{{short description|Finnish footballer of Kosovar Albanian descent}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Erfan Zeneli | image = Erfan Zeneli.jpg | fullname = Erfan Zeneli | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1986|12|28}} | birth_place = Vučitrn, SFR Yugoslavia <br>(present-day Kosovo) | height = {{height|m=1.68|precision=0}} | position = Left winger | currentclub = SexyPöxyt | clubnumber = | youthyears1 = 1993–1997 | youthclubs1 = RoPS | youthyears2 = 1998–2003 | youthclubs2 = Jaro | youthyears3 = 2003–2005 | youthclubs3 = HJK | years1 = 2005–2013 | years2 = 2009–2010 | years3 = 2014 | years4 = 2014–2015 | years5 = 2016 | years6 = 2016–2017 | years7 = 2017 | years8 = 2018 | years9 = 2019–2020 | years10 = 2020 | years11 = 2021 | years12 = 2022– | clubs1 = HJK | clubs2 = → Klubi 04 | clubs3 = Maccabi Petah Tikva | clubs4 = HJK | clubs5 = Shakhter Karagandy | clubs6 = Inter Turku | clubs7 = SJK | clubs8 = RoPs | clubs9 = HJK | clubs10 = AC Kajaani | clubs11 = Viikingit | clubs12 = SexyPöxyt | caps1 = 166 | caps2 = 25 | caps3 = 10 | caps4 = 36 | caps5 = 14 | caps6 = 15 | caps7 = 30 | caps8 = 11 | caps9 = 9 | caps10 = 12 | caps11 = 2 | caps12 = 36 | goals1 = 32 | goals2 = 8 | goals3 = 1 | goals4 = 11 | goals5 = 0 | goals6 = 0 | goals7 = 4 | goals8 = 1 | goals9 = 0 | goals10 = 3 | goals11 = 0 | goals12 = 4 | nationalyears1 = 2006–2008 | nationalyears2 = 2013–2015 | nationalteam1 = Finland U21 | nationalteam2 = Finland | nationalcaps1 = 10 | nationalcaps2 = 6 | nationalgoals1 = 2 | nationalgoals2 = 0 | club-update = 21 February 2025 }}
'''Erfan Zeneli''' (born 28 December 1986) is a Finnish footballer of Kosovar Albanian descent who plays for SexyPöxyt as a striker or left winger.<ref>[https://www.suomifutis.com/2019/01/erfan-zeneli-povaa-hjkn-superlupaukselle-hyvaa-kautta-jos-pelaat-hjkssa-tuon-ikaisena-sinun-pitaa-olla-tosi-hyva/ Erfan Zeneli povaa HJK:n superlupaukselle hyvää kautta: ”Jos pelaat HJK:ssa tuon ikäisenä, sinun pitää olla tosi hyvä”], suomifutis.com, 2 January 2019</ref> Besides Finland, he has played in Israel and Kazakhstan.<ref>[https://www.palloliitto.fi/jalkapallouutiset/ykkosen-tahdet-tutuiksi-erfan-zeneli Ykkösen tähdet tutuiksi: Erfan Zeneli] palloliitto.fi</ref>
==Club career== In February 2016, Zeneli went on trial with Kazakhstan Premier League side FC Shakhter Karagandy.<ref>{{cite web|title=ШАХТЕР ПРОСМАТРИВАЕТ ИНОСТРАННЫХ ФУТБОЛИСТОВ|url=http://shahter.kz/main.php?mod=news&lang=rus&newsid=3002|website=shahter.kz|publisher=FC Shakhter Karagandy|access-date=2 February 2016|language=ru|date=1 February 2016}}</ref>
On 17 June 2016, Zeneli had his contract with Shakhter Karagandy terminated by mutual consent,<ref>{{cite web|title=ШАХТЕР ПОКИНУЛИ ЭРФАН ЗЕНЕЛИ И МОШТАГ ЯГУБИ|url=http://shahter.kz/main.php?mod=news&lang=rus&newsid=3405|website=shahter.kz|publisher=FC Shakhter Karagandy|access-date=17 June 2016|language=ru|date=17 June 2016}}</ref> going on to season a contract with FC Inter Turku for the rest of the 2016 season on 19 July 2016.<ref>{{cite web|title=Erfan Zeneli loppukaudeksi Interiin|url=http://fcinter.fi/uutiset/2016/07/19/erfan-zeneli-loppukaudeksi-interiin|website=fcinter.fi|publisher=FC Inter Turku|access-date=10 August 2016|language=fi|date=19 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160811084431/http://fcinter.fi/uutiset/2016/07/19/erfan-zeneli-loppukaudeksi-interiin|archive-date=11 August 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==International career== In April 2012 Zeneli declared to the media that he would welcome a convocation to be part of the Albania national football team and has been since in contact with coach Gianni de Biasi. He decided to play in the Finland national football team.<ref name="Gazeta Express">{{cite web|last=Hasani|first=Valdet|url=http://www.gazetaexpress.com/?cid=1,24,79191|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130123224354/http://www.gazetaexpress.com/?cid=1,24,79191|url-status=dead|archive-date=23 January 2013|title=De Biasi zbulon Zenelin në Youtube|publisher=Gazeta Express|date=19 April 2012}}</ref>
==Personal life== His older brother Ridvan is a former footballer.
==Career statistics== {{updated|7 May 2024}}<ref>[https://tulospalvelu.palloliitto.fi/person/105091/player/seasons Erfan Zeneli], Football Association of Finland</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition |- !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|Domestic Cups{{efn|Includes Suomen Cup, Finnish League Cup, Israeli Cup and Kazakhstan Cup}} !colspan="2"|Europe !colspan="2"|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="10"|HJK |2005 |Veikkausliiga |5||1||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||5||1 |- |2006 |Veikkausliiga |23||2||1||0||2{{efn|Includes UEFA Cup|name=uc}}||0||26||2 |- |2007 |Veikkausliiga |12||0||0||0||1{{efn|name=uc}}||0||13||0 |- |2008 |Veikkausliiga |21||0||2||2||colspan="2"|–||23||2 |- |2009 |Veikkausliiga |0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0 |- |2010 |Veikkausliiga |18||4||2||1||3{{efn|Includes UEFA Champions League|name=ucl}}||0||23||5 |- |2011 |Veikkausliiga |29||8||4||1||5{{efn|Includes UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League|name=ucel}}||2||38||11 |- |2012 |Veikkausliiga |24||1||9||2||3{{efn|name=ucel}}||0||36||3 |- |2013 |Veikkausliiga |31||11||7||3||2{{efn|name=ucl}}||0||40||14 |- !colspan="2"|Total !163!!34!!25!!9!!16!!2!!204!!45 |- |rowspan="3"|Klubi 04 (loan) |2009 |Ykkönen |25||6||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||25||6 |- |2010 |Ykkönen |1||1||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||1||1 |- !colspan="2"|Total !26!!7!!0!!0!!0!!0!!26!!7 |- |Maccabi Petah Tikva |2013–14 |Israeli Premier League |10||1||1||0||colspan="2"|–||11||1 |- |rowspan="3"|HJK |2014 |Veikkausliiga |9||3||2||0||8{{efn|Includes UEFA Europa League|name=uel}}||0||19||3 |- |2015 |Veikkausliiga |27||8||7||3||6{{efn|name=ucel}}||2||40||13 |- !colspan="2"|Total !36!!11!!9!!3!!14!!2!!49!!16 |- |Shakhter Karagandy |2016 |Kazakhstan Premier League |14||0||1||0||colspan="2"|–||15||0 |- |Inter Turku |2016 |Veikkausliiga |15||0||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||15||0 |- |SJK |2017 |Veikkausliiga |30||4||1||0||2{{efn|name=uel}}||0||33||4 |- |RoPS |2018 |Veikkausliiga |11||1||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||11||1 |- |HJK |2019 |Veikkausliiga |9||0||0||0||2{{efn|name=ucel}}||0||11||0 |- |AC Kajaani |2020 |Ykkönen |12||3||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||12||3 |- |Viikingit |2021 |Kolmonen |2||0||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||2||0 |- |rowspan="4"|SexyPöxyt |2022 |Kolmonen |8||3||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||8||3 |- |2023 |Kakkonen |13||0||1||0||colspan="2"|–||14||0 |- |2024 |Kakkonen |15||1||1||0||colspan="2"|–||16||1 |- !colspan="2"|Total !36!!4!!2!!0!!0!!0!!38!!4 |- !colspan="3"|Career total !364!!65!!39!!12!!34!!4!!437!!81 |} {{notelist}}
==Honours== ;Individual *Veikkausliiga Top assist provider: 2013<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120503235428/http://www.veikkausliiga.com/Statistic.aspx?id=12 veikkausliiga.com] {{in lang|fi}}</ref> * Veikkausliiga Midfielder of the year: 2013<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.veikkausliiga.com/News.aspx?type%3D1%26ID%3D53586 |title=Veikkausliiga | Kauden 2013 pelipaikkojen parhaat nimetty |access-date=2013-11-11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131111151851/http://www.veikkausliiga.com/News.aspx?type=1&ID=53586 |archive-date=2013-11-11 }}</ref> *Veikkausliiga Player of the Month: September 2013,<ref>[http://www.veikkausliiga.com/News.aspx?type=&ID=53193 Erfan Zenelistä syyskuun Kuukauden pelaaja] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004235131/http://www.veikkausliiga.com/News.aspx?type=&ID=53193 |date=2013-10-04 }} {{in lang|fi}}</ref> September 2014<ref>[http://www.veikkausliiga.com/News.aspx?type=1&ID=56654 HJK:n Erfan Zeneli Veikkausliigan syyskuun kuukauden pelaaja] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20141004080214/http://www.veikkausliiga.com/News.aspx?type=1&ID=56654 |date=2014-10-04 }} {{in lang|fi}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
==External links== * [http://hjk.fi/joukkueet/miehet/joukkue?action=show&id=279&t=1 Profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322215216/http://hjk.fi/joukkueet/miehet/joukkue?action=show&id=279&t=1 |date=2012-03-22 }} at [http://www.hjk.fi/ HJK.fi] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20080917191344/http://www.veikkausliiga.com/Player.aspx?ID=13000597 Stats] at [http://www.Veikkausliiga.com/ Veikkausliiga.com] * {{Soccerway|erfan-zeneli/8486}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zeneli, Erfan}} Category:1986 births Category:Living people Category:Footballers from Vushtrri Category:Kosovan emigrants to Finland Category:Men's association football wingers Category:Kosovan men's footballers Category:Finnish men's footballers Category:Finland men's under-21 international footballers Category:Finland men's international footballers Category:Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi players Category:Klubi 04 players Category:Maccabi Petah Tikva F.C. players Category:FC Shakhter Karagandy players Category:FC Inter Turku players Category:Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho players Category:Rovaniemen Palloseura players Category:AC Kajaani players Category:FC Viikingit players Category:Veikkausliiga players Category:Ykkönen players Category:Israeli Premier League players Category:Kazakhstan Premier League players Category:Finnish expatriate men's footballers Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Israel Category:Finnish expatriate sportspeople in Israel Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Kazakhstan Category:Finnish expatriate sportspeople in Kazakhstan Category:Finnish people of Albanian descent Category:Finnish people of Yugoslav descent Category:Finnish people of Kosovan descent Category:21st-century Finnish sportsmen Category:SexyPöxyt players