Etrit Berisha

Etrit Fadil Berisha (Albanian pronunciation: [ˈɛtɾit bɛˈɾiʃa]; born 10 March 1989) is an Albanian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Allsvenskan club BK Häcken and the Albania national team.

Berisha began his career in Kosovo with 2 Korriku and KEK-u, moving between the two clubs at youth level before making his senior debut for 2 Korriku. In 2007, he trained with Bashkimi in Kumanovo under coach Bylbyl Sokoli, preceding a trial arranged by Albert Bunjaki with Swedish club Kalmar FF. After a loan spell at Lindsdals IF in 2009, he joined the senior squad of Kalmar FF ahead of the 2010 season and made over 100 appearances for the club, converted several spot-kicks, until 2013, the year in which he was named Allsvenskan Goalkeeper of the Year.

In the summer of 2013, Chievo stated that they had reached a pre-contract agreement with Berisha, although he subsequently signed a four-year deal with fellow Serie A club Lazio. The matter led to a dispute between the two clubs, with Chievo alleging a breach of agreement, but the case was later closed without disciplinary action. During his three seasons at Lazio, Berisha was mainly used as the second-choice goalkeeper behind Federico Marchetti and made appearances in Serie A, the Coppa Italia, and European competitions. He featured regularly during the 2013–14 campaign under coaches Vladimir Petković and Edoardo Reja. Berisha left Lazio in 2016 following increased competition for the starting position.

In 2016, Berisha joined Atalanta, initially on loan and later on a permanent transfer. He was part of the squad during the club’s league and European campaigns between 2016 and 2019. Berisha made regular appearances during the 2016–17 season, when Atalanta finished fourth in Serie A, and continued to feature for the team in the following two seasons in domestic and European competitions. He eventually lost his starting position to Pierluigi Gollini and left the club in 2019.

In July 2019, Berisha joined SPAL on loan with an obligation to buy and became the club’s starting goalkeeper. He made 29 appearances during the 2019–20 Serie A season before being sidelined with a hand injury, and SPAL were relegated at the end of the campaign. He remained with the club in Serie B for the 2020–21 season, making 27 appearances in all competitions, including matches in the Coppa Italia.

In July 2021, Berisha signed for Torino, where he began the season as a backup goalkeeper. He made several appearances during the second half of the 2021–22 campaign. Berisha did not feature in competitive matches during the 2022–23 season due to disputes with coach Ivan Jurić and left the club in 2023.

In August 2023, Berisha signed with Serie A club Empoli. He began the season as a backup goalkeeper and later made several league appearances following an injury to Elia Caprile. Berisha returned to the bench after recovering from his own injury and following Caprile’s return to the team. He left Empoli at the end of the 2023–24 season.

In 2025, after a period without a club, Berisha joined Swedish side BK Häcken. He made regular appearances during the 2025 season and was part of the squad that won the 2025 Svenska Cupen. The cup victory qualified Häcken for the 2025–26 UEFA Europa League qualifiers, where he played in the early rounds before the team moved into the 2025–26 UEFA Conference League league phase. He made his Conference League debut in October 2025.

Berisha, born in Kosovo and eligible to represent Albania through his Albanian ethnicity, made his international debut in 2012 after being called up by head coach Gianni De Biasi. Initially a backup to Samir Ujkani, he soon established himself as Albania’s first-choice goalkeeper and went on to play a central role for over a decade. Berisha featured extensively across FIFA World Cup qualifiers, UEFA European Championship qualifying campaigns, and multiple editions of the UEFA Nations League, serving as one of the national team’s most consistent performers. He represented Albania at UEFA Euro 2016—the country’s first major tournament—and was later included in the final squad for UEFA Euro 2024. During his international career, he also captained the side and set national records for most clean sheets and most consecutive appearances, before his involvement with the national team came to an end in 2024 following a reported fallout with head coach Sylvinho.