Liridon Krasniqi (born 1 January 1992) is a professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for United Premier Soccer League club Miami United. Born in Kosovo, he has represented both the Kosovo and Malaysia national teams.
Krasniqi made his senior debut with Mladá Boleslav in 2011 before signing for Turkish club Ankaraspor two years later. He did not make any appearances for the team, and was loaned to the TFF First League side Fethiyespor for the 2013–14 season. In 2015, Krasniqi joined Malaysian side Kedah, winning the 2016 Malaysia Cup and 2017 Malaysia FA Cup during his four-year spell with the club. After a brief spell with Melaka United, he signed for defending Malaysia Super League champions Johor Darul Ta'zim ahead of the 2020 season.
Internationally, Krasniqi has represented Albania at the youth level and Kosovo at the senior level, appearing in the nation's first international match against Haiti in 2014. He switched his international allegiance to Malaysia in 2020 after staying in the country for five years, and made his Malaysia debut in 2021.
Club career Early career and Mladá Boleslav Krasniqi was part of 1. FC Nürnberg's youth team until 2009, when he was transferred to the Czech side Slavia Prague. On 2 March 2011, Krasniqi signed a contract until the end of the season with the Czech First League club Mladá Boleslav. He played his first and only match on 14 May 2011 in a 2–1 home defeat against Jablonec after coming on as a substitute in the 69th minute in place of Ondřej Kúdela.
Ankaraspor and loan to Fethiyespor On 29 July 2013, Krasniqi signed a three-year contract with the TFF First League club Ankaraspor. Two days later, he was loaned to fellow TFF First League club Fethiyespor. Eighteen days later, he made his debut in a 3–2 away defeat against 1461 Trabzon after being named in the starting line-up.
Kedah On 9 April 2015, Krasniqi joined Malaysian Premier League side Kedah. Eight days later, he made his debut against Negeri Sembilan and scored his side's second goal during a 2–1 home win. With Kedah, Krasniqi won the 2016 Malaysia Cup and 2017 Malaysia FA Cup.
Melaka United On 19 January 2019, Krasniqi joined Malaysian Super League side Melaka United. Fourteen days later, he made his debut against Petaling Jaya City after being named in the starting line-up and scored his side's first goal during a 2–1 home win.
Johor Darul Ta'zim On 20 December 2019, Krasniqi joined Malaysian Super League side Johor Darul Ta'zim. On 28 February 2020, he made his debut in a 1–0 home win against his former club Kedah after coming on as a substitute in the 89th minute in place of Leandro Velázquez.
Loan to Newcastle Jets On 5 February 2021, Krasniqi joined A-League side Newcastle Jets, on a season-long loan. On 13 March 2021, he made his debut in a 2–1 away defeat against Sydney FC after coming on as a substitute in the 85th minute in place of Angus Thurgate.
Loan to Odisha On 23 August 2021, Krasniqi joined Indian Super League side Odisha, on a season-long loan. He made his league debut on 24 November in a 3–1 win against Bengaluru FC.
Loan to Khon Kaen United In August 2022, Krasniqi moved to Thai League 1 side Khon Kaen United on a year-long loan. However, his loan ended early as Krasniqi returned to Johor in January 2023.
Loan to Terengganu On 12 February 2023, Krasniqi officially joined fellow Super League side Terengganu on loan for the 2023 Malaysia Super League season.
International career Albania and Kosovo Krasniqi was part of the Albanian under-21 team, making one appearance in a friendly match against Israel in March 2011. Three years later, he received a call-up from Kosovo for their first official international match against Haiti, and made his senior Kosovo debut after coming on as a substitute in the 71st minute in place of Ardian Gashi.
Malaysia On 3 February 2020, the Football Association of Malaysia announced that Krasniqi had received Malaysian citizenship after staying in the country for almost five years, becoming eligible for the Malaysian national team. On 10 May 2021, he received a call-up from Malaysia for the friendly match against Bahrain and the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against the United Arab Emirates, Vietnam and Thailand. Eighteen days later, Krasniqi made his debut in a friendly match against Bahrain after being named in the starting line-up.
Career statistics Club
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueNational cupLeague cupOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsMladá Boleslav2010–11Czech First League10———10Fethiyespor (loan)2013–14TFF First League33241——373Kedah2015Malaysia Premier League15500111—2662016Malaysia Super League20550115—36102017182631031035820181472043—2010Total 671913336121011734Melaka United2019Malaysia Super League610000—61Johor Darul Ta'zim2020Malaysia Super League3000001040Newcastle Jets (loan)2020–21A-League9000——90Odisha (loan)2021–22Indian Super League160———160Khon Kaen United (loan)2022–23Thai League 1601010—80Terengganu (loan)2023Malaysia Super League211204130302Career total1622320441135022840
International
+ Appearances and goals by national team and yearNational teamYearAppsGoalsKosovo201420201510Total30Malaysia202140202231Total71
Scores and results list Malaysia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Krasniqi goal.
+ List of international goals scored by Liridon Krasniqi No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition1 26 March 2022 National Stadium, Kallang, Singapore 1–1 1–2 2022 FAS Tri-Nations Series
Honours Mladá Boleslav Czech Cup: 2010–11
Kedah FA Malaysia Premier League: 2015 Malaysia FA Cup: 2017 Malaysia Cup: 2016 Malaysia Charity Shield: 2017
Johor Darul Ta'zim Malaysia Super League: 2020 Malaysia Charity Shield: 2020
Terengganu Malaysia Cup runner-up: 2023
References
External links