Klaus Gjasula

Klaus Fatmir Gjasula (born 14 December 1989) is an Albanian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for 3. Liga club Rot-Weiss Essen.

Klaus Gjasula

Personal information
Full name	Klaus Fatmir Gjasula[1]
Date of birth	(1989-12-14) 14 December 1989 (age 35)
Place of birth	Tirana, Albania
Height	1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)
Position(s)	Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team	Rot-Weiss Essen
Number	8
Youth career
0000	PSV Freiburg
0000–2007	Offenburger FV
2008	Freiburger FC
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2008–2009	Freiburger FC
2009–2010	Bahlinger SC	25	(2)
2010–2012	Waldhof Mannheim	50	(3)
2012–2013	MSV Duisburg II	23	(0)
2013–2016	Kickers Offenbach	77	(4)
2016	Stuttgarter Kickers	16	(0)
2016–2018	Hallescher FC	53	(6)
2018–2020	SC Paderborn	53	(3)
2020–2021	Hamburger SV	15	(0)
2021–2025	Darmstadt 98	66	(1)
2025–	Rot-Weiss Essen	17	(0)
International career‡
2019–2024	Albania	29	(1)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 24 May 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 17:10, 19 June 2024 (UTC)

Club career

Ahead of the 2020–21 season Gjasula moved to Hamburger SV from SC Paderborn, signing a two-year contract.^[2] In the first two league games, head coach Daniel Thioune played him in a 4-2-3-1 formation alongside Amadou Onana in defensive midfield. In the 4–3 win in the second league game of the season against his former club Paderborn, Gjasula conceded two goals within a few minutes due to individual mistakes.^[3] In the following seven matches he would only appear as a substitute. In December, Gjasula returned to the starting line-up, but then suffered a torn inner ligament in his left knee during practice around the turn of the year.^[4] Gjasula made his comeback on 12 March 2021, when he came on as a substitute in the 90th minute in 0–2 away win over VfL Bochum.^[5]

On 12 May 2024, Darmstadt 98 announced that he and several other players will leave the club after this season.^[6] However, Gjasula instead signed a new contract with Darmstadt in July.^[7]

On 6 January 2025, Gjasula moved to Rot-Weiss Essen in 3. Liga.^[8]

International career

Gjasula made his Albania national football team debut on 7 September 2019 in a Euro 2020 qualifier against France, when he substituted Ylber Ramadani in the 53rd minute and was cautioned in the remaining time.^[9]

On 8 June 2024, Gjasula was named in Albania's UEFA Euro 2024 squad.^[10] On 19 June, during a match against Croatia, he made a substitute appearance and scored an own goal in the 76th minute, giving the opponent a 2–1 lead, before netting his first international goal, also picking up a yellow card, equalizing the encounter in the 95th minute, resulting in a 2–2 draw.^[11][12] This made him the first substitute in the competition's history to score both a goal and an own goal in the same match, and the second player overall to do so, following Anton Ondruš.^[13][14]

Personal life

Gjasula was born in the capital of Albania, Tirana and raised in Freiburg, Germany. He holds both Albanian and German citizenship.^[15][16] His older brother Jürgen Gjasula is a footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder.

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 18 May 2024^[17]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National Cup		League Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Waldhof Mannheim	2011–12	Regionalliga Süd	25	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	25	1
MSV Duisburg II	2012–13	Regionalliga West	23	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	23	0
Kickers Offenbach	2013–14	Regionalliga Südwest	27	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	27	2
	2014–15	Regionalliga Südwest	33	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	36	0
	2015–16	Regionalliga Südwest	17	2	0	0	—		0	0	17	2
	Total		77	4	3	0	—		0	0	80	4
Stuttgarter Kickers	2015–16	3. Liga	16	0	0	0	—		0	0	16	0
Hallescher FC	2016–17	3. Liga	30	3	2	1	—		0	0	32	4
	2017–18	3. Liga	23	3	0	0	—		0	0	23	3
	Total		53	6	2	1	—		0	0	55	7
SC Paderborn	2018–19	2. Bundesliga	24	1	3	0	—		0	0	27	1
	2019–20	Bundesliga	29	2	2	0	—		0	0	31	2
	Total		53	3	5	0	—		0	0	58	3
Hamburger SV	2020–21	2. Bundesliga	15	0	1	0	—		—		16	0
	2021–22	2. Bundesliga	0	0	0	0	—		—		0	0
	Total		15	0	1	0	—		0	0	16	0
Darmstadt	2021–22	2. Bundesliga	23	1	0	0	—		—		23	1
	2022–23	2. Bundesliga	17	0	1	0	—		—		18	0
	2023–24	Bundesliga	22	0	0	0	—		—		22	0
	Total		62	1	1	0	—		—		63	1
Career total			324	14	12	1	0	0	0	0	336	15

International

As of 19 June 2024

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Albania	2019	5	0
	2020	4	0
	2021	6	0
	2022	6	0
	2023	6	0
	2024	2	1
Total		29	1

As of match played 19 June 2024

Scores and results list Albania's goal tally first.

List of international goals scored by Klaus Gjasula

No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	19 June 2024	Volksparkstadion, Hamburg, Germany	29	Croatia	2–2	2–2	UEFA Euro 2024