Ronaldo Shani

Ronaldo Shani
Personal information
Date of birth (2002-03-29) 29 March 2002 (age 22)
Place of birth Greece
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Ionikos
Youth career
Atromitos Metamorfosis
2015–2018 Atromitos
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018–2022 Atromitos 0 (0)
2021–2022 → Asteras Vlachioti (loan) 7 (0)
2022 Ypato
2022–2023 SV Neuhof 13 (2)
2023 Thesprotos 11 (1)
2023–2024 Panelefsiniakos
2024 Thyella Rafina
2024– Ionikos
International career
2018 Greece U16 3 (1)
2018–2019 Greece U17 5 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 9 October 2024

Ronaldo Shani (Greek: Ρονάλντο Σάνι; born 29 March 2002) is a Greek professional footballer who plays as a forward for Piraeus FCA First Division club Ionikos.

Early life

Shani was born in Greece to Albanian parents.[2]

Club career

Having begun his career with Atromitos Metamorfosis, Shani joined the academy of professional side Atromitos at the age of thirteen.[2][3] In November 2016 he went on trial with Italian side Atalanta.[2] He marked his unofficial debut for Atromitos with a goal, scoring in a friendly against Panathinaikos on 12 September 2018.[3] The following week he signed his first professional contract with the club.[4]

Shani made his professional debut for Atromitos on 19 December 2018, coming on as a substitute for Theodoros Vasilakakis in an 8–0 win over Thyella Kamariou in the Greek Cup.[5] In October 2019, he was named by English newspaper The Guardian on "Next Generation" list, highlighting the best players in the world born in 2002.[6]

He was loaned to Super League Greece 2 side Asteras Vlachioti in August 2021, alongside teammate Fotis Zannis.[7] Following seven appearances for the club, he returned to Atromitos, but moved immediately to Gamma Ethniki side Ypato on a free transfer.[8] Later in the same year, he moved to Germany to join Hessenliga side SV Neuhof.[9]

On his return to Greece in January 2023, he joined Thesprotos.[10] After half a year with Thesprotos, he moved to Panelefsiniakos in September of the same year.[11] This spell was also short, and in January 2024 he joined Thyella Rafina.[12][13] After trialling with Amarynthiakos,[14] he signed for Ionikos in September of the same year.[15][16]

International career

Eligible to represent Greece and Albania at international level, Shani rejected an approach from the Albanian Football Association in order to represent Greece.[6] He went on to represent Greece at under-16 and under-17 level.[1]

Career statistics

Club

As of 27 August 2023[1][17]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Atromitos 2018–19 Super League Greece 0 0 1[a] 0 0 0 1 0
2019–20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2020–21 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2021–22 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0
Asteras Vlachioti (loan) 2021–22 Super League Greece 2 7 0 1[a] 0 0 0 8 0
SV Neuhof 2022–23 Hessenliga 13 2 0 0 0 0 13 2
Thesprotos 2022–23 Super League Greece 2 11 1 0 0 0 0 11 1
Career total 31 3 2 0 0 0 33 3
  1. ^ a b Appearances in the Greek Cup

References

  1. ^ a b c Ronaldo Shani at WorldFootball.net
  2. ^ a b c "Ιταλικό ενδιαφέρον για τον 14χρονο Ρονάλντο του Ατρόμητου" [Italian interest in 14-year-old Ronaldo of Atromitos]. contra.gr (in Greek). 22 November 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Ρονάλντο: Ο νέος Λημνιός του Ατρομήτου" [Ronaldo: The new Limnion of Atromitos]. sdna.gr (in Greek). 12 September 2018. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  4. ^ "Επαγγελματικά συμβόλαια για τρεις στον Ατρόμητο" [Professional contracts for three in Atromitos]. fosonline.gr (in Greek). 19 September 2018. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  5. ^ "Πρόκριση στην επόμενη φάση του κυπέλλου" [Advance to the next phase of the cup]. atromitosfc.gr (in Greek). 19 December 2018. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  6. ^ a b Christenson, Marcus; Powell, Jim; Blight, Garry (10 October 2019). "Next Generation 2019: 60 of the best young talents in world football". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  7. ^ "Ατρόμητος: Δανεικοί στον Αστέρα Βλαχιώτη οι Ρονάλντο και Ζάννης" [Atromitos: Ronaldo and Zannis on loan to Asteras Vlachiotis]. sportime.gr (in Greek). 25 August 2021. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  8. ^ "Γ' Εθνική: «Σουπερλιγκάτη» ενίσχυση στην επίθεση για τον ΑΟ Υπάτου!" [3rd National Team: "Super League" reinforcement in the attack for AO Ypatos!]. mikriliga.com (in Greek). 3 February 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  9. ^ "Ronaldo sieht zweite Neuhofer Niederlage" [Ronaldo sees second Neuhofer defeat]. osthessen-news.de (in German). 8 August 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  10. ^ "Κουέβας και Σάνι ο Θεσπρωτός" [Kuevas and Shani the Thesprotos]. footballleaguenews.gr (in Greek). 22 January 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  11. ^ Pantzaridis, Kyriakos (6 September 2023). "Πάει για Σάνι ο Πανελευσινιακός" [The Pan-Leviticus is going for Shani]. soccerlive.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  12. ^ "Ανακοίνωση μεταγραφής Ρονάλντο Σάνι" [Ronaldo Shani transfer announcement]. thiellafc.gr (in Greek). 6 January 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  13. ^ "O 21χρονος Ρονάλντο Σάνι στην "Θύελλα" Ραφήνας" [The 21-year-old Ronaldo Shani in "Thyella" Rafina]. rpn.gr (in Greek). 7 January 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  14. ^ Pantzaridis, Kyriakos (11 September 2024). "Ελεύθερος ο Ρονάλντο Σάνι" [Ronaldo Shani is free]. soccerlive.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  15. ^ "Στον Ιωνικό ο Ρονάλντο Σάνι!" [Ronaldo Shani in the Ionian!]. ionikosfc.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  16. ^ Makroglou, Valantis (18 September 2024). "Ιωνικός: Ενίσχυση της επιθετικής γραμμής με Ρονάλντο Σάνι" [Ionian: Reinforcement of the attacking line with Ronaldo Shani]. peiraiotika.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  17. ^ Ronaldo Shani at Soccerway