Uran Bislimi

{{Infobox football biography

|name = Uran Bislimi

|image =

|full_name =

|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1999|9|25|df=y}}

|birth_place = Basel, Switzerland

|height = 1.83 m

|position = Midfielder

|currentclub = Lugano

|clubnumber = 25

|youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2015

|youthclubs1 = Concordia Basel

|youthyears2 = 2015–2017

|youthclubs2 = Basel

|years1 = 2017–2019

|clubs1 = Basel U21

|caps1 = 42

|goals1 = 3

|years2 = 2019–2022

|clubs2 = Schaffhausen

|caps2 = 86

|goals2 = 6

|years3 = 2022–

|clubs3 = Lugano

|caps3 = 78

|goals3 = 10

|nationalyears1 = 2018

|nationalteam1 = Switzerland U19

|nationalcaps1 = 1

|nationalgoals1 = 0

|nationalyears2 = 2022

|nationalteam2 = Kosovo

|nationalcaps2 = 2

|nationalgoals2 = 1

|nationalyears3 = 2023–

|nationalteam3 = Switzerland

|nationalcaps3 = 2

|nationalgoals3 = 0

|club-update = 29 December 2024

|nationalteam-update = 12 September 2023

}}

Uran Bislimi (born 25 September 1999) is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Swiss club Lugano. A former youth international for Switzerland and Kosovo, he played for the Kosovo national team in a pair of friendlies before switching back to play for the Switzerland national team.

Club career

=Lugano=

On 19 July 2022, Bislimi signed a four-year contract with Swiss Super League club Lugano.{{cite web|url=https://www.fclugano.com/uran-bislimi-dallo-sciaffusa-allfc-lugano/|title=Uran Bislimi dallo Sciaffusa all'FC Lugano|trans-title=Uran Bislimi from Schaffhausen to FC Lugano|language=Italian|publisher=FC Lugano|date=19 July 2022}} Five days later, he made his debut in a 2–1 away defeat against Grasshoppers after coming on as a substitute at 72nd minute in place of Mattia Bottani.{{cite web|url=https://www.fclugano.com/gz-supera-il-lugano-2-1/|title=CZ supera il Lugano (2–1)|trans-title=CZ overtakes Lugano (2–1)|language=Italian|publisher=FC Lugano|date=24 July 2022}}

International career

=Switzerland=

In March 2018, Bislimi became part of Switzerland U19 with whom he made his debut in a 2–2 home draw against Finland U19 after being named in the starting line-up.{{cite web|url=https://www.worldfootball.net/report/u19-h-freundschaft-2018-maerz-schweiz-finnland_2/|title=Switzerland – Finland 2:2 (U19 Friendlies 2018, March)|website=WorldFootball.net|date=26 March 2018}}

=Kosovo=

On 2 September 2019, Bislimi received a call-up from Kosovo U21 for the 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification match against England U21,{{cite news|url=http://www.ffk-kosova.com/prekazi-anglia-favorite-por-ne-do-te-japim-me-te-miren/|title=Prekazi: Anglia favorite, por ne do të japim më të mirën|trans-title=Prekazi: England is favorite, but we'll give our best|language=Albanian|publisher=Football Federation of Kosovo|date=2 September 2019}} but he was an unused substitute in that match.{{cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2019/09/09/europe/uefa-u21-championship/england-under-21/kosovo-u21/2978845/|title=England U21 vs. Kosovo U21 2–0|website=Soccerway|access-date=9 September 2019}}

Bislimi was planned to be called up from Kosovo in September 2022 for 2022–23 UEFA Nations League matches against Northern Ireland and Cyprus, but he declined to be part of the national team as he wanted to focus on playing at club level.{{cite news|url=https://www.albora.ch/mediat-zvicerane-yjet-e-kosoves-jane-te-zemeruar-uran-bislimi-e-refuzon-thirrjen/|title=Mediat zvicerane: Yjet e Kosovës janë të zemëruar – Uran Bislimi e refuzon thirrjen|trans-title=Swiss media: Kosovo stars are angry – Uran Bislimi rejects the call|language=Albanian|website=Albora.ch|date=22 September 2022}}{{cite news|url=https://www.koha.net/sport/344863/uran-bislimi-qe-refuzoi-kosoven-te-luash-per-zvicren-enderr-e-secilit-futbollist/|title=Uran Bislimi që refuzoi Kosovën: "Të luash për Zvicrën, ëndërr e secilit futbollist"|trans-title=Uran Bislimi who rejected Kosovo: "Playing for Switzerland, every footballer's dream"|language=Albanian|publisher=Koha Ditore|date=22 September 2022}} On 11 November 2022, he accepted a call-up from Kosovo for the friendly matches against Armenia and Faroe Islands.{{cite web|url=http://www.ffk-kosova.com/giresse-publikon-listen-e-futbollisteve-per-miqesoret-e-nentorit/|title=Giresse publikon listën e futbollistëve për miqësoret e nëntorit|trans-title=Giresse publishes the list of footballers for the November friendlies|language=Albanian|publisher=Football Federation of Kosovo|date=11 November 2022}} His debut with Kosovo came five days later in a friendly match against Armenia after being named in the starting line-up.{{cite news|url=https://telegrafi.com/formacionet-zyrtare-kosove-armeni-tre-lojtare-te-superliges-startojne-nga-minuta-e-pare-shume-debutime-te-dardanet/|title=Formacionet zyrtare, Kosovë – Armeni: Tre lojtarë të Superligës startojnë nga minuta e parë, shumë debutime te Dardanët|trans-title=Official lineups, Kosovo – Armenia: Three Superleague players start from the first minute, many debuts at the Dardanians|language=Albanian|publisher=Telegrafi|date=16 November 2022}} Three days after debut, Bislimi scored his first goal for Kosovo in his second appearance for the country in a 1–1 home draw over Faroe Islands.{{cite news|url=https://telegrafi.com/kosova-zhbllokon-ndeshjen-uran-bislimi-shenon-gol-te-jashtezakonshem/|title=Kosova zhbllokon ndeshjen, Uran Bislimi shënon gol të jashtëzakonshëm|trans-title=Kosovo unlocks the game, Uran Bislimi scores an extraordinary goal|language=Albanian|publisher=Telegrafi|date=19 November 2022}}

{{Quote box|width=30%|align=right|quoted=1|quote=We need players who feel this team, this country, but Bislimi is not one of them. He has closed the door to himself in Kosovo, for him there is no longer a key, he will now look at other options, he is no longer part of us.|source=—The opinion of the head coach of Kosovo, Alain Giresse about Bislimi's dilemma.{{cite news|url=https://telegrafi.com/girsse-uran-bislimi-ia-ka-mbyllur-vetes-deren-te-kosova/|title=Giresse: Uran Bislimi ia ka mbyllur vetës derën te Kosova|trans-title=Giresse: Uran Bislimi has closed the door to Kosovo for himself|language=Albanian|publisher=Telegrafi|date=20 March 2023}}}}

On 20 March 2023, Kosovo manager Bajram Shala during the media conference before the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying matches against Israel and Andorra said that Bislimi still has dilemmas about which national team he will play for and so we have decided that this player will no longer have a place in the national team.{{cite news|url=https://www.koha.net/sport/370422/bislimi-ka-refuzuar-kosoven-nuk-do-te-ftohet-me/|title=Bislimi ka refuzuar Kosovën, nuk do të ftohet më|trans-title=Bislimi has rejected Kosovo, it will not be invited again|language=Albanian|publisher=Telegrafi|date=20 March 2023}}

=Return to Switzerland=

On 31 May 2023, Bislimi was named as part of the Switzerland's reserve squad for the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying matches against Andorra and Romania.{{cite tweet|user=Bolzplazz|author=Bolzplazz {{!}} Swiss Football Platform|number=1663895400716140545|date=31 May 2023|title=There are a couple of big surprises on the Swiss reserve list: 1st call-up on stand-by for Austria Vienna striker Haris Tabakovic (28), Lugano midfielder Uran Bislimi (23) & YB defender Aurèle Amenda (19)!}} Nine days later, he was included in the finalized Switzerland squad for the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying matches against Andorra and Romania to replace the injured Breel Embolo.{{cite tweet|user=nati_sfv_asf|author=nati_sfv_asf|author-link=Switzerland national football team|number=1667079201093042177|date=9 June 2023|title=Update: Breel Embolo fällt verletzungsbedingt aus. Haris Seferovic und Uran Bislimi sind neu im Kader. {{!}} Breel Embolo è out per infortunio. Haris Seferovic e Uran Bislimi sono convocati|trans-title=Update: Breel Embolo is out through injury. Haris Seferovic and Uran Bislimi are new to the squad.}} On 19 June 2023, Bislimi made his debut with Switzerland in the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying match against Romania after coming on as a substitute at last minutes in place of Xherdan Shaqiri.{{cite web|url=https://www.football.ch/sfv/nationalteams/a-team/statistik-und-resultate.aspx/tg-3764527/|title=Schweiz 2:2 Rumänien|trans-title=Switzerland 2:2 Romania|language=German|publisher=Swiss Football Association|access-date=19 June 2023}}

Career statistics

class="wikitable"
No. !Date !Venue !Opponent !Score !Result !Competition
colspan="7"\|Kosovo goals
1. \|19 November 2022 \|Fadil Vokrri Stadium, Pristina, Kosovo \|{{fb\|FRO}} \|align="center"\|1–0 \|align="center"\|1–1 \|Friendly

class="wikitable"

No.

!Date

!Venue

!Opponent

!Score

!Result

!Competition

colspan="7"|Kosovo goals

|19 November 2022

|Fadil Vokrri Stadium, Pristina, Kosovo

|{{fb|FRO}}