Valon Behrami
Encyclopedia
Valon Behrami is a Swiss
footballer of Albanian
descent who plays for Fiorentina in the Italian
Serie A
, as well as the Swiss national team
.
to Albanian parents. When Behrami was five, his parents both lost their jobs; his mother Halime as a secretary and his father Ragip as a manager of a plastics company. As a result, Behrami along with his parents and older sister Valentina moved to Stabio
, a village in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. Behrami's mother described him as energetic: "As a child, running was Valon's favourite pastime – he just never got tired. Even now, he can hardly sit still for a second. He always needs a ball at his feet."
and FC Lugano. After a number of impressive appearances with Lugano, he was signed by Italian teams Genoa
in the 2003–04 season, and played for Genoa in the Serie B
championship. In January 2004 he joined Udinese along with Rodrigue Boisfer
in exchanged for Mohammed Gargo
and Vittorio Micolucci
, in flopped transfer price in co-ownership deal
to create "paper" profit.
In the 2004–05 season, Genoa bought out Udinese' rights to the player and loaned him out to Verona
, again in Serie B.
signed him on 25 July 2005, as first a co-ownership deal
for €2.7 million. and Lazio bought him outright in January 2006, for the same price.
Despite his clearance hitting Rodrigo Taddei
's head and ricocheting into Lazio's goal to concede their first goal of the match, his 92nd minute winning goal etched Behrami's name into Lazio's history books as they won the Derby della Capitale
on 19 March 2008 and virtually finished the Scudetto hopes for rivals Roma
.
signed Behrami from Lazio, with the player signing a five-year contract for a fee of £5 million. Behrami made his debut for West Ham in the 2–1 home win over Wigan Athletic
on
16 August 2008. His versatility would see him become a vital part of West Ham's midfield, having begun the season as a stand in for captain Lucas Neill
at right back. He scored his first goal for West Ham in the 1–0 away win against Sunderland
on 23 November 2008.
During the home win over Manchester City
on 1 March 2009, he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament
injury in his left knee that required oxygen to be administered on the field during a six minute break in play. His knee and ankle twisted badly when his studs caught in the turf resulting in a premature end to his 2008–09 season.
Behrami made his comeback as a substitute on 12 September 2009 against Wigan Athletic
. His return was interrupted by injury again for a month from November. He scored his first and only goal of the 2009–10 league campaign with the opener in a 3–0 home win over relegation rivals Hull City
on 20 February 2010.
for an undisclosed fee, signing a three and a half-year contract.
at the Under-18, Under-19 and "A" levels.
For the Swiss national team, Behrami scored a key goal against Turkey
in the Stade de Suisse in the first leg of their World Cup 2006 qualifier playoff tie.
During the 2006 World Cup
, he endured a groin injury which put him on the sidelines for the first two group matches. In the third match against South Korea
, he was substituted late in the game in the 88th minute. He did not participate in the loss to Ukraine
in the last 16 knockout round of matches.
Behrami was in the starting eleven of Switzerland for all three matches during the 2008 UEFA European Football Championship playing a total of 272 minutes.
On 21 June, in the 2010 World Cup
, after appearing to elbow Chile
an player Arturo Vidal
, Behrami was sent off with a red card in the second Group H match against Chile
and became the first Swiss player to be sent off in a World Cup match.
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
footballer of Albanian
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
descent who plays for Fiorentina in the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
, as well as the Swiss national team
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
.
Early life
Behrami was born in Titova Mitrovica, YugoslaviaSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
to Albanian parents. When Behrami was five, his parents both lost their jobs; his mother Halime as a secretary and his father Ragip as a manager of a plastics company. As a result, Behrami along with his parents and older sister Valentina moved to Stabio
Stabio
Stabio is a municipality in the district of Mendrisio in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.-History:Stabio is first mentioned in 1067 as Stabio....
, a village in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. Behrami's mother described him as energetic: "As a child, running was Valon's favourite pastime – he just never got tired. Even now, he can hardly sit still for a second. He always needs a ball at his feet."
Early career
Behrami started out playing football with Swiss club sides FC Stabio, FC ChiassoFC Chiasso
FC Chiasso is a Swiss football club based in Chiasso. It was founded in 1905.Chiasso also played in the Italian first league between 1914 and 1923....
and FC Lugano. After a number of impressive appearances with Lugano, he was signed by Italian teams Genoa
Genoa C.F.C.
Genoa Cricket and Football Club, commonly referred to simply as Genoa , is a professional Italian football club based in the city of Genoa, Liguria...
in the 2003–04 season, and played for Genoa in the Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
championship. In January 2004 he joined Udinese along with Rodrigue Boisfer
Rodrigue Boisfer
Rodrigue Boisfer is a French footballer who plays for Serie B team Gubbio.-Genoa:Born in Marseille, Boisfer started his career at Monegasque club AS Monaco FC. He then left for Italian Serie B club Genoa. He made his Serie B debut on 5 Match 1999, replacing Alessandro Manetti in the second half...
in exchanged for Mohammed Gargo
Mohammed Gargo
Mohammed Gargo is a former Ghanaian footballer.-Club career:Gargo joined Italian side Udinese in 1995. In January 2003 he was loaned to Venezia and in January 2004 sold to Serie B side Genoa along with Vittorio Micolucci, in exchanged for Rodrigue Boisfer and Valon Behrami, all in co-ownership...
and Vittorio Micolucci
Vittorio Micolucci
Vittorio Micolucci is an Italian footballer who currently plays for Ascoli.He made his Serie A debut on 14 January 2001 against S.S. Lazio.-External links:*http://www.gazzetta.it/speciali/serie_b/2008_nw/giocatori/54586.shtml...
, in flopped transfer price in co-ownership deal
Co-ownership (football)
Co-ownership is a system whereby two football clubs own the contract of a player jointly, although the player is only registered to play for one club...
to create "paper" profit.
In the 2004–05 season, Genoa bought out Udinese' rights to the player and loaned him out to Verona
Hellas Verona F.C.
Hellas Verona Football Club is a professional Italian association football team, based in Verona, Veneto. The team's colours are yellow and blue and gialloblu is the team's most widely used nickname...
, again in Serie B.
Lazio
After an impressive season with Verona, LazioS.S. Lazio
Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football...
signed him on 25 July 2005, as first a co-ownership deal
Co-ownership (football)
Co-ownership is a system whereby two football clubs own the contract of a player jointly, although the player is only registered to play for one club...
for €2.7 million. and Lazio bought him outright in January 2006, for the same price.
Despite his clearance hitting Rodrigo Taddei
Rodrigo Taddei
Rodrigo Ferrante Taddei is a Brazilian footballer who currently plays for Roma. He plays as a right midfielder or an attacking midfielder and is notable for his dribbling and versatility.He also holds Italian nationality.-Club career:...
's head and ricocheting into Lazio's goal to concede their first goal of the match, his 92nd minute winning goal etched Behrami's name into Lazio's history books as they won the Derby della Capitale
Derby della Capitale
The Derby della Capitale , also known as Derby Capitolino and Derby del Cupolone, as well as The Rome Derby in English, is the football local derby in Rome, Italy, between the two major teams of the city, Roma and Lazio...
on 19 March 2008 and virtually finished the Scudetto hopes for rivals Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
.
West Ham United
On 23 July 2008, West Ham UnitedWest Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
signed Behrami from Lazio, with the player signing a five-year contract for a fee of £5 million. Behrami made his debut for West Ham in the 2–1 home win over Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
on
16 August 2008. His versatility would see him become a vital part of West Ham's midfield, having begun the season as a stand in for captain Lucas Neill
Lucas Neill
Lucas Edward Neill is an Australian Soccer player who currently plays for UAE Pro-League club Al Jazira. He is a full back. Neill had spent almost 15 years of his career playing in England. He represented Australia at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, the 2010 World Cup in South...
at right back. He scored his first goal for West Ham in the 1–0 away win against Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
on 23 November 2008.
During the home win over Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
on 1 March 2009, he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
injury in his left knee that required oxygen to be administered on the field during a six minute break in play. His knee and ankle twisted badly when his studs caught in the turf resulting in a premature end to his 2008–09 season.
Behrami made his comeback as a substitute on 12 September 2009 against Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
. His return was interrupted by injury again for a month from November. He scored his first and only goal of the 2009–10 league campaign with the opener in a 3–0 home win over relegation rivals Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
on 20 February 2010.
Fiorentina
On 26 January 2011 Behrami moved to FiorentinaACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football club from Florence, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A...
for an undisclosed fee, signing a three and a half-year contract.
International career
Behrami has also been capped for the Swiss national teamSwitzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
at the Under-18, Under-19 and "A" levels.
For the Swiss national team, Behrami scored a key goal against Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
in the Stade de Suisse in the first leg of their World Cup 2006 qualifier playoff tie.
During the 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, he endured a groin injury which put him on the sidelines for the first two group matches. In the third match against South Korea
Korea Republic national football team
The Korea Republic national football team represents Korea Republic in international football and is controlled by the Korea Football Association. Korea Republic is the most successful Asian football team in the history of the FIFA World Cup having participated in eight World Cup tournaments,...
, he was substituted late in the game in the 88th minute. He did not participate in the loss to Ukraine
Ukraine national football team
The Ukraine national football team is the national football team of Ukraine and is controlled by the Football Federation of Ukraine. After Ukrainian Independence and breakaway from the Soviet Union, they played their first match against Hungary on 29 April 1992...
in the last 16 knockout round of matches.
Behrami was in the starting eleven of Switzerland for all three matches during the 2008 UEFA European Football Championship playing a total of 272 minutes.
On 21 June, in the 2010 World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
, after appearing to elbow Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an player Arturo Vidal
Arturo Vidal
Arturo Erasmo Vidal Pardo is a Chilean footballer who plays as defensive midfielder for Juventus and Chile. Although usually deployed as a defensive midfielder, Vidal is a versatile box-to-box midfielder capable of playing in a more attacking role as well.- Early life :Vidal was born in San...
, Behrami was sent off with a red card in the second Group H match against Chile
Chile national football team
The Chilean national football team represents Chile in all major international football competitions. The team is controlled by the Federación de Fútbol de Chile which was established in 1895. They have appeared in eight World Cup tournaments and were hosts of the 1962 FIFA World Cup finishing in...
and became the first Swiss player to be sent off in a World Cup match.
International goals
- Scores and results list Switzerland's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1 12 Nov 2005 Stade de Suisse, Berne BerneThe city of Bern or Berne is the Bundesstadt of Switzerland, and, with a population of , the fourth most populous city in Switzerland. The Bern agglomeration, which includes 43 municipalities, has a population of 349,000. The metropolitan area had a population of 660,000 in 2000...
, Switzerland2–0 Win 2006 World Cup qualifying 2006 FIFA World CupThe 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...2 24 May 2008 Stadio Cornaredo, Lugano LuganoLugano is a city of inhabitants in the city proper and a total of over 145,000 people in the agglomeration/city region, in the south of Switzerland, in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, which borders Italy...
, Switzerland2–0 Win Friendly Exhibition gameAn exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...