Andi Zeqiri
Andi Zeqiri (born 22 June 1999) is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as a striker for FC Augsburg, on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion, and the Swiss national team. Club career. Early career and Lausanne. At the age of 9, Zeqiri started playing football for local team Stade Lausanne-Ouchy, where after three years he was transferred to Lausanne, playing with the youth teams in 24 matches and scoring 15 goals. On 22 May 2015, Zeqiri made his professional debut in a 2–1 away defeat against Le Mont, coming on as a substitute in the 71st minute  in place of Anđelko Savić. Loan at Juventus. On 30 August 2016, Zeqiri joined Campionato Primavera 2 side Juventus Youth, on a season-long loan with an option to buy. On 1 October 2016, he made his debut in a 2–0 home win against Sassuolo after coming on as a substitute in the 68th minute in place of Moise Kean. Return from loan. On 1 July 2017, Zeqiri returned to Swiss Super League side Lausanne. On 12 August 2017, he played the first game after the return in the 2017–18 Swiss Cup first round against NK Pajde Möhlin after coming  on as a substitute at 89th minute in place of Gabriel Torres. Brighton & Hove Albion. On 1 October 2020, Zeqiri signed a four-year contract with Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion. He made his debut for "The Seagulls" in a 1–1 home draw against Sheffield United on 20 December coming on as a substitute in the 72nd minute. He made his first start for "The Seagulls" on 10 January 2021 in a third round FA Cup tie away at Newport County where Brighton eventually won on penalties with Zeqiri being replaced in the 63rd minute. Zeqiri came on as  a substitute in Brighton's 1–0 away victory over defending champions Liverpool on 3 February claiming their first league win at Anfield since 1982. A few months later, he came on as a substitute in another huge win, Brighton's 3–2 home victory over champions Manchester City on 18 May, with fans returning to football, in which "The Seagulls" went from 2–0 down to beat "The Sky Blues" for the first time since 1989. Zeqiri scored his first Brighton goal in his first game of the 2021–22 season scoring "Albions"' second in the 2–0 EFL Cup second round away win  over Cardiff City in what was also his League Cup debut. FC Augsburg (loan). On 30 August 2021, it was announced that Zeqiri had signed for Bundesliga side FC Augsburg on loan for the 2021–22 season. He made his debut on 11 September, coming on as a substitute in the 0–0 away draw at Union Berlin. Zeqiri scored his first goal for the club on 2 October, scoring the equaliser in an eventual 2–1 away loss against Borussia Dortmund. International career. Youth career with Switzerland. Since 2013, Zeqiri is part of Switzerland at youth international level, respectively part of the  U15, U16, U17, U18, U19, U20 and U21 teams and he with these teams played 61 matches and scored 29 goals. Proposed Kosovo switch. On 17 June 2020, Zeqiri's father confirmed that Zeqiri had obtained the Kosovan passport and will start the process of completing the necessary documents, which would allow him to play for Kosovo immediately after the end of the 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship with Switzerland U21s. On 26 August 2020, Agim Ademi, president of Football Federation of Kosovo, confirmed that Zeqiri was planned to be called up to Kosovo in September 2020 for the 2020–21  UEFA Nations League matches against Moldova and Greece, but due to problems with documentation, could not be part of the team. European U21 Championships. On 15 March 2021, Zeqiri was named as part of the Switzerland U21's squad for 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. He played in all three of Switzerland's group matches, including playing the whole match of the 1–0 victory over England U21's as they finished third in Group D and not qualifying for the knockouts as a result. Pledging future with Switzerland. Euro 2020 call-up. Zeqiri pledged his international career to Switzerland after  he was named in Switzerland's 29-man preliminary squad for Euro 2020 on 19 May 2021, this also being his first call-up for the Swiss senior side. The tournament took place in the summer of 2021, postponed from the previous year as a result of Coronavirus. He was an unused substitute in his first match day squad appearance; a 2–1 friendly win at home against the United States on 30 May 2021 in a warm up match for the Euros. A day later he was one of three players cut from the squad for the finals. He made  his national debut on 1 September 2021, coming on as a substitute in the 2–1 friendly victory over Greece at home. Personal life. Zeqiri was born in Lausanne, Switzerland to Kosovan Albanian parents from the village Talinoc i Muhaxhirëve of Ferizaj. Honours. Lausanne