# Shqiprim Taipi

Shqiprim Izir Taipi (Serbian Cyrillic: Шћиприм Таипи; born 19 February 1997) is an Albanian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Kazakhstan Premier League club Zhetysu.

## Club career
### Shkëndija

In June 2015, Taipi signed his first professional contract with Shkëndija as a 18-year old, inking for the next three years, and he returned to his parent club Shkëndija for the next season. On 8 August 2016, he debuted by playing full-90 minutes in the 2–1 win over Sileks.

#### Loan at Horizont Turnovo

Then he began his professional career as a loanee at fellow top flight side Horizont Turnovo, where he played 21 games in the 2015–16 season. On 13 September 2015, he made his professional debut by appearing in the last minutes of a 5–1 away defeat to Vardar.

#### Loan at Shkupi

On 2 July 2017, Taipi was loaned again this time at Shkupi, on a six-month loan. He was presented along with fellow loanee Shpend Asani and took squad number 22. On 13 August 2017, he played his first game for the club by starting in the 1–1 draw versus Akademija Pandev. He played 14 games for the club, 10 as starter before leaving in January of the following year.

#### Loan at Prishtina

On 31 January 2018, Taipi was sent on loan at Football Superleague of Kosovo club Prishtina for the remaining part of 2017–18 season. He played 12 matches in the league as Prishtina finished runner-up. On 27 May 2018, he won his first trophy after Prishtina defeated Vëllaznimi, on penalty shootouts to clinch the 2017–18 Kosovar Cup.

### Skënderbeu Korçë

On 19 January 2019, Taipi signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Kategoria Superiore club Skënderbeu Korçë. Three days later, he made his debut with Skënderbeu Korçë in the 2018–19 Albanian Cup second round against Besëlidhja Lezhë after being named in the starting line-up. He made his first Kategoria Superiore appearance on 25 January after coming on as a substitute at 46th minute in place of Arnaud Guedj in a 0–1 minimal home defeat against Partizani Tirana.

## International career

Taipi has been called only once by Albania U17 for a training camp.

## Personal life

Taipi was born in Vranje, FR Yugoslavia to Albanian parents from Veliki Trnovac, a village near Bujanovac and is the younger brother of professional footballer Gjelbrim Taipi, who plays for Albanian club Kukësi and the Kosovo national team.

## Career statistics
### Club

    As of 29 July 2020
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | Cup | Cup | Europe | Europe | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Shkëndija | 2016–17 | Macedonian First Football League | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Shkëndija | 2017–18 | Macedonian First Football League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Shkëndija | 2018–19 | Macedonian First Football League | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Shkëndija | Total | Total | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| Horizont Turnovo (loan) | 2015–16 | Macedonian First Football League | 23 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 25 | 0 |
| Shkupi (loan) | 2017–18 | Macedonian First Football League | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 14 | 0 |
| Prishtina (loan) | 2017–18 | Football Superleague of Kosovo | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 13 | 0 |
| Skënderbeu Korçë | 2018–19 | Kategoria Superiore | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 10 | 0 |
| Skënderbeu Korçë | 2019–20 | Kategoria Superiore | 29 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 31 | 1 |
| Skënderbeu Korçë | Total | Total | 36 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 1 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 96 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 114 | 1 |
* ↑ Includes UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League

## Honours

Prishtina
* Kosovar Cup: 2017–18