Labinot Harbuzi

Labinot Harbuzi

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Personal information
Date of birth	(1986-04-04) 4 April 1986
Place of birth	Lund, Sweden
Height
Position(s)	Attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team	Melaka United
Number	10
Youth career
1996–1998	Malmö BI
1999–2000	Falkenbergs FF
2000–2001	Malmö FF
2002–2004	Feyenoord
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2003–2006	Feyenoord	0	(0)
2004–2005	→ Excelsior (loan)	9	(0)
2006–2009	Malmö FF	50	(4)
2009–2011	Gençlerbirliği	40	(4)
2012	Manisaspor	5	(0)
2012	Syrianska FC	3	(0)
2013–2015	KSF Prespa Birlik	5	(2)
2015–	Melaka United
International career
2001–2003	Sweden U17	20	(5)
2004	Sweden U19	15	(1)
2006–2009	Sweden U21	26	(1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 1 February 2012

Labinot Harbuzi (born 4 April 1986) is a Swedish footballer of Kosovar-Albanian descent who plays as a midfielder.

Early life

Harbuzi's family migrated to Sweden. His father, Ismet, was a table tennis player in Kosovo.

Club career

Early career

Growing up in the Malmö district Rosengård, he began his career with Malmö BI, the same club where Zlatan Ibrahimović began his career. Being a very hot prospect in his young years, he was spotted by Swedish Malmö FF.

Feyenoord

At 15 years old, he was signed by Dutch club Feyenoord where he started playing professional football in the club's reserve team and youth team. In 2005 he was loaned to their satellite club Excelsior where he played 9 league games.

Malmö FF

In the spring of 2006, he returned to Malmö FF and made his Allsvenskan debut that same year. In 2009 he made history when he became the first goalscorer in the then newly built Swedbank Stadion.

Gençlerbirliği

On 11 July 2009, Harbuzi signed with the Turkish club Gençlerbirliği S.K. His contract with the side started in January 2010, when his contract with Malmö FF expired. He has since scored 5 goals, gaining 11 assists, a promising returning for a Bosman signing. He has received great praise from Gençlerbirliği fans and head coach, Fuat Çapa. He left Gençlerbirliği on 20 December 2011 after coming to a mutual agreement with the club to terminate his contract.

International career

He was a Swedish under-21 international, making his debut against Republic of Ireland on 28 February 2006. He also played in the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship.

In 2011, Harbuzi declared to the media in two different interviews that, given his ethnicity and also his feelings about being an Albanian, he desires to be part of Albania's national football team in the future and is eagerly awaiting a convocation and has been in contact with the Albanian Football Association.