After being transferred from Genk to Standard Liege in the last minutes of the summer transfer window, Andi Zeqiri now has his next goal. To score as many goals as possible and ensure the return to the Swiss Representative. The beginning looks positive. On Friday, Zeqiri scored a goal in his debut at Standard, which, like Genku, plays in the Belgian elite.
The 25-year-old, who has 11 appearances for Switzerland, was loaned to Standard Liege for two seasons.
Zeqiri developed as a footballer in Switzerland with the youth of Vaud and Lausanne-Sport, while he also made a career with the youth of Juventus.
After good performances with the first team of Lausanne-Sport, he made some big moves, but they were not very successful.
He was transferred to Brighton in the Premier League and to Augsburg in the Bundesliga, to return to Swiss football, to Basel. From Basel he again moved to Brighton, to then continue with Genk.
"Football is very dynamic, there are fast movements", said Zeqiri when he was asked about the reason for the loan to Standard Liege in the last moments, "Blick" writes.
"I want to play, score goals. Because I want to return to the Representative".
At Genku, Zeqiri was on the bench in the first six games of the new season.
Coach Thorsten Fink has said that there is a lot of competition in the team's attack.
"Andy is a good player. I really like it and it could easily be the number one attack. But with Tolu Arokodar, we have a football player who is approximately two meters tall and has a speed of 36 km/h. He has scored four goals in the first five games and that is why he is the starter", said Fink.
But, Zeqiri is not a footballer who wants to have the role of reserve, continues Fink.
"Andi has a strong character. I like it a lot. But he is at an age where he needs play. And I hope he will appear at Standard Liege", added Fink.
And since the first match, Zeqiri was the starter for the new team on the trip to Denderi. He even scored a goal in the victory.
He has the full confidence of the coach of Standard Liege and the sporting director.
"I like their mentality. They work with footballers like me. At Genku I gave everything I could every week. But I remained in the reserve bank. I didn't have the chance to show that I was the best in the competition. That's why I told the club leaders that we have to find a solution", says Zeqiri.
Zeqir's loan will be until 2026, while Standard Liege has the option to buy him. If this is realized, a little more than three million euros will be spent on Zeqiri. That's how much money Basel had earned from him after the sale to Brighton. With 18 goals, the 24-year-old was the team's top scorer at the time.
"I would like to stay in Basel at that time. But, unfortunately, this did not happen."
The frequent changes of teams by Zeqiri have become something common. He has changed five clubs in the last four years.
