Kosovare Asllani

Kosovare Asllani

Asllani after a PSG game in 2013
Personal information
Full name Kosovare Asllani[1]
Date of birth (1989-07-29) 29 July 1989[1]
Place of birth Kristianstad, Sweden[2]
Height 166 cm (5 ft 5 in)[1]
Playing position Forward
Club information
Current team
 Manchester City
Number 7
Youth career
Vimmerby IF
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2009 Linköpings FC 37 (21)
2010 Chicago Red Stars 13 (2)
2010–2011 Linköpings FC 26 (7)
2012 Kristianstads DFF 15 (7)
2012–2016 Paris Saint-Germain[3] 59 (39)
2016– Manchester City 14 (1)
National team‡
2008– Sweden[4] 80[5] (21)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 09:05, 8 June 2015 (UTC).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 15:31, 23 June 2015 (UTC)
Asllani (R) playing for PSG against FCF Juvisy in December 2012

Kosovare Asllani (born 29 July 1989) is a Swedish professional footballer who plays for English FA WSL club Manchester City and the Sweden national team. Nicknamed Kosse, Asllani is a proficient striker, possessing great speed and technique in her game. Her playing abilities and Balkan heritage have drawn comparisons with of Zlatan Ibrahimović, who plays for Manchester United and captains the Sweden men's national team.[6][7]

Asllani began her club career with Vimmerby IF and has played in the Damallsvenskan for Linköpings FC and hometown club Kristianstads DFF. In the 2010 season she played in the United States, with Chicago Red Stars of Women's Professional Soccer (WPS).

Club career

Childhood and early career

Asllani is of Kosovar-Albanian descent, born in Kristianstad to Kosovar parents who had migrated to Sweden. Asllani grew up playing both football and ice hockey, but chose to focus her talents on football. At the age of 15, Asllani started her career at second division team Vimmerby IF. During her time at Vimmerby, she scored 49 goals in 48 matches,[8] establishing herself as a football prodigy. Former coach Cecilia Wilhelmsson praised Asllani's football technique and fitness.[9] After receiving offers from many clubs, Asllani agreed a move to Damallsvenskan team Linköpings FC in 2007,[10] where she made quick progress.[11][12]

Linköpings FC

During Asllani's first season, she generally came off the substitutes' bench early in the games to help her settle into the Damallsvenskan. During the following season, Asllani established herself as a regular starter and was an increasingly valuable member of the squad. In 2009 she helped Linköping win both the Svenska Cupen and the club's first ever Damallsvenskan title. On 4 December 2009 American Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) club Chicago Red Stars confirmed that they had signed Asllani from Linköpings FC.[13]

Chicago Red Stars

Asllani spent a single season in the WPS. She was established as a fan's favourite and in the 7th week of the season, Asllani received the WPS Player of the Week award after Chicago Red Stars' defeat of FC Gold Pride. After her season with the Red Stars, Asllani returned to Sweden and Linköpings FC.

Return to Linköping

Asllani's presence boosted Linkoping, especially in the UEFA Women's Champions League. She scored goals against Sparta Praha and Arsenal. However, her season was disrupted by a thigh injury and she departed Linköping at the end of the campaign.

Kristianstad DFF

In December 2011, she moved back to her hometown Kristianstad to play with Kristianstads DFF who had finished seventh in the previous year's Damallsvenskan.

Paris Saint-Germain

When Asllani had a month left on her contract with Kristianstads she was subject to a transfer bid from Paris Saint-Germain. Although the teams were in dispute over the size of the transfer fee, Asllani flew to Paris and signed a two-year contract in September 2012, after completing a medical.[14] At PSG Asllani was presented to the media by sporting director Leonardo and player Zlatan Ibrahimović, who declared: "If you want to win you need a Swedish striker."[15] Asllani scored 17 goals in her 19 appearances in the 2012–13 Division 1 Féminine, as PSG finished second in the table behind Lyon.[16] On 4 January 2016, Asllani announced on her Instagram account that she had ended her contract with Paris Saint-Germain, where she had played for three-and-a-half years.[17]

Manchester City

On 22 January 2016, English FA WSL club Manchester City revealed that they had signed Asllani to a two-year contract.[18]

National team

In September 2008 Asllani made her debut for the Swedish national team against Romania[19] and in 2009 she was called up to represent Sweden in UEFA Women's Euro 2009.[20] Asllani was an important member of the national team during the qualification rounds of the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup but coach Thomas Dennerby controversially did not select her in the squad sent to Germany for the finals. Football pundits including Pia Sundhage, the Swedish coach of the United States women's national soccer team, expressed surprise at Asllani's omission.[21]

Asllani playing for Sweden in 2012

Dennerby recalled Asllani to the national squad for the 2012 London Olympics.[22]

Asllani played for Sweden at the 2016 Summer Olympics, were the team won a silver medal.[23]

Personal life

Asllani has a tattoo of a black double-headed eagle, symbolising Albania, on her ankle.[24] She also has the words "Stay Strong" tattooed on the inside of her right bicep.[25]

Honours

Club

Linköpings FC
Champion: 2009
Champion: 2009
Champion: 2008, 2009
Manchester City
Champion: 2016
Champion: 2016

International

Sweden

References

  1. 1 2 3 "List of Players - 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup" (PDF). Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
  2. ↑ "Profile". Svenska Fotbollförbundet (in Swedish). Retrieved 25 June 2015.
  3. ↑ "Kosovare Asllani" (in French). Retrieved 14 January 2015.
  4. ↑ "Damlandslagsspelare 1973–2011". Svenskfotboll.se. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
  5. ↑ "Profile". FIFA.com. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
  6. ↑ "Asllani slog Zlatans rekord med 1 sekund". Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  7. ↑ "Kosovare Asllani". UEFA.com. UEFA. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  8. ↑ "Damallsvenskan 2008" (in Swedish). SvD.se. 10 March 2009. Retrieved 25 October 2011.
  9. ↑ Walltin, Stenåke O. (10 March 2009). "Bittert att missa guldet 2008 – nu tar "Kosse" och LFC ny fart!" (in Swedish). Svensk Damfotboll. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  10. ↑ "Damallsvenskan 2007" (in Swedish). SvD.se. 10 April 2007. Retrieved 30 August 2009.
  11. ↑ "Allsvensk debut för Asllani" (in Swedish). Kindaposten.se. 12 April 2007. Retrieved 30 August 2009.
  12. ↑ "Kosovare siktar högt" (in Swedish). Vimmerbytidning.se. 24 December 2008. Retrieved 30 August 2009.
  13. ↑ "Red Stars Sign Sweden's Kosovare Asllani". womensprosoccer.com. 4 December 2009. Retrieved 15 December 2009.
  14. ↑ Josefsson, Åsa (22 September 2012). "Asllani slumpas till PSG för fyndpris" (in Swedish). Expressen. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  15. ↑ Frändén, Johanna (26 September 2012). "Här presenteras Asllani för Leonardo av Zlatan" (in Swedish). Aftonbladet. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  16. ↑ "Kosovare Asllani" (in French). Footofeminin.fr. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  17. ↑ Kassouf, Jeff (4 January 2016). "PSG terminates contracts of Horan, Asllani". The Equalizer. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
  18. ↑ Kassouf, Jeff (22 January 2016). "Asllani signs two-season deal with Manchester City". The Equalizer. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
  19. ↑ "Enkel svensk kvalseger mot Rumänien" (in Swedish). DN.se. 27 September 2008. Retrieved 30 August 2009.
  20. ↑ "Truppen till EM uttagen – Sverige het medaljkandidat" (in Swedish). Nyheter24.se. 28 July 2009. Retrieved 30 August 2009.
  21. ↑ "Petningen av Asllani förvånar Sundhage" (in Swedish). fotboll.expressen. 31 May 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2011.
  22. ↑ "Women's Olympic Football Tournament London 2012 – List of Players Sweden" (PDF). FIFA. 24 July 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  23. ↑ "Sweden's women pipped by Germany in Olympic final". 20 August 2016. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  24. ↑ Laul, Robert (17 July 2009). "Hon visar sin hemliga tatuering" (in Swedish). Aftonbladet. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  25. ↑ "YouTube". Retrieved 20 August 2016.
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