Lorenc Trashi

Lorenc Trashi

Personal information
Full name	Lorenc Trashi
Date of birth	(1992-05-19) 19 May 1992 (age 31)
Place of birth	Gramsh, Albania
Height	1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Ballkani
Number	19
Youth career
2002–2008	Gramshi
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2008–2013	Gramshi	90	(8)
2013–2014	Lushnja	27	(6)
2014–2020	Partizani Tirana	192	(12)
2020–2023	Qadsia
2023–	Ballkani	37	(0)
International career‡
2014–2015	Albania U21	1	(0)
2019–	Albania	14	(1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 25 March 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 14 October 2019

Lorenc Trashi (born 19 May 1992) is an Albanian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for FC Ballkani and the Albania national team. ^[1]

Club career

Gramshi

Trashi began his career with his local team KF Gramshi, where he was promoted to the senior side in 2008 while the club was in the Albanian Second Division. During the season Gramshi won the northern division and reached the championship final, which they lost to KF Memaliaj ^[2] The following season his side were promoted and he played in the Albanian First Division, where he featured in 19 league games and scored his first senior goal, helping his side avoid relegation and finish comfortably in 10th place. ^[3] In his second season in the First Division he again helped his side avoid relegation, this time narrowly on goal difference, and he featured in 20 league games without scoring a goal. ^[4] During the 2011–12 season he played 25 league games and scored 2 goals, which helped his side finish in a respectable 8th place out of 16 teams. ^[5] The following season, however, Gramshi struggled despite Trashi's good individual performances throughout the campaign. In February 2013 he was awarded with the 'Pride of the City' title by the Gramsh municipality on their 53rd anniversary for his contribution to the city's football team. ^[6] He was hit by controversy in April 2013 when he fell out with his head coach Edmond Hida and was expelled from the squad due to what he described as Trashi's unsporting behaviour. However, he was eventually invited back into the squad in order to help them in their relegation struggle. ^[7] He ended the 2012–13 campaign with 5 goals in 25 league games, but his side were eventually relegated after finishing in penultimate place. ^[8]

KF Lushnja

Following Gramshi's relegation from the Albanian First Division, Trashi was allowed to leave the club and sign for another team, and he eventually signed for newly promoted Albanian Superliga side KS Lushnja prior to the 2013–14 campaign. ^[9] He scored the only goal on his Albanian Superliga debut against FK Kukësi and was named the man of the match. His goal came in the 54th minute from an assist by Gentian Çela, which Trashi converted into the net with a volley on his left foot. ^[10] He quickly established himself as a first team regular, playing on both sides of the midfield and developing an effective relationship with Erlind Koreshi on the opposite flank and with the striker Mikel Canka. ^[11] His next goal came in a memorable 2–0 win over Partizani Tirana, where he opened the scoring with an individual effort after picking up the ball from the centre circle and beating Partizani's defenders to then beat the keeper with a powerful left footed strike into the top left corner. ^[12]

Lushnja continued to struggle in the league despite Trashi's and Canka's impressive performances, both of whom linked up well to create the opening goal in an away game against Flamurtari Vlorë on 10 November, where Trashi again took the lead in the 51st minute but his side still fell to a 4–3 defeat. ^[13] By the January transfer window he was considered the discovery of the season in Albanian football, and had attracted attention from bigger clubs due to his good form and 4 league goals in the first half of the season. He was offered a move to FK Kukësi, which he subsequently turned down in favour of remaining with Lushnja, ^[14] a decision not shared by his midfield partner Erlind Koreshi, who opted for a mid season move to KF Tirana. In a crucial relegation battle scrap against Bylis Ballsh on 22 February, Trashi scored his 5th league goal of the season from a free kick to open the scoring after 13 minutes in the 2–0 win. ^{[15] [16]}

He scored once again in the next league game against Besa Kavajë in the 83rd minute to equalise, beating the keeper from a powerful free kick again. ^[17] Lushnja were eventually relegated after finishing second from bottom in the league, losing 11 of their last 12 games and finishing 13 points clear of safety. His individual performances throughout the season were noticed and he was featured in the Albanian Superliga Team of the Year, as well as being nominated for Talent of the Year, an award for the best young players in the Albanian Superliga. ^[18]

Partizani Tirana

Following KF Lushnja's relegation from the Albanian Superliga, Trashi signed a three-year contract with Partizani Tirana on 31 May 2014. ^[19]

On 9 November 2015, he extended his contract for another three seasons, kepping him at the club until 2018. ^[20]

Qadsia

On 21 June 2020, Partizani Tirana through a communiqué stated that Trashi from next season is part of Kuwait Premier League club Qadsia. ^[21]

International career

Trashi was first involved internationally when he was invited by Albania U21s coach Skënder Gega to a three-day trial in February 2013 while he was playing for KF Gramshi. ^[22] He came on as a second-half substitute in the unofficial friendly against Kosovar Superliga side KF Drenica at the end of the trial, which Albania U21s lost 2–0. ^{[23] [24]}

He was first called up to the senior Albania national football team in March 2019 for games against Turkey and Andorra, but remained on the bench. He made his debut on 14 October 2019 in a Euro 2020 qualifier against Moldova. He started the game and scored the third goal in a 4–0 away victory. ^[25]

Honours

Gramshi

• Albanian Second Division - Runner-up (1): 2008–09

Partizani-champion of Albania

Individual

• Pride of the City of Gramsh
• Albanian Talent of the Year - third place (1): 2013–14
• Albanian Superliga Team of the Year

(1): 2013–14

References

1. Lorenc Trashi at Soccerway
2. Albania 2009–09
3. Albania 2009–10
4. Albania 2010–11
5. Albania 2011–12
6. "Trashi nderohet me titullin "Krenaria e Qytetit"". Panorama Sport (in Albanian). 23 September 2013. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
7. Esmerid Murati (4 April 2013). "U konfliktua me trajnerin, përjashtohet Trashi". Panorama Sport (in Albanian). Retrieved 4 April 2013.
8. Albania 2012-13
9. Armand Nezha (4 July 2013). "Trashi, i kënaqur për aventurën e re te Lushnja". Panorama Sport (in Albanian). Retrieved 4 July 2015.
10. Armand Nezha (5 September 2013). "Një debutues në Superiore likujdon Kukësin, Lushnja e fillon me fitore rikthimin në elitë". Panorama Sport (in Albanian). Retrieved 10 November 2015.
11. Armand Nezha (21 October 2013). "Trashi dhe Korreshi: Ne, golashënuesit e Lushnjës". Panorama Sport (in Albanian). Retrieved 21 October 2013.
12. Armand Nezha (20 October 2013). "Partizani bie në Lushnjë, "tradhton" mbrojtja e kuqe. Ka përplasje tifozësh pas ndeshjes". Panorama Sport (in Albanian). Retrieved 10 November 2015.
13. Ermal Sika (11 November 2013). "3 gola për 3 minuta, Flamurtar "i çmendur". Protagonistët kuqezinj: Kjo fitore për Gjikën". Panorama Sport (in Albanian). Retrieved 10 November 2015.
14. Armand Nezha (28 December 2013). "Zbulimi i sezonit, Trashi: Kukësi më ka bërë ofertë". Panorama Sport (in Albanian). Retrieved 10 November 2015.
15. "Lushnja 2 – 0 Bylis Ballsh". Soccerway. 22 February 2014. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
16. Armand Nezha (23 February 2014). "Rikthehet Lushnja, Bylisi zhytet në krizë". Panorama Sport (in Albanian). Retrieved 23 February 2014.
17. Besa del huq, kapiteni Hoxha humb penallti. Lushnja merr një pikë edhe me 10 lojtarë Archived 2014-03-06 at the Wayback Machine
18. "Formacioni, "Kombëtarja" e Kategorisë Superiore". Panorama Sport (in Albanian). 16 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
19. "Merkato, Xhika dhe Trashi janë lojtarë të Partizanit". Panorama Sport (in Albanian). 31 May 2014. Retrieved 31 May 2014.
20. Ilir Cara (9 November 2015). "Rinovon Trashi, edhe 3 sezone me Partizanin". Panorama Sport (in Albanian). Retrieved 10 November 2015.
21. "Zyrtare: Lorenc Trashi transferohet te Al Qadsia Sporting Club" [Official: Lorenc Trashi transferred to Al Qadsia Sporting Club] (in Albanian). FK Partizani Tirana. 21 June 2020.
22. "Zbori i U-21, trajneri Skënder Gega shpall listën". Panorama Sport (in Albanian). 23 February 2013. Archived from the original on 15 June 2014. Retrieved 23 February 2013.
23. Leonidha Musaj (28 February 2013). "Shpresa mbyll zborin me humbje". Panorama Sport (in Albanian). Retrieved 28 February 2013.
24. "Gega: Ja cilët reparte plotësoj pas zborit". Panorama Sport (in Albanian). 26 February 2013. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
25. "Moldova v Albania game report". ESPN. 14 October 2019.

External links

• Lorenc Trashi – UEFA competition record ( archive )
• Lorenc Trashi at FootballDatabase.eu