Asion Daja (born 14 March 1990 in Tiranë) is an Albanian football player who plays as a midfielder for Teuta Durrës.[1]

Asion Daja
Personal information
Full name Asion Isa Daja
Date of birth (1990-03-14) 14 March 1990 (age 34)
Place of birth Tiranë, Albania
Height 1.71 m (5 ft 7+12 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
Teuta Durrës
Number 23
Youth career
1998–2000 Pallati i Pionerëve
2000–2007 Dinamo Tirana
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2012 Dinamo Tirana 31 (0)
2009–2010Shkumbini (loan) 8 (0)
2012–2014 Kastrioti 40 (1)
2014–2016 Partizani Tiranë 47 (0)
2016–2019 Tirana 79 (2)
2019–2020 Skënderbeu Korçë 28 (0)
2020–2022 Teuta Durrës 52 (1)
2022–2023 Dinamo Tirana 24 (0)
2023– Teuta Durrës 34 (0)
International career
2006–2007 Albania U17 3 (0)
2007–2009 Albania U19 3 (0)
2009–2010 Albania U21 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 1 June 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 12 July 2016

By signing with Tirana in July 2016, Daja become one of the few players to have represented all the capital teams.[2]

Daja represented Albania at youth levels, playing for the under-17, -19 and -21 levels.

Club career

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Youth career

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Daja was born in the Albanian capital Tiranë, which is where he began playing football at the age of 8 with local amateur youth side Pallati i Pionerëve under the guidance of coach Hyqmet Kuka. In 2000, he won the Ramazan Kuka Cup with Pallati i Pionerëve, a competition in honour of former international referee Ramazan Kuka. In 2000, he joined the Dinamo Tirana academy where he joined the under-10 side. He worked his way through the ranks and won many regional, national and even international competitions. He excelled in the youth setup at Dinamo, especially in the under-17s and under-19s between 2005 and 2008.

Dinamo Tirana

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Towards the end of the 2007–08 season he began to train with the senior Dinamo Tirana side, and with the team firmly in 1st place he was given his senior debut on 10 May 2008 against Besa Kavajë in a 2–1 win; Daja came on in the 89th minute for Goran Vincetić with Dinamo already 2–0 up.[3] Just four days later he came on in the 54th minute away against Vllaznia Shkodër and scored his first ever senior goal in the closing stages of the game to make it 3–0 for the team. He won the league with Dinamo in his debut season.[4]

For the 2008–09 season Daja became first team player but failed to establish himself in the starting line up due to his age and lack of experience. In total he made 13 league appearances and also featured in the Albanian Cup twice. In the league he started just 4 games, and played 90 minutes just twice.[5]

In the 2009–10 season he struggled to play games and was loaned out to fellow Albanian Superliga side Shkumbini Peqin in January for the remainder of the season. He played in 8 league games for Shkumbini Peqin in the second half of the season and managed to help keep the side up. He returned to Dinamo Tirana at the end of the season who were crowned champions of Albania once again.

He played for Dinamo Tirana in qualifying for the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League.[6]

Partizani Tirana

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On 8 July 2014, Daja joined Partizani Tirana on a free transfer, signing an initial one-year contract with an option of a further one.[7]

Tirana

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In July 2016, Daja begun training with Tirana, and on 11 July he penned a two-year contract.[8]

International career

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Daja was called up to play for under-17 side in October 2006 for the UEFA European qualifying match against Finland. On 15 October, he made his competitive debut by playing in a 4–1 loss to Finland.[9]

Personal life

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Daja undertook a part-time degree at the Academy of Physical and Sports Education Vojo Kushi, commonly known in Albanian as the Universiteti i Sporteve Të Tiranës. He completed his course from the faculty of movement science in 2014 with 61 points from 100.[10]

On 18 February 2004 at the age of 13 he was a match-day child mascot for Albania's friendly match against Sweden. He walked onto the field at the Qemal Stafa Stadium with striker Alban Bushi in the 2–1 win for Albania.[11]

Career statistics

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As of 12 July 2016[5][12]
Club Season League Cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Dinamo Tirana 2007–08 Albanian Superliga 2 1 0 0 2 1
2008–09 13 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 15 0
2009–10 2 0 3 0 5 0
2010–11 9 0 4 1 1[a] 0 1[b] 0 15 1
2011–12 23 0 1 1 24 1
Total 49 1 10 2 1 0 1 0 61 3
Shkumbini Peqin 2009–10 Albanian Superliga 8 0 3 0 11 0
Total 8 0 3 2 11 0
Kastrioti Krujë 2012–13 Albanian Superliga 15 1 5 0 20 1
2013–14 25 0 3 0 28 0
Total 40 1 8 0 48 1
Partizani Tirana 2014–15 Albanian Superliga 21 0 4 0 25 0
2015–16 26 0 4 0 0 0 30 1
Total 47 1 8 0 0 0 55 1
Tirana 2016–17 Albanian Superliga 31 0 6 0 37 0
2017–18 Albanian First Division 3 0 1 0 2 0 1 0 7 0
Total 34 0 7 0 2 0 1 0 44 0
Career total 178 3 36 2 3 0 2 0 219 5
  1. ^ All appearance(s) in UEFA Champions League
  2. ^ Appearance in Albanian Supercup

Honours

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Dinamo Tirana[5]
Tirana
Teuta

References

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  1. ^ Asion Daja at Soccerway
  2. ^ "Speciale/ Zbuloni futbollistët që kanë luajtur për tre ekipet e kryeqytetit" (in Albanian). Newsport.al. 11 July 2016. Archived from the original on 27 August 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  3. ^ "Dinamo Tirana 2–0 Besa Kavajë". Football Database. 10 May 2008. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  4. ^ "Vllaznia Shkodër 0–3 Dinamo Tirana". Football Database. 14 May 2008. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  5. ^ a b c "Albania – A. Daja – Profile with news, career statistics and history". Soccerway. 12 July 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  6. ^ "Dinamo Tirana 1–0 Sheriff". UEFA. 20 July 2010. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  7. ^ "Partizani vazhdon goditjet, Asion Daja firmos me të kuqtë" (in Albanian). Telegraf.al. 8 July 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  8. ^ Erald Kodheli (11 July 2016). "Tirana prezanton Asjon Dajën" (in Albanian). Super Sport Albania. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  9. ^ "UEFA profile". UEFA. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  10. ^ "UST results" (PDF) (in Albanian). Ust.edu.al. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  11. ^ "Oni Suedi me Bushin" (in Albanian). Asion Daja. 18 February 2004. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  12. ^ "Football : Asion Daja". Football Database. 12 July 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
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