Taulant Seferi
Albanian footballer (born 1996)
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Taulant Seferi (Albanian pronunciation: [ta.uˈlant sɛˈfɛɾi]; formerly known as Tauljant Sulejmanov (Macedonian: Таулјант Сулејманов); born 15 November 1996) is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for TFF 1. Lig club Bodrum and the Albania national team.[1]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Birth name | Tauljant Sulejmanov | ||
| Date of birth | 15 November 1996 | ||
| Place of birth | Kumanovo, Macedonia | ||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position | Striker | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Bodrum | ||
| Number | 99 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2002–2011 | Milano Kumanovë | ||
| 2011–2013 | Rabotnicki | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2012–2014 | Rabotnicki | 31 | (6) |
| 2015–2016 | Young Boys II | 14 | (6) |
| 2015–2021 | Young Boys | 8 | (0) |
| 2018 | → Wohlen (loan) | 8 | (3) |
| 2018–2019 | → Winterthur (loan) | 31 | (10) |
| 2019–2020 | → Neuchâtel Xamax (loan) | 29 | (1) |
| 2021 | → Tirana (loan) | 23 | (7) |
| 2021–2022 | Tirana | 36 | (19) |
| 2022–2024 | Vorskla Poltava | 28 | (13) |
| 2023–2024 | → Baniyas (loan) | 25 | (11) |
| 2024– | Bodrum | 61 | (19) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2009 | Macedonia U15 | 9 | (7) |
| 2011–2012 | Macedonia U17 | 3 | (2) |
| 2012–2013 | Macedonia U18 | 5 | (3) |
| 2013 | Macedonia U19 | 10 | (4) |
| 2014–2016 | Macedonia U21 | 2 | (1) |
| 2014 | Macedonia | 2 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | Albania U21 | 12 | (0) |
| 2019– | Albania | 26 | (3) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 22 March 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 19 November 2024 | |||
Seferi began his youth career at hometown club Milano Kumanovë before joining Rabotnicki, where he made his professional debut at the age of 16 and won the domestic league and cup in the 2013–14 season.[2][3] In 2015, he moved abroad to Switzerland to join Young Boys, where he made his senior debut and gained experience through several loan spells within the country.[4][2][3] He later joined Tirana in 2021, initially on loan, and after signing permanently, briefly featured in European competitions on loan at Teuta before establishing himself as a key player at Tirana and winning the Kategoria Superiore title in the 2021–22 season.[5][6][5][2] Following his success in Albania, he continued his career abroad, notably playing in Ukraine with Vorskla Poltava and later in Turkey with Bodrum.[3][6]
Born in Macedonia, he represented that country at youth and senior levels before switching allegiance to Albania in 2017,[4][3] where he initially featured for the under-21 side before establishing himself with the senior team, taking part in the UEFA Euro 2024 finals.[5][7]
Club career
Early career and Rabotnički
Seferi began his youth career in 2002 at his hometown club Milano Kumanovë and stayed there until 2011, when he transferred to Rabotnicki.[8] In the 2013–14 season, he was promoted to the first team and made his debut on 5 October 2013 against Bregalnica Štip at the age of 16 years, 10 months, and 20 days, coming on as a substitute in the 90+1st minute for Krste Velkoski.[9] He scored his first goal on 23 November 2013 against Shkëndija, coming on as a substitute in the 61st minute for Demir Imeri and scoring in the 81st minute in a 5–0 victory.[10] He finished his first season with 16 appearances and three goals, as Rabotnicki won both the league and cup.[2] He made 12 appearances in the first half of the 2014–15 Macedonian First Football League before moving abroad to join Young Boys in Switzerland.[6][2]
Young Boys
In January 2015, Seferi joined Young Boys, marking his first move abroad.[11] He initially made one appearance for the under-21 team in the 1. Liga Classic.[2] He debuted for the first team on 14 February 2015 against Grasshoppers, coming on as a substitute in the 78th minute for Renato Steffen.[12] Five days later, he made his UEFA competition debut in the 2014–15 UEFA Europa League Round of 32 match against Everton, again appearing as a substitute for Steffen in the 79th minute.[13] He became a regular member of the first team under coach Uli Forte, featuring in all matches until March 2015, when he suffered a serious knee injury that required surgery and sidelined him for around 18 months.[11] He returned to action in October 2016 with the under-21 team, before making his first-team return on 5 February 2017 against Sion as an 88th-minute substitute for Thorsten Schick.[14]
He spent the second half of the 2017–18 season on loan at Wohlen and on 16 July 2018, he was loaned to Winterthur for the 2018–19 season.[15]
On 10 July 2019, Seferi was loaned to Neuchâtel Xamax for the remainder of the season.[16]
Tirana
Seferi joined Albanian club and reigning Kategoria Superiore champions Tirana on 4 January 2021 on loan for the remainder of the 2020–21 season.[17] He made his debut for the club on 16 January 2021, in matchday 14 of the 2020–21 Kategoria Superiore, against Kastrioti, coming on as a substitute in the 53rd minute in a 2–1 home win.[18][19] Seferi established himself as a regular starter for the remainder of the 2020–21 season, featuring consistently in the starting lineup, being nearly ever-present, recording full-match appearances in the majority of fixtures, and scoring seven goals, contributing directly to several match results during the campaign.[20] He scored his first goal on 31 January 2021, on matchday 17 against Apolonia, netting the winner in the 77th minute with a right-footed shot following an Ernest Muçi assist.[21] He followed up with another goal on 6 February 2021 in a 2–0 win over Skënderbeu.[22] On 7 March 2021 Seferi scored from a penalty on matchday 23, as Tirana defeated Kastrioti 2–1 away.[23] On 17 April 2021, Seferi scored against Kukësi with a header in the 71st minute to equalize 1–1, and the match ended in a 2–2 draw.[24] On 21 May 2021, during the penultimate matchday, Seferi scored a penalty as Tirana drew 1–1 away against Apolonia Fier.[25] On 26 May 2021, in the final matchday of the championship, Seferi scored two goals as Tirana defeated Skënderbeu 3–1, but despite the win, Tirana finished fifth, missing out on European qualification by three points.[26]
After signing permanently with the club on a three-year contract,[27] Seferi was immediately loaned to reigning champions Teuta for their UEFA Champions League qualification matches.[28] Seferi made his European debut for Teuta in the first qualifying round on 7 July 2021, playing 85 minutes in the 0–4 home loss to Sheriff Tiraspol and the full 90 minutes in the second leg on 13 July 2021, which ended in a 0–1 away defeat, with Teuta eliminated 0–5 on aggregate.[29] He also featured in the 2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League qualifying, starting in all four matches as Teuta advanced past Inter d’Escaldes 3–2 on aggregate after a 3–0 extra-time win in the second leg, before being eliminated in the third qualifying round by Shamrock Rovers with a 0–3 aggregate defeat.[30]
Seferi was one of the main players for Tirana as they won the 26th Kategoria Superiore title in the 2021–22 season.[31] During the season, he formed a partnership with Redon Xhixha, with the duo having either scored or assisted 49 of Tirana's 64 league goals.[32] Individually, Seferi scored 19 goals in 35 appearances and finished level with Laçi's Saliou Guindo for the league's Golden Boot award, but missed out due to a lower goal ratio.[33] During the 2021–22 season, Seferi received widespread recognition for his performances in the Kategoria Superiore, with commentators praising his physical strength, dribbling ability, and overall impact on matches; following his goal against Skënderbeu on 11 April 2022, the club's media highlighted his skill with the phrase "Dribble like Jerry and shoot like Tomi," reflecting his standout attacking qualities.[34]
Vorskla Poltava
On 22 August 2022, Seferi was transferred to Vorskla Poltava in the Ukrainian Premier League, signing a three-year contract for a reported €500,000 transfer fee, earning an estimated $700,000.[35][36] Seferi made his league debut at the start of the 2022–23 Ukrainian Premier League season, playing 22 minutes against Zorya Luhansk, and quickly established himself as an ever-present figure in the starting lineup, featuring in the vast majority of matches and regularly completing the full 90 minutes.[37] On 8 October 2022, Seferi scored his first goal in his sixth appearance, netting a late winner in the 88th minute in a 2–1 victory against Chornomorets Odesa.[38] On 29 October 2022, Seferi scored in a 2–0 win against Mynai, netting the opening goal in the 19th minute.[39] On 9 November 2022, Seferi was sent off in a 1–0 away defeat to Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih, receiving a second yellow card in the first half.[40] On 19 November 2022, Seferi scored the opening goal in a 2–1 away win against Kolos.[41]
On 5 March 2023, Seferi scored twice to give Vorskla Poltava a 2–0 early lead against Zorya Luhansk, opening the scoring in the 6th minute and adding a second goal from a penalty ten minutes later, bringing his league tally to six goals;[42] despite Seferi's early goals, Vorskla eventually lost 3–2 after Zorya came back scoring in the 57th minute, equalizing and overturning the score in stoppage time.[43] On 12 March 2023, Seferi scored twice in a 2–2 away draw against Veres Rivne, netting in the 25th minute to give his team the lead and later converting a penalty in the 86th minute to secure the draw, marking his fourth consecutive match on the scoresheet and taking his tally to eight league goals.[44][45] On 16 April 2023, Seferi scored the only goal in an away win against Chornomorets Odesa, marking his ninth goal of the season and placing him third among the league's top scorers.[46] On 22 April 2023, Seferi scored twice and provided an assist in the first half of the matchday 22 against Metalist Kharkiv, converting two penalties and contributing to a 3–1 lead at half-time, as the match eventually ended in a 3–2 win.[47][48] On 14 May 2023, Seferi scored his 12th league goal of the season in a 2–0 away win against Lviv, converting a penalty in the 56th minute to give his team the lead.[49] On 4 June 2023, Seferi scored in a 2–1 win over Shakhtar Donetsk on the final matchday of the season, helping Vorskla Poltava secure qualification for the UEFA Europa Conference League for the following season.[50] He finished the season with 13 league goals, joint-second in the scoring charts.[51]
Loan to Baniyas
On 22 July 2023, Seferi joined Baniyas on a season-long loan with an option to buy, moving to the UAE Pro League,[52] in a deal reportedly worth around €900,000.[53] During his spell, Seferi was a key contributor, scoring nine goals and providing three assists in his first 19 league appearances in the 2023–24 UAE Pro League, being involved in a significant portion of the team’s goals, most notably on 26 April 2024 when he scored twice and provided two assists against Hatta in a 4–2 comeback win after trailing 0–2.[54] By the end of the season, Seferi had made 28 appearances and scored 12 goals across all domestic competitions, including the President's Cup and League Cup, as Baniyas retained their top-flight status.[6]
Bodrum
On 31 August 2024, Seferi joined Bodrum for a reported transfer fee of €1.5 million.[55] He made his debut on 14 September 2024 in the 2024–25 Süper Lig matchday 5 against İstanbul Başakşehir, featuring in a 1–0 away defeat.[56] He quickly established himself as a regular starter, primarily playing as an attacking midfielder but also featuring as a forward, making a total of 30 league appearances, 22 as a starter, and contributing goals as the campaign progressed.[57] He scored his first goal on 20 September 2024, netting the winner in a 1–0 victory over Hatayspor in only his second appearance.[58] He followed with another goal on 29 September 2024 in a 3–1 home win over Adana Demirspor.[59] On 13 December 2024, he scored his third and final league goal in a 2–0 home victory over Sivasspor, opening the scoring in the 49th minute.[60][61] On 2 April 2025, Seferi scored a goal and provided an assist within five minutes to help Bodrum take a 2–1 lead against Trabzonspor in the quarter-finals of the 2024–25 Turkish Cup; however, Trabzonspor overturned the result and won 3–2 after extra time, with the decisive goal in the 98th minute, while Seferi played until the 101st minute.[62][63]
On 23 March 2026, Seferi scored the only goal in a 1–0 home win over İstanbulspor in the 2025–26 TFF 1. Lig, converting an assist from Arlind Ajeti.[64]
International career
Macedonia
From 2009 to 2016, he represented Macedonia at youth international level, featuring for the U15, U17, U18, U19 and U21 teams, making 29 appearances and scoring 17 goals.[65]
On 26 May 2014, Seferi made his senior international debut for the Macedonia in a 2–0 win against Cameroon, coming on as a substitute in the 57th minute for Besart Abdurahimi. At the age of 17 years and 6 months, he became the youngest player to appear for Macedonia, breaking Goran Pandev's record from 2001, set at 17 years, 10 months and 11 days.[66][67]
Albania
In January 2017, media reported that newly appointed Albania U21 coach Alban Bushi convinced Seferi to switch allegiances to Albania.[68] On 20 March 2017, he was granted Albanian citizenship.[69] On 8 June 2017, Seferi received FIFA approval to play in competitive matches.[70] He made his competitive debut on 12 June 2017 in Albania U21's first match of the 2019 UEFA European Under-21 qualification against Estonia U21, playing the full 90 minutes in a goalless draw.[71] After undergoing groin surgery later that year, he featured regularly during the remainder of the qualifying campaign in 2018.[4][72] On 16 October 2018, Seferi scored both goals in a 2–2 away draw against Estonia U21 in the closing fixture, as Albania finished second from bottom in the group.[73]
Senior
Seferi received his first senior call-up by manager Edoardo Reja for the closing fixtures of UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying against Andorra and France in November 2019.[74] He made his senior debut against Andorra, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 2–2 draw at Elbasan Arena.[75] Seferi made three appearances in the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League C in autumn 2020, including a start on 14 October against Lithuania in a goalless draw, totalling around 90 minutes overall, while remaining an unused substitute in the other matches of the campaign.[76][7] Albania finished top of their group and were promoted to League B.[77] On 5 June 2022, he scored his first international goal in a 1–1 away draw against Iceland in the opening match of the 2022–23 UEFA Nations League B.[78] He remained an unused substitute for the remainder of the campaign, as Albania collected only one additional point and finished bottom of their group.[79]
During the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying campaign, Seferi featured regularly under manager Sylvinho, initially appearing as a substitute before establishing himself as a regular starter on the left wing in competition with Myrto Uzuni, playing in seven of Albania's eight matches, including four starts, and often playing significant minutes during Group E.[80] On 12 October 2023, Seferi scored twice in a 3–0 win over the Czech Republic on matchday 7, helping Albania maintain first place in the group with 13 points, moving closer to qualification for the Euro 2024 finals in Germany.[81] On 17 November 2023, Seferi won a penalty which was converted by Sokol Cikalleshi in a 1–1 draw against Moldova, a result that mathematically secured Albania's qualification for the final tournament of a European Championship for only the second time in its history.[82] Albania eventually finished top of the group for the first time in its history with 15 points, level with the Czech Republic, but ahead on head-to-head.[83] He was named in Albania's 26-man squad for the final tournament in June 2024 in Germany.[84] At the final tournament, Seferi featured in Albania's Group B campaign.[85] He started in the opening match on 15 June 2024 against Italy, playing 68 minutes in a 2–1 defeat, in a match where Albania had taken the lead after 23 seconds—recorded as the fastest goal in the history of the European Championship.[86] He also appeared as a substitute in the second group match against Croatia on 19 June 2024, playing the final 26 minutes as Albania secured a 2–2 draw—its only point of the tournament.[87] Albania were eventually eliminated in the group stage following their third match.[88]
Personal life
Seferi stated that, although he was previously known and registered in Macedonia as Tauljant Sulejmanov (Macedonian: Таулјант Сулејманов), his family surname is Seferi, which he has preferred to use since switching to represent Albania.[89] His father is Fatmir Seferi.[90]
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe[a] | Other[b] | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Rabotnicki | 2013–14 | Macedonian First League | 16 | 3 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 20 | 4 | ||
| 2014–15 | Macedonian First League | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 15 | 0 | ||
| Total | 28 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 35 | 4 | |||
| Young Boys II | 2014–15 | Swiss 1. Liga | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2015–16 | Swiss 1. Liga | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 2016–17 | Swiss 1. Liga | 12 | 6 | — | — | — | 12 | 6 | ||||
| Total | 14 | 6 | — | — | — | 14 | 6 | |||||
| Young Boys | 2014–15 | Swiss Super League | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2015–16 | Swiss Super League | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2016–17 | Swiss Super League | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | ||
| 2017–18 | Swiss Super League | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2018–19 | Swiss Super League | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2019–20 | Swiss Super League | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2020–21 | Swiss Super League | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | |||
| Wohlen (loan) | 2017–18 | Swiss Challenge League | 13 | 3 | — | — | — | 13 | 3 | |||
| Winterthur (loan) | 2018–19 | Swiss Challenge League | 32 | 10 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 34 | 10 | ||
| Neuchâtel Xamax (loan) | 2019–20 | Swiss Super League | 29 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 30 | 1 | ||
| Tirana (loan) | 2020–21 | Kategoria Superiore | 23 | 7 | — | — | — | 23 | 7 | |||
| Tirana | 2021–22 | Kategoria Superiore | 35 | 19 | 2 | 0 | 6[c] | 0 | — | 43 | 19 | |
| 2022–23 | Kategoria Superiore | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| Total | 36 | 19 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 44 | 19 | |||
| Vorskla Poltava | 2022–23 | Ukrainian Premier League | 28 | 13 | — | 4 | 0 | — | 32 | 13 | ||
| Baniyas (loan) | 2023–24 | UAE Pro League | 25 | 11 | 1 | 0 | — | 2 | 1 | 28 | 12 | |
| Bodrum | 2024–25 | Süper Lig | 30 | 3 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 31 | 4 | ||
| 2025–26 | TFF 1. Lig | 31 | 16 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 16 | |||
| Total | 61 | 19 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 64 | 20 | ||||
| Career total | 297 | 92 | 14 | 2 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 326 | 95 | ||
- Includes UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League
- Includes Superkupa e Shqipërisë
International
Scores and results list Albanian goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Seferi goal.[7]
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 June 2022 | Laugardalsvöllur, Reykjavík, Iceland |  Iceland |
1–0 | 1–1 | 2022–23 Nations League |
| 2 | 12 October 2023 | Arena Kombëtare, Tirana, Albania |  Czech Republic |
2–0 | 3–0 | UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying |
| 3 | 3–0 |
