Riza Durmisi

Danish footballer

Riza DurmisiPersonal information

Date of birth|  (1994-01-08) 8 January 1994 (age 30)
Place of birth|  Ishøj, Denmark
Height|  1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)[1]
Position(s)|  Left-back
Youth career
2000–2002|  SB 50 Ishøj
2002–2013|  Brøndby
Senior career*
Years|  Team|  Apps|  (Gls)
2013–2016|  Brøndby|  93|  (7)
2016–2018|  Real Betis|  51|  (3)
2018–2023|  Lazio|  16|  (0)
2020|  → Nice (loan)|  4|  (0)
2021|  → Salernitana (loan)|  5|  (0)
2022|  → Sparta Rotterdam (loan)|  9|  (0)
2022–2023|  → Leganés (loan)|  10|  (0)
2023|  → Tenerife (loan)|  1|  (0)
2024|  ŁKS Łódź|  11|  (0)
International career
2009–2010|  Denmark U16|  7|  (0)
2009–2011|  Denmark U17|  27|  (1)
2011–2013|  Denmark U19|  15|  (0)
2013–2015|  Denmark U21|  9|  (1)
2015–2018|  Denmark|  23|  (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 28 May 2024

Riza Durmisi (Danish pronunciation: [tuɐ̯ˈmisi], Albanian: Riza Durmishi; born 8 January 1994) is a Danish professional footballer who plays as a left-back. He has represented Denmark at several youth levels and made his debut for the senior national team in 2015.

## Early life

[edit]

Durmisi was born in Ishøj, part of the Copenhagen suburbs and started playing football for local club SB 50 Ishøj before moving to the Brøndby IF youth academy.[2][3] Durmisi is of Albanian heritage from Tetovo, in the former Yugoslavia.[4]

## Club career

[edit]

### Brøndby

[edit]

#### 2012–13 season

[edit]

Durmisi made his Brøndby debut in a 1–1 home draw against Esbjerg fB on 26 August 2012. He made four total substitute appearances during the season.[5]

#### 2013–14 season

[edit]

On 24 June 2013, Durmisi signed a three-year contract tying him to the club until summer 2016.[6] Durmisi was promoted to the first team and issued shirt number 17.[7] He became a frequent starter, first as a left winger and later as a left wing-back.[8] On 10 November, he scored his first goal from his position as left wing-back in the 3–0 home victory against AGF.[9] He attracted the attention from foreign scouts, including French Ligue 1 club Toulouse and Turkish giants Fenerbahçe,[10] after scoring 3 goals in 33 matches that season.[11]

#### 2014–15 season

[edit]

On 31 July 2014, Durmisi made his UEFA Europa League debut, starting in the 3–0 away defeat against Belgian side Club Brugge.[12]

Durmisi revealed during the 2014–15 Christmas break that he was approached by the Football Federation of Macedonia to represent Macedonia internationally, due to his Macedonian roots. However, he said at the same time that representing Denmark was his first priority, should its then-head coach, Morten Olsen, offer him a call-up. In response, Olsen said Durmisi should focus on proving his worth on the pitch rather than in the press, yet nonetheless acknowledged Durmisi was being considered for a call-up.[13][14] During the winter break in January, Durmisi revealed his ambition was to move to either the Dutch Eredivisie or the German Bundesliga.[15]

#### 2015–16 season

[edit]

On 2 October 2015, after months of negotiations and after replacing his agent Sedat Duraki, Durmisi signed a contract extension which tied him to the club until the summer 2018. The contract reportedly included a €2 million buyout clause, and was finalized by Durmisi's new agent, Nikalo Jurić.[16] At the end of 2015, Durmisi rewarded for his impressive performance and a great year by winning the 2015 Brøndby IF Player of the Year award ahead of such players as Daniel Agger and Thomas Kahlenberg.[17] By the end of March, Durmisi revealed he was receiving significant attention from clubs all across Europe, also stating his expectation that the 2015–16 would be his last for Brøndby. He also added his overall objective is to eventually play for Real Madrid.[18]

### Real Betis

[edit]

#### 2016–17 season

[edit]

On 28 May 2016, Durmisi signed a five-year contract with La Liga club Real Betis after weeks of media rumours. Betis activated Durmisi's €2 million buyout clause with Brøndby, then replaced it with a €20 million buyout clause on a contract tying Durmisi to Betis until summer 2021.[19] He made his debut for the club on 20 August, starting in a 2–6 away loss against Barcelona.[20]

#### 2017–18 season

[edit]

On 30 April 2018, he scored a goal for Betis as they secured Europa League qualification for the 2018-19 season following a 2-1 La Liga win over Malaga.[21]

### Lazio

[edit]

#### 2018–19 season

[edit]

On 22 June 2018, Durmisi signed a five-year contract with Lazio.[22] His debut came on 25 August in the 2–0 away loss to Juventus.[23] After struggling in his first season for I Biancocelesti partly due to injuries,[24][25] he was benched.[26]

#### Loan to Nice

[edit]

On 6 December 2019, French club Nice announced that they reached an agreement with Lazio to loan Durmisi from January 2020 until the end of the 2019–20 season.[27] After his debut on 5 January 2020 in a 2–0 win over Fréjus Saint-Raphaël in the Coupe de France,[28][29] Durmisi managed only to make five league appearances for the rest of the season, before returning to Lazio.[30]

#### Loan to Salernitana

[edit]

On 22 January 2021, he was loaned to Serie B club Salernitana.[31] He ended his six-month loan with only five appearances, all as a substitute.[30]

He returned to Lazio ahead of the 2021–22 season, where he was not called up by new coach Maurizio Sarri for the second phase of the January training camp and consequently remained on the fringes of the squad.[32]

#### Loan to Sparta Rotterdam

[edit]

On 31 January 2022, Durmisi joined Dutch Eredivisie club Sparta Rotterdam on loan until the end of the season.[33]

#### Loans to Leganés and Tenerife

[edit]

On 1 September 2022, Durmisi moved to Leganés in Spanish Segunda División on a season-long loan.[34]

On 30 January 2023, Durmisi moved to a new loan to Tenerife, also in the Segunda División.[35]

### ŁKS Łódź

[edit]

After spending six months as a free agent, on 8 January 2024 Durmisi signed a six-month contract with bottom-placed Ekstraklasa club ŁKS Łódź.[36] He made his debut on 18 February, starting in a 0–2 Łódź derby loss against Widzew Łódź.[37] He made 11 appearances for the club before leaving upon the expiration of his contract.[38]

## International career

[edit]

On 8 June 2015, Durmisi made his senior international debut for Denmark in a 2–1 home friendly win against Montenegro at the Viborg Stadion, as a 72nd-minute substitute for Simon Poulsen.[39] Durmisi played the final seven matches in Morten Olsen's lengthy tenure as national team head coach.

In the Euro qualifiers game against Albania in 2015, Durmisi revealed that he would have liked to have played for Albania, being of Albanian heritage from Tetovo. He revealed that he never got a call up from FSHF and that even the Football Federation of Macedonia had sent him an invitation, in which he refused.[40]

On 1 March 2016, after Åge Hareide replaced Olsen, Hareide called-up Durmisi for his first two matches in charge, against Iceland and Scotland on 24 and 29 March respectively. He started and played the full 90 minutes in both matches as a left wing-back in Hareide's 3–5–2 formation.

In May 2018 he was named in Denmark’s preliminary 35-man squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.[41] However, he did not make the final 23.[42]

## Career statistics

[edit]

As of 28 May 2024[30][5]
Club  | Season  | League  | Cup  | Continental  | Other  | Total

|
|
|
|
|
|

Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals
Brøndby | 2012–13 | Danish Superliga | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0
2013–14 | Danish Superliga  | 32 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 3
2014–15 | Danish Superliga  | 28 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 30 | 3
2015–16 | Danish Superliga  | 29 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | 40 | 1
Total  | 93 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 107 | 7
Betis | 2016–17 | La Liga | 27 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 1
2017–18 | La Liga  | 24 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 24 | 2
Total  | 51 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 3
Lazio | 2018–19 | Serie A | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | 19 | 0
Nice (loan)  | 2019–20 | Ligue 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 0
Salernitana (loan)  | 2020–21 | Serie B | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 0
Sparta Rotterdam (loan)  | 2021–22 | Eredivisie | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 0
Leganés (loan)  | 2022–23 | Segunda División | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 0
Tenerife (loan)  | 2022–23 | Segunda División  | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0
ŁKS Łódź | 2023–24 | Ekstraklasa | 11 | 0 | — | — | — | 11 | 0
Career total  | 194 | 10 | 9 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 219 | 10

## Honours

[edit]

Lazio

* Coppa Italia: 2018–19

Individual

* Brøndby IF Player of the Year 2015 [17]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Riza Durmisi" (in Spanish). CD Leganés. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
2. ^ "Durmisi, e ardhmja e Danimarkës - Arkiva - GazetaExpress". Archived from the original on 22 November 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
3. ^ Abolhosseini, Farzam (12 September 2015). "Riza Durmisi om opvæksten i Ishøj: "Alle, der vokser op herude, har prøvet at stjæle en cykel og køre ulovligt på knallert, og det har jeg også"". Bt.dk. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
4. ^ "Shqiptari Riza Durmishi thirret nga Danimarka për të luftuar me shqiptarët". Illyriapress.com. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
5. ^ a b "Riza Durmisi Player Profil". Brondby.com (in Danish). 23 February 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
6. ^ "Brøndby IF sign with Riza Durmisi". Brondby.com (in Danish). 2 July 2013. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
7. ^ "New jersey numbers". Brondby.com (in Danish). 2 July 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
8. ^ "Durmisi: Getting better for each match". Brondby.com (in Danish). 2 October 2013. Retrieved 2 October 2013.
9. ^ "Durmisi: Thrilled about my first goal". Brondby.com (in Danish). 10 November 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
10. ^ "Brøndby Starlet flattered by foreign interest, but..." Bt.dk (in Danish). 6 June 2014. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
11. ^ "Brøndby Starlet on French short list". Eb.dk (in Danish). 4 June 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
12. ^ "Starting line-up against Club Brugge". Brondby.com (in Danish). 31 July 2014. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
13. ^ "Durmisi: Want a call up". Bold.dk (in Danish). 26 December 2014. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
14. ^ "Olsen: Durmisi, let your feet do the talking". Bold.dk (in Danish). 26 December 2014. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
15. ^ "Riza Durmisi dreams big about the Bundesliga". Tv3sport.dk (in Danish). 31 January 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
16. ^ "Brøndby og Riza Durmisi enige om ny kontrakt". B.dk. 2 October 2015.
17. ^ a b "Riza Durmisi er kåret til årets Brøndby-spiller". Forza.dk. 5 December 2015.
18. ^ "Eftertragtet Riza Durmisi: Jeg skifter til Real Madrid en dag". Fodbold-transfers.dk. 31 January 2016.
19. ^ "Official: Riza Durmisi sold to Real Betis". Tv3sport.dk (in Danish). 28 May 2016. Archived from the original on 30 May 2016. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
20. ^ "Los juegos de Messi y Suárez" [The games of Messi and Suárez] (in Spanish). Marca. 20 August 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
21. ^ "LaLiga - Betis 2-1 Malaga: Betis qualify for the Europa League with win over Malaga". Marca.com. 30 April 2018. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
22. ^ "Official: Lazio sign Durmisi". Football0italia.net. 22 June 2018. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
23. ^ "Juventus vs. Lazio – 25 August 2018 – Soccerway". int.soccerway.com. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
24. ^ "Top&flop Milan-Lazio: Reina, altro che riserva... Durmisi, frittata Champions". La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). 13 April 2019.
25. ^ Agresti, Stefano (29 December 2020). "Lazio, i 6 flop da 60 milioni che Lotito rimprovera a Tare". Corriere della Sera (in Italian).
26. ^ "Lazio, Durmisi: Sono tornato, voglio solo divertirmi". corrieredellosport.it (in Italian). Retrieved 4 February 2022.
27. ^ "LOAN AGREEMENT FOR DURMISI" (Press release). Nice. 6 December 2019.
28. ^ "Nice vs. Fréjus St-Raphaël – 5 January 2020 – Soccerway". int.soccerway.com. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
29. ^ Dalgård, Jonas (6 January 2020). "Glad Durmisi vil vænne sig til Nice-bevægelser". bold.dk (in Danish).
30. ^ a b c "R. Durmisi". Soccerway. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
31. ^ "RIZA DURMISI È UN GIOCATORE DELLA SALERNITANA" (in Italian). Salernitana. 22 January 2021.
32. ^ Torrisi, Antonio (3 August 2021). "Parte la seconda fase del ritiro della Lazio: Sarri boccia Adekanye, Durmisi e Fares | Goal.com". goal.com (in Italian).
33. ^ "RIZA DURMISI VAN ROMA NAAR SPANGEN" (Press release) (in Dutch). Sparta Rotterdam. 31 January 2022. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
34. ^ "Riza Durmisi, experience and speed for C.D. Leganés left back". Leganés. 1 September 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
35. ^ "Riza Durmisi, nueva incorporación del CD Tenerife 22/23" (in Spanish). CD Tenerife. 30 January 2023. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
36. ^ "Riza Durmisi w ŁKS!" (in Polish). ŁKS Łódź. 8 January 2024. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
37. ^ "PKO Ekstraklasa: ŁKS 0-2 Widzew". 90minut.pl (in Polish). 18 February 2024. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
38. ^ "Decyzje kadrowe w ŁKS-ie". 90minut.pl (in Polish). 26 May 2024. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
39. ^ Olsen, Allan (8 June 2015). "Pierre-Emile er vores panzerwagen!" [Pierre-Emile is our tank!]. Ekstra Bladet (in Danish). Retrieved 8 June 2015.
40. ^ "Riza Durmishi: Unë e doja Shqipërinë, por FSHF s'më kontaktoi asnjëherë" [Riza Durmisi: I love Albania, but the FSHF never contacted me]. Sot news (in Albanian). 8 September 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
41. ^ "Revealed: Every World Cup 2018 squad - Final 23-man lists". Goal.com. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
42. ^ "Confirmed: Denmark cut ex-Arsenal star from FIFA World Cup squad". Socceroos.com.au. 4 June 2018. Retrieved 11 December 2021.

## External links

[edit]

* Riza Durmisi national team profile at the Danish Football Association (in Danish)
* Riza Durmisi at Soccerway

* v
* t
* e

Brøndby Player of the Year

* 1980: Chrøis
* 1981: Østergaard
* 1982: M. Laudrup
* 1983: Widell
* 1984: B. Jensen
* 1985: C. Nielsen
* 1986: O. Madsen
* 1987: L. Olsen
* 1988: B. Jensen (2)
* 1989: H. Jensen
* 1990: Schmeichel
* 1991: Vilfort
* 1992: Uche
* 1993: Høgh
* 1994: Bjur
* 1995: A. Nielsen
* 1996: Colding
* 1997: Sand
* 1998: Daugaard
* 1999: Krogh
* 2000: Johansen
* 2001: Nordin
* 2002: Auri
* 2003: P. Nielsen
* 2004: Retov
* 2005: Elmander
* 2006: P. Nielsen (2)
* 2007: Howard
* 2008: T. Rasmussen
* 2009: S. Andersen
* 2010: Krohn-Dehli
* 2011: Krohn-Dehli (2)
* 2012: M. Jensen
* 2013: Makienok
* 2014: Hradecky
* 2015: Durmisi
* 2016: Rønnow
* 2017: Nørgaard
* 2018: Wilczek
* 2019: Wilczek (2)
* 2020: Maxsø
* 2021: Uhre
* 2022: Hermansen
* 2023: Vallys

*[Apps]: League appearances
*[Gls]: League goals
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template