Elis Flamur Bakaj (born 25 June 1987) is an Albanian former professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...

who played as an

attacking midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. ...

or a

forward Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward. Forward may also refer to: People *Forward (surname) Sports * Forward (association football) * Forward (basketball), including: ** Point forward ** Power forward (basketball) ** Smal ...

. Bakaj began his career as a youth player for KF Kristali, before moving to

Partizani Tirana Futboll Klub Partizani is an Albanian professional football club based in Tirana, that competes in the Kategoria Superiore. Founded in 1946, the club was historically affiliated to the Albanian army. Partizani's home ground is the newly built sta ...

. In 2002, he started his professional career with Partizani, playing until 2009 before moving to rivals of

Dinamo Tirana Football Club Dinamo City, commonly referred to as Dinamo City and colloquially known as Dinamo, is an Albanian professional football club based out of Tirana. They compete in the Kategoria Superiore, the top tier of Albanian football. Founded i ...

. After playing with them for two years, he moved outside of Albania and signed with the Romanian club

Dinamo București A dynamo is a magnetic device originally used as an electric generator. Dynamo or Dinamo may also refer to: Places * Dinamo (Moscow Metro), a station of the Moscow Metro, Moscow, Russia * Dinamo (Yekaterinburg Metro), a station of the Yekaterin ...

. After one season with ''White and Reds'', he moved in Ukraine and signed with

2014 Ukrainian revolution The Revolution of Dignity (), also known as the Maidan Revolution or the Ukrainian Revolution, took place in Ukraine in February 2014 at the end of the Euromaidan protests, when deadly clashes between protesters and state forces in the capit ...

, Bakaj returned to Albania and signed with KF Tirana, his third club inside of

Tirana Tirana ( , ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in Albania, largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills, with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest ov ...

. An international footballer for Albania since 2008, Bakaj has earned over 25 caps for his country. He debuted in 2008 and scored his first goal with ''Red and Blacks'' four years later.

Club career

Early career

Born in

, Bakaj joined his first club KF Kristali in May 1996 at the age of eight, where he would only remain until October. Despite only playing for the club for less than six months, he still managed to be named the player of the year in the youth league. For the next six months, Elis was trained personally by former

Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...

international and

player Andrea Marko. In June 1997 he joined

under the guidance of coach Gazmend Kraja, where he worked his way up the ranks of the club. He amazed the club, including its president Albert Xhani, who in January 2002 sent Bakaj into the club's senior side.

Partizani Tirana

He joined Partizani's first team at the age of 15 in January 2002 on a seven-year contract with a minimal wage of just 150,000 Lekë a season. His official Partizani debut came in the 2003 Intertoto Cup against Israeli side

Maccabi Netanya Maccabi Netanya F.C. () is an Israeli professional football club based in Netanya. Established in 1934, the club was a founding member of the Israeli League in 1949. After winning their first championship in 1971, the club's golden period last ...

, where coach Perlat Musta played Bakaj in the final seven minutes of the game. In September 2003, Partizani's new coach Ilir Spahiu sent Bakaj on loan to FC Nacionali, a Partizani feeder team playing in the

Albanian Second Division Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...

. The Nacionali coach Genci Tomorri gave Bakaj the opportunity of regular first team football, allowing the youngster to show his talent and score goals. In January 2004 his loan was ended and he returned to Partizani where the previous coach Spahiu had left and

Sulejman Mema Sulejman Haxhi Mema (born 17 November 1955) is an Albanian former football player and manager of KF Tirana, Tirana Youth. He has also been head of refereeing at the Football Association of Albania. International career He made his debut for Alb ...

had now taken charge. Bakaj scored his maiden Partizani goal on 1 October 2003 in an Albanian Cup match against Fushë Mbreti, netting the fourth in an eventual 6–0 win in the second leg of second round. He made his first ever Albanian Superliga appearance later on 22 February of the following year as a substitute in the 1–2 away defeat to

Teuta Durrës Klubi i Futbollit Teuta, commonly referred to as ''Teuta'', is an Albanian professional football club based in Durrës. The club competes in the Kategoria Superiore, the top tier of Albanian football. Their home ground is the Niko Dovana Stadiu ...

. Bakaj's scored again in cup on 24 March 2004 in the quarter-finals against Elbasani; netting the winning goal in the 74th minute to send his side through to the semi-finals. Partizani eventually reached the final when they beat Dinamo 0–1, in a match where Bakaj was an unused substitute. This win constituted his first senior trophy.

Dinamo Tirana

On 8 January 2009, Bakaj completed a move to

for €100,000, becoming the most expensive player in the club's history. He was presented one day later, where he signed a three-year contract, and was given the squad number 19 for the second part of the 2008–09 season. Following his performances with Dinamo Tirana throughout the 2009–10 season, Bakaj was named

Albanian Footballer of the Year Albanian Footballer of the Year is an annual award given to the best professional Albanian footballer elected by Football Association of Albania members, coaches and captains of the Kategoria Superiore clubs. The award can also be given to a forei ...

for the second consecutive year, becoming the first player to win it twice.

Dinamo București

In January 2011, in the last hours before the expiration of the winter transfer window, Bakaj moved to

. He signed a contract for five years with the Romanian team. The Albanian squad accepted the offer of €200,000 because he entered the final six months of his contract. He was recommended to

by their former glory, the Albanian star Sulejman Demollari, who played for the Bucharest team between 1991 and 1995 and scored 36 goals in 100 games. Bakaj made his debut for Dinamo on 26 February 2011, when he played in the last 17 minutes in a

Liga I Liga I (; ''First League''), also spelled as Liga 1 and officially known as SuperLiga for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Romania and the highest level of the Romanian football league system. Contested by 1 ...

game against Sportul Studenţesc. He opened his scoring account later on 12 April, scoring the third and final goal of the 3–1 home win against

Unirea Urziceni Fotbal Club Unirea Urziceni, commonly known as Unirea Urziceni (), was a Romanian professional Association football, football Club (organization), club based in Urziceni, Ialomița County. Unirea became Divizia A Final Tables, national champions ...

. During the

2011 Cupa României Final Eleven or 11 may refer to: *11 (number) * One of the years 11 BC, AD 11, 1911, 2011 Literature * ''Eleven'' (novel), a 2006 novel by British author David Llewellyn *''Eleven'', a 1970 collection of short stories by Patricia Highsmith *''Eleven'' ...

Bakaj had a firecracker thrown at him by a Steaua București fan, which he managed to dodge.

Chornomorets Odesa

On 27 February 2012, he joined Ukrainian club

Chornomorets Odesa FC Chornomorets Odesa ( ) is a Ukrainian professional football club based in Odesa, Ukraine. According to the club's website, it was formed in 1936 as ''Dynamo'', but until 2002 it carried a logo with 1958 and 1959 He then signed a permanent contract for Chornomorets Odesa outright on a three-year contract in May.

Kukësi

Due to the civil unrest caused by the

, Bakaj agreed to be released from his contract with

Chornomorets Odesa FC Chornomorets Odesa ( ) is a Ukrainian professional football club based in Odesa, Ukraine. According to the club's website, it was formed in 1936 as ''Dynamo'', but until 2002 it carried a logo with 1958 and 1959 Partizani Tirana Futboll Klub Partizani is an Albanian professional football club based in Tirana, that competes in the Kategoria Superiore. Founded in 1946, the club was historically affiliated to the Albanian army. Partizani's home ground is the newly built sta ...

, but a deal was not agreed to, so he joined Kukësi on 12 March 2014, pending

FIFA The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (), more commonly known by its acronym FIFA ( ), is the international self-regulatory governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal. It was founded on 21 May 1904 to o ...

clearance. He signed a contract until the end of the 2013–14 season, as well as any European games the club would be involved in, should they qualify. His wage was reported to be €40,000, making him one of the highest paid players in the league's history. However, FIFA did not give him the permit to play, so Bakaj terminated the contract and left the club only two weeks following his arrival.

Skënderbeu Korçë

After his departure from Kukësi, Bakaj joined fellow

Albanian Superliga Kategoria Superiore (), also known as Abissnet Superiore for sponsorship reasons with internet service provider, Abissnet, is a professional league for men's association football clubs in Albania. At the top of the Albanian football league syste ...

side

Skënderbeu Korçë Gjergj Kastrioti (17 January 1468), commonly known as Skanderbeg, was an Albanian feudal lord and military commander who led a rebellion against the Ottoman Empire in what is today Albania, North Macedonia, Greece, Kosovo, Montenegro, and Serb ...

on 9 June 2014 for the club's European campaign. However, he was released by the club after only one month.

Tirana

Without playing a single minute for Skënderbeu Korçë, Bakaj signed for

on 19 July 2014, a one-year contract, where he was considered as a reinforcement for the club managed by

Gugash Magani Gugash Magani (born 14 March 1965) is an Albanian Association football, football coach and a former player. Club career Magani played the majority of his 22-year professional career with Shkumbini Peqin, while also having stints at other Albania ...

. He was assigned the vacant number 19 for the upcoming 2014–15 season. Bakaj made his competitive debut on 24 August 2014, a debut which brought his first goal as well. He played as a starter in the opening match of the 2014–15 season against

Apolonia Fier Futboll Klub Apolonia Fier is an Albanian football club based in Fier. The club was founded on 17 June 1925 and took its name from the nearby ruins of the ancient city of Apollonia. The club currently competes in Kategoria e Parë, the secon ...

and scored the opening goal in the 24th minute of the match which finished in the 3–0 victory. In the second match of the season against

Flamurtari Vlorë Flamurtari Football Club is an Albanian professional football club based in Vlorë, Albania. The club plays in the Kategoria Superiore, which is the first tier of football in the country. Founded in 1923, the club is one of the oldest in Alba ...

, he delivered the cross that forced goalkeeper

Ilion Lika Ilion Lika (born 17 May 1980) is an Albanian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. During his 25-year career span, Lika played more than 500 matches on club level. He began his professional career in 1999 with Dinamo Tirana ...

to make a mistake which resulted in an own goal, helping Tirana to prevail 1–0 at

Qemal Stafa Stadium The Qemal Stafa Stadium (), named after Qemal Stafa (1920–1942), a World War II hero, was a national stadium and the largest football stadium in Tirana, Albania. Construction started in 1939 and the stadium was inaugurated in 1946 for the Ba ...

. In the matchday 4 against the newcomers of Elbasani, Bakaj was sent off in the 91st minute after he insulted the referee Klajdi Kola, resulting in a two-match ban for him. On 18 October, he scored his first goal for the club, a spectacular overhead kick in a 3–1 win against Kukësi at Qemal Stafa Stadium, helping the club to take the league lead temporarily. Later in October, Bakaj scored the only goal of his team against

Sopoti Librazhd Klubi i Futbollit Sopoti Librazhd is an Albanian sports club based in Librazhd. The club currently competes in the Kategoria e Dytë, the third tier of football in Albania. History They were founded in 1948 under the name ''KS Albania Tabak ...

in the second leg of the Albanian Cup's second round, securing a 4–1 aggregate victory and progression to the quarter-finals. He was the

Albanian Superliga Player of the Month The Kategoria Superiore Player of the Month () is an association football award that recognises the best Kategoria Superiore Kategoria Superiore (), also known as Abissnet Superiore for sponsorship reasons with internet service provider, Abissne ...

for October 2015 after playing four matches and scoring three goals. On 23 November, in the matchday 13 against Elbasani, Bakaj made a splendid performance by first providing the

Gentian Muça Gentian Muça (born 13 May 1987) is an Albanian professional football coach and former who manages the Under-21 squad of Tirana. A centre-back and product of the KF Tirana academy, he spent much of his early career in the lower leagues of Germ ...

's goal from a set-piece and also scoring a set-piece himself as Tirana bounced back to win the match 3–2 in the very last moments. In the last match of 2015, Bakaj netted twice against Teuta Durrës in an eventual 4–2 home success. He started the new year by providing the Ndikumana's winner against

on 30 January, and scored a winner himself against Vllaznia Shkodër in the last moments of the match. On 18 April, Bakaj scored his tenth league goal of the season in a 3–1 away success against Elbasani. In the last derby of the season against

on 4 May, Bakaj scored a brace in a 2–2 draw as Tirana lost further ground in the title race. On 11 May, it was reported that Bakaj would leave Tirana at the end of the season to sign with the Israeli side

Hapoel Ra'anana Hapoel Ra'anana Association Football Club (, ''Amutat Hapoel Ra'anana Mahleket Kaduregel'') is an Israeli football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to s ...

. In the last match of the season, he scored the winner as Tirana won at home against Teuta Durrës to end the season with honour, despite failing to win the title and to qualify in the European competitions. Bakaj finished the season as the team's top goal scorer with 15 goals between league and cup in 32 appearances.

Hapoel Ra'anana

Bakaj signed a three-year contract with Israelian club

and was allocated squad number 80. He made his competitive debut with the club on 1 August in the goalless draw against

for the

2015–16 Toto Cup Al The 2015–16 Toto Cup Al was the 31st season of the third-important football tournament in Israel since its introduction and the 11th tournament involving Israeli Premier League clubs only. The competition was held in two stages. First, fourtee ...

, playing for 62 minutes. He netted his first goal eight days later in a 1–1 home draw against

Hapoel Be'er Sheva Hapoel Be'er Sheva Football Club (, ''Moadon HaKaduregel Hapoel Be'er Sheva'') is an Israeli professional association football, football club from the city of Beersheba, Be'er Sheva, that competes in the Israeli Premier League. The club was estab ...

, another match valid for Toto Cup Al. Later, on 22 August, Bakaj debuted in

Israeli Premier League The Israeli Premier League (, Ligat HaAl, ) is a professional association football league in Israel and the highest level of the Israeli football league system. The league is contested by 14 clubs, and operates on a system of promotion and rele ...

by playing 61 minutes in a 2–2 home draw against

Hapoel Kfar Saba Hapoel Kfar Saba F.C. (, ''Moadon Kaduregel Hapoel Kfar Saba'') is an Israeli football club based in Kfar Saba. The club competes in the Liga Leumit and plays home matches at Levita Stadium. History The club was established in 1928. In 1951– ...

, which would be his last league appearance for the club. However, Bakaj suddenly terminated his contract with the club and become a free agent. The main reason for this, according to the Israeli media, was his fiancée, who wanted to return to Albania.

Return to Tirana

After only three months in Israel, on 29 August, Bakaj returned to Tirana by signing a one-year contract with an option of a further one, taking his squad number 19. He was presented to the media one day later. He made his return debut on 12 September in the matchday 3 against

Bylis Ballsh Klubi i Futbollit Bylis is an Albanian professional football club based in Ballsh, part of Mallakastër municipality. They compete in the Abissnet Superiore, the top tier of Albanian football. Their home ground is the Adush Muça Stadium. His ...

which ended in a goalless draw at home. He scored his first goal of the season in returning leg of

2015–16 Albanian Cup 2015–16 Albanian Cup () was the sixty-four season of Albania's annual cup competition. KF Laçi are the most recent winners of the competition, that being their second Cup trophy. Ties are played in a two-legged format similar to those of Europ ...

's first round against Erzeni Shijak, which ended in a 2–0, securing a 3–0 aggregate victory and progression to the second round. Bakaj scored his first league goal on 7 November against the newcomers of Tërbuni Pukë which ended in a 3–0 home win, enduring a 581-minute scoreless run. Two weeks later, he scored a spectacular volley against Bylis Ballsh, just like " van Basten goal" in the UEFA Euro 1988 Final against

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

, giving his team a 1–0 away win. On 30 November, in the first match at the newly renovated

Selman Stërmasi Stadium The Selman Stërmasi Stadium () is a multi-purpose stadium in Tirana, Albania. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of KF Tirana. The stadium holds 9,500 people (all seated). It is named after Selman Stërma ...

, Bakaj scored the only goal of his team in a 2–1 defeat to

. He scored his brace of the season on 13 December in the 2–0 away win to

, taking his tally up to 5 goals. He started the new year by scoring in the team's 3–1 away win against Tërbuni Pukë. He was named the

for January 2016, becoming the third player to win the award twice. One week later, Bakaj scored a sublime free-kick in the 3–0 away win against Laçi, giving Tirana its first win at

Laçi Stadium Laçi Stadium () is a multi-use stadium in Laçi, Albania. It is used mostly for association football, football matches and hosts the home games of KF Laçi of the Kategoria Superiore. The stadium currently has an official seated capacity of 2,271 ...

since 5 May 2012 where Tirana won thanks to a winner of

Bekim Balaj Bekim Balaj (born 11 January 1991) is an Albanian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Albanian club Vllaznia Shkodër. Balaj started his football career with his hometown club Vllaznia and made his professional debut at the ag ...

. However, he was booked during the meaning that he would miss the following league match against Bylis Ballsh at home. On 4 March 2016, he got sent off after receiving two yellow cards after insulting the referee Lorenc Jemini in the 2–0 derby defeat against

despite being on the pitch for less than 10 minutes after coming on at half time. For his behaviour, Bakaj was banned for four league matches by the Disciplinary Committee of AFA. Bakaj scored his first league hat-trick in a 3–0 home win against Tërbuni Pukë, returning Tirana in the winning ways after six consecutive league matches without a win. Bakaj become the first player to score a hat-trick for Tirana since Bekim Balaj on 23 October 2011. He followed that by scoring the winner against Laçi to keep the European chances alive. Bakaj begun May by scoring in the 2–2 home draw against

in the "

Tirana derby The term Tirana derby () refers to the local derbies in Tirana played between two of the three professional football clubs KF Tirana, Dinamo or Partizani. It specifically refers to individual matches between the clubs, but can also be used to ...

". In the last match at home, he scored the winner Vllaznia Shkodër, which was his 13th league strike, equaling his previous season. On final day of the season, he scored the lone goal of his team in a 2–1 away defeat to Kukësi. He ended his second season with Tirana by scoring 15 goals, including 14 in league, being the top goalscorer of the team for the second consecutive season.

RNK Split

On 9 June 2016, he signed a two-year contract for the Croatian

Prva HNL The Hrvatska nogometna liga (; ), abbreviated as HNL and also known for sponsorship reasons as the SuperSport HNL, is a professional association football league in Croatia and the highest level of the Croatian football league system. Establish ...

team

RNK Split Radnički nogometni klub Split ("Workers' Football Club of Split") commonly known as RNK Split, is a Croatian professional football club based in the city of Split. History The club had a strong fanbase in the Split's shipyard. The club was fo ...

, following in the footsteps of

Sokol Cikalleshi Sokol Cikalleshi (; born 27 July 1990) is an Albanian professional footballer who plays as forward for Turkish club Adanaspor and the Albania national team. He made his professional debut in 2007 as a 17-year-old with his hometown club Besa, ...

and

Amir Rrahmani Amir Kadri Rrahmani (born 24 February 1994) is a Kosovar professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for club Napoli. Club career Drenica Born in Pristina to Albanian parents from Skenderaj, Rrahmani began his football career with the y ...

. Upon signing, Bakaj said, "I'm very happy for the signing, I know Split very well, thanks to Rrahmani and i hope to reward the trust on me. I don't want to disappoint the club directors and I'll try to reward them with my goals. Bakaj made his debut on 16 July in the matchday 1 against

HNK Rijeka Hrvatski nogometni klub Rijeka (), commonly referred to as HNK Rijeka, is a Croatian professional association football club from the city of Rijeka. HNK Rijeka competes in Croatia's top division, Croatian First Football League, Supersport HNL, o ...

, playing full-90 minutes in a 3–0 home defeat. He scored his first goal of campaign later on 12 August against

HNK Cibalia Hrvatski nogometni klub Cibalia, commonly known as Cibalia Vinkovci or simply Cibalia, is a Croatian football club from the town of Vinkovci in eastern Croatia. Cibalia currently play in the Prva NL, Croatia's second-tier league. Their stadium ...

, scoring via a free kick in an eventual 2–2 home draw. Bakaj left the club on 14 November after claiming that was not paid during his five months at the club, sending the issue to

, ending his RNK Split career with only 10 appearances and one goal, becoming a free agent in the process.

Blocked move to Tirana and Vllaznia Shkodër

After leaving RNK Split in November 2016, Bakaj returned in Albania and begun training with Tirana in order to maintain his form. He said in an interview that his intentions were to play outside, but if not he would play in Albania only with Tirana. He continued to train with Tirana in January, and on 26th, he reached an argument with the club for a contract until the end of 2016–17 season. However, a day later,

blocked the transfer due to Tirana's unpaid debts, forcing the club not to transfer any player during January transfer window, leaving Bakaj still without a team. Then Bakaj joined fellow Albanian Superliga club Vllaznia Shkodër on a four-month contract, with a reported salary of €20,000. He was presented on 29 January, where he made his first training session with the team, stating that he "would give his best to help the club reach its goals." Bakaj made his competitive debut on 1 February in the first leg of 2016–17 Albanian Cup quarter-final against Teuta Durrës, playing for 82 minutes and receiving positive reviews from the fans as Vllaznia won 1–0. During the match, he was involved in a brawl with Teuta's Bruno Dita, which continued even after the end of the match. Then Bakaj made his league debut four days later against

, opening the score with a first-half volley in an eventual 2–1 defeat. Later on his second league appearance against

, Bakaj was on the scoresheet again, netting a 90th-minute goal which was equalizer two minutes later, but nevertheless, Vllaznia won by scoring in the last seconds of added time. One month later, Bakaj scored the lone goal via penalty kick in the match against Laçi to give the team three important points in the race for a spot in Europa League next season. In the matchday 32 against

Skënderbeu Gjergj Kastrioti (17 January 1468), commonly known as Skanderbeg, was an Albanian feudal lord and military commander who led a rebellion against the Ottoman Empire in what is today Albania, North Macedonia, Greece, Kosovo, Montenegro, and Serb ...

Korçë Korçë (; sq-definite, Korça) is the List of cities and towns in Albania, eighth most populous city of Albania and the seat of Korçë County and Korçë Municipality. The total population of the city is 51,152 and 75,994 of Korçë municipal ...

, Bakaj came off the bench and scored his team 3rd goal (his 5th of the season) to put the visitors ahead, but the home team bounced back and scored 2 goals in added time to win 4–3. The match was heavily contested and was considered as fixed by Federbet, the anti match fixing organisation. On 23 May, Bakaj stated that he was not going to play final matchday against his former side

, as he felt "powerless" to play against Tirana, who risked relegation along with Vllaznia. He asked coach Armando Cungu not to call him up for this match, which would decide which team is going to stay in top flight next season. Cungu, however, didn't fulfill his request, answering that he was going to play, but Bakaj refused categorically. On the same day, he was released by the club, only seven days from his contract expiration. He finished his Vllaznia Shkodër career by making 13 league appearances, in addition two cup matches, scoring six goals in the process, being the joint top goalscorer of the team along with captain

Ndriçim Shtubina Ndriçim Shtubina (born 18 March 1987) is an Albanian professional association football, football coach and a former Midfielder (association football), left midfielder. He is an assistant manager with KF Vllaznia Shkodër, Vllaznia Shkodër. Clu ...

Kukësi return

On 9 August 2017, Bakaj completed a transfer to reigning Albanian Superliga champions Kukësi as a free transfer. He was presented on the same day, where he penned a one-year contract worth €70,000 a season. In addition, Bakaj would also earn €2,000 bonus for each goal scored and €500 for every assist provided in competitive matches. He made his debut later on 6 September 2017 in the 2017 Albanian Supercup against his former side

which ended in a 0–1 defeat. His league debut occurred three days later in the opening match of championship against newbie Kamza, netting the winner via e penalty kick. He scored his first brace of the season on 21 October in a controversial fashion in the 3–0 win at Luftëtari Gjirokastër; the first goal was scored in 19th minute with a shot outside the box after everyone stopped playing after a whistle, thinking it was offisde; the whistle came from the stands and match referee ordered players to resume playing and Bakaj profited from that to score. Following the match, Luftëtari manager Hasan Lika called Bakaj a player who do not respect fair play. Bakaj defended himself by stating that referee told him to resume the game, adding that the goal was a "striker instinct". He finished the first phase of season 10 goals in 14 league appearances. Later on 19 February of the following year, during the league encounter against Partizani Tirana, Bakaj was sent-off in the last moments after insulting some fans in the tribune. Bakaj defended himself afterwards, saying that the insults were against two-three persons, and also added that he "will not allow anyone to touch my family". He was banned for the following two league matches by

Albanian Football Association The Albanian Football Federation (; FSHF) is the governing body of football in Albania. Headquartered in Tirana, it organises the national football leagues of Kategoria Superiore, Kategoria e Parë, Kategoria e Dytë, Kategoria e Tretë, Alba ...

. Bakaj finished his Kukësi career by making 25 appearances in total, including 20 in league, netting 12 goals, all of them in league.

Shakhtyor Soligorsk

On 4 March 2018, Bakaj completed a transfer to

Belarusian Premier League The Belarusian Premier League (, ''Vyšejšaja Liha'' or ''Vysheyshaya Liga''; ; "Top League"), also called the BETERA Premier League for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Belarus and the highest level of the B ...

outfit Shakhtyor Soligorsk for €120,000. The transfer was made official five days later, with the player signing a contract until the end of the year. During the presentation, Bakaj stated that he had studied the championship and club before coming, and also added that everything here is super. Bakaj took his usual squad number 19, and made his debut for the club on 31 March in the goalless draw versus Dynamo Brest. He quickly become a regular starter in the team, providing several assists in his first weeks in the club, becoming a fan favourite in the process. He opened his scoring account later on 12 July 2018 in the first leg of 2018–19 UEFA Europa League first qualifying round versus

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

Connah's Quay Nomads Connah's Quay Nomads Football Club () is a Welsh professional association football, football club based in Connah's Quay, Flintshire. They play in the . The club was founded in 1946 as Connah's Quay Juniors and adopted the Connah's Quay Nomads ...

to give his side a 3–1 away win. It was his first European goal in 12 years and his second overall. Bakaj was on the score-sheet in the second leg as well by netting a penalty as Shakhtyor won 5–1 on aggregate. He scored his first league goal on 16 July in the 2–0 home win against Dynamo Brest, which was followed by another Europa League goal, this time against

Lech Poznań Kolejowy Klub Sportowy Lech Poznań S.A., commonly referred to as KKS Lech Poznań or simply Lech Poznań (), is a Polish professional football club based in Poznań and currently competing in the Ekstraklasa, the nation's highest division. ...

in a 1–1 home draw; this meant Bakaj has scored in three consecutive Europa League games for the first time in career. On 5 November 2018, Bakaj's performances were rewarded as he was given a contract for the next season by the club.

International career

Youth

Bakaj was part of Albania under-21 team in their

qualifying Qualification may refer to: Processes * Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS), a competitive contract procurement process established by the United States Congress * Process qualification, ensures that manufacturing and production processes can ...

campaign of

2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship The 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship began on 15 June 2009, and was the 17th UEFA European Under-21 Championship. This was the first tournament after the competition reverted to a two-year format, following the single-year 2007 UEFA Europ ...

, where Albania was placed in

Group 1 Group 1 may refer to: * Alkali metal, a chemical element classification for Alkali metal * Group 1 (motorsport), a regulation set of the FIA for series-production touring cars used in motorsport. * Group One Thoroughbred horse races, the leading e ...

. He played as a starter in team's first encounter against

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

on 1 June 2007, which finished in a 4–0 away defeat. In the second match five days later, Bakaj was decisive for his team, scoring a winner via penalty kick to give his team a win against

Faroe Islands The Faroe Islands ( ) (alt. the Faroes) are an archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean and an autonomous territory of the Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark. Located between Iceland, Norway, and the United Kingdom, the islands have a populat ...

. In the matchday 4 against

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...

on 17 October 2007, Bakaj was sent off for a second bookable offence, giving Azerbaijan a man advantage. However, Albania was able to grab a 1–1 draw at

Ismat Gayibov Stadium Ismat Gayibov Stadium, also referred as Bakikhanov Stadium, is a multi-use stadium in the Bakikhanov settlement of Baku, Azerbaijan. It is named in honor of Ismat Gayibov (1942–1991). It is used mostly for football matches. In February 2011, th ...

, in

Baku Baku (, ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Azerbaijan, largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus region. Baku is below sea level, which makes it the List of capital ci ...

Senior

Bakaj made his senior debut for Albania on 21 November 2007 against

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

in the final

UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying Qualifying for the UEFA Euro 2008 finals tournament took place between August 2006 and November 2007. Fifty teams were divided into seven groups. In a Round-robin tournament, double round-robin system, each team played against each of the others ...

match, replacing fellow striker

Erjon Bogdani Erjon Bogdani (born 14 April 1977) is an Albanian professional football coach and former player. He is nicknamed "Bogu" or "Er-Bomber". Regarded as one of the most successful Albanian players of all time, Bogdani began his career at Partizani T ...

in the 83rd minute. He scored his first senior international goal against

Qatar Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...

on 22 May 2012 at

Campo de Fútbol de Vallecas Campo de Fútbol de Vallecas (originally Nuevo Estadio de Vallecas and previously Estadio Teresa Rivero) is a football stadium in the Madrid district of Puente de Vallecas, Spain. It currently hosts football matches and is the home of Primera Di ...

, Madrid, Spain.

Personal life

He is the cousin of Edvan Bakaj who plays as a goalkeeper for Kosovar club Drita. They were also teammates at Partizani and Tirana. In June 2018, he married his Romanian girlfriend Andreea, whom he meet during his time at Dinamo București.

Career statistics

Club

International

:''As of match played 6 February 2013. Albania score listed first, score column indicates score after each Bakaj goal.''

Honours

;Partizani Tirana *

Albanian Cup The Albanian Cup () is the main "knockout" competition in Albanian football. The competition started in 1939 as Kupa e Mbretit ( English:"The King's Cup"). The cup was suspended for the next eight years as the Second World War started. It start ...

: 2003–04 *

Albanian Supercup The Albanian Supercup is a single match usually at the beginning of the season between the winners of the Kategoria Superiore and Albanian Cup. Prior to 2000, Supercup final was not played when the champion team won the Double. However, after the ...

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

;Dinamo Tirana *

: 2009–10 ;Shakhtyor Soligorsk *

Belarusian Cup The Belarusian Cup () is an annual association football knock-out cup competition for men's football clubs of Belarus, organized by the Football Federation of Belarus. Belarusian Cup was established in 1992. Each year the winning team qualifies f ...

: 2018–19 ;Dynamo Brest *

Belarusian Super Cup The Belarusian Super Cup () is an annual one-match association football competition in Belarus organized by the Football Federation of Belarus. This competition serves as the season opener and is played between the Belarusian Premier League Champi ...

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

Individual *

: 2009, 2010 * Dinamo Tirana Player of the Season: 2009–10 * Dinamo Tirana Goal of the Season: 2009–10, 2010–11 *

: October 2014, January 2016

References

External links

* * *
Elis Bakaj career statistics
at

Soccerbase ''Racing Post'' is a British daily horse racing, greyhound racing, and sports betting publisher published in print and digital formats. It is printed in tabloid format from Monday to Sunday. , it has an average daily circulation of 60,629 cop ...

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bakaj, Elis 1987 births Living people Footballers from Tirana Albanian men's footballers Men's association football midfielders Albania men's international footballers Albanian expatriate men's footballers Expatriate men's footballers in Romania Expatriate men's footballers in Ukraine Expatriate men's footballers in Israel Expatriate men's footballers in Croatia Expatriate men's footballers in Belarus Albanian expatriate sportspeople in Romania Albanian expatriate sportspeople in Ukraine Albanian expatriate sportspeople in Israel Albanian expatriate sportspeople in Croatia Albanian expatriate sportspeople in Belarus Kategoria Superiore players Liga I players Ukrainian Premier League players Israeli Premier League players Croatian Football League players Belarusian Premier League players FK Partizani Tirana players FC Dinamo City players FC Dinamo București players FC Chornomorets Odesa players KF Tirana players Hapoel Ra'anana A.F.C. players RNK Split players KF Vllaznia Shkodër players FK Kukësi players FC Shakhtyor Soligorsk players FC Dynamo Brest players Football Center Brest players 21st-century Albanian sportsmen