Renato Arapi

Renato Arapi

Personal information
Date of birth	(1986-09-28) 28 September 1986 (age 38)
Place of birth	Sukth, Durrës, PSR Albania
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)	Centre back, Left back
Team information
Current team	Ohod Club (assistant coach)
Youth career
1993–2002	Teuta
2002–2003	Dinamo Tirana
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2003–2005	Dinamo Tirana	1	(0)
2003–2004	→ Erzeni (loan)	2	(0)
2005–2010	Besa	92	(3)
2007–2009	→ Silkeborg (loan)	23	(0)
2009–2010	→ Shkumbini (loan)	16	(0)
2010–2016	Skënderbeu	150	(5)
2016–2018	Boluspor	48	(1)
2018–2019	Afjet Afyonspor	8	(0)
2019–2021	Teuta	78	(3)
Total		418	(12)
International career
2004–2005	Albania U18	13	(0)
2005–2006	Albania U19	11	(1)
2006–2008	Albania U21	19	(0)
2011–2015	Albania	4	(0)
Managerial career
2021–2022	Teuta
2022–	Ohod Club (assistant)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Renato Arapi (born 28 August 1986) is an Albanian professional football coach and former left-back and centre-back. He is an assistant coach with the Saudi club Ohod Club.

Arapi first joined local club Teuta Durrës in 1993 as a young child, where he would remain for 9 years, playing for the different youth teams within the club before leaving in 2002 to join Dinamo Tirana. Following his move he was placed into the U19 side with Dinamo Tirana, where his impressive displays earned him a call up to the senior side towards the end of the 2002–03 season, where he made his professional debut against his first club Teuta Durrës on 3 May 2003 in a 2–0 loss for Arapi's side.^[1] He was loaned out to Albanian First Division side Erzeni Shijak for the 2003–04 season, where he failed to break through into the first team and only made 2 appearances for the club during his loan spell before returning to Dinamo Tirana. In the summer transfer window in 2005, Arapi left Dinamo Tirana after failing to establish himself in the first team at the club, and he joined newly promoted Albanian Superliga side Besa Kavajë.

Arapi joined Besa Kavajë and quickly established himself as a first team regular, playing in 19 league games and scoring one goal in his first season with the club, helping them to a respectable mid table 5th finish.^[2] The following season Besa Kavajë continued their good performances in the league, finishing once again in mid table, 6th out of 12 teams. Arapi was also a key figure in the club's Albanian Cup campaign which saw him win his first major trophy after beating Teuta Durrës 3–2 in the final.^[3] The following season he played the first half of the season with Besa Kavajë before going on a trial with Danish side Silkeborg and eventually joining the club on loan in January 2008 after impressing the management.

He joined newly relegated Danish 1st Division side Silkeborg as a 21-year-old on a one-year loan deal from Besa Kavajë in January 2008 after initially impressing the club on trial.^[4][5][6] He joined the club mid season and featured in 10 league games, helping his side to a 3rd-place finish at the end of the 2007–08 season, missing out on the second promotion place to SønderjyskE. The following season he struggled for playing time, and only featured in 13 league games, but his side had a successful season in which they finished as runners-up in the league and earned promotion to the Danish Superliga. His loan deal expired at the end of the 2008–09 season and Silkeborg did not take up the option to sign Arapi permanently, thus meaning that he returned to his parent club Besa Kavajë.

After a spell away from Albanian football, Arapi returned to his homeland in the summer of 2009 and quickly became an important first team player once again at Besa Kavajë, who had one of their best seasons in their history, after they finished as runners-up in the Albanian Superliga and they won the Albanian Cup. Arapi played in 31 league games and was a key driving force in Besa Kavajë's cup success, and he scored in the cup final against Vllaznia Shkodër in the 85th minute to take it to extra time, which is when Besa won the cup 2–1 over 120 minutes.^[7]

On 12 June 2015, Arapi signed a new one-year extension to his contract, lengthening his Skënderbeu Korçë career to 6 seasons.^[8]

On 14 June 2016, Arapi officially announced his departure from the club after six years via an open later to the fans.^[9] He stated that the left the club for familial reasons.^[10] He, along with Bledi Shkëmbi and Orges Shehi were the only players that won six consecutive league titles for the club.^[9]

On 17 June 2016, Arapi joined fellow Albanian Superliga side Partizani Tirana on free transfer, signing a one-year contract.^[11] He was given the squad number 3, and made his competitive debut on 28 June in 2016–17 UEFA Europa League first qualifying round against Slovan Bratislava, which ended in a goalless draw.^[12]

On 30 January 2019, Arapi moved back to his home country after over two years in Turkey, and joined Teuta Durrës.^[13] After helping them win 3 trophies as captain, he retired on 19 August 2021.^[14]

After retiring from playing, on 20 August 2021, Teuta announced that Arapi would become their new sporting director.^[15]

Arapi was selected by Josip Kuže for a friendly against Argentina on 20 June 2011, receiving thus his first call-up to the senior side.^[16] He made his debut in the game which ended in a 4–0 loss by entering as an 81st-minute substitute.^[17][18]

As of 6 August 2015^[19][20]

Club	Season	League			Cup		Europe		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Dinamo Tirana	2002–03	Albanian Superliga	1	0	?	?	—		—		1	0
	2003–04		0	0	?	?	—		—		0	0
	2004–05		0	0	?	?	—		—		0	0
	Total		1	0	?	?	—		—		1	0
Erzeni Shijak	2003–04	Albanian First Division	2	0	?	?	—		—		2	0
	Total		2	0	?	?	—		—		2	0
Besa Kavajë	2005–06	Albanian Superliga	19	1	?	?	—		—		19	1
	2006–07		27	1	?	?	—		—		27	1
	2007–08		15	1	?	?	3[a]	0	1[b]	0	19	1
	2009–10		31	0	6	1	—		—		37	1
	Total		92	3	6	1	3	0	1	0	102	4
Silkeborg IF	2007–08	Danish 1st Division	10	0	?	?	—		—		10	0
	2008–09		13	0	?	?	—		—		13	0
	Total		23	0	?	?	—		—		23	0
Shkumbini Peqin	2010–11	Albanian Superliga	16	0	?	?	—		—		16	0
	Total		16	0	?	?	—		—		16	0
KF Skënderbeu Korçë	2010–11	Albanian Superliga	15	0	2	0	—		—		17	0
	2011–12		23	0	10	0	2[c]	0	1[b]	0	36	0
	2012–13		15	1	3	1	2[c]	0	1[b]	0	21	2
	2013–14		30	3	7	0	5[c]	0	1[b]	0	42	3
	2014–15		33	0	3	0	2[c]	0	1[b]	0	39	0
	2015–16		34	1	8	0	8[d]	0	1[b]	0	43	1
	Total		150	5	33	1	19	0	5	0	198	6
Partizani Tirana	2016–17	Albanian Superliga	—		—		6[d]	0	—		6	0
	Total		—		—		6	0	—		6	0
Boluspor	2016–17	Turkish First League	19	0	3	0	—		—		22	0
	2017–18		29	1	1	0	—		—		30	1
	Total		48	1	4	0	—		—		52	1
Afyonspor	2018–19	Turkish First League	8	0	2	0	—		—		10	0
	Total		8	0	2	0	—		—		10	0
Teuta Durrës	2018–19	Albanian Superliga	15	1	2	0	—		—		17	1
	2019–20		30	1	5	1	2[a]	0	—		37	2
	2020–21		33	1	3	1	2[a]	0	1[b]	0	39	2
	2021–22		—		—		6	0	—		6	0
	Total		78	3	10	2	10	0	1	0	99	5
Career total			418	12	55	4	38	0	7	0	516	16

As of 15 June 2016^[21][22]

Albania national team
Year	Apps	Goals
2011	1	0
2012	1	0
2013	2	0
Total	4	0

Besa Kavajë^[19]

• Albanian Cup (2): 2006–07, 2009–10

Silkeborg^[19]

• Danish 1st Division runner-up (1): 2008–09

Skënderbeu Korçë^[19]

• Albanian Superliga (6): 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16
• Albanian Supercup (2): 2013, 2014

Teuta Durrës^[19]

• Albanian Superliga (1): 2020–21
• Albanian Supercup (1): 2020

• Albanian Superliga Team of the Year: 2013–14

• Renato Arapi – UEFA competition record (archive)
• Renato Arapi at Soccerway
• Silkeborg IF profile