{{Short description|Macedonian footballer (born 1994)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2022}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Valmir Nafiu | image = Valmir Nafiu 2013.jpg | full_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1994|4|23|df=yes}} | birth_place = Tetovo, Macedonia | height = 1.75 m | position = Winger, striker | currentclub = Malisheva | clubnumber = 18 | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Shkëndija | youthyears2 = 2012 | youthclubs2 = Basel | youthyears3 = 2012–2013 | youthclubs3 = Hamburger SV | years1 = 2010–2011 | clubs1 = Shkëndija | caps1 = 19 | goals1 = 1 | years2 = 2011–2012 | clubs2 = Basel | caps2 = 0 | goals2 = 0 | years3 = 2012–2013 | clubs3 = Hamburger SV II | caps3 = 12 | goals3 = 4 | years4 = 2013–2015 | clubs4 = Hamburger SV | caps4 = 2 | goals4 = 0 | years5 = 2015 | clubs5 = APOEL | caps5 = 10 | goals5 = 1 | years6 = 2016 | clubs6 = Skënderbeu | caps6 = 1 | goals6 = 0 | years7 = 2016–2018 | clubs7 = Renova | caps7 = 62 | goals7 = 11 | years8 = 2018–2023 | clubs8 = Shkëndija | caps8 = 108 | goals8 = 12 | years9 = 2023 | clubs9 = → FC Košice (loan) | caps9 = 12 | goals9 = 0 | years10 = 2024 | clubs10 = Otrant-Olympic | caps10 = 9 | goals10 = 2 | years11 = 2024-2026 | clubs11 = Ferizaj | caps11 = 31 | goals11 = 5 | years12 = 2026- | clubs12 = Malisheva | caps12 = 2 | goals12 = 0 | nationalyears1 = | nationalteam1 = Macedonia U17 | nationalcaps1 = 16 | nationalgoals1 = 11 | nationalyears2 = | nationalteam2 = Macedonia U19 | nationalcaps2 = 5 | nationalgoals2 = 1 | nationalyears3 = 2013–2015 | nationalteam3 = Macedonia U21 | nationalcaps3 = 6 | nationalgoals3 = 0 | club-update = 19 February 2026 | nationalteam-update = 11 June 2015 }}
'''Valmir Nafiu''' ({{langx|mk|Валмир Нафиу}};<ref>{{cite news |title=Шкендија и дефинитивно се раздели со Валмир Нафиу |url=https://ekipa.mk/shkendija-i-definitivno-se-razdeli-so-valmir-nafiu/ |access-date=2 June 2024 |work=Ekipa |date=15 June 2023 |language=Macedonian}}</ref> born 23 April 1994) is a Macedonian professional footballer who plays mainly as a winger or striker for Malisheva.
==Club career==
===Shkëndija=== At the end of his debuting season, Nafiu garnered interest from FC Basel and FC Barcelona.<ref name="AZ">{{cite web |date=26 June 2011 |title=Valmir Nafiu accompanies Basel for their training camp |url=http://macedonianfootball.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3017:valmir-nafiu-accompanies-basel-for-their-training-camp&catid=13:international&Itemid=64 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110701193848/http://macedonianfootball.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3017:valmir-nafiu-accompanies-basel-for-their-training-camp&catid=13:international&Itemid=64 |archive-date=2011-07-01 |access-date=21 November 2014 |publisher=Macedonianfootball.com}}</ref>
He went on trial where he impressed the Swiss club and Basel and Shkëndija reached a deal for Nafiu to remain in Switzerland before officially completing the transfer once he turned eighteen.
===Basel=== Nafiu officially joined on 23 April 2012, on his eighteenth birthday. He mainly played for the youth teams at Basel and was not capped at senior level. At Basel, Nafiu trained under Thorsten Fink.<ref name="Hamburg">{{cite web |date=28 August 2012 |title=Valmir Nafiu training with Hamburger |url=http://macedonianfootball.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4955:valmir-nafiu-training-with-hamburger&catid=33:international&Itemid=223 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121013191811/http://macedonianfootball.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4955:valmir-nafiu-training-with-hamburger&catid=33:international&Itemid=223 |archive-date=2012-10-13 |access-date=21 November 2014 |publisher=Macedonianfootball.com}}</ref>
===Hamburger SV=== When Fink left Basel and took the managerial position at Hamburger SV, Nafiu followed suit. In 2012, Nafiu made his debut for Hamburg's reserve team. He made his Bundesliga debut at 25 October 2014 against Hertha BSC replacing Pierre-Michel Lasogga after 74 minutes in a 3–0 away defeat.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2014/10/25/germany/bundesliga/hertha-bsc-berlin/hamburger-sv/1713541/|title=Hertha BSC vs. Hamburger SV 3-0|publisher=Soccerway|date=25 October 2014|access-date=25 October 2014}}</ref> He added a further Bundesliga appearance against VfL Wolfsburg on 9 November 2014,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2014/11/09/germany/bundesliga/vfl-wolfsburg/hamburger-sv/1713569/|title=Wolfsburg vs. Hamburger SV 2-0|publisher=Soccerway|date=9 November 2014|access-date=9 November 2014}}</ref> before he mutually terminated his contract with Hamburger SV in January 2015.
===APOEL=== On 27 January 2015, Nafiu signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with contract with Cypriot club APOEL FC.<ref>{{cite web |date=27 January 2015 |title=Σύναψη συμφωνίας με Valmir Nafiu |url=http://www.apoelfc.com.cy/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=12575&tt=graphic&lang=l1 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200907015315/http://www.apoelfc.com.cy/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=12575&tt=graphic&lang=l1 |archive-date=2020-09-07 |access-date=27 January 2015 |publisher=APOEL FC |language=el}}</ref> He made his official debut on 31 January 2015, coming on as a 75th-minute substitute in APOEL's 1–0 away victory against Nea Salamina in the Cypriot First Division.<ref>{{cite web |date=31 January 2014 |title=Ν. ΣΑΛΑΜΙΝΑ 0-1 ΑΠΟΕΛ |url=http://apoelfc.com.cy/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=12600&tt=graphic&lang=l1 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190103005153/http://apoelfc.com.cy/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=12600&tt=graphic&lang=l1 |archive-date=2019-01-03 |access-date=31 January 2014 |publisher=APOEL FC}}</ref> He scored his first official goal for APOEL on 21 March 2015, in his team's 2–2 home draw against Apollon Limassol in the First Division play-offs.<ref>{{cite web |date=21 March 2015 |title= |script-title=el:ΑΠΟΕΛ 2-2 Απόλλωνας Λεμεσού |trans-title=APOEL 2-2 Apollon Limassol |url=http://apoelfc.com.cy/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=12813&tt=graphic&lang=l1 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210419035549/http://apoelfc.com.cy/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=12813&tt=graphic&lang=l1 |archive-date=2021-04-19 |access-date=21 March 2015 |publisher=APOEL FC |language=el}}</ref> In his first season at APOEL, he appeared in twelve matches in all competitions and helped his team to win both the league title and the 2014–15 Cypriot Cup.<ref>{{cite web |date=24 May 2015 |title=APOEL secure league to wrap up Cypriot double |url=http://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/association=cyp/news/newsid=2251216.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722061718/http://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/association=cyp/news/newsid=2251216.html |archive-date=2015-07-22 |access-date=24 May 2015 |publisher=UEFA}}</ref>
On 18 December 2015, APOEL announced that Nafiu's contract with the club was terminated by mutual consent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.apoelfc.com.cy/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=14260&tt=graphic&lang=l1|script-title=el:Κοινή συναινέσει λύση συνεργασίας με Valmir Nafiu|publisher=APOEL FC|language=el|date=18 December 2015|access-date=18 December 2015}}</ref>
===Skënderbeu=== In early 2016 Nafiu joined Albanian side Skënderbeu, winning the 2015–16 league title but playing very little.<ref name="mopo">{{cite news |title=Unglaublich! Was macht eigentlich Ex-HSV-Talent Valmir Nafiu? |trans-title=Unbelievable! What is ex-HSV talent Valmir Nafiu actually doing? |url=https://hsv24.mopo.de/2021/04/18/unglaublich-was-macht-eigentlich-ex-hsv-talent-valmir-nafiu.html |access-date=7 June 2024 |work=Morgenpost |date=18 April 2021 |language=German}}</ref>
===Renova=== Nafiu returned to his native North Macedonia in summer 2016, signing with Renova.<ref name="mopo"/> Over two seasons, he became a regular starter scoring 11 goals.<ref name="mopo"/>
===Shkëndija=== Nafiu's performances for Renova attracted the attentions of his youth club Shkëndija and he returned to the club in 2018, winning the league title in his first season there.<ref name="mopo"/>
==Career statistics== {{updated|20 April 2015}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/valjmir-nafiu/141782/|title=V. Nafiu|website=Soccerway|access-date=28 January 2015}}</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"|National cup !colspan="2"|Continental{{efn|Includes UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League matches.|name=UECL}} !colspan="2"|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="3"|Shkëndija |2010–11 |Macedonian First League |19||1||0||0||colspan="2"|—||19||1 |- |2011–12 |Macedonian First League |0||0||0||0||1||0||1||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !19!!1!!0!!0!!1!!0!!20!!1 |- |FC Basel |2011–12 |Swiss Super League |0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0 |- |Hamburger SV II |2012–13 |Regionalliga Nord |12||1||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||12||1 |- |rowspan="3"|Hamburger SV |2013–14 |Bundesliga |0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||0||0 |- |2014–15 |Bundesliga ||2||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||2||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !2!!0!!0!!0!!colspan="2"|—!!2!!0 |- |rowspan="3"|APOEL |2014–15 |Cypriot First Division |10||1||2||0||colspan="2"|—||12||1 |- |2015–16 |Cypriot First Division |0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !10!!1!!2!!0!!colspan="2"|—!!12!!1 |- !colspan="3"|Career total !43!!3!!2!!0!!1!!0!!46!!3 |} {{notelist}}
==Honours== '''Shkëndija''' *Macedonian First League: 2010–11, 2018–19
'''APOEL''' *Cypriot First Division: 2014–15 *Cypriot Cup: 2014–15
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [http://apoelfc.com.cy/nqcontent.cfm?a_name=team_1&playerid=120&lang=l2 APOEL official profile] * {{Soccerway|valjmir-nafiu/141782}} * {{Soccerbase}} * {{Fussballdaten|nafiuvalmir|Valmir Nafiu}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nafiu, Valmir}} Category:1994 births Category:Living people Category:Footballers from Tetovo Category:Albanians in North Macedonia Category:Men's association football forwards Category:Macedonian men's footballers Category:21st-century Macedonian sportsmen Category:North Macedonia men's youth international footballers Category:North Macedonia men's under-21 international footballers Category:Macedonian First Football League players Category:Cypriot First Division players Category:Kategoria Superiore players Category:Swiss Super League players Category:Bundesliga players Category:Regionalliga players Category:KF Shkëndija players Category:FC Basel players Category:Hamburger SV players Category:Hamburger SV II players Category:APOEL FC players Category:KF Skënderbeu players Category:KF Renova players Category:FC Košice (2018) players Category:FK Otrant-Olympic players Category:FC Ferizaj players Category:KF Malisheva players Category:Macedonian expatriate men's footballers Category:Macedonian expatriate sportspeople in Switzerland Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Switzerland Category:Macedonian expatriate sportspeople in Germany Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Germany Category:Macedonian expatriate sportspeople in Cyprus Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Cyprus Category:Macedonian expatriate sportspeople in Albania Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Albania Category:Macedonian expatriate sportspeople in Slovakia Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Slovakia