Ylldren Ibrahimaj
{{short description|Kosovan-Norwegian footballer (born 1995)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox football biography
|name = Ylldren Ibrahimaj
|image = Ylldren Ibrahimaj 2021 (cropped).jpg
|image_size =
|caption = Ibrahimaj with Ural Yekaterinburg in 2021
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1995|12|24|df=y}}
|birth_place = Arendal, Norway
|height = 1.78 m{{WorldFootball.net}}
|position = Winger
|currentclub = Mladá Boleslav
|clubnumber = 7
|youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2011
|youthclubs1 = IK Grane
|years1 = 2012–2017 |clubs1 = Arendal |caps1 = 129 |goals1 = 14
|years2 = 2018 |clubs2 = Mjøndalen |caps2 = 15 |goals2 = 1
|years3 = 2018–2020 |clubs3 = Viking |caps3 = 68 |goals3 = 14
|years4 = 2021–2022 |clubs4 = Ural Yekaterinburg |caps4 = 9 |goals4 = 0
|years5 = 2022–2024 |clubs5 = Lillestrøm |caps5 = 83 |goals5 = 7
|years6 = 2025– |clubs6 = Mladá Boleslav |caps6 = 10 |goals6 = 0
|nationalyears1 = 2020
|nationalteam1 = Kosovo
|nationalcaps1 = 1
|nationalgoals1 = 0
|club-update = 2 June 2025
|nationalteam-update = 12 January 2020
}}
Ylldren Ibrahimaj (born 24 December 1995) is a professional footballer who plays for Czech club Mladá Boleslav. His primary position is a winger, but he can also play as an attacking or central midfielder. Born in Norway, Ibrahimaj represents Kosovo internationally.{{NFT}}
Club career
=Early career and Mjøndalen=
Ibrahimaj was part of the youth team of IK Grane until December 2011. From 2012, he played for the club of his birthplace, Arendal for five years and made 129 league appearances and scored fourteen goals.
On 22 December 2017, Ibrahimaj signed a four-year contract with 1. divisjon club Mjøndalen.{{cite web|url=https://www.miffotball.no/nyheter/henter-arendal-stjerneskudd|title=Henter Arendal-stjerneskudd|trans-title=Fetching Arendal sparklers|language=no|publisher=Mjøndalen IF|date=22 December 2017}} On 2 April 2018, he made his debut against Florø after being named in the starting line-up and scored his side's only goal during a 1–1 home draw.{{cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2018/04/02/norway/1-division/mjondalen-if/floro-sk/2705828/|title=Mjøndalen vs. Florø 1–1|website=Soccerway|access-date=2 April 2018}}
=Viking=
On 20 July 2018, Ibrahimaj joined 1. divisjon side Viking, on a two-and-a-half-year contract.{{cite web|url=https://www.vikingfotball.no/nyheter/velkommen-ylldren|title=Velkommen, Ylldren!|trans-title=Welcome, Ylldren!|language=no|publisher=Viking FK|date=20 July 2018}} Two days later, he made his debut in a 4–1 home win against Jerv after coming on as a substitute at 77th minute in place of Usman Sale.{{cite web|url=https://www.fotball.no/fotballdata/kamp/?fiksId=6901730|title=Viking–Jerv|language=no|publisher=Norwegian Football Federation|date=22 July 2018}}
=Ural Yekaterinburg=
On 16 January 2021, Ibrahimaj signed a three-year contract with Russian Premier League club Ural Yekaterinburg and received squad number 17.{{cite web|url=http://fc-ural.ru/novosti/glavnaya-komanda/illdren-ibrahimaj-novichok-fk-ural21|title=Илльдрен Ибрахимай – новичок ФК "Урал"!|trans-title=Ylldren Ibrahimaj is the newcomer of FC Ural!|language=ru|publisher=FC Ural Yekaterinburg|date=16 January 2021}} On 28 February 2021, he made his debut in a 2–2 away draw against Krasnodar after being named in the starting line-up.{{cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2021/02/28/russia/premier-league/fk-krasnodar/ural-sverdlovskaya-oblast/3317102/|title=Krasnodar vs. Ural 2–2|website=Soccerway|access-date=28 February 2021}}
=Lillestrøm=
On 7 February 2022, Ibrahimaj signed a three-year contract with Eliteserien club Lillestrøm and received squad number 20.{{cite web|url=https://www.lsk.no/nyheter/ylldren-ibrahimaj-klar-for-lsk-jeg-gleder-meg-veldig|title=Ylldren Ibrahimaj klar for LSK: – Jeg gleder meg veldig|trans-title=Ylldren Ibrahimaj ready for LSK: – I'm really looking forward to it|language=ru|publisher=FC Ural Yekaterinburg|date=7 February 2022}}
=Mladá Boleslav=
On 29 January 2025, Ibrahimaj signed a contract with Czech First League club Mladá Boleslav as a free agent.{{cite web|url=https://fkmb.cz/article/29442-Z-norskeho-Lillestromu-prisel-do-Boleslavi-Ibrahimaj|title=Z norského Lilleströmu přišel do Boleslavi Ibrahimaj|trans-title=Ibrahimaj came to Boleslav from Lilleström in Norway|language=cs|publisher=FK Mladá Boleslav|date=29 January 2025|access-date=29 January 2025}}
International career
On 22 May 2019, Ibrahimaj received a call-up from Kosovo for the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying matches against Montenegro and Bulgaria,{{cite web|url=http://ffk-kosova.com/2019/05/22/bernard-challandes-publikon-listen-e-futbollisteve-per-dy-ndeshjet-e-qershorit/|title=Bernard Challandes publikon listën e futbollistëve për dy ndeshjet e qershorit|trans-title=Bernard Challandes publish the list of footballers for two June matches|language=sq|publisher=Football Federation of Kosovo|date=22 May 2019}} but he was not available for these matches after FIFA did not permit him to play for Kosovo due to problems with his documentation.{{cite news|url=https://www.gazetaexpress.com/challandes-dy-prurjet-e-reja-te-kosoves-sdo-te-mund-te-luajne-kunder-malit-te-zi/|title=Challandes: Dy prurjet e reja të Kosovës, s'do të mund të luajnë kundër Malit të Zi|trans-title=Challandes: The two new newcomers of Kosovo, will not be able to play against Montenegro|language=sq|publisher=Gazeta Express|date=6 June 2019}} His debut with Kosovo came on 13 January 2020 in a friendly match against Sweden after being named in the starting line-up.{{cite web|url=https://eu-football.info/_match.php?id=16812|title=Sweden (1–0) Kosovo|website=eu-football.info|date=12 January 2020}}
Career statistics
=Club=
{{updated|match played 30 March 2025|{{Soccerway}}}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | ||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|Cup !colspan="2"|Continental !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan="7"|Arendal
|2012 |rowspan="1"|3. divisjon |4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 5 | 0 | ||
| 2013
|rowspan="4"|2. divisjon |24 | 1 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 25 | 1 | ||
| 2014
|24 | 1 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 26 | 1 | ||
| 2015
|24 | 2 | 3 | 1 | colspan="2"|— | 27 | 3 | ||
| 2016
|25 | 8 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 26 | 8 | ||
| 2017
|28 | 2 | 2 | 3 | colspan="2"|— | 30 | 5 | ||
| colspan="2"|Total
!129 | 14 | 10 | 4 | colspan="2"|— | 139 | 18 | ||
| Mjøndalen
|2018 |rowspan="2"|1. divisjon |15 | 1 | 3 | 1 | colspan="2"|— | 18 | 2 | ||
| rowspan="4"|Viking
|2018 |11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 11 | 3 | ||
| 2019
|rowspan="2"|Eliteserien |28 | 4 | 7 | 2 | colspan="2"|— | 35 | 6 | ||
| 2020
|29 | 7 | colspan="2"|— | 1{{efn|Appearance in UEFA Europa League}} | 0 | 30 | 7 | ||
| colspan="2"|Total
!68 | 14 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 76 | 16 | |
| rowspan="3"|Ural Yekaterinburg
|rowspan="2"|Russian Premier League |6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 7 | 0 | ||
| 2021–22
|3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 4 | 0 | ||
| colspan="2"|Total
!9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 11 | 0 | ||
| rowspan="4" |Lillestrøm
|2022 |rowspan="3"|Eliteserien |30 | 4 | 5 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 35 | 4 | ||
| 2023
|29 | 2 | 5 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 34 | 2 | ||
| 2024
|24 | 1 | 5 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 29 | 1 | ||
| colspan="2"|Total
!83 | 7 | 15 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 98 | 7 | ||
| rowspan="2"|Mladá Boleslav
|rowspan="1"|Czech First League |8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 8 | 0 | ||
| colspan="2"|Total
!8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 8 | 0 | ||
| colspan="3"|Career total
!312 | 36 | 37 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 350 | 43 |
{{notelist}}
=International=
{{updated|13 January 2020|{{cite web|url=https://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=30897|title=Ylldren Ibrahimaj|website=eu-football.info|date=12 January 2020}}}}
| class=wikitable style="text-align: center;"
|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year | |||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kosovo
|2020 | 1 | 0 | |
| colspan=2|Total | 1 | 0 |
Honours
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{NFF}}
{{FK Mladá Boleslav squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ibrahimaj, Ylldren}}
Category:Footballers from Arendal
Category:Kosovan men's footballers
Category:Kosovo men's international footballers
Category:Kosovan expatriate men's footballers
Category:Kosovan expatriate sportspeople in Russia
Category:Norwegian men's footballers
Category:Norwegian expatriate men's footballers
Category:Norwegian expatriate sportspeople in Russia
Category:Norwegian people of Kosovan descent
Category:Norwegian people of Albanian descent
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:Norwegian Third Division players
Category:Norwegian Second Division players
Category:Norwegian First Division players
Category:Arendal Fotball players
Category:Mjøndalen IF Fotball players
Category:Lillestrøm SK players
Category:Russian Premier League players
Category:FC Ural Yekaterinburg players
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Russia
Category:21st-century Norwegian sportsmen
Category:FK Mladá Boleslav players
Category:Norwegian expatriate sportspeople in the Czech Republic