Fatmire Alushi

1.1. Birth and childhood

Fatmire Alushi was born Fatmire Bajramaj on 1 April 1988, in Gjurakoc (also known as Istok), Kosovo, which was then part of the Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo within SFR Yugoslavia. Her parents, Ismet and Ganimete, are Kosovo-Albanians. In 1993, when Alushi was five years old, her family migrated from Istok, Kosovo, to Giesenkirchen, Germany, seeking refuge. She subsequently grew up and was educated in Germany.

1.2. Education and early football activities

Alushi began her football career at a young age. She joined her first local football club, DJK/VfL Giesenkirchen, in 1993 and remained with them until 1998. From 1998 to 2004, she continued her youth development at FSC Mönchengladbach, before making her professional debut in the Bundesliga.

2.1. Early clubs

Fatmire Alushi started her football journey at the youth level. She joined DJK/VfL Giesenkirchen in 1993, playing there until 1998. From 1998 to 2004, she continued her development with FSC Mönchengladbach, where she honed her skills before transitioning to professional football.

2.2. FCR 2001 Duisburg

In September 2004, Alushi joined FCR 2001 Duisburg, marking her debut in the Bundesliga. Her first appearance for the club was on 5 September 2004, in a match against VfL Wolfsburg, which Duisburg won 6-0. She scored her first Bundesliga goal on 31 October 2004, contributing to a 5-2 victory against FFC Heike Rheine. Alushi quickly established herself as a regular starter for Duisburg. During her five seasons with the club, she was a Bundesliga runner-up for four consecutive seasons from 2005 to 2008. Her tenure at Duisburg saw significant success, including winning the UEFA Women's Cup in the 2008-09 season. She also secured the German Cup (DFB-Pokal) title in 2009, scoring in the final match, which Duisburg won 7-0, marking the club's first DFB-Pokal triumph. Previously, she was a DFB-Pokal runner-up in the 2006-07 season. Overall, she made 84 appearances and scored 30 goals for FCR 2001 Duisburg.

2.3. 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam

Following her successful period at Duisburg, Alushi moved to league rivals 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam for the 2009-10 season, signing a three-year contract. Her time at Potsdam was highly successful, as she immediately contributed to the team's dominance. She won the Bundesliga title in consecutive seasons, 2010 and 2011. In the 2009-10 season, Potsdam also claimed the inaugural UEFA Women's Champions League title, with Alushi scoring during the penalty shoot-out in the final. The following year, in the 2010-11 season, Potsdam again reached the Champions League final but were defeated by Olympique Lyonnais. During her time at Turbine Potsdam, Alushi's individual performance was also recognized, as she placed third in the prestigious 2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or award. She made 40 appearances and scored 29 goals for Turbine Potsdam.

2.4. 1. FFC Frankfurt

In 2011, Alushi announced her transfer to 1. FFC Frankfurt for the 2011-12 season. This transfer was notable as it set a new record for the most expensive transfer in the history of the women's Bundesliga at the time. She was highly anticipated to fill the void left by legendary player Birgit Prinz. However, her tenure at Frankfurt was significantly impacted by frequent injuries, which limited her playing opportunities. In late February 2012, she sustained a knee injury during a friendly match against Stabæk Fotball Kvinner on a frozen pitch. Later, in September 2012, she suffered a more severe ACL injury during a 2012-13 Bundesliga season match, which forced her to miss the remainder of that season. Despite these challenges, Alushi contributed to Frankfurt's success, winning the 2013-14 DFB-Pokal. The final was held on 17 May 2014, in Cologne, where 1. FFC Frankfurt defeated SGS Essen. She made 27 appearances and scored 10 goals for 1. FFC Frankfurt.

2.5. Paris Saint-Germain

In June 2014, Alushi made a significant move to French club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), competing in the Division 1 Féminine. She played for PSG until 2016. On 28 February 2017, Fatmire Alushi officially announced her retirement from professional football. She made 24 appearances and scored 8 goals for Paris Saint-Germain.

3.1. Youth national team career

Alushi's international career began with the German youth national teams. In 2003, she was selected for the Germany U15 team, making 2 appearances. In 2004, she played for the Germany U17 team, earning 7 caps. From 2005 to 2006, she was a part of the Germany U19 squad, where she made 16 appearances and scored 1 goal. During this period, she helped the U19 team reach the semi-finals of the 2005 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship in Hungary. In 2006, she contributed to Germany's victory at the 2006 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship held in Switzerland. She also participated in the 2006 FIFA U-20 Women's World Championship in Russia, starting in all four of Germany's matches and scoring three goals (one against Mexico and two against Switzerland) before the team was eliminated in the quarter-finals.

3.2. Senior national team career

Alushi made her debut for the Germany senior national team on 20 October 2005, in a match against Scotland during the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup European Qualifiers. She went on to represent Germany in 79 international matches, scoring 18 goals throughout her senior career.

3.3. Participation in major international tournaments

Alushi's contributions were instrumental in Germany's successes in several major international tournaments:

• 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup: She won her first major international title at the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup in China. As a reserve player, she appeared in four games, including the tournament's final, where she earned the corner kick that led to Germany's second goal, securing their victory.
• 2008 Summer Olympics: One year later, Alushi earned a bronze medal with Germany at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. In the third-place play-off against Japan, she was substituted on in the 62nd minute and scored both goals in Germany's 2-0 win, securing the bronze medal.
• UEFA Women's Euro 2009: In 2009, Alushi won her first European Championship title at the UEFA Women's Euro 2009 in Finland, where Germany claimed their seventh title. She scored two goals against Norway in the group stage and another goal against Norway in the semi-final.
• 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup: She was called up for Germany's squad for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup hosted in Germany. She started in the group stage match against France and made substitute appearances against Canada and Nigeria. Germany was eliminated in the quarter-finals by Japan.
• UEFA Women's Euro 2013: After recovering from her ACL injury, Alushi participated in the UEFA Women's Euro 2013 in Sweden, where Germany secured another European Championship title. She made one substitute appearance in the group stage match against Iceland.
• 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup: Although initially named to the squad for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada, Alushi announced her pregnancy on 15 May 2015, after the 2015 UEFA Women's Champions League Final, and subsequently withdrew from the tournament. She stated at the time that "there are things in life that are simply more important than football," indicating her focus on her personal life.

6.1. Club honours

• FCR 2001 Duisburg
  • UEFA Women's Cup: 2008-09
  • Bundesliga: Runner-up 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08
  • DFB-Pokal: 2008-09; Runner-up 2006-07
• 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam
  • UEFA Women's Champions League: 2009-10
  • Bundesliga: 2009-10, 2010-11
• 1. FFC Frankfurt
  • DFB-Pokal: 2013-14
  • UEFA Women's Champions League: Runner-up 2011-12

6.2. National team honours

• Germany
  • FIFA Women's World Cup: 2007
  • UEFA European Championship: 2009, 2013
  • Olympic bronze medal: 2008
  • UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship: 2006
  • Algarve Cup: 2014

6.3. Individual honours

• Women's Footballer of the Year: 2011
• Silbernes Lorbeerblatt: 2007
• FIFA Ballon d'Or: Third place 2010