Fjolla Shala

{{Infobox football biography

|name = Fjolla Shala

|image =

|image_size =

|caption =

|fullname = Fjolla Shala

|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1993|3|20|df=yes}}

|birth_place = Kosovo

|height =

|position = Defender

|currentclub =

|clubnumber =

|youthyears1 =

|youthclubs1 = Leiknir Reykjavík

|years1 = 2007

|clubs1 = Leiknir Reykjavík

|caps1 = 6

|goals1 = 0

|years2 = 2007

|clubs2 = → Fjölnir

|caps2 = 4

|goals2 = 0

|years3 = 2009–2011

|clubs3 = Fylkir

|caps3 = 39

|goals3 = 6

|years4 = 2012–2020

|clubs4 = Breiðablik

|caps4 = 93

|goals4 = 2

|years5 = 2021

|clubs5 = Fylkir

|caps5 = 14

|goals5 = 0

|nationalyears1 = 2008–2009

|nationalteam1 = Iceland U16

|nationalcaps1 = 8

|nationalgoals1 = 1

|nationalyears2 = 2008–2009

|nationalteam2 = Iceland U17

|nationalcaps2 = 4

|nationalgoals2 = 0

|nationalyears3 = 2010–2012

|nationalteam3 = Iceland U19

|nationalcaps3 = 19

|nationalgoals3 = 2

|nationalyears4 = 2017–2020

|nationalteam4 = Kosovo

|nationalcaps4 = 13

|nationalgoals4 = 0

|club-update = 11 May 2021

|nationalteam-update = 10 March 2020

}}

Fjolla Shala (born 20 March 1993) is a footballer who last played as a defender for Icelandic club Fylkir. She has played for the Icelandic junior national teams and in 2017 debuted for the Kosovo national team.

Early life

Shala was born in Kosovo but moved to Germany when she was around six months old.{{cite news |author1=Elvar Geir Magnússon |title=Fjolla: Fótboltinn fékk mig til að feta rétta leið í lífinu |url=https://fotbolti.net/fullStory.php?id=241150 |access-date=5 September 2021 |work=Fótbolti.net |date=23 October 2017 |language=Icelandic}} In 1998, when she was five years old, the family moved to Iceland. At the age of nine, she started playing football with Leiknir Reykjavík's junior teams.{{cite news |author1=Magnús Már Einarsson |title=Fjolla Shala valin í landslið Kosóvó |url=https://www.fotbolti.net/news/23-11-2017/fjolla-shala-valin-i-landslid-kosovo |access-date=5 September 2021 |work=Fótbolti.net |date=23 November 2017 |language=Icelandic}}

Club career

Shala started her senior team career with Leiknir in 2007. Later that season, she was loaned to Fjölnir where she appeared in 4 matches in the Icelandic top-tier Úrvalsdeild kvenna. In November 2008, she signed with Fylkir.{{cite news |author1=Hafliði Breiðfjörð |title=Fjolla Shala: Held ég eigi mér framtíð í Fylki |url=https://www.fotbolti.net/fullStory.php?id=69172 |access-date=5 September 2021 |work=Fótbolti.net |date=16 November 2008 |language=Icelandic}}

In 2012, Shala signed with Breiðablik.{{cite news |author1=Hafliði Breiðfjörð |title=Fjolla Shala í Breiðablik (Staðfest) |url=https://www.fotbolti.net/fullStory.php?id=120368 |access-date=5 September 2021 |work=Fótbolti.net |date=21 January 2012 |language=Icelandic}} In May 2012, Shala broke her jaw in two places in a game after colliding with another player in the League Cup final. Despite the injury, she returned to the game after brief medical examination and played the last 20 minutes of the game.{{cite news |author1=Elvar Geir Magnússon |title=Fjolla Shala tvíkjálkabrotnaði en spilaði samt áfram |url=https://www.fotbolti.net/fullStory.php?id=126000 |access-date=5 September 2021 |work=Fótbolti.net |date=9 May 2012 |language=Icelandic}} In her first start since the injury, on 24 June, she suffered a vertebral fracture after an opposing player collided and fell on her, ending her season.{{cite news |author1=Elvar Geir Magnússon |title=Fjolla hryggbrotnaði og spilar líklega ekki meira í sumar |url=https://www.fotbolti.net/fullStory.php?id=128773 |access-date=5 September 2021 |work=Fótbolti.net |date=26 June 2012 |language=Icelandic}}

She missed the 2017 season after tearing her cruciate ligaments.{{cite news |author1=Elvar Geir Magnússon |title=Fjolla Shala með nýjan samning við Breiðablik |url=https://www.fotbolti.net/news/17-10-2017/fjolla-shala-med-nyjan-samning-vid-breidablik |access-date=5 September 2021 |work=Fótbolti.net |date=17 October 2017 |language=Icelandic}}

After missing the 2020 season due to pregnancy,{{cite news |author1=Magnús Már Einarsson |title=Fjolla ekki með Breiðabliki í sumar - Berglind á heimleið |url=https://www.fotbolti.net/news/04-05-2020/fjolla-ekki-med-breidabliki-i-sumar-berglind-a-heimleid |access-date=5 September 2021 |work=Fótbolti.net |date=4 May 2020 |language=Icelandic}} Shala signed with Fylkir in May 2021.{{cite news |author1=Runólfur Trausti Þórhallsson |title=Fjolla Shala til liðs við Fylki |url=https://www.visir.is/g/20212108173d |access-date=4 September 2021 |work=Vísir.is |date=11 May 2021 |language=Icelandic}}

National team career

Shala played for the Icelandic junior national teams from 2008 to 2012. In 2017, she was selected to the Kosovo national team for a friendly game against Montenegro. She appeared for the team during the UEFA Women's Euro 2021 qualifying cycle.{{cite web |url=https://www.uefa.com/womenseuro/history/teams/2608316--kosovo/ |title=Kosovo – Squad – UEFA Women's Euro |website=UEFA |publisher=Union of European Football Associations |access-date=31 August 2019}}