Zekirija Ramadani

Zekirija Ramadani
Personal information
Date of birth (1978-01-21) 21 January 1978
Place of birth Skopje, SR Macedonia, SFR Yugoslavia (now North Macedonia)
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position Defender
Team information
Current team
 Drita (manager)
Youth career
1995–1999 Shkëndija Haraçinë
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1999–2004 Sloga Jugomagnat 104 (11)
2004–2005 Bashkimi 21 (2)
2005 Vëllazërimi 77 12 (0)
2005 Dinamo Tirana 1 (0)
2005-2007 Belasitsa Petrich 25 (1)
2006 → Rabotnički (loan) 4 (1)
2007–2008 Besa Kavajë 23 (0)
2008–2009 Qarabağ 15 (0)
2009–2010 Shkëndija 0 (0)
2010 Vardar 2 (0)
2010–2011 Flamurtari 15 (0)
Total 222 (15)
International career
2001–2004 Macedonia 6 (0)
Managerial career
2014–2015 Shkupi
2016 Flamurtari
2017 Trepça'89
2017 Feronikeli
2018 Shkupi
2018–2019 Feronikeli
2020–2021 Prishtina
2021–2022 Egnatia
2023 Ohod
2023– Drita
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Zekirija Ramadani (Macedonian: Зекирија Рамадани; born 21 January 1978) is a Macedonian professional football coach and former player of Albanian descent who is the manager of Kosovan club Drita. He has won the Kosovo Superleague as a manager with four different clubs.

Club career

Ramadani began his professional career at Sloga Jugomagnat, where he played from 1999 to 2004. During his time with the Skopje-based club, he featured in European competitions, including the UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds in 2000 and 2001, as well as the UEFA Cup qualifying phase.[1]

Following his stint at Sloga, Ramadani moved to Bashkimi for the 2004–05 season, followed by short spells at Vëllazërimi 77 and Albanian side Dinamo Tirana. In 2005, he transferred to the Bulgarian club Belasitsa Petrich, where he spent two seasons. During the summer of 2006, he returned to North Macedonia on loan to Rabotnički, making appearances in the UEFA Cup qualifiers.[2]

In January 2007, Ramadani returned to Belasitsa Petrich before moving to the Albanian Superliga club Besa Kavajë later that year. He was a key part of the Besa squad that competed in the UEFA Intertoto Cup and the UEFA Cup qualifiers. In 2008, he signed with the Azerbaijani club Qarabağ, where he won the Azerbaijan Cup in the 2008–09 season.[3] He concluded his playing career in 2011 after a season with Flamurtari in Vlorë.

International career

Ramadani made his senior debut for the Macedonia national team on 26 July 2000 in a friendly match against Azerbaijan. He earned a total of 7 caps for his country between 2000 and 2004. His final international appearance came on 27 January 2004 in a friendly match against China.[4]

Managerial career

Early career and success in Kosovo

Ramadani began his managerial career in 2014 with the Macedonian club Shkupi, where he served two stints (2014–2015 and 2018).[5] Between these spells, he briefly managed the Albanian club Flamurtari Vlorë in early 2016.

In 2017, Ramadani took charge of Trepça '89 in the Kosovo Superleague. He led the club to its first-ever league title in the 2016–17 season, making history as the first manager to guide a Kosovan club into UEFA Champions League qualifying.[6] Following this success, he joined Feronikeli in 2018. During the 2018–19 campaign, Ramadani won his second Kosovo Superleague title, along with the Kosovar Cup and Supercup, completing a domestic treble.[7]

Ramadani was appointed manager of Prishtina in September 2020. In the 2020–21 season, he guided the capital club to their first league title in eight years, securing his third championship with a third different club in Kosovo.[8] After leaving Prishtina, he managed Egnatia in the Kategoria Superiore (2021–2022) and Gjilani (2022–2023).

Ohod

On 20 June 2023, Ramadani moved to Saudi Arabia to manage the First Division side Ohod Club.[9] His tenure was brief, and he departed the club in September 2023.

Drita

On 30 November 2023, Ramadani returned to the Kosovo Superleague, signing a one-and-a-half-year contract with Drita.[10] In his second season, he led Drita to the 2024–25 Kosovo Superleague title, marking his fourth league championship in Kosovo with four different teams.

This title victory qualified Drita for the 2025–26 UEFA Conference League. On 28 August 2025, Ramadani's side secured a historic qualification for the League Phase after defeating the Luxembourgish champions Differdange 03 in the play-off round.[11] He became only the second manager, after Ilir Daja, to reach the group/league stage of a UEFA competition with a Kosovan club.

During the League Phase, Ramadani achieved a notable away victory on 6 November 2025, defeating Shelbourne FC 1–0 at Tallaght Stadium in Dublin.[12] Following additional positive results, including a win against Shkëndija and draws against KuPS and Omonia Nicosia, Drita finished the phase with 8 points, qualifying for the knockout phase play-offs.[13] They lost 6-4 on aggregate against Celje.[14]

Honours

Player

Sloga Jugomagnat
Bashkimi
Vëllazërimi
Qarabağ
Shkëndija

Manager

Shkupi
Trepça '89
Feronikeli
Prishtina
Drita

References

  1. ^ "Sloga Jugomagnat: History and European Record". UEFA.com. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  2. ^ "Rabotnicki vs Zrinjski: UEFA Cup Qualifying 2006/07". UEFA.com. 13 July 2006. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  3. ^ "Qarabağ FK: Club History and Honours". qarabagh.com. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  4. ^ "Zekirija Ramadani: National Team Match Log". EU-Football.info. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  5. ^ "Zekirija Ramadani zyrtarizohet te Shkupi". Telegrafi (in Albanian). 14 March 2018. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  6. ^ "Trepça '89 shkruan historinë, shpallet kampione e Kosovës". Koha Ditore (in Albanian). 13 May 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  7. ^ "Feronikeli kampion i Kosovës për sezonin 2018/2019". Telegrafi (in Albanian). 19 May 2019. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  8. ^ "Prishtina kampione pas tetë vjetësh". Koha Ditore (in Albanian). 16 May 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  9. ^ "Zyrtare: Zekirija Ramadani prezantohet te skuadra arabe". Telegrafi (in Albanian). 21 June 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  10. ^ "Zekirija Ramadani flet si trajner i Dritës: Erdha për ta fituar titullin e kampionit". Telegrafi (in Albanian). 30 November 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  11. ^ "FC Differdange 03 vs KF Drita Match Result". Oddspedia. 28 August 2025. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  12. ^ "Shelbourne 0-1 Drita: UEFA Conference League Match Report". Sky Sports. 6 November 2025. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  13. ^ "Ramadani: Drita nuk dorëzohet, besojmë te kualifikimi". Gazeta Express (in Albanian). 19 February 2026. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  14. ^ "Drita's historic adventure in the Conference League ends". Telegrafi. 26 February 2026. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  15. ^ "Ramadan's record - 7 trophies in three and a half years". koha.net. 21 May 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  16. ^ "Drita kampione e Kosovës, titulli në Gjilan pas pesë vitesh! Zekerija Ramadani strateg" [Drita champion of Kosovo, the title in Gjilan after five years! Zekerija Ramadani strategist]. shqiptarja.com. 4 May 2025. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  17. ^ "Ramadani happy with Super Cup win". koha.net. 25 January 2026. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
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