Ilaz Zylfiu (Serbian: Иљаса Зулфији, romanized: Iljasa Zulfiji; born 27 March 1998) is a Serbian professional footballer of Albanian descent who plays as a second striker for Kosovan club Dukagjini.[1]
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Birth name | Iljasa Zulfiji | ||
Date of birth | (1998-03-27) 27 March 1998 (age 24)[1] | ||
Place of birth | Miratovac, Serbia, FR Yugoslavia[2] | ||
Height | 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)[3] | ||
Position(s) | Second striker[3] | ||
Club information | |||
Current team | Dukagjini | ||
Number | 23 | ||
Youth career | |||
2008–2015 | Lugina | ||
2015–2017 | Radnik Surdulica | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2017–2018 | Radnik Surdulica | 1 | (0) |
2017 | → Pukovac (loan) | 6 | (0) |
2017–2018 | → Ozren Sokobanja (loan) | 29 | (6) |
2018–2019 | Flamurtari | ||
2019–2021 | Malisheva | ||
2021–2022 | Laçi | 30 | (2) |
2022– | Dukagjini | 5 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 1 October 2022 |
Born in Miratovac, a small town in the municipality of Preševo as a member of Albanian ethnic group,[2] Zylfiu started playing football at the age of 10.[4] He was playing with football club Lugina, based in Aliđerce,[3] until he joined Radnik Surdulica as a youngster.[2] After almost two years with youth team, Zylfiu signed a one-year scholarship contract with Radnik in February 2017.[5] He was also loaned on dual registration to the Serbian League East side Pukovac,[6] making six appearances until the end of the 2016–17 campaign.[7]
In summer 2017, Zylfiu joined the first team of Radnik Surdulica under coach Simo Krunić,[8] but moved on new loan deal to Ozren Sokobanja shortly after.[9] He scored his premier goal for the first season victory of Ozren over Timok on 16 September 2017.[3] After the whole first-half season in the third-ranked league, a loan deal was terminated and Zylfiu returned to Radnik ending of November same year.[10]
On 29 November 2017. Zylfiu made his official debut for Radnik Surdulica, replacing Miloš Stanković in 69 minute of the Serbian SuperLiga match against Red Star Belgrade.[11] He has been reported as the first Albanian footballer in the club history since finding in 1926.[12] In February 2018, Zylfiu signed his first four-your professional contract with Radnik,[13] after which he extended his loan deal to Ozren until the end of 2017–18 campaign.[14]
Returning from loan deal in summer 2018, Zylfiu started new season preparing under coach Mladen Dodić,[15] but after being excluded from the 2018–19 Serbian SuperLiga player list, Zylfiu mutually terminated the contract and left Radnik as a free agent on the last day of July same year, along with teammate Krsta Đorđević.[16]
Zulfiu is a 1.67 m high attacker, who usually plays as a second striker or attacking midfielder.[3] He is characterized by speed and lucidity, affirmed as a goalscorer in the Serbian League East.[17] He has also promoted himself as a free kick taker, scoring in a match against Jedinstvo Paraćin.[18][19] He is often compared with Fadil Vokrri, a former Kosovo Albanian football forward.[3][9][17]
Club | Season | League | Cup | Other | Total | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Radnik Surdulica | 2016–17[7] | Serbian SuperLiga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |
2017–18[21] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |||
Total | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |||
Pukovac (loan) | 2016–17[7] | Serbian League East | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | |
Ozren Sokobanja (loan) | 2017–18[7] | 29 | 6 | 0 | 0 | — | 29 | 6 | ||
Flamurtari | 2018–19 | Football Superleague of Kosovo | Not available | |||||||
Malisheva | 2019–20 | First Football League of Kosovo | ||||||||
2020–21 | ||||||||||
Total | 35 | 6 | 0 | 0 | — | 35 | 6 | |||
Laçi | 2020–21 | Kategoria Superiore | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | |
Total | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | |||
Career total | 44 | 6 | 0 | 0 | — | 44 | 6 |