Labinot Harbuzi

Labinot Harbuzi (4 April 1986 – 11 October 2018)[1] was a Swedish footballer of Kosovar-Albanian descent who played as a midfielder.

Labinot Harbuzi
Personal information
Date of birth 4 April 1986
Place of birth Lund, Sweden
Date of death 11 October 2018(2018-10-11) (aged 32)
Place of death Malmö, Sweden
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position(s) Attacking midfielder
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 KSF Prespa Birlik 5 (2)
2016 Melaka United 11 (2)
Total 123 (12)
National team
2001–2003 Sweden U17 20 (5)
2004 Sweden U19 5 (1)
2006–2009 Sweden U21 6 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Early life

Harbuzi's family migrated to Sweden. His father, Ismet, was a table tennis player in Kosovo.[2]

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.[3] 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.[4] 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.[5] 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.[6]

Melaka United

Harbuzi joined Malaysian Premier League club Melaka United on 13 November 2015.[7] He missed the first 5 league matches of the 2016 season due to a pre-season injury.[8][9] He made immediate impact on his first appearance for Melaka United, when he produced an assist in the 2nd minute for teammate Ilija Spasojević to equalise against UiTM F.C. He went on to score a goal on his debut in the 46th minute in a match which Melaka United dominated and eventually won 3-1.[10][11][12] He was however released by Melaka United at the end of 2016, playing only one season for the club.[13]

International career

He was a Swedish under-21 international, making his debut against Republic of Ireland on 28 February 2006.[14] 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 desired to be part of Albania's national football team in the future and was eagerly awaiting a convocation and had been in contact with the Albanian Football Association.[15]

Death

On 11 October 2018, Harbuzi died.[1] According to his friend, fellow footballer Paweł Cibicki, who met with him the previous day, Harbuzi did not show any signs of illness. During the next morning, Harbuzi suffered cardiac arrest and was found in critical condition by his father. After his parents performed CPR, he was transported by ambulance to the hospital, where he died.[16] Harbuzi was 32 years old.

Honours

Melaka United

gollark: The bident thing might work to reflect the whole "binary system" thing.
gollark: Maybe one of the symbols you suggested in the centre, with a ring/pentagon separated into five differently coloured bits to represent the moons.
gollark: Well, the pentagon can still work. The shape is Pluto, the points are the mööns.
gollark: So five objects in the system in total.
gollark: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pluto_(mythology) might be relevant.

References
  1. "Labinot Harbuzi död – blev 32 år". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). 11 October 2018.
  2. "Harbuzi har det som krävs | SvD". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). 1 June 2009.
  3. "Www.Feyenoord.Nl Labinot Harbuzi Keert Terug Naar Zweden". Feyenoord.nl. 25 March 2006.
  4. "Labinot hem som en bättre spelare – Sport – Sydsvenskan-Nyheter Dygnet Runt". Sydsvenskan. 4 April 1986. Archived from the original on 17 September 2008.
  5. "Labinot Harbuzi signs for Genclerbirligi". Archived from the original on 27 September 2010. Retrieved 28 July 2009.
  6. Archived 15 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  7. "Bekas pemain Feyenoord, Harbuzi kuatkan Melaka United". 13 November 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  8. "'Labi' Diharap Perkukuh Jentera Tengah Melaka United". 2 March 2016. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  9. "Spasojevic boleh beraksi lawan Sime Darby". 10 February 2016. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  10. "Melaka United kekal rekod tanpa kalah". 5 April 2016. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  11. "Melaka United Lonjak Ke Tangga Ketiga Liga Perdana". 5 April 2016. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  12. "KL stay on top, Negeri and Melaka keep chase - Goal.com". Goal.com. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  13. Melaka axe Harbuzi. Goal.com. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
  14. UEFA u-21 2009 player profile Archived 20 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  15. "Labinot Harbuzi: Dua të luaj me Shqipërinë". Gazeta Shqip. 13 July 2011. Archived from the original on 26 March 2013.
  16. Bergström, Kristoffer (11 October 2018). "Vi har folk som gästar och stöttar oss" (in Swedish). Aftonbladet. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
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