Admir Mehmedi: Who is the Switzerland and Wolfsburg striker?
Heading into his tenth year as a Bundesliga player, experienced Wolfsburg frontman Admir Mehmedi helped Switzerland go deep into the knockout stages at UEFA Euro 2020 by scoring a penalty in their shootout win over France.
bundesliga.com shines a bit more light on the long-serving and well-travelled forward who was part of a big moment at the European Championship.
Admir Mehmedi
Age: 30
Club: VfL Wolfsburg
Position: Forward
Country: Switzerland (76 caps, 10 goals)
Key stats
Mehmedi was born in Gostivar, in the former Yugoslavia, of Albanian heritage. At the age of two, his family emigrated to Switzerland and he linked up with local side Bellinzona before signing for FC Winterthur. In 2006, he joined the FC Zürich youth team, breaking into the first team just two years later in 2008. Mehmedi was 17 when he began his senior career with Zürich, and by 2010 he had become a first-team regular. He debuted in the Swiss Super League on 20 July 2008 and scored two goals in eleven appearances in his maiden season, in which he won the league title. During his time with Zürich, Mehmedi scored 19 goals and provided nine assists.
He also helped Switzerland finish runners-up in the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. He scored three goals - including the one which took Switzerland into their first ever U21 Euro final - and won the silver boot award. He was also named in UEFA's Team of the Tournament alongside former Bayern Munich midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri. His first senior cap soon followed. He debuted against England in a UEFA Euro 2012 qualifier, and got his first senior goal for his country in a remarkable 5-3 win over Germany - their first win over their neighbours since 1956.
He was understandably in demand and in the 2012 winter transfer window joined Dynamo Kyiv after reportedly rejecting offers from Liverpool and Nuremberg. Eighteen months later he did move to the Bundesliga with Freiburg, initially on loan and then - after he scored 12 goals in 32 games - on a permanent contract. He was unable to save Freiburg from relegation, though, and in June 2015 Mehmedi moved to their Bundesliga rivals Bayer Leverkusen. He spent two and a half years there before joining Wolfsburg on a four-year deal in the 2018 winter transfer window. Up to the end of the 2020/21 season, he had made a total of 192 Bundesliga appearances and scored 32 goals.
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Plays a bit like: Alassane Plea
Physically strong with a good technique and a burst of pace, Mehmedi shares some of his key attributes with Borussia Mönchengladbach's Alassane Plea. Both can fill all roles across the front line, from a classic No. 9 to a deeper No. 10 - or on either wing - and this versatility is what makes them such valuable members of their squads. Although neither have hit the headlines for the number of goals they have scored, their contributions to creating chances and making space for teammates make them essential attacking outlets.
Did you know?
In 2016, Mehmedi visited Padalište, where he witnessed a family of six living in poverty. He gifted a house to the poor family in Macedonia, the country of his birth, stating: "You know, building a house is not cheap, but I appreciate what I have, and I want others to feel fine as well."
On the pitch, meanwhile, Mehmedi became the first Swiss player to score in both a FIFA World Cup and a European Championship when he netted against Romania at Euro 2016, two years after nodding in against Ecuador at the 2014 World Cup. Euro 2020 was Mehmedi's fifth major tournament for his country, after the 2011 U21 Euro, 2012 Olympic Games - where he scored Switzerland's first goal in 88 years - 2014 World Cup and Euro 2016.
What they are saying
"He's a very versatile attacking player who understands the game and has already proven he can play at the highest level." - Klemens Hartenbach, Freiburg's sporting director in 2013
"I have absolute belief in him. He moves a lot and offers himself, and I'm convinced Mehmedi is going to explode." - Former Switzerland coach Ottmar Hitzfeld in 2012
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