 Kuqi with Inter Turku in 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1983-03-25)25 March 1983 (age 42)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Vučitrn,SFR Yugoslavia | |||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)[2] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Forward | |||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–1999 | FinnPa | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2000 | MP | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2001 | Kapa-51 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2005 | Lahti | 53 | (16) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Birmingham City | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2006 | →Blackpool (loan) | 4 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2006 | →Peterborough United (loan) | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2006 | Groningen | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | Carl Zeiss Jena | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2010 | TuS Koblenz | 52 | (11) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2010 | Stevenage | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2010 | Dundee | 3 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | TPS Turku | 21 | (8) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Panionios | 24 | (10) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Atromitos | 24 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | Pro Vercelli | 8 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | Olympiacos Volos | 8 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | SG Sonnenhof | 7 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | PK-35 Vantaa | 12 | (8) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Inter Turku | 31 | (15) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | ATK | 6 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | HIFK | 6 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2013 | Finland | 12 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||
Njazi Kuqi (born 25 March 1983) is a Finnish former professionalfootballer, who played as aforward.
Kuqi started his career withFC Lahti of theVeikkausliiga in 2002, spending three years with the club and scoring twenty goals in all competitions. In January 2005, Kuqi signed forBirmingham City, but failed to make any first–team appearances during his 18-month spell with the club. During his time at Birmingham, Kuqi was loaned out for a month toBlackpool in January 2006, making four appearances before returning to his parent club. He was loaned out once again in March 2006, joiningPeterborough United until the end of the2005–06 season. However, he only made one appearance for Peterborough, and returned to Birmingham a month earlier than scheduled. At the end of the campaign, Kuqi was released by Birmingham.
Ahead of the2006–07 season, Kuqi joined Dutch sideFC Groningen on a free transfer. However, he was released just two months after signing for the club, having not made a single appearance for the club. Six months later, in January 2007, Kuqi signed for German outfitFC Carl Zeiss Jena, but made just one first–team appearance in twelve months, before signing forTuS Koblenz in January 2008 on a three–year deal. He spent two and a half seasons with Koblenz, scoring eleven times. In August 2010, Kuqi joinedLeague Two sideStevenage, but left after playing just one game. Shortly after, in September 2010, Kuqi joinedDundee on a one-year deal, but was released a month later when the club went intoadministration. Kuqi has also played internationally for theFinland national team, earning 12caps and scoring 5 goals for his country.
Kuqi was born inVučitrn,SFR Yugoslavia (present-dayVushtrri,Kosovo), and moved to Finland with his family as a child. In Finland, Kuqi played for youth sectors ofFinnairin Palloilijat,MP Mikkeli and Kangasniemen Palloilijat. Also HJK (Helsingin jalkapallo klubi)
He began his senior career withFC Lahti in 2002, aged 19, and he was named Finland's Under-21 Player of the Year in 2004.[3] Kuqi spent three seasons with the club, scoring a total of 20 goals in 57 appearances in all competitions.[4]
In January 2005, Kuqi signed forBirmingham City for a fee of £400,000,[5] but failed to make any first–team appearances for the club during the latter stages of the2004–05 season,[6] although he was an unused substitute in Birmingham's 2–0 away defeat toChelsea in theFA Cup.[7] Kuqi featured regularly for Birmingham's reserve side,[8] but had a number of more experienced strikers in front of him, includingEmile Heskey andMikael Forssell, which made it difficult for him to break into the starting eleven.[9]
During the second half of the2005–06 season, Kuqi was sent out on loan toBlackpool on a month's loan deal.[10] A day after joining the club, he made his debut in the club's 4–2 win againstDoncaster Rovers, coming on as an 81st-minute substitute.[11] Kuqi subsequently started in the club's 3–0 loss away toMK Dons,[12] and played a total of four times for Blackpool before returning to his parent club.[13] In March 2006, Kuqi was loaned out once more, this time toPeterborough United until the end of the season.[5] However, Kuqi played just once for the club, starting in Peterborough's 2–2 draw withBarnet,[14] before returning to Birmingham a month earlier than expected.[15] At the end of the2006–07 season, Kuqi was released by Birmingham, having not made a single first–team appearance.[15]
In June 2006, Kuqi signed forFC Groningen on a free transfer, where he was to compete for a place in the team with players such as the formerManchester United strikerErik Nevland. After a range of conflicts, Kuqi was released by Groningen in August 2006, having made no first-team appearances for the club, with the season just two weeks old.[16]
Six months later, he signed an 18-month contract withFC Carl Zeiss Jena after failing to win a contract during a trial at his brother's former club,Ipswich Town.[17] However, Kuqi struggled to make first-team appearances for the club,[18] and was subsequently featuring regularly in the reserve side, FC Carl Zeis Jena II, in the GermanNOFV-Oberliga.[18]
In January 2008, he joinedTuS Koblenz on a three-year contract.[18] During the second half of the club's2007–08 campaign, Kuqi scored four goals in nine appearances, scoring his first goal for Koblenz in a 1–1 draw away toFC St. Pauli.[19] He also scored in the club's 3–2 away win against1. FC Kaiserslautern ten days later.[18][20] He subsequently started the following season as the club's point of attack, and played a total of 29 games during the season, scoring five times as Koblenz narrowly avoided relegation.[18] Kuqi remained at the club ahead of the2009–10 season, although his season was disrupted by persistent injuries,[1] only managing to play in 14 games, scoring twice in losses against FC St. Pauli andKarlsruher SC respectively.[21][22] Kuqi played his last game for the club in March 2010, coming on as an 83rd-minute substitute in a 2–0 loss toRot-Weiß Oberhausen.[23] He left the club at the end of the 2009–10 season.[18]
Kuqi spent a week on trial at DutchEerste Divisie sideRBC Roosendaal in July 2010, scoring in the club's 1–0 friendly win againstRoyal Antwerp.[24] However, just three days after his trial at Roosendaal, Kuqi linked up with his brotherShefki once again, having previously played alongside him at Koblenz,[25] as he joinedChampionship sideSwansea City on trial for two weeks.[3] He featured in a pre–season friendly againstPort Talbot Town, scoring the winning goal in the 93rd minute.[26][27] He also netted in another friendly againstLlanelli, scoring the final goal of the game from 25–yards in a 5–1 win.[28] However, he was unsuccessful in his attempt to earn a contract at Swansea, and subsequently requested a trial atLeague Two sideStevenage in August 2010.[17]
He played in a reserve match for the club against Ipswich Town.[17] Three days later, Kuqi made his debut in the club's 3–1 win againstStockport County, coming on as a substitute in the 84th minute.[29] He left Stevenage after failing to secure a full-time contract with the club.[1]
Shortly after, on 1 September 2010, Kuqi signed forScottish First Division clubDundee on a one-year contract.[30] He made his debut for the club in a 3–1 loss toDunfermline Athletic,[31] and featured in two other games for the club.[32] However, in October 2010, Kuqi was one of nine players released by Dundee after the club went intoadministration.[33][34][35] On being released, Kuqi said "My family just moved in two weeks ago. Of course you feel let down. Before I came here they spoke differently. They promised things and then after five weeks you're in administration".[33]
On 28 March 2011, TPS Turku announced that the club had signed Kuqi on a one-year contract.[36] He made his debut for the club on 6 May 2011, scoring in a 2–0 win overHJK Helsinki, the first game of the2011 Veikkausliiga season.[37] Kuqi scored eight goals in 23 appearances for the club during the 2011 season.[1]
In September 2011, Kuqi joinedSuper League sidePanionios. He made his debut for the club in a 1–0 away win againstPanetolikos, scoring the only goal of the game in the eleventh minute.[38] Two weeks later, in his third appearance for the club, Kuqi scored twice in a 3–0 victory away atKerkyra.[39]
In June 2012 it was announced that Kuqi would transfer from Panionios to another Super League club,Atromitos,[40] a club which he left after a mutual consent contract termination.
On 12 September 2017, Kuqi joinedIndian Super League franchiseATK for the2017–18 season.[41] He was released in January 2018, having scored once in six appearances.[42][1]
On 11 December 2018, FinnishVeikkausliiga-sideHIFK Fotboll announced, that they had signed Kuqi for the 2019 season on a one-year deal.[43]
In March 2005, Kuqi was called up to theFinland squad for a friendly againstKuwait. He started the match, and scored the only goal of the game in a 1–0 win.[44] Six days later, he came off the substitute's bench to score twice within the space of five minutes in Finland's 4–1 win againstSaudi Arabia.[44][45] In 2005, he got a six-month ban to the national team after leaving the team, after a U21-match against Czech Republic was played, for a birthday night out inPrague with a fellow internationalToni Koskela. After that, Kuqi was out of the picture and it was thought that he was keen to play forKosovo,[46] but in August 2008 he was called up to the squad once more whenStuart Baxter selected him for a friendly againstIsrael, although he was an unused substitute.[47] In September 2008, Kuqi gained his third cap as a 75th-minute substitute in Finland's2010 World Cup qualifier againstGermany, with the game ending 3–3.[48]
He is the younger brother of footballerShefki Kuqi and older brother of footballerAlbert Kuqi.[28][49][50] They are ofKosovo Albanian descent.[51]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Lahti | 2002[52] | Veikkausliiga | 24 | 5 | 24 | 5 | ||||||
| 2003[52] | Veikkausliiga | 14 | 6 | 14 | 6 | |||||||
| 2004[52] | Veikkausliiga | 15 | 5 | 15 | 5 | |||||||
| 2005[52] | Veikkausliiga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| Total | 53 | 16 | 53 | 16 | ||||||||
| Birmingham City | 2004–05[53] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |
| 2005–06[54] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Blackpool (loan) | 2005–06[54] | League One | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Peterborough United (loan) | 2005–06[54] | League Two | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Carl Zeiss Jena | 2006–07[55] | 2. Bundesliga | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2007–08[56] | 2. Bundesliga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| TuS Koblenz | 2007–08[56] | 2. Bundesliga | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 4 |
| 2008–09[57] | 2. Bundesliga | 29 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 6 | |
| 2009–10[58] | 2. Bundesliga | 14 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 2 | |
| Total | 52 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 55 | 11 | ||
| Stevenage | 2010–11[1] | League Two | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Dundee | 2010–11[32] | Scottish First Division | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| TPS Turku | 2011[1] | Veikkausliiga | 21 | 8 | 2[a] | 0 | 23 | 8 | ||||
| Panionios | 2011–12[1] | Superleague Greece | 24 | 10 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 10 | ||
| Atromitos | 2012–13[1] | Superleague Greece | 16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 2[a] | 0 | 19 | 1 | |
| Pro Vercelli | 2013–14[1] | Lega Pro Prima Divisione | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Olympiacos Volou | 2014–15[1] | Football League (Greece) | 8 | 3 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 3 | ||
| SG Sonnenhof Großaspach | 2014–15[1] | 3. Liga | 8 | 3 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 3 | ||
| PK-35 Vantaa | 2016[1] | Veikkausliiga | 12 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | — | 18 | 11 | |
| Inter Turku | 2016[1] | Veikkausliiga | 13 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | 14 | 8 |
| 2017[1] | Veikkausliiga | 18 | 7 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 22 | 7 | |||
| Total | 31 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 15 | ||
| ATK | 2017–18[1] | Indian Super League | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | 6 | 1 | |||
| Career total | 248 | 76 | 16 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 375 | 79 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finland[18] | 2005 | 2 | 3 |
| 2008 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 8 | 2 | |
| 2013 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 12 | 5 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 March 2005 | Kuwait National Stadium,Kuwait City, Kuwait |  Kuwait | 1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 2 | 18 March 2005 | Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium,Dammam, Saudi Arabia |  Saudi Arabia | 2–1 | 4–1 | Friendly |
| 3 | 4–1 | |||||
| 4 | 1 June 2012 | Tamme Stadium,Tartu, Finland |  Estonia | 1–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 5 | 2–0 |
a town in Kosovo, then in Yugoslavia, where two-thirds of the population were ethnic Albanians. Kuqi's family were among them
