Vasil Shkurti

Vasil Shkurti

Shkurti with the Albania under-21s in 2014
Personal information
Full name	Vassilis Skourtis-Shkurtaj
Date of birth	(1992-02-27) 27 February 1992 (age 31)
Place of birth	Chania, Greece
Height	1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s)	Forward
Team information
Current team	Flamurtari
Number	9
Youth career
2001–2006	Chania
2006–2009	Ajax
2009–2010	Olympiacos
2010	Lazio
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2010–2011	Panionios	3	(0)
2011	→ Thrasyvoulos (loan)	7	(0)
2011	Platanias	0	(0)
2012	Vilaverdense	14	(3)
2012–2013	Tondela	13	(2)
2013–2014	Roda JC	8	(1)
2014	Niki Volos	10	(4)
2015	Asteras Tripoli	9	(1)
2016	Skoda Xanthi	12	(0)
2016–2017	Aris Limassol	19	(4)
2017–2018	Luftëtari	33	(13)
2019–2020	Kukësi	46	(28)
2020–2021	Jiangxi Liansheng	9	(1)
2022	Kukësi	9	(1)
2022–2023	Laçi	26	(6)
2023–2024	Polis Chrysochous	7	(2)
2024–	Flamurtari	0	(0)
International career
2010–2011	Albania U-19	2	(1)
2011–2014	Albania U-21	13	(2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 28 April 2023

Vasil Shkurti (born Vassilis Skourtis-Shkurtaj on 27 February 1992) is an Albanian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Flamurtari.

Club career

Early years

Born in Chania, Greece, to an ethnic Albanian family. Shkurti played youth football for four clubs, including Ajax, Olympiacos and Lazio. He arrived at the latter in January 2010 as compatriot Igli Tare acted as the club's director of football. ^[1]

In the 2010–11 season, Shkurti made his senior debut, representing Panionios in his country of adoption but also being loaned by the Superleague side to Thrasyvoulos in January 2011. Roughly one year later, he moved to Portugal with lowly Vilaverdense, and the following campaign he signed with Tondela in that nation's Segunda Liga, led by former Benfica and Portugal great Vítor Paneira. ^[2]

Shkurti did not settle with any team in the following years, representing in quick succession Roda (Dutch Eredivisie), Niki Volos, Asteras Tripoli and Skoda Xanthi (all in the Greek top level) and Aris Limassol from the Cypriot First Division.

Luftëtari

On 8 September 2017, Shkurti joined Albanian Superliga side Luftëtari on a one-year contract ^[3] – as the transfer was done after the deadline, he remained ineligible to play for the club until the next transfer window. ^[4] He made his competitive debut on 31 January 2018 in a 0–3 away loss against Laçi for the first leg of the quarter-finals of the Albanian Cup, and first appeared in the league four days later in the goalless draw to Lushnja.

Shkurti scored his first goals on 10 February 2018, in the 3–2 win at Teuta Durrës. ^[5] On 1 March, he netted the lone goal at Flamurtari to help the team climb to sixth place, ^[6] also giving them the first win at Vlorë in 40 years. ^[7]

Kukësi

On 3 January 2019, Shkurti moved to Kukësi on a two-year deal. ^[8] He was presented the following day, alongside his former teammate Eduart Rroca. ^[9]

Club statistics

As of 26 May 2022 ^{[10] [11]}

Club	Season	League			National Cup		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Panionios	2010–11	Superleague Greece	3	0	0	0	—		—		3	0
Thrasyvoulos (loan)	2010–11	Football League	7	0	0	0	—		—		7	0
Platanias	2011–12	Football League	0	0	0	0	—		—		0	0
Vilaverdense	2011–12	Terceira Divisão	14	3	0	0	—		—		14	3
Tondela	2012–13	Segunda Liga	13	2	4	0	—		—		17	2
Roda	2013–14	Eredivisie	8	1	1	0	—		—		9	1
Niki Volos	2014–15	Superleague Greece	10	4	1	0	—		—		11	4
Asteras Tripoli	2014–15	Superleague Greece	4	0	0	0	—		—		4	0
	2015–16	Superleague Greece	5	1	2	2	2	0	—		9	3
	Total		9	1	2	2	2	0	0	0	13	3
Xanthi	2015–16	Superleague Greece	12	0	0	0	—		—		12	0
Aris Limassol	2016–17	Cypriot First Division	18	4	1	0	—		—		16	4
	2017–18	Cypriot First Division	1	0	0	0	—		—		1	0
	Total		19	4	1	0	0	0	0	0	20	4
Luftëtari	2017–18	Albanian Superliga	15	6	1	0	—		—		16	6
	2018–19	Albanian Superliga	18	7	0	0	2	0	—		7	4
	Total		33	13	1	0	2	0	0	0	36	13
Kukësi	2018–19	Albanian Superliga	16	5	7	4	0	0	—		23	9
	2019–20	Albanian Superliga	30	22	4	1	2	0	1 [lower-alpha 1]	0	37	23
	Total		46	27	11	5	2	0	1	0	60	32
Jiangxi Liansheng	2020	China League One	1	0	—		—		2 [lower-alpha 2]	0	3	0
	2021	China League One	8	1	—		—		—		8	1
	Total		9	1	0	0	0	0	2	0	11	1
Kukësi	2021–22	Albanian Superliga	9	1	0	0	—		—		9	1
Laçi	2022–23	Albanian Superliga	0	0	0	0	—		—		9	1
Career total			192	57	21	7	6	0	3	0	222	64

1. Appearances in Albanian Supercup
2. Appearances in China League One relegation play-offs

Honours

Kukësi

• Albanian Cup: 2018–19 ^[12]

References

1. "Primavera, l'attaccante albanese Vassilis Skourtis in prova alla Lazio" [Primavera, Albanian forward Vassilis Skourtis on trial at Lazio] (in Italian). La Lazio Siamo Noi. 28 January 2010. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
2. "Vasilis convocado para a seleção albanesa sub-21" [Vasilis called to the Albania under-21 national team]. Record (in Portuguese). 24 August 2012. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
3. "Zyrtare/ Luftëtari prezanton Vasil Shkurtajn, skuadra qipriote hezitoi ta linte të lirë" [Official / Luftëtari present Vasil Shkurti, Cypriot side hesitated to let him go for free]. Panorama Sport (in Albanian). 8 September 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
4. "Shkurtaj: Pritja gjashtëmujore, rraskapitëse" [Shkurtaj: The six-month waiting, exhausting] (in Albanian). Sport Ekspres. 11 February 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
5. Halili, Erjon (10 February 2018). "Sukaj "zgjon" Vllazninë, Kamza "pushton" Kukësin, Laçi i merr pikë Partizanit" [Sukaj "awakens" Vllaznia, Kamza "invade" Kukësi, Laçi take a point from Partizani] (in Albanian). Super Sport. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
6. "VIDEO/ 40 vite pa fituar, Luftëtari thyen tersin e fushës së Flamurtarit. Vlonjati Shkurtaj nderon gjirokastritët" [VIDEO/ 40 years without winning, Luftëtari break jinx at Flamurtari's field. Shkurtaj honours Gjirokastra]. Panorama Sport (in Albanian). 1 March 2018. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
7. "Statistikat/ Fusha e Flamurtarit makth, Luftëtari ka 40 vite pa fituar në Vlorë" [Statistics/ Flamurtari's field a nightmare, Luftëtari have not won in Vlorë in 40 years]. Panorama Sport (in Albanian). 1 March 2018. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
8. "Zyrtare/ Shkurtaj firmos me Kukësin, ja detajet e marrëveshjes" [Official/ Shkurtaj signs with Kukësi, here are the details of the deal]. Panorama Sport (in Albanian). 3 January 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
9. "Prezantohen Shkurtaj e Rroca, Gjici e ka me Cungun: Kukësi i blinduar, i solla çfarë kërkoi. Tani s' pres më…" [Shkurtaj and Rroca presented, Gjici now at it with Cungu: Kukësi are armoured, I brought him what he wanted. Now I don't wait anymore…]. Panorama Sport (in Albanian). 4 January 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
10. "V. Shkurtaj". Soccerway. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
11. "Vasil Shkurtaj". Footballdatabase. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
12. "KUKËSI VS. TIRANA 2 - 1". Soccerway.com. 2 June 2019. Retrieved 20 October 2020.

External links

• Vasil Shkurti at the Albanian Football Association (in Albanian and English)
• Vasil Shkurti at playmakerstats.com (formerly thefinalball.com)
• Vasil Shkurti at ForaDeJogo (archived)
• Vasil Shkurti at Soccerbase
• Vasil Shkurti at Soccerway