I don't wait anymore…]. Panorama Sport (in Albanian). 4 January 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  10. ^ "V. Shkurtaj". Soccerway. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  11. ^ "Vasil Shkurtaj". Footballdatabase. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  12. ^ "KUKËSI VS. TIRANA 2 - 1". Soccerway.com. 2 June 2019. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
edit