Uzuni, born in Berat, relocated to Zakynthos, Greece, at the age of 10 with his parents and two brothers. Driven by his passion for football, he joined the academies of the Zakynthos Club AssociationDoxa Pigadakia. Simultaneously, he assisted his parents in their restaurant in Zakynthos. Uzuni spent seven years there until 2012, when he returned to his hometown of Berat.[1]
Upon his return, he joined the local side Tomori and initiated his career by playing for the club's under-17 team. During the 2012–13 season, he emerged as the top goalscorer in the under-17 First Division, netting 14 goals. In the subsequent season, Uzuni continued his goal-scoring streak, scoring four times in his first four games. He then transitioned to the under-19 side, representing Tomori in a football tournament held in Spain in September 2013. Uzuni's exceptional performance contributed to Tomori's victory in the tournament, and he secured the position of the top goalscorer with seven goals. Consequently, his talent earned him a call-up to the senior team by head coach Madrid Muxhaj.[2][3]
Tomori
Uzuni made his professional debut in an Albanian Cup match against Pogradeci on 24 October 2013, entering as a substitute in the 53rd minute for Fatjon Lajthia in a goalless draw.[4] Quickly becoming a key player for the under-19s, he received another call-up to the senior team for the return leg of the Albanian Cup against Pogradeci. In his first senior start, Uzuni scored his maiden senior goal in the second minute and secured a 71st-minute winner in a 3–2 victory, advancing his team to the next round.[5]
His league debut came in the Kategoria e Parë against Veleçiku on 14 December 2013, entering the game at half-time for Salvador Gjonaj in a 1–0 away win.[6] Throughout his debut professional season, he made 11 league appearances, scoring one goal, contributing to his team's 4th-place finish. Additionally, he scored two goals in four Albanian Cup games, concluding his debut season with three goals in 15 games.
Having established himself in the first team under Madrid Muxhaj in the previous season, Uzuni experienced a change in management as Eqerem Memushi took charge for the 2014–15 campaign. The new coach displayed confidence in the young player by starting him in the opening game, a 1–0 win against Shkumbini.[7] Uzuni's consistent performances included scoring twice in 11 days before the winter break in December. His displays in 2014 earned him the Tomori Player of the Year award.[8] Shortly after receiving the award, he made a move to the top-flight side Apolonia during the January transfer window in 2015.
Apolonia
In January 2015, Uzuni signed a four-year contract with Kategoria Superiore side Apolonia.[9] Under coach Artan Mërgjyshi, he made his debut in the Kategoria Superiore on 24 January against Tirana, ending in a 2–0 away loss.[10] Despite Apolonia's struggles in scoring during the second half of the season, Uzuni became a regular starter, often completing full 90-minute matches as part of the front line alongside Realdo Fili, Andi Ribaj, and Marko Rajković.
Apolonia faced challenges, remaining scoreless in the first five games of the season's second half, all resulting in losses, with Uzuni forming a striking partnership with Fili and Ribaj, while Rajković remained on the bench. The team's fortunes changed with a 2–2 home draw against Kukësi on 28 February, where Uzuni scored his first goal for Apolonia in the first half, and Fili also contributed with a goal.[11] Subsequently, with the forward trio of Fili, Uzuni, and Rajković, Apolonia secured two consecutive wins, with Uzuni assisting Fili in scoring on both occasions.[12]
Despite these successes, Apolonia faced difficulties, losing the next three games scorelessly against top-table sides Laçi, Tirana, and Partizani. Although they managed three additional wins, frequent losses in the remaining matches led to their relegation after finishing in the penultimate place, four points behind Teuta.[11]
Laçi
On 17 August 2017, amidst interest from various top-flight clubs, Uzuni completed a transfer to Laçi for €20,000.[13] On the same day, he showcased his skills by playing and scoring in a friendly against Iliria, resulting in a 2–2 draw.[13] Making his competitive debut on 10 September in the 2017–18 Kategoria Superiore matchday 1 against Partizani, Uzuni played the full 90 minutes as Laçi caused an upset with a 2–0 victory.[14] He marked his first goal on 21 October during matchday 6 against Lushnja, contributing to a 3–0 win that lifted Laçi to 3rd place in the championship.[15]
On 10 December, Uzuni scored his second goal of the season in a crucial match against Skënderbeu, ending their undefeated streak in the league.[16] This victory was Laçi's first over Skënderbeu since April 2015.[17] On 14 March of the following year, Uzuni achieved his first top-flight brace in a 3–1 win at Lushnja, hitting the crossbar twice and having a goal canceled for offside.[18]Roza Haxhiu Stadium proved to be his favorite venue, with seven goals scored for three different teams.[19]
In the final matchday, Uzuni scored a brace in the 4–2 home win over Teuta, securing ten goals for the campaign. Laçi finished in 4th place, earning a return to the UEFA Europa League after a three-year absence.[20]
In July 2018, Uzuni was included in manager Besnik Prenga's squad list for the 2018–19 UEFA Europa League campaign.[21] He made his debut in the competition on 12 July in the first leg of the first qualifying round against Anorthosis Famagusta, playing the entire match as Laçi lost 2–1.[22] In the return leg, he scored an 89th-minute header, giving Laçi a 1–0 home win and securing progression to the next round through the away goal rule.[23][24]
Uzuni's final match for the team occurred on 31 August 2018 in a 1–1 draw versus Skënderbeu, where he scored the opener with a powerful shot inside the penalty area.[25]
NK Lokomotiva
On 3 September 2018, Uzuni made his first move abroad, joining the Croatian club NK Lokomotiva by signing a four-year contract.[26] Laçi reportedly received €350,000, which Lokomotiva would pay in two installments.[26] Sporting squad number 21,[27] he made his competitive debut on 16 September in the 5–2 victory over Slaven Belupo, contributing with an assist.[28] His first goal for the club occurred in his third league appearance, securing a 3–0 win at Gorica.[29]
Ferencváros
On 7 August 2020, Uzuni joined Nemzeti Bajnokság I champions Ferencváros on a four-year deal for a reported fee of $1.98 million.
In Ferencváros's UEFA Champions League third qualifying round match against Dinamo Zagreb on 16 September, Uzuni scored an own goal in the first half, leveling the score at 1–1. However, he redeemed himself by netting a 65th-minute winner, leading the team to a two-legged play-off tie against Molde for entrance into the group stage.[30]
On 24 November 2020, Uzuni scored his first Champions League goal in a 2–1 away defeat against Juventus in the 2020–21 season.[32] This goal marked a historic moment as the first one conceded by Juventus against a Hungarian side in European competitions.[33]
On 31 January 2022, Uzuni moved to Spanish La Liga side Granada on a three-and-a-half-year contract.[35] Making his La Liga debut on 6 February against Real Madrid, he played as a starter, but Granada lost away 1–0.[36] Uzuni established himself as a team starter, often featuring as a left winger. His first La Liga goal came on 7 May 2022, in his 13th league game against Mallorca, contributing to a 2–6 away victory.[37] Three days later, he assisted Álex Collado's winning goal against Athletic Bilbao, aiding Granada in a crucial victory in the relegation battle.[38] However, Granada narrowly missed avoiding relegation, finishing in 18th place out of 20 teams in La Liga, just 1 point behind three other teams.[39]
Remaining with the club in the Segunda División, Uzuni made his league debut in the opening game of the season against Ibiza on 14 August 2022, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–0 away victory.[40] A week later, he scored his first goal of the season against Racing de Santander in the 90+1st minute, securing another 2–0 victory for Granada.[41] In the following week, Uzuni achieved his first hat-trick in Spain against Villarreal B, leading Granada to a 3–0 victory.[42] On 14 October, he played a key role in Granada's 5–0 victory over Sporting de Gijón, assisting Antonio Puertas' header in the 6th minute and scoring two subsequent goals (27th and 50th minute). With this win, Granada secured the second-place position, only 3 points behind the table-topping Las Palmas.[43] On 23 October, he renewed his contract until 2026.[44]
After a scoreless streak of six games, Uzuni once again played a crucial role, this time against Deportivo Alavés on 2 December, scoring twice and assisting once to overturn the score for Granada to 3–1.[45] Subsequently, coach Paco López switched him to play as a center forward. He scored two goals in two occasions against Burgos on 11 December and Cartagena on 8 January 2023, contributing to Granada's two identical 1–0 victories.[11] Later, he scored a brace against Andorra, securing another clear victory with his only goals.[46] Despite scoring several goals only in home matches, on 5 February 2023, he managed his first away goal against Villarreal B, scoring in the 28th minute to seal a 2–0 victory for Granada, keeping the team in contention for direct promotion to La Liga.[47] He continued his impressive form with another brace a week later against Tenerife, scoring in each half of the match as Granada secured their fourth consecutive 2–0 win.[11] Uzuni played a pivotal role in helping his team gain promotion to La Liga by scoring 23 goals and assisting 5 in the 2022–23 season. In the 2023–24 season, he became the top scorer for his club in La Liga by scoring 11 goals.[48]
In the following month, he was again called up for the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification Group 4 opening match against Liechtenstein on 28 March 2015. Given the number 10 shirt for his international debut, Uzuni started in the attacking line alongside fellow Albanian Superliga player Jurgen Vatnikaj, supported by Liridon Latifi and Enis Gavazaj from the wings. Albania U21 secured a 2–0 away victory, marking a winning start to the qualification campaign with goals from Rey Manaj and Liridon Latifi. Uzuni played the full 90 minutes and made an attempt to score a third goal.[50][51] However, with the managerial switch, Uzuni saw reduced playing time as tactics shifted to 4-2-3-1, with Rey Manaj as the preferred lone striker. Intense competition in the offensive line, along with the arrival of Fiorin Durmishaj and talented midfielders like Latifi, Endri Çekiçi, Milot Rashica, Gavazaj, and Eros Grezda, meant Uzuni often found himself on the bench or outside the 18-man squad. Despite frequent call-ups,[52] he played only two other games: a last-minute substitute appearance against Liechtenstein on 16 November and a full 90 minutes in the closing match against Israel in a 4–0 loss. Despite his continuous efforts, Albania U21 was eliminated, finishing mid-table with 12 points, equalized with Hungary and trailing Greece by just one point.[11][12]
Uzuni scored his only goal for the youth international team on 20 May 2016 in a friendly against the Czech Republic, netting the team's only goal in a 1–1 draw.[53]
Senior
Uzuni earned his first senior call-up on 2 October 2018, selected by manager Christian Panucci for the friendly against Jordan and the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League C third match against Israel.[54] He made his senior debut against Jordan on 10 October, coming on as a halftime substitute for Eros Grezda. In this match, he played alongside Rey Manaj, and the game concluded in a goalless draw.[55] Four days later, in the competitive match against Israel, Uzuni played the full 90 minutes as a right winger, but Albania suffered a 2–0 loss.[56]
Personal life
In December 2017, Uzuni revealed that his source of inspiration is the Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo. Notably, on 24 November 2020, during a match against Juventus, Uzuni celebrated his goal for Ferencváros by imitating Ronaldo's celebration and exchanged shirts with the football star.[57]
^Andi Deçka (10 September 2017). "Iuliano debuton me humbje, mundet Partizani" [Iuliano debuts with a loss, Partizani defeated] (in Albanian). SuperSport Albania. Archived from the original on 11 September 2017. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
^Sotir Kora (20 May 2016). "Shpresat barazojnë miqësoren me Çekinë" [Hopes draw in the friendly against Czech Republic] (in Albanian). SuperSport Albania. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
