Astrit Selmani Explained

Astrit Selmani
Fullname:Astrit Selmani
Birth Date:13 May 1997
Birth Place:Malmö, Sweden
Height:1.84 m
Position:Striker
Currentclub:Dinamo București
Clubnumber:9
Youthyears1:–2009
Youthclubs1:Malmö FF
Youthyears2:2009–2013
Youthclubs2:Kulladals FF
Years1:2014–2015
Clubs1:BK Olympic
Caps1:37
Goals1:14
Years2:2016
Clubs2:Ängelholms FF
Caps2:6
Goals2:0
Years3:2016
Clubs3:Kristianstad FC
Caps3:8
Goals3:0
Years4:2017
Clubs4:FC Rosengård
Caps4:22
Goals4:4
Years5:2018
Clubs5:Torns IF
Caps5:28
Goals5:13
Years6:2019–2020
Clubs6:Varbergs BoIS
Caps6:51
Goals6:30
Years7:2021–2022
Clubs7:Hammarby IF
Caps7:39
Goals7:11
Years8:2022–2024
Clubs8:Hapoel Be'er Sheva
Caps8:10
Goals8:2
Years9:2023
Clubs9:Midtjylland (loan)
Caps9:3
Goals9:0
Years10:2023
Clubs10:IFK Göteborg (loan)
Caps10:12
Goals10:0
Years11:2024–
Clubs11:Dinamo București
Caps11:14
Goals11:3
Nationalyears1:2021–
Nationalteam1:Kosovo
Nationalcaps1:5
Nationalgoals1:1
Club-Update:11 August 2024
Nationalteam-Update:24 March 2022

Astrit Selmani (born 13 May 1997) is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Liga I club Dinamo București. Born in Sweden, he represents the Kosovo national team.

Club career

Early career and Superettan debut

Selmani started to play football with local club Malmö FF as a youngster. In 2009, at age 12, he injured his cruciate ligament and left the club for Kulladals IF. At the age of 17, Selmani joined BK Olympic in Division 3, the Swedish fifth tier, where he made his senior debut. In total, he played 37 matches and scored 14 goals for the side. Before the start of the 2016 season, Selmani joined Ängelholms FF in Superettan, Sweden's second highest league.[1] On 3 April 2016, he made his debut in a 1–0 home win against Syrianska FC, after coming on as a substitute in the 81st minute in place of Oliver Stojanović-Fredin.[2]

Years in the third tier

Kristianstad FC

On 17 July 2016, Selmani joined Division 1 side Kristianstad FC in the third tier.[3] On 21 August 2016, he made his debut in a 1–0 away defeat against Landskrona BoIS after coming on as a substitute in the 84th minute in place of Anton Bloom.[4]

FC Rosengård

On 24 November 2016, Selmani joined fellow Division 1 club FC Rosengård, a transfer that came to effect in January 2017.[5] On 15 April the same year, he made his debut in a 0–1 home defeat against Skövde AIK, after coming on as a substitute in the 75th minute in place of Mohamed Ramadan.[6]

Torns IF

On 8 February 2018, Selmani joined Torns IF in Division 1.[7] Two months later, he made his competitive debut for the club in a 1–2 away win against Lunds BK after being named in the starting line-up.[8]

Varbergs BoIS

2019 season

On 21 January 2019, Selmani returned to Superettan, joining Varbergs BoIS.[9] On 30 March 2019, he made his debut against Mjällby AIF after being named in the starting line-up and scored his side's only goal in a 0–1 away win.[10] Scoring 15 goals in 27 league games, he led the team to their first promotion to Allsvenskan, finishing 2nd in the table.[11]

2020 season

In 2020, Selmani captained the side in Allsvenskan, as Varberg finished 11th in their first ever season in the Swedish top tier. He scored 15 goals in 24 fixtures placing himself as the second best scorer in Allsvenskan, only behind Christoffer Nyman.[12] [13] [14]

Hammarby IF

On 18 December 2020, Selmani transferred to fellow Allsvenskan club Hammarby IF, signing a four-year contract.[12] [13] The transfer fee was reportedly set at around 7-8 million Swedish kronor, making Selmani the most expensive acquisition in Hammarby's history.[15] [16]

On 20 February 2021, he made his competitive debut for the club in a group stage match in Svenska Cupen, the main domestic cup, against AFC Eskilstuna after being named in the starting line-up and provided one assist and scored his side's second goal in a 4–1 home win.[17]

On 16 May 2021, Selmani scored his first goal in Allsvenskan for Hammarby in his twelfth appearance for the club in a 2–2 home draw against rivals Djurgårdens IF.[18] Fourteen days later, he won the 2020–21 Svenska Cupen with Hammarby through a 5–4 win on penalties after a full time without goals against BK Häcken in the final, where he scored the deciding penalty.[19] [20]

On 22 July 2021, Selmani made his continental debut in the 2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League second qualifying round against Slovenian side Maribor after being named in the starting line-up and scored his side's three goals, which were also his first hat-trick for the club during a 3–1 home win.[21] He followed it up by scoring a brace against Čukarički in a 5–1 home win in the second leg (6–4 on aggregate) of the third qualifying round,[22] before the side was knocked out by Basel (4–4 on aggregate) after a penalty shoot-out in the play-off round.[23]

Selmani featured in the final of the 2021–22 Svenska Cupen, in which Hammarby lost by 4–5 on penalties to Malmö FF after the game ended in a 0–0 draw. Selmani was the one who missed the deciding penalty.[24] [25]

Hapoel Be'er Sheva

On 18 July 2022, Selmani transferred to Hapoel Be'er Sheva in the Israeli Premier League, signing a three-year contract.[26] The transfer fee was reportedly set at around 10 million Swedish kronor.[27] His debut with Hapoel Be'er Sheva came three days later in the 2022–23 UEFA Europa Conference League second qualifying round against Dinamo Minsk after coming on as a substitute at 58th minute in place of Sagiv Yehezkel.[28]

Loan to Midtjylland

On 31 January 2023, Selmani was sent on loan to FC Midtjylland through the remainder of the Danish Superliga campaign, with an option to buy.[29]

Dinamo București

On 10 February 2024, Dinamo București announced the signing of Selmani.[30] He made his debut for the team on 23 February, coming in as a substitute for Gonçalo Gregório in the 0-4 loss against CFR Cluj.[31] He scored his first goal for the club on 23 April 2024, in the 1-2 away loss against FC Botoșani,[32] having what was generally considered an underwhelming season.

Selmani remained at the club for the 2024-25 season. On 21 July, he scored once and produced two assists in the 4-1 home win over Petrolul Ploiești.[33] He was selected as Man of the Match[34] and as part of the Liga 1 Team of the Week[35] for this performance. On 2 August, he scored in the 4-1 home win over Gloria Buzău.[36]

International career

Born and raised in Sweden, Selmani is of Kosovo Albanian origin from Mitrovica.[37] He was eligible to represent three countries on international level, either Albania, Kosovo or Sweden.[38] On 17 March 2021, the Football Federation of Kosovo announced that Selmani had decided to represent their national team,[39] [40] and was planned to get called up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against Sweden and Spain, but was ultimately left out of the squad due to testing positive for COVID-19.[39] [40]

Selmani was also called-up by Kosovo to the matches in June and September 2021, but due to the lack of a passport he was forced to stay as a unused substitute. On 15 September 2021, seven days after the end of the gathering in the September matches he received his passport.[41] His debut with Kosovo came on 9 October 2021 in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Sweden after coming on as a substitute in the 70th minute in place of Zymer Bytyqi.[42]

On 24 March 2022, Selmani scored his first goal for Kosovo in his fifth appearance for the country in a 5–0 home win over Burkina Faso.[43]

Career statistics

Club

ClubSeasonLeagueCupContinentalTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
BK Olympic2014Division 318511196
2015Division 319900199
Total3714113815
Ängelholms FF2016Superettan602080
Kristianstad FC2016Division 18020100
FC Rosengård2017Division 122410234
Torns IF2018Division 12813213014
Varbergs BoIS2019Superettan2715423117
2020Allsvenskan2415102515
Total5130525632
Hammarby IF2021Allsvenskan26971653915
2022Allsvenskan13264196
Total3911135655821
Hapoel Be'er Sheva2022–23Israeli Premier League10230111243
Midtjylland (loan)2022–23Danish Superliga301040
IFK Göteborg (loan)2023Allsvenskan12011131
Dinamo București2023-24Liga I10100101
2024-25Liga I420042
Total1430000143
Career total23077301018627893

International

National teamYearAppsGoals
Kosovo
202140
202211
Total51

Honours

BK Olympic

2015

Hammarby IF

2020–21[19] [20]

Hapoel Be'er Sheva

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Här är ÄFF:s historiska U19-lag. Here is ÄFF's historic U19 team. Swedish. Helsingborgs Dagblad. 1 April 2016.
  2. Web site: Ängelholm vs. Syrianska 1–0. Soccerway. 3 April 2016.
  3. Web site: 19-årige Astrit Seljmani förstärker KFC. 19-year-old Astrit Seljmani joins KFC. https://web.archive.org/web/20190422170030/https://www.svenskalag.se/kristianstadfc-div1/nyheter/843691/19-arige-astrit-seljmani-forstarker-kfc. Swedish. Svenskalag.se. 17 July 2016. 22 April 2019.
  4. Web site: Landskrona BoIS vs. Kristianstad 1–0. Soccerway. 21 August 2016.
  5. Web site: Officiellt: FC Rosengård värvar Astrit Seljmani. Official: FC Rosengård recruits Astrit Seljmani. Swedish. Fotbolltransfers.com. 24 November 2016.
  6. Web site: Rosengård vs. Skövde AIK 0–1. Soccerway. 15 April 2017.
  7. Web site: Officiellt: Torns IF värvar Astrit Seljmani. Official: Torns IF recruits Astrit Seljmani. Swedish. Fotbolltransfers.com. 8 February 2018.
  8. Web site: Lund vs. Torns 1–2. Soccerway. 7 April 2018.
  9. Web site: Astrit Seljmani ansluter till Varbergs BoIS från Torns IF. Astrit Seljmani joins Varbergs Bois from Torns IF. Swedish. Varbergs BoIS. 21 January 2019.
  10. Web site: Premiärseger mot Mjällby. Premiere victory against Mjällby. Swedish. Varbergs BoIS. 30 March 2019.
  11. Web site: 1–1 mot Mjällby säkrade Allsvenskt avancemang. 1-1 against Mjällby secured Allsvenskan advancement. Swedish. Varbergs BoIS. 3 November 2019.
  12. Web site: Astrit Selmani klar för Hammarby. Astrit Selmani ready for Hammarby. Swedish. Hammarby IF. 18 December 2020.
  13. Web site: Astrit Selmani lämnar Varbergs BoIS för Hammarby. Astrit Selmani leaves Varbergs BoIS for Hammarby. Swedish. Varbergs BoIS. 18 December 2020.
  14. Web site: Astrit Selmani. Swedish. Swedish Football Association. 18 December 2020.
  15. Web site: Selmani skriver på fyraårskontrakt. Selmani signs a four-year contract. Swedish. Aftonbladet. 18 December 2020.
  16. Web site: Klart: Har bestämt sig för Hammarby. Done: Has decided on Hammarby. Swedish. Expressen. 18 December 2020.
  17. Web site: Match/Hammarby–Athletic Eskilstuna. Swedish. Hammarby IF. 20 February 2021.
  18. Web site: Händelserikt derbykryss mot blåränderna. Eventful derby cross against the blue edges. Swedish. Hammarby IF. 16 May 2021.
  19. Web site: Hammarby cupvinnare efter straffdrama. Hammarby cup winner after penalty drama. Swedish. Swedish Football Association. 30 May 2021.
  20. Web site: Historisk och dramatisk cupfinalseger mot Häcken. Historic and dramatic cup final victory against Häcken. Swedish. Hammarby IF. 30 May 2021.
  21. Web site: Tvåmålsseger i hemmamötet med slovenerna. Two-goal victory in the home meeting with the Slovenes. Swedish. Hammarby IF. 22 July 2021.
  22. Web site: Match/Hammarby–FK Čukarički. Swedish. Hammarby IF. 12 August 2021.
  23. Web site: Ett slut att glömma efter 210 minnesvärda minuter. An end to forget after 210 memorable minutes. Swedish. Hammarby IF. 26 August 2021.
  24. Web site: Straffar gav MFF första cupguldet på 33 år. 26 May 2022. 26 May 2022. Swedish Football Association. Swedish.
  25. Web site: Bajen golvat från elva meter i titelmatchen. 26 May 2022. 26 May 2022. Hammarby Fotboll. Swedish.
  26. Web site: אסטריט סלמאני חתם. Astrit Selmani signed. Hebrew. Hapoel Be'er Sheva F.C.. 18 July 2022.
  27. Web site: Avslöjar: Astrit Selmani säljs till Israel. Reveals: Astrit Selmani sold to Israel. Swedish. Aftonbladet. 16 July 2022.
  28. Web site: Hapoel Be'er Sheva vs. Dinamo Minsk 2–1. Soccerway. 21 July 2022.
  29. Web site: Astrit Selmani trækker i FC Midtjylland-trøjen. 31 January 2023. 31 January 2023. FC Midtjylland. Danish.
  30. Web site: Un nou transfer bifat de Dinamo! „Câinii” se întăresc în atac.. 10 February 2024. 12 August 2024. gsp.ro. ro.
  31. Web site: Soccerway. Soccerway - CFR Cluj vs. Dinamo București - 23 February 2024. 12 August 2024.
  32. Web site: Soccerway. Soccerway - FC Botoșani vs. Dinamo București - 23 April 2024. 12 August 2024.
  33. Web site: Dinamo București vs. Petrolul 52 - 21 July 2024. Soccerway. 6 August 2024.
  34. Web site: SuperLiga - Vedetele etapei a 2-a . ro . SuperLeague - The Stars of Week number 2 . LPF . 23 July 2024 . 12 August 2024.
  35. Web site: SuperLiga - Echipa etapei a 2-a . ro . SuperLeague - Team of the Week number 2 . LPF . 23 July 2024 . 12 August 2024.
  36. Web site: Dinamo București vs. AS FC Buzău - 2 August 2024 . Soccerway . 12 August 2024.
  37. kosovanfooty_EN. Kosovan Football. 1319376485896126464. 22 October 2020. Astrit Selmani in Allsvenskan 2020 for @VarbergsBoISFC; Appearances 19, Goals 9, Assists 5; His average SofaScore rating: 7.05; Born in Malmo, of Kosovan descent from the city of Mitrovica; Bring him home!.
  38. Web site: Selmani kan välja mellan tre landslag: "Haft turen att slippa ta beslut". Selmani can choose between three national teams: "Had the good fortune to avoid making decisions". Swedish. Fotbollskanalen. 10 December 2020.
  39. News: Challandes publikon listën e futbollistëve për ndeshjet e marsit. Challandes publishes the list of footballers for the March matches. I ftuar për këtë grumbullim ka qenë edhe sulmuesi i skuadrës Hammarby IF, Astrit Selmani, por për shkak se ka rezultuar pozitiv në Covid-19 nuk ka mundësi t’i bashkohet Kombëtares. sq. Football Federation of Kosovo. 17 March 2021.
  40. Web site: Selmani har gjort sitt landslagsval: det blir Kosovo. Selmani has made his decision: it is Kosovo. Swedish. Fotbollskanalen. 17 March 2021.
  41. News: Astrit Selmani vetëm të mërkurën mori shtetësinë e Kosovës, në ndeshjet e shtatorit nuk e kishte të drejtën e lojës. Astrit Selmani only received Kosovo citizenship on Wednesday, he did not have the right to play in the September matches. Albanian. Koha Ditore. 16 September 2021.
  42. News: Astrit Selmani debuton me Kosovën ndaj Suedisë. Astrit Selmani debuts with Kosovo against Sweden. Albanian. reporteri.net. 9 October 2021.
  43. News: Astrit Selmani shënon super gol për Kosovën ndaj Burkina Fasos. Astrit Selmani scores a super goal for Kosovo against Burkina Faso. Albanian. Telegrafi. 24 March 2022.