Doni Arifi

Doni Arifi
Arifi with Ilves in 2024
Personal information
Date of birth (2002-04-11) 11 April 2002 (age 22)
Place of birth Riihimäki, Finland
Height 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Ilves
Number 6
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018–2020 Honka 0 (0)
2018–2020 Honka II 31 (0)
2020– Ilves 89 (3)
2020 → Ilves II 1 (0)
International career‡
2018 Finland U17 5 (0)
2019 Finland U18 2 (0)
2021 Finland U20 2 (0)
2023 Kosovo U21 2 (0)
2024– Finland U21 4 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19 October 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 19 November 2024

Doni Arifi (born 11 April 2002) is a Finnish professional footballer, who plays as a midfielder for Ilves in Veikkausliiga, Finnish premier division.[1][2]

Club career

Arifi started to play football in FC Honka organisation, debuting in senior level with the club's reserve team in the third-tier Kakkonen in 2018.

In the early 2020, Arifi moved to Tampere and joined a fellow Veikkausliiga side Ilves. On 7 August 2021, he extended his contract with Ilves, on a deal until the end of 2024.[3][4][5] He missed most of the 2023 season due to injury, but contributed in four cup matches as Ilves won the 2023 Finnish Cup title.

International career

Born and raised in Finland, Arifi is a former youth international for the country, before switching his allegiance to Kosovo at under-21 level in 2023.[6] In August 2024, Arifi stated in an interview that he is still open to represent the country from which he receives the first full international call-up. He respects Finland where he was born and raised and educated as a player, and Kosovo as his parents' home country.[7]

On 28 August 2024, Arifi was called-up by head coach Mika Lehkosuo to the Finland U21 squad for the 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification matches against Armenia and Romania.[8]

Career statistics

As of 19 October 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup[a] League cup[b] Europe Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Honka 2018 Veikkausliiga 0 0 1 0 – – 1 0
2019 Veikkausliiga 0 0 4 0 – – 4 0
Total 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 5 0
Honka Akatemia 2018 Kakkonen 14 0 – – – 14 0
2019 Kakkonen 16 0 – – – 16 0
2020 Kakkonen 1 0 1 1 – – 2 1
Total 31 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 32 1
Ilves 2020 Veikkausliiga 9 0 0 0 – 1[c] 0 10 0
2021 Veikkausliiga 23 0 3 0 – – 26 0
2022 Veikkausliiga 26 0 2 0 4 0 – 32 0
2023 Veikkausliiga 8 0 4 0 5 0 – 17 0
2024 Veikkausliiga 23 3 1 0 6 0 4[d] 0 34 3
Total 89 3 10 0 15 0 5 0 119 3
Ilves II 2020 Kakkonen 1 0 – – – 1 0
Career total 121 3 16 1 15 0 5 0 157 4
  1. ^ Includes Suomen Cup
  2. ^ Includes Finnish League Cup
  3. ^ Includes UEFA Europa League
  4. ^ Includes UEFA Conference League

Honours

Ilves

References

  1. ^ Doni Arifi at Soccerway
  2. ^ "Profile at Veikkausliiga's website". Veikkausliiga. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  3. ^ Doni Arifi ja Ilves jatkosopimukseen - "Kohta on aika paljastaa salainen ase", Veikkausliiga, 7 August 2021
  4. ^ DONI ARIFI JATKAA ILVEKSESSÄ PITKÄN JATKOSOPIMUKSEN TURVIN, ilvesedustus.fi, 7 August 2021
  5. ^ Video: Rikkeestä suuttunut Ilveksen pelaaja kosti rumalla tempulla – raivo repesi: ”Ihan järkyttävää toimintaa”, Ilta-Sanomat, 26 September 2021
  6. ^ D.Arifi, worldfootball
  7. ^ Ilves-tähti Doni Arifi sisuuntui pelikaverien ja opettajien reaktioista – Jarkko Wissin esittämä kysymys sai napakan vastauksen, Aamulehti, 15 August 2024
  8. ^ Pikkuhuuhkajat nimetty syyskuun otteluihin, Finnish FA, 28 August 2024
  9. ^ Ilveksen päävalmentaja hopeasta: ”Voitettu mitali”, Yle, 19 October 2024