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Besart Berisha

From Alfawiki
Besart Berisha
Born (1985-07-29) July 29, 1985 (age 41)
Kosovo
Occupation(s)Football coach, former player
Years active–present
Known forAssistant manager at Prishtina; former professional footballer

Besart Selim Berisha (born 29 July 1985) is a professional football coach from Kosovo and a former player, currently holding the position of assistant manager at Prishtina, a club competing in the Kosovo Superleague.

Early years and Hamburger SV

Berisha's football journey began in Germany with Berliner VB 49 at the age of nine. He progressed through several youth teams including Berliner FC Dynamo, TSV Lichtenberg, and SV Lichtenberg 47. In 2003, he signed with Tennis Borussia Berlin, a club competing in the NOFV-Oberliga. At just 17, he secured the golden boot in the national youth league, surpassing notable future German internationals Mario Gomez and Lukas Podolski. After one season, he was recruited by Bundesliga side Hamburger SV.

During the initial half of the 2004–05 campaign, Berisha did not break into Hamburg’s first team and was subsequently loaned out to Danish Superliga club Aalborg BK for the latter part of the season. He made three appearances there but did not find the net. The following season (2005–06), he spent time on loan at AC Horsens, also in Denmark’s top division, where he scored 11 goals across 32 matches, finishing as the club’s leading scorer.

Berisha remained with Hamburg for the 2006–07 season and debuted in the Bundesliga on 12 August 2006 against Arminia Bielefeld as a substitute. On 6 December 2006, he made history by becoming the first Albanian player to score during the UEFA Champions League group stage, netting for Hamburg versus CSKA Moscow. Ten days later, he opened the scoring in a 3–3 draw against Alemannia Aachen for his inaugural Bundesliga goal. Throughout that season, he appeared 14 times—mostly off the bench—including two Champions League fixtures and one German Cup match. Following a managerial change when Huub Stevens replaced Thomas Doll, Berisha's role diminished significantly, resulting in limited playing time for the remainder of the campaign.

Burnley

On 3 July 2007, Burnley acquired Berisha from Hamburg for a transfer fee of £340,000 after his impressive showing for Albania against England B at Burnley’s Turf Moor stadium. Although other European clubs expressed interest, Berisha committed to a three-year contract that was confirmed once his work permit was granted on the same day.

Berisha missed the entire 2007–08 season due to a serious knee injury sustained during an international friendly against Malta. Initially underestimated as minor, it was later diagnosed as a ruptured cruciate ligament necessitating approximately twelve months of rehabilitation. The severity was initially overlooked because fluid accumulation obscured imaging results.

After nearly ten months sidelined, Berisha made his comeback in a pre-season friendly match held in the United States against Carolina Railhawks, coming on as a substitute. Having just returned from Albania prior to this game, his influence was limited as Burnley suffered a 2–1 defeat.

Loan spell at Rosenborg

In autumn 2008, Berisha went out on loan to Norwegian club Rosenborg. He marked his debut by scoring twice in a local derby victory over Molde FK, which ended 3–1 at Lerkendal Stadion. He followed this with another goal during a 4–0 triumph against HamKam on 21 September 2008.

Berisha started in Rosenborg’s opening leg of the 2008–09 UEFA Cup qualifying round—a narrow 2–1 loss to Djurgården—and played through the first half of the second leg where Rosenborg secured a commanding 5–0 win to advance with a 6–2 aggregate score. He featured only in the second leg against Brøndby IF as Rosenborg won 3–2 on the night and progressed to the UEFA Cup group stage with a 5–3 aggregate result. In the group phase, Berisha made one substitute appearance during a goalless draw versus Club Brugge.

Loan Spell at Horsens

In January 2009, Berisha was loaned to AC Horsens but was recalled by Burnley prematurely in May 2009 despite contributing important goals. The Danish club terminated the loan agreement following a training ground altercation involving Berisha and Kenneth Emil Petersen.

Although his contract with Burnley was valid until 2010, Berisha did not feature in any competitive starts after returning. Subsequently, on 31 July 2009, he transferred to Arminia Bielefeld, a German 2. Bundesliga team, for an estimated fee of £75,000.

Arminia Bielefeld

Berisha officially joined Arminia Bielefeld on 5 August 2009. During the 2009–10 campaign, he appeared in 11 matches without scoring, making his debut on 10 August in a 3–1 victory against Hansa Rostock. The following season saw him open his goal account on 29 September 2010 in a 1–2 defeat to Union Berlin, concluding the season with 19 appearances and 12 starts.

2011–12 Season

On 16 August 2011, Brisbane Roar’s head coach Ange Postecoglou confirmed Berisha had agreed to a one-year contract with the reigning A-League champions. He netted his first goal in round two versus Sydney FC and remarkably scored four times during a record-breaking 7–1 triumph over Adelaide United in round four, becoming the first player at the club to score more than three goals in a single match.

In January 2012, Berisha faced a one-match suspension due to violating the FFA Code of Conduct after an incident on the pitch. On 14 February, he extended his contract for two additional years, securing his stay through the 2013–14 season. Known for his fiery and intense playing style, Berisha occasionally found himself at odds with teammates and rivals but was widely recognized for his dedication.

Berisha scored twice in the 2012 A-League Grand Final, including a disputed late penalty that clinched Brisbane’s consecutive championship titles. He also made history as the first Albanian player to score in two separate Champions League competitions by finding the net against F.C. Tokyo during the Asian Champions League. During the 2011–12 season, he claimed the Golden Boot with 19 goals and received several player of the year honors. He finished with a club record of 23 goals from 35 appearances, sharing the all-time A-League regular-season scoring record of 19 goals.

2012–13 Season

Berisha’s second season at Brisbane was less prolific than his debut but still yielded solid results, scoring 14 goals across 28 matches in all competitions. He delivered crucial goals amid Brisbane’s challenges to replicate their championship success, including a decisive strike in Round 9 against Newcastle Jets. Notably, his opening goal in the final round secured Brisbane’s qualification for the post-season finals.

2013–14 Season

The start of the 2013–14 season saw Berisha score in Brisbane’s opening match against Wellington Phoenix, but a hamstring injury sustained in Round 2 sidelined him for approximately four weeks. Upon recovery, he found the net four times over five games, featuring a winning goal against Perth Glory and a brace versus Adelaide United. A subsequent hip injury resulted in another two-week absence. After returning to action, he scored despite Brisbane’s home defeat by Adelaide. In the following fixture against Perth Glory, Berisha received his first A-League red card after accumulating two yellow cards for fouls on Michael Thwaite. Once suspended time elapsed, he scored a last-minute winner against Central Coast Mariners.

On 27 April 2014, Berisha netted the only goal in a semi-final victory over Melbourne Victory, propelling Brisbane Roar into the final. On 4 May 2014, Brisbane triumphed over Western Sydney Wanderers 2–1 after extra time; Berisha scored the equalizer before Henrique Silva secured the championship-winning goal in the 108th minute. He completed the season with 20 appearances and 13 goals, finishing as the second-highest scorer in the A-League.

Melbourne Victory

On 22 January 2014, A-League side Melbourne Victory secured Berisha as their International Marquee signing, agreeing to a two-season deal beginning with the 2014–15 campaign, valued at $1.5 million—more than twice his previous salary at Brisbane.

Berisha made his competitive debut on 20 August 2014 during the 2014 FFA Cup Round of 32 match versus Bayswater City SC, providing an assist. He followed this performance with a hat-trick in the subsequent round on 16 September, leading to a 6–0 triumph over Tuggeranong United.

In his A-League debut for Victory against Western Sydney Wanderers, Berisha converted a penalty, contributing to a comprehensive 4–1 victory. During Round 3's Melbourne Derby on 25 October 2014, he netted three goals in a 5–2 win at Docklands Stadium, bringing his tally to seven goals and one assist across five matches. He concluded the regular season with 13 goals, playing a key role in Victory clinching the Premiership. In the Grand Final, he opened the scoring in a 3–0 success over F.C. Sydney.

On 2 December 2015, Berisha extended his stay by signing a contract renewal for an additional two seasons, keeping him at the club until the end of 2017–18.

By November 2016, after five years in Australia, Berisha pursued Australian citizenship to enable Melbourne Victory to register another visa player. On 17 December 2016, he scored the decisive goal in the 22nd Melbourne Derby, matching Archie Thompson’s A-League record of 90 goals.

Berisha became the all-time leading scorer in the A-League on 2 January 2017 by converting a penalty against Newcastle. On 14 April that year, he reached the milestone of 100 A-League goals during a narrow 1–0 victory over Central Coast Mariners, sharing the Golden Boot with Jamie Maclaren for that season.

With a total of 68 A-League goals for Melbourne Victory, Berisha stands as the club’s second most prolific scorer behind Archie Thompson.

Sanfrecce Hiroshima

In June 2018, Melbourne Victory announced Berisha’s departure to join J1 League outfit Sanfrecce Hiroshima. He officially signed a contract lasting one and a half years on 2 July and was introduced by the club shortly thereafter. Berisha’s debut came on 28 July 2018 as a substitute in the 68th minute during a home game that ended in a 1–4 loss to Urawa Red Diamonds.

Western United

Berisha returned to the A-League on 27 September 2019 by signing with expansion team Western United, which is considered a rival of his former club Melbourne Victory. After completing two seasons, he departed from Western United upon contract expiration in July 2021.

Prishtina

On 15 September 2021, Berisha joined Prishtina, competing in Kosovo’s Football Superleague. The transfer was confirmed as permanent one week later, with Berisha assigned squad number 33. He made his first appearance on 3 October 2021 during an away fixture against Drita that finished goalless; he entered as a substitute in the 77th minute.

Retirement

Berisha announced his retirement from professional football on 27 January 2022 through an Instagram post.

Albania

In September 2006, following recommendations from Albania national team manager Hans-Peter Briegel, Berisha applied for Albanian citizenship. He was granted citizenship on 7 September alongside Mërgim Mavraj. While Briegel initially selected him for national duty, it was under new coach Otto Barić—who personally requested Berisha after meeting him in Germany—that he remained under consideration along with Mavraj and Genc Mehmeti.

UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying

Berisha made his first appearance for Albania under the guidance of coach Barić on 11 October 2006 during a UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying match against the Netherlands, coming on as a substitute in a 2–1 defeat. He participated in four additional qualifiers, starting twice. Significantly, he played in advanced roles such as attacking midfielder and forward in games versus Slovenia, Bulgaria, and Luxembourg.

He netted his initial unofficial goal for Albania in a friendly against England B on 25 May 2007; however, this was not counted as an official international goal. His first recognized senior goal arrived on 22 August 2007 during a 3–0 friendly victory over Malta. On 19 November 2008, Berisha provided an assist for Ervin Skela’s equalizer in a 1–1 draw against Azerbaijan.

2010 FIFA World Cup qualification

Throughout the 2010 qualifiers, Berisha was consistently selected for all ten group fixtures, appearing in eight matches.

In the contests against Hungary (28 March 2009) and Denmark (1 April 2009), coach Arie Haan chose to omit regular starter Erjon Bogdani due to his minimal playing time at Chievo Verona. Berisha started both encounters, completing the full match in a 0–1 defeat to Hungary alongside Hamdi Salihi, and playing as the sole striker against Denmark before being substituted in the 85th minute of a 0–3 loss. After these qualifiers, Berisha permanently declined further national team call-ups, citing the geographic distance from Albania as a reason.

By October 2009, he had accumulated 17 caps and scored one goal representing Albania.

On 9 December 2013, Berisha revealed intentions to join a European club to be nearer to Albania and rejoin the national squad. Nevertheless, on 22 January 2014, it was confirmed that he signed with A-League side Melbourne Victory for the 2014–15 season. On 5 April 2014, Albania’s coach Gianni De Biasi extended an invitation for him to return for UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying, but Berisha requested ten days to consider before ultimately declining due to travel challenges associated with playing in Australia.

In January 2016, Berisha expressed renewed willingness to represent Albania at UEFA Euro 2016.

Kosovo

On 16 August 2016, following Kosovo’s official recognition by UEFA and FIFA earlier that May, Berisha accepted an invitation to play for the Kosovo. FIFA approved his eligibility on 4 November 2016. He made his debut on 20 March 2017 during a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Iceland, where he was included in the starting eleven.

Early departure

Berisha resigned from international duties on 11 June 2017 after a World Cup qualifier against Turkey. He criticized Kosovo’s coach Albert Bunjaki as the worst he had worked under and highlighted poor communication regarding his selection status. Berisha indicated he would consider returning if Bunjaki were replaced.

Personal life

Besart Berisha was born in Pristina and grew up in Germany. He is related by marriage to Kosovan footballers Enis Fetahu and Kosovo international Samir Ujkani. In 2019, Berisha obtained Australian citizenship.

Club

Appearances and goals broken down by club, season, and competition
Club Season League[lower-alpha 1] Cup Continental[lower-alpha 2] Overall
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Tennis Borussia Berlin 2003–04 NOFV-Oberliga Nord 4 1 — — 4 1
AaB (loan) 2004–05 Danish Superliga 3 0 — — 3 0
Horsens (loan) 2005–06 Danish Superliga 32 11 — — 32 11
2008–09 10 4 — — 10 4
Total 42 15 — — 42 15
Hamburger SV 2006–07 Bundesliga 12 1 1 0 2 1 15 2
Rosenborg (loan) 2008 Tippeligaen 8 3 — 4 0 12 3
Arminia Bielefeld 2010–11 2. Bundesliga 28 2 1 0 — 29 2
Brisbane Roar 2011–12 A-League 29 21 — 6 2 35 23
2012–13 27 14 — 1 0 28 14
2013–14 20 13 — — 20 13
Total 76 48 — 7 2 83 50
Melbourne Victory 2014–15 A-League 28 15 3 3 — 31 18
2015–16 26 18 5 5 8 4 39 27
2016–17 26 19 4 2 — 30 21
2017–18 28 14 2 2 5 2 (35) (18)
Total 108 66 14 12 13 6 135 84
Sanfrecce Hiroshima 2018 J1 League 6 0 1 0 — 7 0
Western United FC 2019-20 A-League 27 19 — — 27 19
2020-21 12 6 — — 12 6
Career total 326 161 17 12 21 6 362 179

International

National team Year Appearances Goals
Albania 2006 1 0
2007 5 0
2008 4 0
2009 6 0
Kosovo 2017 1 0
Albania's score is listed first in all scorelines.
No. Date Location Opponent Scoreline Final result Match type
1. 22 August 2007 Qemal Stafa Stadium, Tirana, Albania Template:Fb 2 – 0 3 – 0 Friendly match


Honours

Brisbane Roar

Melbourne Victory

Individual Achievements

See also

External links


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