Erjon Bogdani
Erjon Bogdani (born 14 April 1977) is an Albanian professional football coach and former player. He is nicknamed "Bogu" or "Er-Bomber".
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Erjon Bogdani | ||
| Date of birth | 14 April 1977 | ||
| Place of birth | Tirana, Albania | ||
| Height | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1987–1994 | Partizani Tirana | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1994–1997 | Partizani Tirana | 62 | (21) |
| 1997–1998 | Gençlerbirliği | 11 | (1) |
| 1998–2000 | NK Zagreb | 25 | (8) |
| 2000–2004 | Reggina | 67 | (11) |
| 2003–2004 | → Salernitana (loan) | 38 | (8) |
| 2004–2005 | Verona | 38 | (17) |
| 2005–2007 | Siena | 49 | (13) |
| 2007–2010 | Chievo | 61 | (8) |
| 2007–2008 | → Livorno (loan) | 17 | (2) |
| 2010–2012 | Cesena | 49 | (8) |
| 2012–2013 | Siena | 29 | (6) |
| Total | 466 | (103) | |
| International career | |||
| 1996–1998 | Albania U21 | 8 | (2) |
| 1997 | Albania U23 | 1 | (1) |
| 1996–2013 | Albania | 75 | (18) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2015–2016 | Albania (assistant) | ||
| 2016–2018 | Albania U19 | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Regarded as one of the most successful Albanian players of all time, Bogdani began his career at Partizani Tirana in 1994 where he debuted at the age of 16. He left the club in January 1998 to sign with Gençlerbirliği. That summer, Bogdani moved in Croatia to play for Zagreb, before traveling to Italy where he enjoyed the best years of his career.
Bogdani played in the following years in Serie A and B, representing Reggina, Salernitana, Verona, Siena, Chievo, Livorno and Cesena. He became a free agent in May 2013 after his contract with Siena ran out, and retired from the sport in February 2014.
Bogdani has 74 caps for Albania national team, making his debut in 1996 and scoring his first goal three years later. With 18 goals, he is Albania's all-time top goalscorer, overtaking his former teammate Alban Bushi in 2011 by netting his 15th goal. He holds numerous Albanian records, including most goals as substitute and oldest goalscoring in history, and has been dubbed as the best striker to play for the Red and Black.
Following his retirement, Bogdani was initially appointed by Albanian Football Association as a youth talents scouter, starting the job in September 2014. He began his managerial career by being named Gianni De Biasi assistant in August 2015. In December 2016, he was named manager of Albania under-19 team.