1. Taulant Ragip Xhaka was born on 28 March 1991 and is a professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Swiss Super League club Basel.
22 Facts About Taulant Xhaka
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Taulant Xhaka is the elder brother of Granit Xhaka, who is a professional footballer who plays for Bayer Leverkusen and the Switzerland national team.
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Taulant Xhaka started playing football at the age of 6 and entered at FC Concordia Basel in 2000 before moving along with his brother to FC Basel two years later.
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Taulant Xhaka played for various FC Basel youth teams and from 2008 became a regular member of the under-21 team for two years in the Swiss 1.
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On 18 January 2012, it was announced Taulant Xhaka was sent on loan to Grasshoppers to gain first-team playing experience.
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Taulant Xhaka was an important instrument in team's European campaign, playing ten matches in the Champions League and five in the UEFA Europa League.
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On 13 December, during the cup fixture against Sion, Taulant Xhaka suffered an injury which kept him sidelined until the January 2015.
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On 9 January 2015, Taulant Xhaka extended his contract for a further three years, up until 30 June 2018.
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Taulant Xhaka became one of the three Albania international footballers who participated in the knockout stage of the Champions League for the first time in history, alongside Basel teammates Shkelzen Gashi and Arlind Ajeti.
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Taulant Xhaka begun his international career with Switzerland by playing with the under-17 side at the 2008 UEFA European Under-17 Championship.
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Taulant Xhaka played in all three matches as starter, unable to prevent the team's early elimination from the competition.
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In May 2013, Taulant Xhaka expressed his wish to represent Albania senior team, adding that his choice of Albania was definitive.
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Taulant Xhaka received his first call-up by manager Gianni De Biasi for the friendly against Malta on 5 March 2014, but was forced to withdraw due to an injury suffered just three days before the match.
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Taulant Xhaka was fully fit ahead of UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying campaign where he received a call-up for the opening match against Portugal on 7 September 2014.
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Taulant Xhaka's performance earned praise from the media, as he was included in the Team of the Week.
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On 21 May 2016, Taulant Xhaka was named in Albania's preliminary 27-man squad for the final stages of Euro 2016, and in Albania's final 23-man Euro 2016 squad, announced on 31 May.
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Taulant Xhaka played only four matches in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification in which Albania was placed in Group G, finishing in third place which was still a record.
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Taulant Xhaka threw several accusations towards the coach in the next weeks, saying that De Biasi is Italian, and that his interest are only the money, not the national team.
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Taulant Xhaka returned to the national team in October 2017 for the final two qualifying matches against Spain and Italy.
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Taulant Xhaka scored his first international goal in his 22nd appearance in Albania's first ever match in UEFA Nations League against Israel, netting with a right shot outside the penalty area in the second half.
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On 15 November 2021, Taulant Xhaka announced his retirement from international football, citing his injuries and personal issues as the reasons behind his decision.
22.
On 7 January 2018, Taulant Xhaka was engaged to his long-time Albanian girlfriend, Arbnora Nuredini; they married that year.