Taulant Xhaka
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Taulant Ragip Xhaka | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 28 March 1991 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Basel, Switzerland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Basel | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 34 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2002 | Concordia Basel | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2009 | Basel | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2010 | Basel U21 | 50 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010– | Basel | 104 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | → Grasshopper (loan) | 38 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | Switzerland U17 | 14 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | Switzerland U18 | 6 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | Switzerland U19 | 9 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Switzerland U20 | 8 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2013 | Switzerland U21 | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014– | Albania | 18 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 10 December 2016 (UTC). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 19:03, 6 December 2016 (UTC) |
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Taulant Ragip Xhaka (born 28 March 1991) is an Albanian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Swiss club Basel and the Albanian national team.
Taulant is the elder brother of Granit Xhaka, who is also a professional footballer and plays for Arsenal and Switzerland. Their family moved from Prishtina to Basel in Switzerland before either was born.
Xhaka started his youth football at FC Concordia Basel and moved to FC Basel in 2002. He played for various FC Basel youth teams and from 2008 became a regular member of the U-21 team for two years in the Swiss 1. Liga. At the beginning of the 2010–11 season, he and his brother moved up into the first team squad where he begun playing as a defender. He made his first team debut on 19 September 2010 in the 5–0 Swiss Cup win against FC Mendrisio-Stabio. He made his Super League debut on 27 February 2011 in the 1–0 away win against Luzern. At the end of the season, the team won the Super League title, as Xhaka won his first silverware with the club.
In the next season, Xhaka scored his first Basel goal on 10 September during the 4–0 away league win against Servette, where he came on as a substitute. Later on 27th, he made his UEFA Champions League debut as a substitute in the 3–3 away draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford. On 18 January 2012, it was announced that Xhaka was send on loan to Grasshoppers to gain first team playing experience. He made his debut on 12 February during the 2–0 away defeat to Zürich, and until the end of the season he established himself in the starting lineup, making 13 appearances during the second part of 2011–12 season. After spending the 2012–13 again on loan at Grasshoppers, Basel recalled him into their squad.
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