Shaqir Tafa

Shaqir Ejup Tafa (born 14 November 1998) is an Albanian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Italian club Piacenza.

Shaqir Tafa
Personal information
Full name Shaqir Ejup Tafa[1]
Date of birth (1998-11-14) 14 November 1998
Place of birth Fondi, Italy
Height 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s) Centre-back
Club information
Current team
 Piacenza
Youth career
Annonese
2010–2014 Liventina
2014–2017 Palermo
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–2018 Palermo 0 (0)
2017–2018 → Monopoli (loan) 5 (0)
2018–2019 Cuneo 11 (1)
2019–2020 Sicula Leonzio 12 (0)
2020 Tirana 0 (0)
2021– Piacenza 0 (0)
National team‡
2017 Albania U-20 1 (0)
2017–2019 Albania U-21 23 (2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 3 February 2021
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 15 October 2019

Early life

Tafa was born in Fondi, province of Latina, Lazio from Albanian parents originally from Luz i Vogël, Kavajë which had emigrated in Italy in 1994. He was 4th family's child and the first son after three daughters.[2] At age of 2 he along his parents moved to comune of Portogruaro in Veneto and then in Belfiore near Venezia. He started his footballing career there by playing as a forward at Annonese for three years.[1]

Tafa switched position to centre-back following his transfer to Liventina.[1] He enjoyed success there, winning Veneto's national title in 2013. After several trials in 2014, he was brought in by Palermo on initially on loan.[1] In the following years Tafa progressed through Palermo's youth teams, and was notably voted as Palermo primavera's best player of the year, receiving 47% of total votes.[3] He was called for the first time at senior squad in 2017.

Club career

Monopoli (loan)

On 5 August 2017 Tafa was loaned out to Serie C side Monopoli until the end of the 2017–18 season.[4] Under management of Massimiliano Tangorra Tafa was considered as 6th center-defense choice behind most used trio formed by team's captain Luca Ricci, Mattia Bei and Michele Ferrara (including also Mario Mercadante which was often used as a center-back in place of Ferrara) and other substituters Loris Bacchetti and Nicola Lanzolla. Consequently Tafa was on the bench for 13 first matches.[5] He made his debut in the penultimate matchday of the year on 23 December against Cosenza playing as a starter along Ricci and Mercadante, thus benching Ferrara whereas Bei moved as a midfielder; Tafa was substituted off in the 73rd minute as the match ended in a 2–0 loss for Monopoli which remained with ten men since the 68th minute.[6]

Cuneo

On 7 August 2018, he moved on a permanent basis to the Serie C club Cuneo.[7]

Sicula Leonzio

On 2 September 2019, he signed with Sicula Leonzio.[8]

Piacenza

After a three-months spell with Albanian club Tirana where he did not appear for the senior squad and was released in November 2020, on 2 February 2021 he returned to Italy and signed with Piacenza.[9]

International career

Early stages: Italy & Albania U19

Early in 2013 Tafa had a gathering stage with Italy national under-17 football team, from where he was scouted by Paolo Tramezzani the Albania national football team assistant coach of Gianni De Biasi.[1] Then in January 2016 he received a call up at Albania national under-19 football team by coach Arjan Bellaj for a gathering stage in Verona, Italy.[10]

Albania U21

Tafa received his first international call up to Albania national under-21 football team by coach Redi Jupi for the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification closing match against Israel U21 on 10 October 2016.[11] He didn't featured in the game as he wasn't included in the final 18-man squad.

He was called up by new coach Alban Bushi for a double Friendly matches against Moldova U21 on 25 & 27 March 2017.[12] He debuted for Albania U21 in the second match against Moldova U21 on 27 March playing as a starter to help his side to take a 2–0 victory.[13]

Since he had not debuted yet for Albania in international competitive matches, in April 2017 Tafa was asked again by Italy for their national under-19 team but Tafa answered indirectly to have refused their invitation by posting on social media Facebook a picture while singing the national anthem of Albania during a March's match against Moldova U21.[14]

Tafa was called up by coach Alban Bushi for the Friendly match against France U21 on 5 June 2017 and the 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification opening match against Estonia U21 on 12 June 2017.[15] He made his competitive debut for Albania U21 against Estonia U21 on 12 June 2017 under coach Alban Bushi playing the full 90-minutes match to help his side to take a goalless draw.[16] He received his first call up for the Albania under-20 side by same coach of the under-21 team Alban Bushi for the friendly match against Georgia on 14 November 2017.[17] He debuted for under-20 team against Georgia by playing as a starter, where he was granted as team captain, to play until 55th minute when he was substituted off for Rei Nuriu with score at 1–0 and the entire match finished in an eventual 3–0 loss.[18]

Style of play

Tafa mainly operates as a centre-back, but he can play also as a right back and defensive midfielder.[19] He is nicknamed Shaq alike former NBA star Shaquille O'Neal due to his height. He has been compared to 2006 FIFA World Cup winner Andrea Barzagli due to his powerful physical build and power.[19] Tafa himself has cited his role model the Slovakian defender Milan Škriniar.[19]

Career statistics

Club
As of 21 January 2018 [20]
Club statistics
Club Season League Cup Europe[lower-alpha 1] Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Monopoli 2017–18 Serie C 5200——52
Career total 5200——52
  1. Including continental competitions, such as UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League

References
  1. "Dëshirat dhe ëndrrat e Shaqir Tafës, talentit shqiptar të Palermo-s" [Wishes and dreams of Shaqir Tafa, albanian talent of Palermo] (in Albanian). aSport.al. 21 September 2016. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  2. "Palermo, il giovane Tafa si racconta" [Palermo, the youngster Tafa confesses] (in Italian). Mondo Primavera. 22 September 2016. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  3. ""Miglior rosanero dell'anno": Shaqir Tafa vince il sondaggio per la categoria Primavera" ["Best rosanero of the year": Shaqir Tafa wins the poll for the Primavera category] (in Italian). RaccontiRosanero.it. 29 May 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  4. "Tafa e Toscano Ceduti in Prestito" (in Italian). U.S. Città di Palermo. 5 August 2017. Retrieved 15 August 2017.
  5. "Shaqir Tafa list of matches". Soccerway. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
  6. "COS 2-0 MON / Cosenza - Monopoli / Match Summary". Flashscore. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
  7. "Ingaggiati Lorenzo Santarelli e Shaqir Tafa" (in Italian). A.C. Cuneo 1905. 7 August 2018.
  8. "Il difensore Shaqir Tafa alla Sicula Leonzio" (Press release) (in Italian). Sicula Leonzio. 2 September 2019.
  9. "TESSERAMENTO DI SHAQIR TAFA" (in Italian). Piacenza. 2 February 2021.
  10. Primavera: prima convocazione nell’Albania U19 per il difensore rosanero Tafa (FOTO) Ilovepalermocalcio
  11. FSHF skandal me Shpresat, fshihet lista e Kombëtares U-21 Panorama Sport
  12. "Kombëtarja U-21, pak risi në miqësoret ndaj Moldavisë" [Under-21 national team, less innovation against Moldova] (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. 18 March 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  13. "Il baby rosa Tafa in campo dal 1' minuto nell'amichevole Albania-Moldavia" (in Italian) (news sul Palermo calcio). Stadionews24. 27 March 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  14. "E kërkoi Italia, shqiptari përgjigjet në një mënyrë fantastike në Facebook (FOTO)" (in Albanian). Lajmi.net. 10 April 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  15. "Alban Bushi shpall listën e U21 për Francën dhe Estoninë" [Alban Bushi announces the U21 list for France and Estonia] (in Albanian). FSHF.org. 1 June 2017. Archived from the original on 5 July 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  16. "Albania U21 vs. Estonia U21 - 12 June 2017". Soccerway. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  17. "U-21, Bushi ne konference per shtyp" [U-21, Bushi at the press conference] (in Albanian). FSHF.org. 6 November 2017. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  18. "U-20, humbet ndeshjen miqësore në Gjeorgji" [U-20 loses friendly match in Georgia] (in Albanian). FSHF.org. 14 November 2017. Archived from the original on 15 November 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  19. "E krahasojnë me Barzajlin, mbrojtësi shqiptar: Frymëzohem nga Skriniar" [Compared to Barzagli, the Albanian defender: I am inspired by Skriniar] (in Albanian). VIP Sport. 28 December 2017. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  20. Shaqir Tafa at Soccerway. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Aldo Teqja		 Albania U20 captain
2017–		 Succeeded by
Incumbent
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