| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1977-11-04)4 November 1977 (age 48) | ||
| Place of birth | Shkodër, Albania | ||
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position | Striker | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1996–1997 | Olimpik Tirana | 3 | (1) |
| 1997–1999 | Vllaznia Shkodër | 60 | (23) |
| 1997–1999 | NK Varteks | 27 | (5) |
| 2000–2004 | Vllaznia Shkodër | 102 | (80) |
| 2004–2005 | Kayserispor | 4 | (1) |
| 2005–2006 | Vllaznia Shkodër | 56 | (28) |
| 2006–2007 | Tirana | 29 | (23) |
| 2007–2009 | Vllaznia Shkodër | 71 | (36) |
| 2010 | Besa Kavajë | 16 | (5) |
| 2010–2012 | Vllaznia Shkodër | 31 | (11) |
| Total | 400 | (213) | |
| International career | |||
| 1997–1999 | Albania U21 | 8 | (10) |
| 2000–2002 | Albania | 4 | (1) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2011–2012 | Vllaznia Shkodër (assistant) | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Vioresin Sinani (born 4 November 1977) is an Albanian former professional footballer who played as astriker. He spent the majority of his career atVllaznia Shkodër as well as stints withDinamo Tirana,Tirana andBesa Kavajë in Albania. He also played forNK Varteks in Croatia andKayserispor in Turkey. He is Vllaznia's and the Albanian Superliga's record goalscorer.
Sinani was also an Albanian international, making eight appearances withunder-21 squad and 4 withsenior squad.
During the 2006–07 season, Sinani signed with the most successful club in Albania,KF Tirana, taking the number 9 in the process. He formed a very successful partnership in attack with the other striker fromShkodër,Hamdi Salihi, although he stayed only in the first part of the season.[1] On 9 September 2006, in the team's second match of the season, Sinani scored his first three goals with Tirana shirt, recording a hat-trick in a 7–3 thrashing ofKastrioti Krujë at Selman Stërmasi Stadium.[2][3] Later on 28 April of the following year, Sinani scored an early goal in the capital derby versusDinamo Tirana, leading the team to a 2–1 win and closer to the championship; the win Tirana's 50th win over Dinamo.[4]
On 9 May 2007, in the last league match againstVllaznia Shkodër, Tirana needed at least a draw to confirm as the champions of Albania for the 23rd time while their closest league rivalsTeuta Durrës had to win to clinch the championship. Sinani scored twice inside of two minutes, however, respectively in 34th and 35 minutes, helping Tirana to win the 23rd league title with a 4–2 win, although Teuta won 1–0 atPeqin againstShkumbini.[5] In personal terms, Sinani, with his 23 league goals, won the Albanian Superliga Golden Boot as the league top goalscorer, beating out his rivalDaniel Xhafaj.[5]
In January 2010, Sinani left Vllaznia a joinedBesa Kavajë for the second part of2009–10 season.[6] His transfer was officially completed on 12 January.[7] He made his debut with the club on 27 January in team's 0–2 triumph away againstSkënderbeu Korçë, and four days later scored his first goal in another 0–2 away win, this time againstApolonia Fier.[8]
On 7 November 2010, Sinani scored his 200th and 201st Albanian Superliga goals during a 3–0 win overKF Elbasani, becoming the player in history to score more than 200 goals inAlbanian top flight.[9][10]
On 7 July 2011, Vllaznia won 1–0 againstBirkirkara in the second leg offirst qualifying round ofEuropa League to pass the round with the aggregate 2–1.[11] Four days later, Sinani was fined by the club's directors for missing many opportunities to score in the last minutes of the match, thus complicating his team's qualification.[12]
During the summer of 2011, Sinani signed a new one-year deal with the club until the end of the 2011–12 season.[13]
In January 2012, he announced that he would be retiring from professional football at the end of the 2011–12 season, having turned 34 the previous month and being named Rudi Vata's assistant coach in November.[14] He officially retired prior to the 2012–13 Albanian Superliga curtain-raiser between Vllaznia and the reigning champions Skënderbeu Korçë at theLoro Boriçi Stadium on 25 August 2012. A farewell ceremony was heldto celebrate his career, which was organised by Vllaznia and theAlbanian Football Association. The president of the FA awarded Sinani with a 'plaque of appreciation' for his services to Albanian football and Vllaznia announced that the number 9 shirt would be temporarily retired for the 2012–13 season.[15]
Sinani was part of theAlbania's national football team that won the Rothmans Trophy in Malta which was held in early 2000.[16] He scored his only international goal in the final match against the home teamMalta which proved to be the trophy winning goal. Overall that year Sinani earned 4 in total but none of those where competitiveFIFA orUEFA games.[citation needed]
Having not appeared in a squad since 2000, in May he was called in the squad for the friendly match againstEngland B team. He was an unused substitute as England B won 3–1 atTurf Moor Stadium.[17]
Newly appointed Vllaznia Shkodër coachRudi Vata made Sinani his assistant manager on 1 November 2011, while he was still an active player at the club.[18]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental[a] | Other[b] | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Olimpik Tiranë | 1996–97 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | |||
| Vllaznia Shkodër | 1996–97 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1997–98 | 33 | 9 | — | — | — | 33 | 9 | ||||
| 1998–99 | 27 | 14 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 29 | 14 | |||
| Total | 60 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 62 | 23 | |
| NK Varaždin | 1999–2000 | 25 | 5 | — | — | — | 25 | 5 | |||
| 2000–01 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 27 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 5 | |
| Vllaznia Shkodër | 2000–01 | 26 | 15 | — | — | — | 26 | 15 | |||
| 2001–02 | 23 | 11 | — | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 26 | 13 | ||
| 2002–03 | 18 | 18 | — | — | — | 18 | 18 | ||||
| 2003–04 | 35 | 36 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 35 | 36 | |||
| Total | 102 | 80 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 105 | 82 | |
| Kayserispor | 2004–05 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | 4 | 1 | |||
| Vllaznia Shkodër | 2004–05 | 23 | 15 | — | — | — | 23 | 15 | |||
| 2005–06 | 33 | 13 | — | — | — | 33 | 13 | ||||
| Total | 56 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 56 | 28 | |
| Tirana | 2006–07 | 29 | 23 | — | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 34 | 23 | |
| Vllaznia Shkodër | 2007–08 | 30 | 20 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 32 | 20 | ||
| 2008–09 | 28 | 15 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 34 | 16 | |
| 2009–10 | 13 | 1 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 15 | 1 | |||
| Total | 71 | 36 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 81 | 37 | |
| Besa Kavajë | 2009–10 | 17 | 5 | 5 | 0 | — | — | 22 | 5 | ||
| Vllaznia Shkodër | 2010–11 | 28 | 11 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 32 | 12 | ||
| 2011–12 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | ||
| Total | 31 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 12 | |
| Career total | 400 | 213 | 14 | 2 | 20 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 437 | 217 | |
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albania | 2000 | 3 | 1 |
| 2001 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2002 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 4 | 1 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 February 2000 | Ta' Qali Stadium,Ta' Qali, Malta | 2 |  Malta | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2000 Rothmans International Tournament |
Vllaznia Shkodër[20]
Tirana[20]
Besa Kavajë[20]
Individual