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Armando Sadiku

Armando Sadiku

Born in the Albanian city of Cërrik, Armando Sadiku made his professional debut with KF Turbina, playing two seasons in the second tier of the Albanian Football league system. In 2009, he joined KS Gramozi in the Albanian top-flight, where he had a breakthrough year, scoring eight goals and earning a move to KF Elbasani.

Sadiku then moved to Switzerland, initially joining FC Locarno. He quickly made his mark in the second-tier Swiss Challenge League, becoming the top scorer in his first full season in 2011-12. In July 2012, he transferred to FC Lugano, securing another top-scorer title with 20 goals. In November 2013, he joined FC Zürich in the top division, winning the 2013-14 and 2015-16 Swiss Cup. A loan stint with FC Vaduz followed, where he helped the team retain their top-flight status.

The striker then returned to FC Lugano in January 2017, this time in the Swiss Super League, where he continued his impressive form, scoring in five consecutive league matches and helping the team qualify for the UEFA Europa League.

In July 2017, he signed a contract with Polish Ekstraklasa side Legia Warsaw, scoring in both the UEFA Champions League qualifying round and the Polish Cup on his debut. Six months later, he joined LaLiga outfit Levante, becoming only the second Albanian to play in the Spanish top-flight. After returning to Legia and winning the league and the Polish Cup, he returned to Lugano once again, followed by stints with Málaga CF in the Segunda División, BB Erzurumspor in the Turkish Süper Lig and Bolivian giants Club Bolívar, where he debuted in the 2021 Copa Libertadores.

Sadiku returned to Spain in July 2021, signing a one-year contract with UD Las Palmas, followed by a move to FC Cartagena. In June 2023, he made his debut in Indian football with Mohun Bagan Super Giant, scoring his first goal for the team in the AFC Cup playoff round and netting the winner in the Durand Cup 2023 semi-final against his new team, FC Goa.

He finished the 2023-24 season with 11 goals and an assist in 35 matches, winning the Durand Cup and the Indian Super League (ISL) Shield with the Mariners.

On the international stage, Armando Sadiku has represented Albania at various levels, scoring his first senior international goal in the FIFA World Cup 2014 Qualifiers. He was instrumental in securing Albania’s place in UEFA Euro 2016, where he scored against Romania, leading his team to a historic 1-0 win – their first in a major football competition. Overall, the 33-year-old has played nearly 500 matches for club and country, scoring over 175 goals and providing 30 assists.