Elis Bakaj

Elis Bakaj

Personal information
Full name	Elis Flamur Bakaj
Date of birth	(1987-06-25) 25 June 1987
Place of birth	Tirana, Albania
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder Striker
Team information
Current team	Chornomorets Odessa
Number	19
Youth career
1996	KF Kristali
1997–2002	Partizani Tirana
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2002–2009	Partizani Tirana	136	(23)
2003–2004	→ FC Nacionali (loan)		(?)
2009–2011	Dinamo Tirana	56	(28)
2011–2012	Dinamo Bucureşti	27	(5)
2012–	Chornomorets Odessa	25	(8)
International career‡
2005	Albania U19	3	(0)
2005–2007	Albania U21	8	(2)
2008–	Albania	25	(1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 2 December 2012 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 26 May 2012

Elis Flamur Bakaj (born 25 June 1987 in Tirana) is an Albanian footballer who plays for Chornomorets Odessa in the Ukrainian Premier League and the Albania national team.

Career

Early career

Elis joined his first club KF Kristali in May 1996 at the age of just eight, where he would only remain until October. Despite only playing for the club 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 international and Dinamo Tirana player Andrea Marko. In June 1997 he joined Partizani Tirana under the guidance of coach Gazmend Kraja, where he worked his way up the ranks of the club, where 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 just 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, where coach Perlat Musta played Bakaj in the final seven minutes of the game.

In September 2003 Partizani's new coach Ilir Spahiu sendt Bakaj on loan to FC Nacionali, a Partizani feeder team playing in the Albanian Second Division. 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 had now took charge.

Bakaj's first senior Partizani goal came on 24 March 2004 in the Albanian Cup quarter finals against KF Elbasani, where he scored the winning goal in the 74th minute to send his side through to the semi finals in a season where Partizani eventually won the Albanian Cup.

Dinamo Bucureşti

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

He made his debut for Dinamo on 26 February 2011, when he played for 16 minutes in a Liga I game against Sportul Studenţesc.

His first goal for Dinamo was scored on 12 April 2011, in a game against Unirea Urziceni.

During the 2011 Cupa României Final Bakaj had a firecracker thrown at him by a Steaua București fan, which he managed to dodge.

Chornomorets Odessa

On 27 February 2012 he joined Ukrainian club Chornomorets Odessa on loan. He then signed for Chornomorets Odessa outright on a three-year contract in May.

International career

He is also playing for the Albania national football team after making his full debut on 21 November 2007 against Romania in a Euro 2008 Qualifier. Bakaj came on as a substitute on the 83rd minute for Erjon Bogdani.

He scored his first senior international goal against Qatar on 22 May 2012 at Campo de Fútbol de Vallecas, Madrid, Spain.

International goals

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	May 22, 2012	Madrid	Qatar	1-0	2-1 (Win)	Friendly

Career stats

As of 1 November 2012

Club	Season	League		Cup		Supercup		Europe		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Partizani Tirana	2003–04	8	0	?	?	0	0	0	0	8	0
	2004–05	32	1	?	?	1	0	2	0	35	1
	2005–06	26	3	?	?	0	0	0	0	26	3
	2006–07	29	5	?	?	0	0	2	1	31	6
	2007–08	29	12	?	?	0	0	0	0	29	12
	2008–09	12	2	2	1	0	0	2	0	16	3
	Total	136	23	2	1	1	0	6	1	145	25
Dinamo Tirana	2008–09	13	4	1	0	0	0	0	0	14	4
	2009–10	27	13	2	0	0	0	2	0	31	13
	2010–11	16	11	2	4	1	1	1	0	20	16
	Total	56	28	5	4	1	1	3	0	65	33
Dinamo Bucureşti	2010–11	16	4	3	0	0	0	0	0	19	4
	2011–12	11	1	2	0	0	0	1	0	14	1
	Total	27	5	5	0	0	0	1	0	33	5
Chornomorets Odessa	2011–12	10	3	1	1	0	0	0	0	11	4
	2012–13	15	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	10	3
	Total	25	8	1	1	0	0	0	0	21	7
Career total		244	64	13	6	2	1	10	1	264	70

Honours

Club

Partizani Tirana

• Albanian Cup (1): 2003-04
• Albanian Supercup (1): 2004

Dinamo Tirana

• Albanian Superliga (1): 2009-10

Individual

• Albanian Superleague Footballer of the Year (2): 2009, 2010
• Dinamo Tirana Player of the Season (1): 2009-10
• Dinamo Tirana Goal of the Season (2): 2009-10, 2010–11