Andis Shala

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Andis Shala

| image =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1988|11|15|df=y}}

| birth_place = Đakovica, Yugoslavia (modern day Kosovo)

| height = 1.91 m

| position = Forward

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| youthyears1 = 2006–2007

| youthclubs1 = Hannover 96

| years1 = 2007–2008

| clubs1 = Hannover 96 II

| caps1 =

| goals1 =

| years2 = 2008

| clubs2 = VfR Mannheim

| caps2 = 9

| goals2 = 2

| years3 = 2008–2011

| clubs3 = Dundee United

| caps3 = 30

| goals3 = 1

| years4 = 2011–2013

| clubs4 = Hallescher FC

| caps4 = 46

| goals4 = 7

| years5 = 2013–2014

| clubs5 = Carl Zeiss Jena

| caps5 = 34

| goals5 = 8

| years6 = 2014–2015

| clubs6 = BFC Dynamo

| caps6 = 23

| goals6 = 4

| years7 = 2015–2018

| clubs7 = SV Babelsberg 03

| caps7 = 91

| goals7 = 45

| years8 = 2018–2019

| clubs8 = Rot-Weiß Erfurt

| caps8 = 32

| goals8 = 14

| years9 = 2019–2020

| clubs9 = Kickers Offenbach

| caps9 = 12

| goals9 = 3

| years10 = 2020

| clubs10 = Waldhof Mannheim

| caps10 = 3

| goals10 = 0

| years11 = 2020–2022

| clubs11 = Chemnitzer FC

| caps11 = 18

| goals11 = 2

| club-update = 10:41, 19 September 2022 (UTC)

}}

Andis Shala ({{Langx|hr|Andis Šalja}}; born 15 November 1988) is a Kosovar footballer who most recently played as a forward for Chemnitzer FC.

Club career

Having begun career in the youth team at Hannover 96, Shala joined VfR Mannheim in January 2008 on a short-term deal.

Shala joined Dundee United in pre-season for the 2008–09 season,{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/d/dundee_utd/7421319.stm|title= Dundee United make double swoop|date=17 June 2008|publisher=BBC Sport website|access-date=17 June 2008}} with manager Craig Levein calling him a "decent prospect" and stated that he had "high hopes for him".{{cite news|url=http://www.thecourier.co.uk/output/2008/05/27/sportstory11417474t0.asp |title=Tangerines to sign German striker |last=Roache |first=Ian |date=27 May 2008 |publisher=The Courier |access-date=27 May 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080529234529/http://www.thecourier.co.uk/output/2008/05/27/sportstory11417474t0.asp |archive-date=29 May 2008 }} Shala arrived in mid June 2008 with fellow new signing Michael McGovern.{{cite news|url=http://www.dundeeunitedfc.co.uk/index.asp?tm=2&nid=2930&cd=2008&cd1=6 |title=Dundee United confirm signings |date=17 June 2008 |publisher=Dundee United FC |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120217095634/http://www.dundeeunitedfc.co.uk/index.asp?tm=2&nid=2930&cd=2008&cd1=6 |archive-date=17 February 2012 }}

He made his debut as a substitute in an August 2008 Scottish League Cup match. He made his league debut in February 2009, and with his first touch of the ball, set up Lee Wilkie to score the equalising goal in a 1–1 draw against Inverness Caledonian Thistle. He was released by Dundee United in the summer of 2011.

Following his release, Shala returned to Germany to sign for Hallescher FC.{{cite news|title=Andis Shala kommt aus Schottland|url=https://www.kicker.de/andis-shala-kommt-aus-schottland-555018/artikel|access-date=13 October 2017|work=kicker Online|date=11 July 2011|language=de}} After earning promotion to the 3. Liga in the 2011–12 season, he left Halle to sign for Carl Zeiss Jena in January 2013. Eighteen months later he signed for BFC Dynamo.

He agreed the termination of his contract with Regionalliga Nordost side Chemnitzer FC in January 2022.{{cite web |title=Regionalliga: Andis Shala verlässt den Chemnitzer FC |url=https://www.kicker.de/einvernehmliche-loesung-shala-verlaesst-chemnitz-886206/artikel |website=kicker |access-date=15 January 2022 |language=de |date=15 January 2022}}

International career

Shala is of Kosovar Albanian descent. In late December 2009, Shala was the subject of interest from the Albania national team, with team manager Josip Kuže confirming he was intending to watch the player.{{cite news|url=http://www.thecourier.co.uk/output/2009/12/24/sportstory14305928t0.asp |title=Shala in line for Albania call-up |publisher=The Courier (Dundee) |date=24 December 2009|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091227071838/http://www.thecourier.co.uk/output/2009/12/24/sportstory14305928t0.asp |archive-date=27 December 2009 }} In an interview for the Albanian newspaper Sporti Shqiptar, Shala stated his willingness to play for Albania, and stated that if he never got called up for the squad, that he would not consider playing for any other country.{{cite news|url=http://www.sportishqiptar.com.al/andis-shala-dua-te-luaj-per-shqiperine/ |title=Andis Shala: Dua të luaj për Shqipërinë |access-date=28 April 2011 }}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}