Ergys Kaçe

Ergys Kaçe

Personal information
Date of birth	(1993-07-08) 8 July 1993
Place of birth	Korçë, Albania
Height
Position(s)	Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team	PAOK
Number	26
Youth career
2001–2004	Achilleas Triandrias
2004–2010	PAOK
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2010–	PAOK	101	(6)
2011–2012	→ Anagennisi Epanomi (loan)	19	(1)
International career‡
2011–2013	Albania U21	5	(0)
2013–	Albania	15	(2)
Medal record PAOK Runner-up Superleague Greece 2012–13 Runner-up Superleague Greece 2013–14 Runner-up Greek Football Cup 2013–14
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 11 May 2016 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 31 March 2016

Ergys Kaçe (born 8 July 1993) is an Albanian professional footballer who plays as a Midfielder for Greek club PAOK and the Albania national football team. He has been described by the media as "a classic agile defensive midfielder".

Club career

Early career

Kaçe was born in Korçë, Albania, but moved to Greece at the age of three. He started his youth career at Achilleas Triandrias, from where he was transferred to the youth academies of PAOK in 2005 and signed his first professional contract in December 2010.

PAOK

Kaçe made his league debut for PAOK on 5 January 2011 during an away game against Panserraikos (1–1), coming as a substitute for Stefanos Athanasiadis in the 68th minute. He didn't play another game for the first team during the 2010–11 season and instead he was featured in PAOK under-20's fixtures in order to maintain match fitness.

Loan to Anagennisi Epanomi

Kaçe was loaned out to Football League side Anagennisi Epanomi for the 2011–12 season. Soon enough, he was established in the starting eleven at Epanomi due to his consistent performances and finished the season with 19 league appearances and 1 goal to his name against Panahaiki, in a home game which ended 6–1.

Return to PAOK

After his return to PAOK, the club's new manager Giorgos Donis seemed to trust him a place in the starting eleven, alongside other youngsters from the club's youth team. Kaçe featured in both legs of the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League third qualifying round against Bnei Yehuda, as well as in both legs of the play-off round against Rapid Wien. On 31 October, the player renewed his contract for a duration of four to five years. The new contract came as an award for the good appearances that he made. On 3 March he scored his first goal for the club with a long-distance shot from 33 yards out against Panionios in a 4-2 win. Kaçe had a good season with PAOK, providing two assists and a goal in twenty-seven appearances.

Kaçe began his second season with PAOK against Schalke in the both legs of the UEFA Champions League play-off round and began the Super League against Panetolikos.

Controversy of PAOK and Greece's opinion

On 4 September 2013, Kaçe was involved in a political racist scandal after a photo of himself wearing a jersey with the symbol of the Kosovo Liberation Army (UÇK) was published on a Facebook page with his name. This sparked criticism in Greece and Kaçe came under fire in the media. Kaçe declared that he didn't know the meaning of the symbol having left Albania at the age of three. He also apologized. He was later criticised by the Greek neo-nazi party Golden Dawn, which prompted a confrontation between PAOK fan clubs and GD, leading to a group of PAOK supporters to attack the headquarters of Golden Dawn. According to Albanian media sources, UEFA stated: "Don't mess with the player cause this isn't in your jurisdiction", whereas Albania national football team's Gianni De Biasi spoke to PAOK's chairman Zisis Vryzas, whom he coached as manager of Perugia, and asked to leave the player in peace, blaming a misunderstanding for the situation. Sali Berisha, former Prime-Minister of Albania, also came to Kaçe's defense saying: "Kaçe is a victim of racist nationalism" while PAOK's manager Huub Stevens accused the club of overreacting: "you're exaggerating much with that player". The head of the Albanian Football Association, Armand Duka, sent a letter to UEFA president Michel Platini claiming that the situation had been exaggerated. Kaçe apologised to the club but remained suspended. After he served his suspension time Kaçe returned to training, among rumours that the club was looking to sell him during the winter transfer window.

The return

After serving his internal suspension, Kaçe returned to the team three months later. On 18 December 2013 he was included in the team for the match against Atromitos and he was an unused substitute for the match. His first match after the suspension came on 9 January 2014 against Iraklis for the Greek Football Cup where Kaçe came in as a substitute, taking the place of Alexandros Tziolis on 76th minute.

In the league, after five consecutive matches at the bench, on 26 January 2014 he played his first league game after the suspension, against Veria where he played for the full 90-minutes. The match resulted in a 4–1 victory. He returned playing on 2013–14 UEFA Europa League knockout phase against Benfica on 20 February 2014, a 0–1 loss, were Kaçe played for the full 90-minutes. Kaçe scored a goal in the victory 3–0 against Panthrakikos on 23 February 2014. Also he was voted as Man of the match.

Kaçe with PAOK advanced to the final of the Greek Cup, where they played against Panathinaikos on 26 April 2014 and lost 1–4, with Kaçe playing full 90 minutes and receiving a yellow card.

At the end of 2014-15 season, the Albanian midfielder has attracted a lot of interest from abroad and he seems to be weighing up his options as he was coy when asked about his contract renewal and his future at the Greek club.“We have not talked about my contract extension. At the time being I'm a PAOK player but I don't know what happens next. We'll see. Only God knows,” Kace underlined.

International career

Albania U21

Kaçe made four appearances for the Albanian national under-21 football team in a friendly tournament in Slovenia between 23 and 30 March 2011.

Albania senior team

In an interview to Panorama Sport, a major Albanian sports magazine, Kaçe said that he is looking forward to play for the Albanian senior team. In early 2013, he cast doubt on this claim by refusing to be called up for Albania's friendly against Georgia and applying for Greek citizenship while stating that he wanted to play for Greece. In March 2013 he was contacted by the FSHF where he declared that was yet undecided for his national side choose. However, Albanian and Greek media outlets suggested that Kaçe has already accepted the invitation from Gianni De Biasi, coach of the Albanian national football team, to join the team for the upcoming game against Norway, in Tirana on 7 June 2013.

Debut and the 2014 FIFA World cup qualification

He debuted for the first time with Albania senior team on 7 June 2013 against Norway for the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification by coming on as a substitute in the 85th minute in place of Emiljano Vila in a 1–1 draw.

On 14 August 2013, Kaçe scored his first goal for Albania in the 2–0 win of the Friendly Match against Armenia in Qemal Stafa Stadium, where his goal was the second in the 67th minute, 2 minutes after came in on the pitch in place of Migjen Basha.

In the 4 remaining matches for the Group E of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification in September and October 2013, Kaçe played every minute of all matches, as a Central Midfielder.

Temporary return at Albania youth U21

Kace wasn't included in the published list of called-up players by the coach Gianni De Biasi for a friendly match against Belarus on 15 November 2013, because he was called up once again with Albania U-21 for the two matches against Hungary U-21 and Spain U-21 on 14 and 18 November 2013, valids for the 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship qualification. In the first match against Hungary U-21 he was named the national team's Captain and the match resulted as a successful 2–0 win for Albania in Budapest.

Kace then returned again with national senior side, as he received a call-up for the friendly match against Malta on 5 March 2014.

UEFA Euro 2016 qualification

In the opening match of the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying against Portugal, Kaçe played as a substitute coming on in the 66th minute in place of fellow Albanian central-midfielder Burim Kukeli, in a match which Albania won 1-0. Also in the 3 other fixtures valids for the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying Group I against Denmark and Serbia in October 2014 and Armenia on 29 March 2015, Kaçe participated from on the bench as the coach Gianni De Biasi played in the starting eleven with other trio of central-midfielders, consisting Burim Kukeli, Taulant Xhaka and Amir Abrashi.

On 13 June 2015 Kaçe scored a free-kick goal to give Albania the 1–0 victory over France in a Group I centralised friendly match. Being a friendly match, the coach Gianni De Biasi left out all 3 starting trio consisted by Kukeli-Xhaka-Abrashi and Kaçe gained the chance to play it as a starter among Migjen Basha and Andi Lila to consist the central-midfielders trio and his goal were scored at the end of the first-half in the 43rd minute.

International goals

Scores and results list Albania's goal tally first.

No	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	14 August 2013	Qemal Stafa Stadium, Tirana, Albania	Armenia	2–0	2–0	Friendly Match
2.	13 June 2015	Elbasan Arena, Elbasan, Albania	France	1–0	1–0	Friendly Match

Career statistics

Club

As of 11 May 2016

Club	Season	League	League		League Cup		Europe		Total
			Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
PAOK	2010–11	Superleague Greece	1	0	0	0	-	-	1	0
Anagennisi Epanomi	2011–12	Football League (Greece)	19	1	0	0	-	-	19	1
	Total Anagennisi Epanomi		19	1	0	0	0	0	19	1
PAOK	2012–13	Superleague Greece	31	1	6	0	4	0	41	1
	2013–14		19	1	7	0	4	0	30	1
	2014–15		30	4	2	0	7	0	39	4
	2015–16		20	0	1	0	9	0	30	0
	Total PAOK		101	6	16	0	24	0	141	6
Career Total			120	7	16	0	24	0	160	7

International

As of 31 March 2016

Albania national team
Year	Apps	Goals
2013	6	1
2014	5	0
2015	2	1
2016	2	0
Total	15	2

Honours

PAOK

• Superleague Greece Runner-up: 2012–13, 2013–14
• Greek Football Cup Runner-up: 2013–14

Individual

• Greek Superleague's Best Young Player: 2012–13
• PAOK FC MVP of Season: 2014-15

External links

• Profile at Guardian.co.uk
• Ergys Kaçe at Soccerway
• Ergys Kaçe at National-Football-Teams.com