Mario Mitaj
Mitaj with Lokomotiv Moscow in 2022
Personal information
Date of birth (2003-08-06) 6 August 2003
Place of birth Athens, Greece
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Position(s) Left-back
Team information
Current team
 Lokomotiv Moscow
Number 21
Youth career
2017–2020 AEK Athens
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2020–2022 AEK Athens 11 (0)
2021–2022 AEK Athens B 20 (0)
2022– Lokomotiv Moscow 26 (0)
International career‡
2019 Albania U16 1 (0)
2018–2019 Albania U17 6 (1)
2020– Albania U21 11 (0)
2021– Albania 10 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 8 December 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:35, 17 November 2023 (UTC)

Mario Mitaj (born 6 August 2003) is an Albanian professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Russian Premier League club Lokomotiv Moscow. Born in Greece, he represents Albania at international level.[2]

Club career

AEK Athens

On 12 August 2020, Mitaj signed his first professional contract with Greek club AEK Athens and immediately started training with the first team.[3]

On 18 October 2020, he made his first league appearance in a game against PAOK, thus becoming the youngest foreign player in club history to feature in a competitive fixture, at 17 years, 2 months and 13 days old.[4]

On 2 February 2021, he signed a new contract, running until the summer of 2023.[5]

On 10 August 2021, the Albanian defender signed a new deal, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2026.[6]

Lokomotiv Moscow

On 27 August 2022, Mitaj signed a five-year contract with Russian Premier League club FC Lokomotiv Moscow.[7] The transfer fee was 3 million euros and AEK also kept a percentage for the next Mitaj's transfer.

International career

Having lived in Nea Ionia, Attica, Greece for a large part of his life, Mitaj was eligible to represent both Albania and Greece at international level. After having featured in all young Albanian squads, he earned his first cap for Albania's senior squad on 31 March 2021, in a 2–0 victory over San Marino for the 2022 European FIFA World Cup qualifiers, becoming cap-tied to Albania in the process. With this appearance, he became Albania's second youngest ever international player at 17 years and 237 days old.[8]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 8 December 2023
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[lower-alpha 1] Europe Other[lower-alpha 2] Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
AEK Athens 2020–21 Super League Greece 100201[lower-alpha 3]000130
2021–22 Super League Greece 10002[lower-alpha 4]00030
Total 110203000160
AEK Athens B 2021–22 Super League Greece 2 200–––200
Lokomotiv Moscow 2022–23 Russian Premier League 14040––180
2023–24 Russian Premier League 12040––160
Total 26080––340
Career total 5701003000700

International

As of match played 17 November 2023[9]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Albania 202110
202210
202370
Total90

References

  1. ↑ "Mario Mitaj". FC Lokomotiv Moscow. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  2. ↑ Mario Mitaj at Soccerway
  3. ↑ "Mario Mitaj signed a professional contract with AEK!". www.aekfc.gr. 12 August 2020.
  4. ↑ "ΘΕΜΑ Μάριο Μιτάι: Ο νεότερος ξένος στην ιστορία της ΑΕΚ" [SUBJECT Mario Mitai: The youngest foreigner in the history of AEK]. www.amna.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 2021-04-01.
  5. ↑ ""Έδεσε" και τους Μιτάι και Μαχαίρα η ΑΕΚ (vid)" (in Greek). Retrieved 2021-01-02.
  6. ↑ "ΑΕΚ: Επέκτεινε το συμβόλαιο του Μιτάι μέχρι το 2026" (in Greek). www.sport24.gr. 10 August 2021.
  7. ↑ "МАРИО МИТАЙ – НОВЫЙ ЗАЩИТНИК "ЛОКОМОТИВА"" (in Russian). Lokomotiv Moscow. 27 August 2022.
  8. ↑ "ΑΕΚ: «Έκλεισε» στην Αλβανία ο Μιτάι και «έγραψε» ιστορία". www.newsit.gr. April 2021. Retrieved 2021-04-01.
  9. ↑ "Mitaj, Mario". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
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