Elseid Hysaj

Hysaj was born in Reç, Shkodër, Albania. Two months after his birth, his father, Gëzim, emigrated to Italy, as many Albanians did in the 1990s, seeking employment opportunities to support his family. Elseid grew up in Shkodër with his mother and grandparents, while his father worked in Italy as a bricklayer. Hysaj began his youth career at age of seven with KF Shkodra, an amateur club based in his hometown. In 2007 he became part of Vllaznia youth team remaining for two years. == Club career ==

Empoli Hysaj played for the Empoli Primavera (under-19) side during the 2011–12 season, where he made 21 appearances and scored one goal. Hysaj received his first call-up to the Empoli senior squad during the 9th matchday of the 2011–12 Serie B season, for the game against Varese on 9 October 2011, where he remained an unused substitute throughout the match. Later in the season, he was included in the matchday squad on two more occasions, in March and April 2012, but again did not feature on the field. He made his professional debut for the first team on 24 November 2011 in a Coppa Italia match against Fiorentina, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–1 defeat. 2012–13 season Hysaj made his league debut on 20 October 2012 during matchday 10 against Virtus Lanciano, which ended in a 0–3 away victory for Empoli, coming on as a substitute in the 67th minute. Empoli finished the 2012–13 season in 4th place, thus qualifying for the promotion playoffs. In the semi-finals against Novara, Hysaj played the full 90 minutes in both legs — first on 22 May 2013, a 1–1 away draw, and then on 26 May 2013, when Empoli secured a 4–1 home win. In the two-legged final against Livorno, Hysaj once again played the entire match in both legs. The first leg on 29 May 2013 ended in a 1–1 draw, while the second leg on 2 June 2013 finished in a 1–0 defeat, meaning Livorno earned promotion to the 2013–14 Serie A with a 2–1 aggregate victory. Hysaj completed his first full season with Empoli making 35 appearances in all competitions — 30 in the league, one in the Coppa Italia, and four in the promotion playoffs — and providing one assist. 2013–14 season On 19 September 2013, Hysaj renewed his contract with Empoli, extending it until 2015. He scored his first professional goal on 17 April 2014 in a match against Virtus Lanciano. The goal came in the 4th minute after he received the ball near the edge of the penalty area, dribbled past three opponents in a zig-zag move, and fired a left-footed shot into the net. Despite his effort, Empoli lost the match 2–1, but the goal was noted by the media for its individual quality and technical execution. On 30 May 2014, Empoli secured promotion to Serie A after a six-year absence, finishing the campaign among the top teams in Serie B. By the end of the campaign, Hysaj had gathered a total of 34 appearances and 1 goal across league and cup competitions, establishing himself as a key part of Empoli’s defence ahead of their return to Serie A. On 31 October, Hysaj signed a new contract keeping him at the club until June 2017, with his annual salary increasing from €170,000 to €200,000. During the season, Hysaj further developed his technical and tactical abilities, becoming known for his versatility to play on both flanks and his increasing involvement in attacking phases through overlapping runs and accurate ball distribution from the back. In February 2015, he provided two consecutive assists in Serie A matches — the first in a 2–0 home victory over Cesena, and the second a decisive pass in a 1–1 draw against Milan. Following consistent performances throughout the campaign, he was selected in the Serie A Team of the Week for matchday 17 after a goalless draw against Verona. In the 2014–15 campaign, his final season with Empoli, Hysaj made a total of 36 league appearances, including 33 as a starter, Napoli In July 2015, Hysaj transferred to Napoli, joining his former Empoli coach Maurizio Sarri and teammate Mirko Valdifiori. On 3 August 2015, he completed the move and signed a five-year contract for a reported fee of €5 million. The transfer made Hysaj the second most expensive Albanian international player at the time, behind Lorik Cana’s €6.75 million move from Galatasaray to Lazio in July 2011. 2015–16 season Hysaj made his competitive debut for Napoli on 23 August 2015 in the opening Serie A match against Sassuolo, which ended in a 2–1 away defeat. He soon established himself as a regular starter, playing the full 90 minutes in most matches and often preferred to the more experienced Christian Maggio. On 17 September 2015, he made his European debut in the UEFA Europa League group stage, in a 5–0 home victory over Club Brugge. Napoli went on to win all six group matches, finishing first in Group D and advancing to the Round of 32. On 8 February 2016, sports journalist Gianluca Di Marzio included Hysaj in his “Best Serie A Under-23 XI”, praising his consistency and tactical discipline among young talents such as Paul Pogba, Paulo Dybala, Mauro Icardi, and M'Baye Niang. The same year, Calciomercato.it named him the best right-back in Serie A for the season. By the end of the season Hysaj, as one of Napoli’s most consistent performers, had featured in 37 of 38 Serie A matches, all as a starter, missing only one game due to suspension after accumulating four yellow cards. 2016–17 season On 13 September 2016, Hysaj made his UEFA Champions League debut in a 2–1 away win against Dynamo Kyiv. Napoli topped their group but were eliminated in the Round of 16 by Real Madrid, losing both legs 3–1. Hysaj played seven of Napoli’s eight matches in the competition, completing the full 90 minutes each time. By season’s end, his market value was estimated at €18 million, making him the most valuable player of the Albania national team. Napoli finished the Serie A campaign in third place behind Juventus and Roma. Under Sarri’s 4-3-3 system, Hysaj was increasingly deployed as a modern full-back capable of both defending solidly and contributing to the attack, reflecting his tactical versatility within Napoli’s setup. On 21 October, he made his 100th appearance in all competitions for Napoli in the goalless home draw against Internazionale. In European competition, he played ten matches across the UEFA Champions League group stage and the qualifying play-off rounds. After finishing third in their group, Napoli entered the UEFA Europa League knockout phase, where they were eliminated by RB Leipzig on the away goals rule. However, his agent valued him at €60 million. Around that time, Hysaj was regarded as one of the best right-backs in the world. With the arrival of manager Carlo Ancelotti, Hysaj retained his place as a first-team regular, though he featured less frequently than in previous seasons as Ancelotti often rotated the right-back position with Nikola Maksimović and Kévin Malcuit. 2019–20 season In the 2019–20 season campaign, he lost his regular right-back starting position to Giovanni Di Lorenzo, but following the arrival of manager Gennaro Gattuso he was still deployed 17 times as a starter in Serie A, including several appearances as a left-back ahead of Mário Rui. Hysaj scored his first goal for Napoli on 25 July 2020, in a league match against Sassuolo. He featured once in the domestic cup and appeared in seven European matches (Champions League and Europa League), with Napoli reaching the quarter-finals of the Europa League. He rejoined team training in early December after testing negative alongside his teammates. During his absence, Napoli were eliminated from the Europa League in the intermediate stage. In the domestic cup, he featured in Napoli’s run to the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia, where they were eliminated by Atalanta. During the season, discussions also emerged regarding Hysaj’s contract situation, as he entered the final year of his deal with Napoli. Reports in December 2020 suggested that while the club still considered him an important squad member, renewal talks had stalled, raising the possibility of a departure at the end of the campaign. At the conclusion of the 2020–21 season, Hysaj left Napoli upon the expiration of his contract after six years at the club. His agent confirmed that repeated attempts to reach a renewal agreement had failed, making his departure inevitable. Hysaj himself stated that he was ready for a new challenge and that his cycle at Napoli had come to an end. Lazio On 1 July 2021, Hysaj joined Lazio on a free transfer, signing a four-year contract and reuniting with his former Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri, who himself insisted for him, confirming his intent to deploy Hysaj as a full-back in his 4-3-3 system. During his introduction to the squad, he performed the partisan song Bella ciao as part of his initiation, which provoked criticism from a section of Lazio ultras due to its political associations. The club publicly condemned the offensive reactions and expressed full support for the player. 2021–22 season Hysaj made his debut in the opening match of the 2021–22 Serie A season on 21 August 2021 against his former side Empoli, with Lazio winning 3–1 away. He scored his first goal for Lazio in the following week against Spezia, contributing to a 6–1 home victory. Hysaj quickly established himself as a regular starter, completing nearly all of his appearances, with occasional rotation among full-backs due to a congested calendar and Lazio's participation in the UEFA Europa League that season. During February 2022, he lost his regular starting position as coach Sarri rotated his full-backs, and after week 30 he played less than 30 minutes in all matches, reflecting the reduced role. Lazio finished the season as Serie A runners-up, achieving their highest league placement since the 1999–2000 title-winning campaign and their first top-two finish since 1998–99. In the Champions League, Hysaj made five appearances as a starter, helping Lazio progress from the group stage. The team was later eliminated in the round of 16 by Bayern Munich. Hysaj played 60 minutes in the first leg, a 1–0 home victory for Lazio, but did not feature in the second leg, which ended in a 3–0 defeat. As of mid-season, he made only a few appearances, being omitted from both the Serie A and Europa League squads for extended periods. According to club statistics, Hysaj recorded 11 appearances in Serie A, three cup appearances and two European games, amounting to 583 minutes in all competitions. == International career ==

Born in Shkodër, Albania, and raised in Italy after emigrating with his family at a young age, Hysaj was eligible to represent both nations at international level. Despite being approached by the Italian Football Federation to join their youth setup, he chose to represent his country of birth, committing to the Albanian Football Federation from an early stage in his career. Senior debut and under-21 appearances Following strong performances with Empoli in Serie B and upon the recommendation of Albania senior team’s assistant coach Paolo Tramezzani, manager Gianni De Biasi invited Hysaj for a friendly match match against Georgia on 6 February 2013. He made his debut in that match aged 19, becoming one of the youngest players to appear for Albania in recent years. Later next month, he made his first competitive appearance in a World Cup qualifier against Norway, coming on as a substitute in the 80th minute for Armend Dallku during a 1–0 away victory. He also appeared in the reverse fixture on 7 June 2013, entering as a late substitute for Ervin Bulku in a 1–1 draw. Later that year, he was called up for the double away fixtures against Slovenia and Iceland on 6 and 10 September 2013 respectively. Hysaj remained an unused substitute against Slovenia in the 1–0 loss. He was recalled to the national side once again for a friendly match against Belarus on 15 November 2013. After establishing himself in the senior setup, Hysaj briefly returned to the under-21 squad for the 2015 UEFA U21 qualifiers, debuting against Austria on 14 August 2013, where an own goal he conceded resulted in a 1–0 defeat. He later captained the U21 side in a 0–1 loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina on 15 October 2013, and featured against Spain in a 2–0 defeat on 18 November 2013, and Austria again, with Albania earning a 3–1 away win in the latter match. Following his consistent performances for both the under-21 and senior teams, and retirement from international duties of Armend Dallku, Hysaj became a regular starter for Albania from the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying campaign onwards. UEFA Euro 2016 qualification Hysaj became a key figure in Albania's defence during the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying campaign under coach Gianni De Biasi, forming part of a backline that conceded only five goals in eight matches. He started in the historic 1–0 away victory over Portugal on 7 September 2014, Albania’s first-ever win against the Portuguese side. His solid defensive display against world-class forwards such as Cristiano Ronaldo drew widespread praise in both Albanian and international media. Throughout the qualifiers, Hysaj remained an undisputed starter, featuring in all eight matches as Albania achieved a historic qualification for their first-ever major tournament. His versatility and composure were crucial in matches against Denmark, Serbia, and Armenia, where Albania secured key results including a decisive 3–0 away win over Armenia on 11 October 2015 that sealed qualification. Euro 2016 finals in 2016 On 21 May 2016, Hysaj was named in Albania's preliminary 27-man squad for UEFA Euro 2016, and in Albania's final 23-man UEFA Euro squad on 31 May. On 28 May, he captained his side for the first time during the Euro 2016 warm-up match against Qatar, which ended in a 3–1 win, becoming the youngest ever captain. Hysaj played every minute of Albania’s Group A campaign, as the team finished third behind hosts France and Switzerland, and ahead of Romania following a 1–0 victory in the final match, with a goal by Armando Sadiku, concluding the group stage with three points and a −2 goal difference, ranking last among the third-placed teams, which led to their elimination. He was described by UEFA as an “attack-minded full-back” capable of contributing effectively in both defence and attack, highlighting his tactical maturity and versatility during the tournament. 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification Hysaj retained his starting place in Albania’s 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign, playing the full 90 minutes in each of the first three matches, Hysaj added another assist in the reverse fixture on 11 June 2017, contributing to a 3–0 away victory over Israel that avenged the earlier defeat. 2018–19: UEFA Nations League inaugural & Euro 2020 qualifying In the inaugural UEFA Nations League campaign, Hysaj started all matches as Albania finished third in their League C group behind Scotland and Israel, earning one win and three defeats. He captained the side once, in the away fixture against Scotland. For the subsequent UEFA Euro 2020 qualification campaign, Hysaj was officially named captain ahead of the opening match against Turkey on 22 March 2019. After a 1–0 home defeat to Turkey and a run of poor results, head coach Christian Panucci was dismissed and replaced by Edoardo Reja. Under Reja, Hysaj maintained his captaincy in the coach’s debut match on 8 June 2019 against Iceland, though Albania lost 1–0. In subsequent fixtures, Reja temporarily handed the armband to veteran Mërgim Mavraj, before restoring it to Hysaj for the return match against Iceland on 10 September. In that fixture, Hysaj was deployed as a right midfielder in a 3–5–2 formation and scored his first international goal, contributing significantly to Albania’s hard-fought 4–2 victory at home. Albania collected 13 points in Group H but ultimately finished fourth, thus failing to qualify for the finals. 2020–21: Nations League promotion & 2022 World Cup qualification In Albania’s second participation in the UEFA Nations League, Hysaj captained the team in the opening match against Belarus on 4 September 2020, providing an assist and contributing to a 2–0 away victory. Due to injuries and COVID-19 restrictions, he featured in only two of the remaining five group matches. Despite his absence, Albania collected 11 points and topped their group, earning promotion to League B for the next edition. 2022 Nations League and Euro 2024 campaign Due to the absence of a natural left-back in the squad, Hysaj was occasionally deployed on the left flank during the 2022–23 UEFA Nations League B campaign. though Hysaj remained a regular starter, being ever-present up until the penultimate match of the qualifying campaign assisting once, as Albania maintained a strong run of form, recording two additional victories and three draws, conceding only two other goals, securing qualification for the final tournament one match before the end of the campaign, marking their second-ever qualification for a European Championship. In June 2024, Hysaj was included in Sylvinho’s final 26-man squad for UEFA Euro 2024 finals in Germany. He featured in Albania’s first two group matches of Group B, starting against Italy and Croatia. He was again criticised for his performance in the 2–2 draw with Croatia, where Albania conceded an equaliser from his defensive side. As a result, coach Sylvinho opted to leave him on the bench for the final match against Spain, giving the starting role to Iván Balliu. Albania finished bottom of the group with one point and were eliminated from the tournament. 2024 Nations League and 2026 World Cup qualification In the opening match of the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League B on 7 September 2024 against Ukraine, Hysaj returned to captaincy in the absence of Berat Djimsiti, leading Albania to a 2–1 away victory in Prague. During the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) campaign, Hysaj did not play in Albania's first three Group K matches, then appeared in four consecutive full matches, in which Albania did not concede any goals, recording three wins and one draw to secure a play-off spot prior the final group match. In his first match against Serbia on 7 June 2025, Hysaj won a penalty, which was missed in a 0–0 draw. In the play-off round on 26 March 2026 against Poland, he played the full match as Albania led initially, but Poland won 2–1, eliminating Albania. == Personal life ==

On 9 June 2015, Hysaj became engaged to Miss Albania 2013, Fiorenza Lekstakaj. The couple married in June 2019. They have three children together: a son, Elis (born 2016), a daughter, Gloria (born 2021), and a younger son, Teo (born 2023). Hysaj is a supporter of the Socialist Party of Albania, having taken part in the 2017 electoral campaign in Shkodër. He is also the cousin of footballers Alessio and Daniel Hysaj, both of whom playing in the Italian Serie D. == Career statistics ==

Club International :''Scores and results list Albania's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Hysaj goal.'' ==Honours==