Kristi Vangjeli

Early years

Vangjeli began playing football at the age of just 5 with local side Skënderbeu Korçë under the guidance of coach Benin Beta. As he lived near the Skënderbeu training ground, he would watch the first team players train which gave him the further ambition to succeed in the game. He stayed at Skënderbeu for 5 years until the age of 10, where he had been playing with his older brother Pavli (1984–2021). In 1997 his parents sent his brother Pavli on a 2-month trial with PAOK, and when the club signed Pavli, his family then moved to Thessaloniki in Greece along with Kristi. As his brother was already at the club, his father did not want Kristi to try out for the PAOK team as well. Kristi had to wait for his chance, which was given to him while he was playing football at his school, a coach from a small local team was watching the young Albanian playing from outside the gates. As Kristi did not know Greek well at the time, he did not understand him very well but he understood that he was a football coach and that he would like for Kristi to train with his team, Agios Georgios F.C. After his first training session he joined the club and played for them the very next day. After 2 years at the club, he was promoted to the first team and began to train with them at the age of just 15. As he was tall, fast and lively he was playing as a forward at the time, which was noted in a friendly game by the coach of the Aris second team. In that friendly Vangjeli scored 2…

Albania U21

In the summer of 2004, just months before becoming part of Albania, Vangjeli turned down an invitation to become part of Greece under-23 team for 2004 Summer Olympics. Vangjeli's first international call up came in September 2004 under Hasan Lika, following the players promotion to the Aris senior team. He made his debut for Albania U21s side against Greece in a 1–1 draw, which he played just two days before his 19th birthday.

Albania

Vangjeli has been playing for Albania since 2007 and has so far won 35 caps.

Club

As of 27 May 2018

International

As of 21 October 2014

Aris Thessaloniki

Greek Cup runner-up: 2004–05, 2007–08, 2009–10 Chornomorets Odesa

Ukrainian Cup: runner-up: 2012–13 Ukrainian Super Cup runner-up: 2013 Skënderbeu Korçë

Albanian Superliga : 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18 Albanian Cup : 2017–18; runner-up 2016–17 Albanian Supercup : 2014; runner-up 2015 Astra Giurgiu

Romanian Supercup: 2016 Tirana

Albanian Superliga: 2019–20