Njazi Kuqi

Youth career Kuqi was born in Vučitrn, SFR Yugoslavia (present-day Vushtrri, Kosovo), and moved to Finland with his family as a child. In Finland, Kuqi played for youth sectors of Finnairin Palloilijat, MP Mikkeli and Kangasniemen Palloilijat. Also HJK (Helsingin jalkapallo klubi) FC Lahti He began his senior career with FC Lahti in 2002, aged 19, and he was named Finland's Under-21 Player of the Year in 2004. although he was an unused substitute in Birmingham's 2–0 away defeat to Chelsea in the FA Cup. During the second half of the 2005–06 season, Kuqi was sent out on loan to Blackpool on a month's loan deal. In March 2006, Kuqi was loaned out once more, this time to Peterborough United until the end of the season. Carl Zeiss Jena Six months later, he signed an 18-month contract with FC Carl Zeiss Jena after failing to win a contract during a trial at his brother's former club, Ipswich Town. a club which he left after a mutual consent contract termination. ATK On 12 September 2017, Kuqi joined Indian Super League franchise ATK for the 2017–18 season. He was released in January 2018, having scored once in six appearances. ==International career==

In March 2005, Kuqi was called up to the Finland squad for a friendly against Kuwait. He started the match, and scored the only goal of the game in a 1–0 win. Six days later, he came off the substitute's bench to score twice within the space of five minutes in Finland's 4–1 win against Saudi Arabia. In 2005, he got a six-month ban to the national team after leaving the team, after a U21-match against Czech Republic was played, for a birthday night out in Prague with a fellow international Toni Koskela. After that, Kuqi was out of the picture and it was thought that he was keen to play for Kosovo, but in August 2008 he was called up to the squad once more when Stuart Baxter selected him for a friendly against Israel, although he was an unused substitute. In September 2008, Kuqi gained his third cap as a 75th-minute substitute in Finland's 2010 World Cup qualifier against Germany, with the game ending 3–3. ==Personal life==

He is the younger brother of footballer Shefki Kuqi and older brother of footballer Albert Kuqi. They are of Kosovo Albanian descent. ==Career statistics==

Club International :''Scores and results list Finland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Kuqi goal.'' ==References==