Dardan Vuthaj

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Dardan Vuthaj

| image =

| fullname =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1995|9|30}}

| birth_place = Patras, Greece

| height = 1.84 m

| currentclub = Chieti

| clubnumber =

| position = Forward

| youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2013

| youthclubs1 = Genoa

| youthyears2 = 2012–2013

| youthclubs2 = → Savona (loan)

| years1 = 2012–2013

| clubs1 = Genoa

| caps1 = 0 | goals1 = 0

| years2 = 2012–2013

| clubs2 = → Savona (loan)

| caps2 = 2 | goals2 = 0

| years3 = 2014

| clubs3 = Chiavari Caperana

| caps3 = 11 | goals3 = 1

| years4 = 2014

| clubs4 = Bra

| caps4 = 7 | goals4 = 1

| years5 = 2015

| clubs5 = San Donato

| caps5 = 14 | goals5 = 1

| years6 = 2015–2016

| clubs6 = Laçi

| caps6 = 5 | goals6 = 0

| years7 = 2017

| clubs7 = Monopoli

| caps7 = 12 | goals7 = 1

| years8 = 2017–2018

| clubs8 = Delta Rovigo

| caps8 = 29 | goals8 = 11

| years9 = 2018–2019

| clubs9= Campodarsego

| caps9 = 34 | goals9 = 16

| years10 = 2019–2020

| clubs10 = Imolese

| caps10 = 23 | goals10 = 2

| years11 = 2020–2021

| clubs11 = Rimini

| caps11 = 33 | goals11 = 21

| years12 = 2021–2022

| clubs12 = Novara

| caps12 = 35 | goals12 = 35

| years13 = 2022–2023 | clubs13 = Foggia | caps13 = 15 | goals13 = 3

| years14 = 2023 | clubs14 = → Novara (loan) | caps14 = 12 | goals14 = 3

| years15 = 2023–2024 | clubs15 = Crotone | caps15 = 15 | goals15 = 2

| years16 = 2024 | clubs16 = Cerignola | caps16 = 13 | goals16 = 4

| years17 = 2024 | clubs17 = Egnatia | caps17 = 12 | goals17 = 2

| years18 = 2024–

| clubs18 = Chieti

| caps18 = 0

| goals18 = 0

| nationalyears1 = 2012

| nationalteam1 = Albania U17

| nationalcaps1 = 1 | nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalyears2 = 2012–2013

| nationalteam2 = Albania U19

| nationalcaps2 = 3 | nationalgoals2 = 0

| pcupdate = 12 November 2024

| ntupdate =

}}

Dardan Vuthaj (born 30 September 1995) is an Albanian footballer who plays as a forward for Serie D club Chieti.{{Soccerway|dardan-vuthaj/272931}}

Club career

=Early career=

Vuthaj started his career as part of the Genoa youth academy. He was loaned out to Savona in the summer of 2012 in order to gain more experience, and he made his senior debut with the club in the Lega Pro Seconda Divisione on 11 November 2012 against Castiglione, coming on as a 75th-minute substitute for Ignazio Carta in a 2–1 loss.{{cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2012/11/11/italy/serie-c2/ac-sterilgarda-castiglione/savona-1907-fbc/1369999/ |title=Castiglione vs. Savona - 11 November 2012 - Soccerway |publisher=uk.soccerway.com|accessdate=2016-02-07}} He made two appearances for the Savona first team during the 2012–13 campaign as they went on to finish second and earn promotion to the Lega Pro Prima Divisione. He also played for the club's youth team, scoring 9 goals in 12 games during his loan spell. He returned to the Genoa Primavera side where he spent the first half of the 2013–14 season before joining Serie D side Chiavari Calcio Caperana in January 2014, where he made 11 appearances and also scored his first senior career goal before leaving the club at the end of the season. Vuthaj joined another Serie D side AC Bra on 7 November 2014 as a free agent,{{cite web|url=http://www.acbra.it/COMUNICATO-STAMPA-UFFICIALE-Serie-D-colpo-Dardan-Vuthaj.htm |title=COMUNICATO STAMPA UFFICIALE Serie D colpo Dardan Vuthaj |publisher=acbra.it|accessdate=2016-02-07}} making 7 appearances and scoring once during his short spell with the club. He then left to join fellow Serie D side San Donato in December 2014. Vuthaj featured in 14 games and scored once for San Donato during the second half of the campaign before leaving the club at the end of the season.

=KF Laçi=

After spending his entire youth and senior career in Italy, Vuthaj moved to Albania, the country of his parents' birth, to join Albanian Superliga side KF Laci.

=Imolese=

On 15 July 2019, he joined Serie C club Imolese on a one-year contract with an option to extend it for another year.{{cite press release|publisher=Imolese|url=http://www.imolesecalcio1919.it/2019/07/15/ufficiale-vuthaj-e-un-nuovo-giocatore-dellimolese/|title=UFFICIALE: VUTHAJ E' UN NUOVO CALCIATORE DELL'IMOLESE|date=15 July 2019|language=Italian}}

=Novara=

He played the 2021–22 season with Serie D club Novara, which he led to promotion to Serie C scoring 35 goals in 35 games, making him the most prolific football player in the Italian top four leagues.{{cite web |url=https://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/altri-campionati/18-05-2022/dardan-vuthaj-attaccante-novara-bomber-prolifico-italia-440563917235.shtml |publisher=La Gazzetta dello Sport |language=it |accessdate=18 May 2022 |date=18 May 2022 |title=Il bomber più prolifico in Italia? È albanese e gioca nel Novara: ecco chi è Dardan Vuthaj}}

=Foggia=

On 1 September 2022, Vuthaj signed a two-year contract with Foggia.{{cite web|publisher=Foggia|url=https://www.calciofoggia1920.net/dardan-vuthaj-e-rossonero/|title=DARDAN VUTHAJ È ROSSONERO|date=1 September 2022|access-date=21 September 2022|language=it}} On 26 January 2023, he returned to Novara on loan.{{cite web|publisher=Novara F.C.|url=https://www.novarafootballclub.it/dardan-vuthaj-torna-in-azzurro/|title=Dardan Vuthaj torna in azzurro|date=26 January 2023|access-date=26 January 2023|language=it}} Vuthaj's contract with Foggia was terminated by mutual consent on 28 August 2023.{{cite web|publisher=Foggia|url=https://www.calciofoggia1920.net/vitali-e-vuthaj-ai-saluti/|title=VITALI E VUTHAJ AI SALUTI|date=28 August 2023|access-date=29 August 2023|language=it}}

=Crotone=

On 30 August 2023, Vuthaj signed with Crotone for one year, with an option to extend.{{cite web|publisher=Crotone|url=https://www.fccrotone.it/in-evidenza/crotone-allattacco-benvenuto-vuthaj/|title=Crotone all'attacco… Benvenuto Vuthaj!|trans-title=Crotone on the attack… Welcome Vuthaj!|date=30 August 2023|access-date=30 August 2023|language=it}}

International career

Vuthaj was a youth international for Albania.{{Cite web |title=Dardan Vuthaj – stats, career and market value |url=https://www.fotmob.com/players/837900/dardan-vuthaj |access-date=13 July 2022 |website=FotMob }}

Personal life

Vuthaj was born in Patras, Greece to Albanian parents, then moving to Liguria as a child with his family.

Career statistics

=Club=

rowspan="2"\|Club !rowspan="2"\|Season !colspan="3"\|League !colspan="2"\|Cup !colspan="2"\|Other !colspan="2"\|Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Savona (loan) \|2012–13 \|Lega Pro 2 \|2	0	colspan="2" \|—	0	0	2	0
Chiavari Caperana \|2013–14 \|Serie D \|11	1	colspan="2" \|—	0	0	11	1
Bra \|2014–15 \|Serie D \|7	1	colspan="2" \|—	0	0	7	1
San Donato \|2014–15 \|Serie D \|14	1	colspan="2" \|—	0	0	14	1
Laçi \|2015–16 \|Albanian Superliga \|5	0	4	1	0	0	9	1
Monopoli \|2016–17 \|Lega Pro \|12	1	colspan="2" \|—	0	0	12	1
Delta Rovigo \|2017–18 \|Serie D \|29	11	colspan="2" \|—	0	0	29	11
Campodarsego \|2018–19 \|Serie D \|34	16	1	0	0	0	34	16
Imolese \|2019–20 \|Serie C \|23	2	3	1	0	0	26	3
Rimini \|2020–21 \|Serie D \|33	21	colspan="2" \|—	0	0	33	21
Novara \|2021–22 \|Serie D \|35	35	colspan="2" \|—	0	0	35	35
colspan="3"\|Career total !205	89	8	2	0	0	212	91