Vesel Demaku

{{short description|Kosovan footballer (born 2000)|bot=PearBOT 5}}

{{Infobox football biography

|name = Vesel Demaku

|image = Austria national under-21 football team - Teamcamp October 2019 (56).jpg

|caption = Demaku with Austria U21 in 2019

|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2000|2|5|df=y}}

|birth_place = Altenmarkt an der Triesting, Austria

|height = 1.79m

|position = Midfielder

|currentclub = SCR Altach

|clubnumber = 6

|youthyears1 = 2005–2006

|youthclubs1 = SKV Altenmarkt

|youthyears2 = 2006–2009

|youthclubs2 = Rapid Wien

|youthyears3 = 2009–2012

|youthclubs3 = Admira Wacker

|youthyears4 = 2012–2014

|youthclubs4 = Rapid Wien

|youthyears5 = 2014–2017

|youthclubs5 = Red Bull Salzburg

|years1 = 2017–2022

|clubs1 = Austria Wien

|caps1 = 70

|goals1 = 1

|years2 = 2018–2022

|clubs2 = → Austria Wien II

|caps2 = 18

|goals2 = 1

|years3 = 2022–2023

|clubs3 = Sturm Graz II

|caps3 = 11

|goals3 = 2

|years4 = 2022–2024

|clubs4 = Sturm Graz

|caps4 = 3

|goals4 = 0

|years5 = 2023

|clubs5 = → Austria Klagenfurt (loan)

|caps5 = 13

|goals5 = 0

|years6 = 2024

|clubs6 = → SCR Altach (loan)

|caps6 = 15

|goals6 = 1

|years7 = 2024–

|clubs7 = SCR Altach

|caps7 = 29

|goals7 = 0

|nationalyears1 = 2014–2015

|nationalteam1 = Austria U15

|nationalcaps1 = 7

|nationalgoals1 = 0

|nationalyears2 = 2015

|nationalteam2 = Austria U16

|nationalcaps2 = 4

|nationalgoals2 = 0

|nationalyears3 = 2016–2017

|nationalteam3 = Austria U17

|nationalcaps3 = 12

|nationalgoals3 = 0

|nationalyears4 = 2018

|nationalteam4 = Austria U18

|nationalcaps4 = 3

|nationalgoals4 = 2

|nationalyears5 = 2018

|nationalteam5 = Austria U19

|nationalcaps5 = 2

|nationalgoals5 = 0

|nationalyears6 = 2019

|nationalteam6 = Austria U20

|nationalcaps6 = 2

|nationalgoals6 = 0

|nationalyears7 = 2019–2022

|nationalteam7 = Austria U21

|nationalcaps7 = 15

|nationalgoals7 = 0

|nationalyears8 = 2025–

|nationalteam8 = Kosovo

|nationalcaps8 = 1

|nationalgoals8 = 0

|club-update = 11 June 2025

|nationalteam-update = 21 March 2025

}}

Vesel Demaku (born 5 February 2000) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Austrian Bundesliga club SCR Altach. Born in Austria, he plays for the Kosovo national team.

Club career

On 27 March 2017, Demaku joined Austria Wien from Red Bull Salzburg's youth academy, and signed his first professional contract.{{cite web|url=http://www.fk-austria.at/de/n/news/2017/03/fk-austria-wien-verpflichtet-oefb-u17-nationalspieler/|title=FK Austria Wien - FK Austria Wien verpflichtet ÖFB-U17-Nationalspieler|website=www.fk-austria.at}} Demaku made his professional debut for Austria Wien in a 4–0 Austrian Bundesliga win over St. Pölten on 10 March 2018.{{cite web|url=https://uk.soccerway.com/matches/2018/03/10/austria/bundesliga/fk-austria-memphis-magna/skn-sankt-polten/2469205/|title=Austria Wien vs. St. Pölten - 10 March 2018 - Soccerway|website=uk.soccerway.com}}

On 1 December 2022, Demaku moved on loan to Austria Klagenfurt for the second part of the 2022–23 season.{{cite web|publisher=Austria Klagenfurt|url=https://www.skaustriaklagenfurt.at/news/violett-leiht-demaku-von-sturm-aus-2348|title=Violett leiht Demaku von Sturm aus|date=1 December 2022|access-date=26 January 2023|language=de}}

On 15 January 2024, Demaku joined SCR Altach on loan with an option to buy.{{cite web|publisher=Rheindorf Altach|url=https://www.scra.at/news/detail/vesel-demaku-kommt-leihweise-von-sturm-graz|title=Vesel Demaku kommt leihweise von Sturm Graz|trans-title=Vesel Demaku comes on loan from Sturm Graz|date=15 January 2024|access-date=20 January 2024|language=de}}

International career

From 2014, until 2022, Demaku has been part of Austria at youth international level, respectively has been part of the U15, U16, U17, U18, U19, U20 and U21 teams and he with these teams played 45 matches and scored two goals.

On 28 October 2024, the Football Federation of Kosovo announced that Demaku had decided to play for the Kosovo national team, and the delay in his decision was due to the lack of permission from Austria to have dual citizenship.{{cite web|url=https://www.ffk-kosova.com/vesel-demaku-i-thote-po-kosoves/|title=Vesel Demaku i thotë 'Po' Kosovës|trans-title=Vesel Demaku says 'Yes' to Kosovo|language=Albanian|publisher=Football Federation of Kosovo|date=28 October 2024}} He was planned to be called up from Kosovo in November 2024 for the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League matches against Romania and Lithuania, but due to problems with his documentation, could not be part of the national team.{{cite web|url=https://www.ffk-kosova.com/foda-ne-rumani-shkojme-me-energji-pozitive-e-shume-pasion-per-fitore/|title=Foda: Në Rumani shkojmë me energji pozitive e shumë pasion për fitore|trans-title=Foda: We go to Romania with positive energy and a lot of passion for victory|language=Albanian|publisher=Football Federation of Kosovo|date=11 November 2024}}

On 19 March 2025, Demaku's request to switch international allegiance to Kosovo was approved by FIFA.{{cite web|url=https://knowledge.fifa.com/change-of-association-platform|title=FIFA Change of Association Platform|publisher=FIFA|access-date=17 March 2025}} His debut with Kosovo came a day later in the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League play-offs against Iceland after coming on as a substitute in the 46th minute in place of Valon Berisha.{{cite web|url=https://www.ffk-kosova.com/kosove-islande-foto/|title=Kosova triumfon në ndeshjen e parë të "play-off"-it për Ligën B|trans-title=Kosovo triumphs in the first play-off match for League B|language=Albanian|publisher=Football Federation of Kosovo|date=20 March 2025}}

Personal life

Demaku was born in Altenmarkt an der Triesting, Austria to Kosovo Albanian parents from Drenas.{{cite web|url=http://www.kosovodiaspora.org/vesel-demaku-the-kosovo-albanian-david-luiz/|title=Vesel Demaku, the Kosovo Albanian David Luiz|website=KosovoDiaspora.org|date=17 January 2014}} He bears the name of his martyred grandfather killed during the Kosovo War.{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/61553684446044/posts/122172514214122814/|title=Me Vesel Demakun, futbollistin e lindur e të rritur në Austri që bart me krenari emrin e Gjyshit dëshmor|trans-title=With Vesel Demaku, the footballer born and raised in Austria who proudly bears the name of the martyred grandfather|language=Albanian|publisher=Ramiz Lladrovci|website=Facebook|date=28 October 2024}}

References

External links

{{Soccerway|462543}}
[https://www.oefb.at/Spieler/323920/?Vesel-Demaku OEFB National Profile]
[http://www.fussballoesterreich.at/foes/Home/?s=%2Fnetzwerk%2Fspielerdetails%2F7%2F670725461856634215_100094~1300694322433518047~0.htm Fussball Osterreich Profile]
[http://www.fk-austria.at/de/teams/kampfmannschaft/mittelfeld/vesel-demaku/ FK Austria Profile]

Category:2000 births

Category:Living people

Category:Footballers from Lower Austria

Category:People from Baden District, Austria

Category:Kosovan men's footballers

Category:21st-century Kosovan sportsmen

Category:Kosovo men's international footballers

Category:Austrian men's footballers

Category:Austria men's youth international footballers

Category:Austria men's under-21 international footballers

Category:Austrian people of Kosovan descent

Category:Austrian people of Albanian descent