{{Short description|Belgian footballer (born 2000)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Alessandro Albanese | fullname = | image = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|2000|1|12}} | birth_place = Lier, Belgium | height = 1.74m | position = Winger | currentclub = Egnatia | clubnumber = 10 | youthyears1 = 2003–2007 | youthclubs1 = Herstal | youthyears2 = 2007–2015 | youthclubs2 = Standard Liège | youthyears3 = 2015–2016 | youthclubs3 = Porto | youthyears4 = 2016–2018 | youthclubs4 = Hoffenheim | youthyears5 = 2018–2019 | youthclubs5 = Eintracht Frankfurt | years1 = 2020–2022 | clubs1 = Waasland-Beveren | caps1 = 27 | goals1 = 1 | years2 = 2022–2024 | clubs2 = Oostende | caps2 = 23 | goals2 = 2 | years3 = 2023 | clubs3 = → Virton (loan) | caps3 = 8 | goals3 = 0 | years4 = 2024 | clubs4 = HJK | caps4 = 8 | goals4 = 0 | years5 = 2025 | clubs5 = RFC Liège | caps5 = 8 | goals5 = 1 | years6 = 2025– | clubs6 = Egnatia | caps6 = 22 | goals6 = 6 | nationalyears1 = 2016 | nationalteam1 = Belgium U16 | nationalcaps1 = 3 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | nationalyears2 = 2016–2017 | nationalteam2 = Belgium U17 | nationalcaps2 = 6 | nationalgoals2 = 0 | pcupdate = 6 March 2026 | ntupdate = 28 November 2020 }} '''Alessandro Albanese''' (born 12 January 2000) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Albanian Kategoria Superiore club KF Egnatia.
==Club career== Albanese began playing football at the age of 3 at Herstal, and continued his football training in the academies of Standard Liège, Porto, Hoffenheim, and Eintracht Frankfurt.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dhnet.be/sports/sport-regional/liege/alessandro-albanese-un-petit-bout-de-herstal-a-waasland-beveren-j-y-ai-pu-jouer-contre-neymar-et-mbappe-5faeb8927b50a6525b3e031e|title=Albanese, un petit bout de Herstal à Waasland: "J'ai pu y jouer contre Neymar et Mbappé!"|first=DH Les|last=Sports+|date=November 13, 2020|website=DH Les Sports +}}</ref> After a year without a club, Albanese signed a professional contract with Waasland-Beveren in the summer of 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lesoir.be/318889/article/2020-08-13/standard-porto-waasland-beveren-le-fabuleux-destin-dalessandro-albanese|title=Standard, Porto, Waasland-Beveren,...: le fabuleux destin d'Alessandro Albanese|date=August 13, 2020|website=Le Soir Plus}}</ref> Albanese made his professional debut with Waasland-Beveren in a 3-1 Belgian First Division A win over K.V. Kortrijk, assisting his side's first goal in the 10th minute.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://uk.soccerway.com/matches/2020/08/09/belgium/pro-league/kv-kortrijk/kv-red-star-waasland/3323520/|title=Kortrijk vs. Waasland-Beveren - 9 August 2020 - Soccerway|website=uk.soccerway.com}}</ref>
On 4 January 2022, Albanese moved to Belgian Pro League club Oostende and signed a contract until 2025.<ref>{{cite press release|publisher=Oostende|url=https://kvo.be/en/nieuwe-speler-alessandro-albanese/|title=NEW PLAYER: ALESSANDRO ALBANESE|date=4 January 2022|access-date=8 February 2022}}</ref> On 18 January 2023, he was loaned by Challenger Pro League side Virton.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Virton|url=https://www.revirton.be/alessandro-albanese|title=Alessandro Albanese|date=18 January 2023|access-date=9 February 2023|language=fr|archive-date=9 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230209194346/https://www.revirton.be/alessandro-albanese|url-status=dead}}</ref>
On 4 July 2024, Albanese signed with HJK Helsinki in Finnish Veikkausliiga.<ref>[https://www.hjk.fi/artikkelit/miehet/alessandro-albanese-hjkn-hyokkaykseen/ Alessandro Albanese HJK:n hyökkäykseen], hjk.fi, 4 July 2024</ref>
==International career== Albanese is a former youth international for Belgium, having represented the country at under-16 and under-17 levels.
==Personal life== Born in Belgium, Albanese is of Albanian/Arbëresh descent.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.voetbalnieuws.be/news/525141/waaslandbeveren-test-spelers-van-frankfurt-en-emmen|title='Waasland-Beveren test spelers van Frankfurt en Emmen'|website=www.voetbalnieuws.be}}</ref> He holds a dual citizenship of Belgium and Italy.
== Career statistics == {{updated|25 October 2024.}} {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition |- !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !rowspan="2"|Division !colspan="2"|League !colspan="2"|Cup{{efn|Includes Belgian Cup}} !colspan="2"|Europe !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total |- !Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="3"|Waasland-Beveren |2021–22 |Belgian Pro League |24||1||2||0||colspan=2|–||colspan=2|–||26||1 |- |2021–22 |Challenger Pro League |4||0||1||0||colspan=2|–||colspan=2|–||5||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !28!!1!!3!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!31!!1 |- |rowspan=4|Oostende |2021–22 |Belgian Pro League |8||1||colspan=2|–||colspan=2|–||colspan=2|–||8||1 |- |2022–23 |Belgian Pro League |11||0||1||0||colspan=2|–||colspan=2|–||12||0 |- |2023–24 |Challenger Pro League |4||1||0||0||colspan=2|–||colspan=2|–||4||1 |- !colspan="2"|Total !23!!2!!1!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!24!!2 |- |Virton (loan) |2022–23 |Challenger Pro League |8||0||colspan=2|–||colspan=2|–||colspan=2|–||8||0 |- |HJK |2024 |Veikkausliiga |8||0||0||0||2{{efn|Appearance in UEFA Champions League and UEFA Conference League|name=uccl}}||0||0||0||10||0 |- |RFC Liège |2024–25 |Challenger Pro League |0||0||0||0||colspan=2|–||colspan=2|–||0||0 |- !colspan="3"|Career total !67!!3!!4!!0!!2!!0!!0!!0!!73!!3 |} {{notelist}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{Soccerway|alessandro-albanese/467669}} * [https://www.acff.be/international/8417/carriere ACFF Profile]
{{KF Egnatia squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Albanese, Alessandro}} Category:2000 births Category:Belgian people of Albanian descent Category:Belgian people of Arbëreshë descent Category:Belgian people of Italian descent Category:Footballers from Lier, Belgium Category:Living people Category:Belgian men's footballers Category:Belgium men's youth international footballers Category:Men's association football wingers Category:SK Beveren players Category:KV Oostende players Category:Royal Excelsior Virton players Category:RFC Liège players Category:Belgian Pro League players Category:Challenger Pro League players Category:Belgian expatriate men's footballers Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Portugal Category:Belgian expatriate sportspeople in Portugal Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Germany Category:Belgian expatriate sportspeople in Germany Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Finland Category:Belgian expatriate sportspeople in Finland Category:Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi players Category:21st-century Belgian sportsmen
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