Fatjesa Gegollaj
{{Short description|Croatian kosovan footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Fatjesa Gegollaj
| image =
| caption =
| fullname = Fatjesa Halil Gegollaj
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2001|11|5|df=y}}
| birth_place = Prizren, FR Yugoslavia
| height =
| position = Left midfielder
| currentclub = Al-Ula
| clubnumber =
| youthyears1 = 2013–2016
| youthclubs1 = Marjan
| youthyears2 = 2016–2017
| youthclubs2 = Rijeka
| years1 = 2017–2018
| clubs1 = Rijeka
| caps1 = 17
| goals1 = 2
| years2 = 2018–2022
| clubs2 = Split
| caps2 = 36
| goals2 = 8
| years3 = 2022–2023
| clubs3 = Sion
| caps3 = 3
| goals3 = 0
| years4 = 2023–
| clubs4 = Al-Ula
| caps4 = 0
| goals4 = 0
| nationalyears1 = 2015
| nationalteam1 = Croatia U15
| nationalcaps1 = 1
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 2016
| nationalteam2 = Croatia U16
| nationalcaps2 = 3
| nationalgoals2 = 0
| nationalyears3 = 2016–2017
| nationalteam3 = Croatia U17
| nationalcaps3 = 9
| nationalgoals3 = 0
| nationalyears4 = 2018–2020
| nationalteam4 = Croatia U19
| nationalcaps4 = 12
| nationalgoals4 = 0
| nationalyears5 = 2019–
| nationalteam5 = Croatia
| nationalcaps5 = 2
| nationalgoals5 = 0
| club-update = 15 November 2020
| nationalteam-update = 22 September 2020
}}
Fatjesa Halil Gegollaj (Croatian: Fatjesa Halil Gegolaj; born 5 November 2001) is a Kosovan-born Croatian professional footballer who plays as a left midfielder for Saudi club Al-Ula and the Croatia national team.
Club career
=Early career and Rijeka=
Gegollaj played football with boys in Zmaj Makarska until the moment when in the age of 12 became part of Marjan's youth team, where after three years it was transferred to Rijeka's youth team. After one year, she was promoted to the Rijeka's senior team due to good performances with youth team.{{cite news|url=https://slobodnadalmacija.hr/sport/ostalo/skromna-i-samozatajna-makaranka-najveca-je-nada-dalmatinskog-nogometa-nema-tih-stikli-koje-mogu-zamijeniti-moje-kopacke-581509|title=Skromna i samozatajna Makaranka najveća je nada dalmatinskog nogometa: 'Nema tih štikli koje mogu zamijeniti moje kopačke'|trans-title=Modest and self-effacing Makaranka is the greatest hope of Dalmatian football: 'There are no heels that can replace my football boots'|language=Croatian|publisher=Slobodna Dalmacija|date=26 December 2018}} On 1 November 2017, Gegollaj made her debut as professional footballer in a 1–1 away draw against Neretva after being named in the starting line-up.{{cite news|url=https://hns-cff.hr/matches/9586020/neretva-rijeka-1-1/|title=ŽNK Neretva – Rijeka 1:1|trans-title=WFC Neretva – Rijeka 1:1|language=Croatian|publisher=Croatian Football Federation|date=1 November 2017}} Eighteen days later, she scored her first goal for Rijeka in her seventh appearance for the club in a 20–0 home deep win over Viktorija in Croatian Women's First Football League.{{cite news|url=https://hns-cff.hr/matches/9586052/rijeka-viktorija-20-0/|title=Rijeka – ŽNK Viktorija 20:0|trans-title=Rijeka – WFC Viktorija 20:0|language=Croatian|publisher=Croatian Football Federation|date=19 November 2017}}
=Split=
Gegollaj before the start of the 2018–19 season joined with Croatian Women's First Football League club Split. On 23 September 2018, she made her debut in a 0–5 away win against her former club Rijeka after being named in the starting line-up.{{cite news|url=https://hns-cff.hr/matches/28673716/rijeka-split-0-5/|title=Rijeka – ŽNK Split 0:5|trans-title=Rijeka – WFC Split 0:5|language=Croatian|publisher=Croatian Football Federation|date=23 September 2018}} Twenty days later, Gegollaj scored her first goals for Split in her second appearance for the club in a 0–8 away win over her former club Marjan in Croatian Women's First Football League.{{cite news|url=https://hns-cff.hr/matches/28673727/marjan-split-0-8/|title=ŽNK Marjan – ŽNK Split 0:8|trans-title=WFC Marjan – WFC Split 0:8|language=Croatian|publisher=Croatian Football Federation|date=13 October 2018}}
=Overseas career=
In 2022, Gegollaj signed for Swiss club FC Sion,{{cite web |url=https://www.lenouvelliste.ch/sport/football/fc-sion/pourquoi-le-fc-sion-feminin-recrute-des-joueuses-etrangeres-1219125 |title=Pourquoi le FC Sion féminin recrute des joueuses étrangères |publisher=Le Nouvelliste |language=fr |date=20 September 2022 }} before joining Saudi club Al-Ula in September 2023.{{cite web |url=https://www.kooora.com/?n=1268145 |script-title=ar:العلا السعودي يتعاقد مع لاعبة كرواتية |trans-title=Saudi Al-Ula signs with a Croatian player |publisher=Kooora |language=ar |date=9 September 2023 }}
International career
From 2015, until 2020, Gegollaj has been part of Croatia at youth international level, respectively has been part of the U15, U16, U17 and U19 teams and she with these teams played 25 matches.{{CFF player}} On 1 April 2019, Gegollaj was named as part of the Croatia squad for 2019 Wuhan International Tournament.{{cite news|url=https://hns-cff.hr/news/19747/hrvatska-zenska-reprezentacija-na-turniru-u-kini/|title=Hrvatska ženska reprezentacija na turniru u Kini|trans-title=Croatian women's national team at the tournament in China|language=Croatian|publisher=Croatian Football Federation|date=1 April 2019}} Six days later, she made her debut with Croatia in 2019 Wuhan International Tournament third-place playoff match against Russia after coming on as a substitute at 82nd minute in place of Ana Dujmović.{{cite news|url=https://hns-cff.hr/matches/32128362/hrvatska-rusija-0-3/|title=Ruskinje pobijedile Hrvatsku u dvoboju za treće mjesto|trans-title=The Russians beat Croatia in a duel for third place|language=Croatian|publisher=Croatian Football Federation|date=8 April 2019}}
Gegollaj was part of the squad called up for the 2023 Cyprus Women's Cup.{{cite web|url=https://hns-cff.hr/news/25080/hrvatska-zenska-reprezentacija-na-cipru-protiv-finske-rumunjske-i-madjarske/|title=Hrvatska ženska reprezentacija na Cipru protiv Finske, Rumunjske i Mađarske|trans-title=Croatian women's national team in Cyprus against Finland, Romania and Hungary|language=hr|publisher=Croatian Football Federation|date=6 February 2023}}
Personal life
Gegollaj was born in Prizren, FR Yugoslavia (modern-day Kosovo) to Kosovar Albanian parents who lived and worked in Makarska, Croatia.{{cite news|url=https://gazetaeprizrenit.net/prizrenasja-fatjesa-gegollaj-po-mahnite-me-futboll-ne-kroaci/|title=Prizrenasja Fatjesa Gegollaj po mahnitë me futboll në Kroaci|trans-title=Prizrener Fatjesa Gegollaj is amazing with football in Croatia|language=Albanian|website=Gazeta e Prizrenit|date=21 February 2020}}
Career statistics
=Club=
{{updated|15 November 2020|}}
{{Reflist|group=lower-alpha}}
=International=
International goals
| class="wikitable" | ||||||
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 10 April 2023 | Georgios Kamaras Stadium, Athens, Greece | {{fbw|GRE}} | align=center|1–0 | align=center| 1–2 | Friendly |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Soccerway}}
- {{CFF player}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gegollaj, Fatjesa}}
Category:Footballers from Prizren
Category:Croatian women's footballers
Category:21st-century Croatian sportswomen
Category:Croatia women's international footballers
Category:Croatian expatriate women's footballers
Category:Croatian people of Kosovan descent
Category:Croatian people of Albanian descent
Category:Kosovan women's footballers
Category:Kosovan emigrants to Croatia
Category:Women's association football midfielders
Category:Croatian Women's First Football League players
Category:Croatian expatriate sportspeople in Switzerland
Category:Croatian expatriate sportspeople in Saudi Arabia
Category:Expatriate women's footballers in Switzerland