Etrit Berisha


Etrit Fadil Berisha 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 qualifying|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.

Club career

Early career

Berisha was born in Pristina, in present-day Kosovo, to ethnic Albanian parents. He began his youth career at the age of eight with local side 2 Korriku as a midfielder before switching to goalkeeper. He remained with 2 Korriku until the club ceased operations during the Kosovo War in 1998–1999. After the war, he returned to the reorganised club, but due to financial difficulties, many of its youth players, including Berisha, moved to KEK-u in nearby Obiliq/Kastriot in 2004. He stayed with KEK for three years before returning to 2 Korriku when reopened its youth section in 2007, eventually to be promoted to the senior setup. Berisha was invited to train with FK Bashkimi in Kumanovo, Macedonia, by fellow Kosovar Albanian coach Bylbyl Sokoli in order to improve his level and gain experience in a more professional environment. He described this period as a short but valuable experience that helped his development.
He joined Swedish club Kalmar in late 2007 after a successful trial, made possible by Albert Bunjaki, who at the time was both part of Kalmar’s coaching staff and the head coach of the unofficial Kosovo national team. He initially joined Kalmar’s under-19 in January 2008.
As he was considered too young and inexperienced for first-team football at the time, was loaned out during the 2009 season to local Division 2 club Lindsdals IF to gain first-team experience.
He impressed during the loan spell in the 2009 season, making 14 appearances, and was subsequently recalled to Kalmar to be promoted to the first team ahead of the 2010 Allsvenskan season, where he was initially regarded as backup to veteran goalkeeper and club legend Petter Wastå.

Kalmar

Berisha spent four seasons with Kalmar FF, where he became the team’s regular starting goalkeeper and recorded a high number of clean sheets across multiple campaigns. His performances also drew attention for his involvement in penalty situations, both in saving attempts and in taking penalties himself.
Berisha was first included in Kalmar FF’s matchday squad on 13 March 2010 for an Allsvenskan fixture against IFK Göteborg, remaining an unused substitute in a 3–0 home defeat. He made his professional debut on 28 April 2010 under head coach Nanne Bergstrand in a 4–1 home victory over Örebro SK. Following his debut, he replaced veteran Petter Wastå as the team’s starting goalkeeper and featured in six consecutive league matches without defeat, comprising four wins and two draws. During this period, he kept four clean sheets. After the mid-season break, Wastå regained the starting position and Kalmar lost five of their next seven matches. Berisha returned to the lineup in September and remained first choice for the remainder of the campaign, keeping four clean sheets in the final rounds as Kalmar finished the 2010 season in seventh place with 40 points. In total, he made fourteen league appearances in his debut season, recording seven clean sheets and conceding eight goals. He also appeared in the 2010 Svenska Cupen semi-final against Hammarby IF, which ended 2–2 before Kalmar were eliminated 6–5 on penalties.
During the 2011 season, Berisha continued as Kalmar’s first-choice goalkeeper and opened the campaign with a clean sheet on 2 April in a goalless away draw against Halmstads BK. Throughout the first half of the league season, he did not concede more than two goals in any match and kept four clean sheets, with Kalmar in third place, three points behind the leaders. On 9 July 2011, in the final match before the mid-season break, Berisha was sent off in the 84th minute of a 3–2 victory against Trelleborgs FF.
In the 2011 Svenska Cupen, Berisha featured in three matches as Kalmar progressed to the final. He saved two penalties and converted one himself in the shoot-out victory against Malmö FF in the quarter-final. He was named on the bench for the final against Helsingborgs IF on 5 November, which Kalmar lost 3–1.
In the latter part of the league season, Berisha added four further clean sheets, although Kalmar also suffered six defeats. He was replaced as starting goalkeeper for the final five league fixtures. Kalmar eventually finished eighth in the Allsvenskan table. Across all competitions, Berisha made 27 appearances during the 2011 campaign.
Berisha began the 2012 Allsvenskan season with a clean sheet on 31 March in a 1–0 away victory over GIF Sundsvall. Kalmar recorded mid-table results throughout the first half of the season.
Berisha was ever-present in all competitions during the campaign, playing every minute of Kalmar’s league, cup and European fixtures. In the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League qualifying rounds, he scored his first competitive goal for the club from the penalty spot in the first qualifying round second leg against Cliftonville, as Kalmar advanced with an aggregate victory. The team went on to eliminate Croatian side NK Osijek 6–1 on aggregate in the second qualifying round before being eliminated by Young Boys Bern in the third round.
In the league, Berisha made 30 Allsvenskan appearances, keeping six clean sheets and conceding 45 goals. He also played four matches in the 2012 Svenska Cupen. Later that year, he scored his second goal for Kalmar with a penalty in a league match against Helsingborgs IF, which ended in a 7–2 defeat. Kalmar finished the 2012 Allsvenskan season in sixth place with 45 points.
In the 2013 season, Berisha opened with two consecutive clean sheets and maintained solid defensive statistics throughout the early rounds. By late August, he had conceded 19 goals in 22 league appearances, including nine clean sheets, with Kalmar positioned in the top five for much of the campaign. On 27 July, he scored his first goal of the season and third for the club with a penalty in a 2–2 draw against IF Brommapojkarna.
His final appearance for the club came on 1 September 2013 in a 1–0 home win over Halmstads BK, where he once again scored the decisive goal from the penalty spot. Club sporting director Svante Samuelsson praised Berisha’s professionalism and development, particularly his collaboration with goalkeeping coach Donald Arvidsson.
Following that Berisha departed to Lazio two months before the end of the league season. Despite the early transfer, his 2013 campaign included nine clean sheets in 22 league appearances by late August, two goals scored from the penalty spot and a total of 22 goals conceded at the time of his departure, contributing to Kalmar’s eventual fifth-place finish. He was later named Allsvenskan Goalkeeper of the Year.

Lazio

On 2 September 2013, Berisha officially signed for Lazio during the final day of the summer transfer window.

2013–14 season

Under head coach Vladimir Petković, Berisha began his first season at Lazio as the second-choice goalkeeper behind Federico Marchetti. He remained an unused substitute in all domestic Serie A and Coppa Italia fixtures throughout the 2013 calendar year. He made his debut for the club on 7 November 2013 in a 2013–14 UEFA Europa League group stage match against Apollon Limassol, starting and playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–1 home victory while Marchetti stayed on the bench. He also started the following Europa League fixture against Legia Warszawa three weeks later, keeping a clean sheet in a 2–0 away win. Berisha then completed his third consecutive Europa League start on 12 December 2013 against Trabzonspor, keeping another clean sheet in a goalless draw. In late December 2013, first-choice Marchetti suffered an injury, allowing Berisha to make his Serie A debut under newly appointed head coach Edoardo Reja. He made his first league appearance on 6 January 2014 against Inter Milan, playing the full 90 minutes and keeping a clean sheet in a 1–0 home victory. A week later, on 11 January 2014, Berisha kept another clean sheet in a goalless draw away to Bologna. He made his first appearance in the Coppa Italia on 14 January 2014 in a 2–1 win over Parma, and started again in the quarter-final match against Napoli, where Lazio were eliminated following a 1–0 defeat at the Stadio San Paolo.
After Marchetti returned from injury, coach Reja kept Berisha as the starting goalkeeper. On 25 January 2014, he played the full 90 minutes in a 1–1 draw against Juventus, with Marchetti remaining on the bench. On 2 February 2014, he kept another clean sheet in a 2–0 away victory over Chievo Verona. On 8 February 2014, he played the full match and kept a clean sheet in a 0–0 draw against Roma in the Derby della Capitale, receiving the Man of the match award. Later that month, in the Europa League round of 32, Lazio faced Ludogorets Razgrad, with Berisha playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 home defeat. Lazio were eliminated in the second leg on 27 February 2014 after a 3–3 draw away, losing 4–3 on aggregate, with Berisha on the bench.
Having played regularly for eight consecutive matches, in March Berisha lost his starting place to Marchetti for three games. After those fixtures, Marchetti sustained further injuries, and Berisha returned to the starting lineup for two matches. Except for a brief return of Marchetti against Parma on 30 March 2014, Berisha played all of the remaining seven league matches. On 6 April 2014, he kept a clean sheet in a 2–0 home victory against Sampdoria. Another clean sheet followed on 27 April 2014 in a 2–0 away win against Livorno. Berisha also played in Lazio’s final match of the season on 18 May 2014, keeping another clean sheet in a 1–0 victory over Bologna.
Berisha finished the 2013–14 season with a total of 23 full 90-minute appearances, including two matches in the Coppa Italia and four in the UEFA Europa League, keeping nine clean sheets in all competitions. Lazio concluded the 2013–14 Serie A campaign in ninth place. For his performances, Berisha was named the best foreign goalkeeper of the season and was included in the Serie A Best XI of foreign players for 2013–14.

2014–15 season

In his second season with Lazio, Berisha served mainly as the second-choice under newly appointed coach Stefano Pioli, remaining behind Federico Marchetti in the league. He was, however, assigned as the first-choice goalkeeper for the 2014–15 Coppa Italia. On 24 August 2014, Berisha kept a clean sheet in his first appearance of the season in the Coppa Italia third round match against Bassano Virtus, a 7–0 win for Lazio.
He opened the 2014–15 Serie A season on 31 August 2014, playing the full match in the 3–1 away defeat against Milan. Although Pioli relied mostly on Marchetti during the league campaign, Berisha played on 15 February 2015 against Udinese due to Marchetti’s suspension, keeping a clean sheet in a 1–0 victory sealed by an Antonio Candreva penalty. His display earned him a place in Goal.com’s Team of the Week for the 23rd round.
In the Coppa Italia, Berisha featured in every match, conceding only two goals and keeping four clean sheets en route to the final against Juventus. Lazio were defeated 2–1 after extra time, with Alessandro Matri scoring in the 97th minute. In Serie A, he made ten appearances and kept four clean sheets, contributing to Lazio’s third-place finish in Serie A, which secured qualification for the 2015–16 UEFA Champions League qualifying phase and play-off round.

2015–16 season

In the 2015–16 season, Berisha featured mainly during Marchetti’s frequent injury absences, making 11 league appearances, keeping three clean sheets and conceding 13 goals. With him on the field, Lazio suffered only two defeats from 14 matches across all competitions, finishing eighth in Serie A.
Berisha made his UEFA Champions League debut in the play-off round against Bayer 04 Leverkusen, keeping a clean sheet in a 1–0 home win before Lazio were eliminated after a 3–0 away loss, advancing to the 2015–16 UEFA Europa League group stage. In the Europa League, he played five of six group stage matches, helping the team to four wins and one draw to reach the knockout phase, but remained on the bench during later rounds against Galatasaray and Sparta Prague, with elimination following a 3–0 home defeat to Sparta. In the domestic cup, he made two appearances as Lazio defeated Udinese before being eliminated in the quarter-finals by Juventus.
Following Lazio's decision to retain Federico Marchetti as the starting goalkeeper and the emergence of fellow Albanian goalie Thomas Strakosha, who returned from loan at Salernitana 1919|Salernitana], Berisha moved to Atalanta on a one-year loan with an option to buy, aiming for a permanent starting role.

Atalanta

Berisha joined Atalanta on loan from Lazio ahead of the 2016–17 Serie A season, and quickly established himself as the team’s first-choice goalkeeper. He made his competitive debut on 18 September 2016 in matchday 4, a 3–0 away defeat against Cagliari. After a brief spell out due to a knee issue, he underwent meniscus surgery on 7 December 2016 and missed the remainder of the calendar year. He returned in early January 2017, starting the Coppa Italia round of 16 match against Juventus on 11 January and delivering a solid performance despite Atalanta’s 3–2 defeat in Turin. Throughout the campaign, Berisha was a consistent performer, keeping 11 clean sheets in Serie A and contributing significantly to Atalanta’s impressive fourth-place finish — at the time the highest in the club’s history — which secured direct qualification for the 2017–18 UEFA Europa League group stage.
Among his standout performances were the 2–0 away win over Napoli on 26 February 2017, where he kept a clean sheet with several decisive saves at Stadio San Paolo, and the 0–0 draw against Fiorentina on 5 March, where he produced several important interventions to extend Atalanta’s unbeaten run to six matches.
Berisha concluded the season with 26 Serie A appearances and was widely praised for his composure and reliability in goal, becoming one of the key figures in Atalanta’s rise under coach Gian Piero Gasperini.

2017–18 season

On 21 June 2017, Atalanta completed the permanent signing of Berisha for a reported fee of €5 million. He retained his starting role under coach Gian Piero Gasperini during the 2017–18 campaign, featuring regularly both in Serie A and the 2017–18 UEFA Europa League, where Atalanta topped their group ahead of Lyon, Everton and Apollon Limassol.
Berisha played all six group matches, keeping two clean sheets and making several key saves, including in the 5–1 away win against Everton at Goodison Park.
In the knockout stage, he started both legs of the round of 32 against Borussia Dortmund, where Atalanta were eliminated 4–3 on aggregate despite two competitive performances from the Albanian goalkeeper.
In the domestic league, Berisha earned recognition for several standout displays — including being named to the Serie A Team of the Week after matchday 3 following a strong performance against Sassuolo. On 1 October 2017, he saved a penalty from Paulo Dybala in the 84th minute — the Argentine’s first miss from the spot in Serie A — helping Atalanta secure a 2–2 draw against Juventus. He finished the season with 32 league appearances, 10 clean sheets, and a central role in Atalanta’s seventh-place finish, which secured qualification for European competition the following year. His performances drew praise for their consistency and leadership within a young squad.

2018–19 season

In the 2018–19 Serie A campaign, Berisha entered strong competition for the starting role with Pierluigi Gollini. While Gollini started most of the first nine league matches, Berisha reclaimed the starting position from matchday 10 through 25 before Gollini once again became the preferred choice for the remainder of the season. Berisha made his first league appearance of the season on 2 September 2018 in matchday 3, and earned clean sheets in a 0–0 draw against Torino and a 3–0 home win over Parma.
He delivered several steady performances during this stretch, contributing to positive results despite Atalanta also enduring a few setbacks, including back-to-back defeats in February against Milan and Torino, and a 3–3 draw against Fiorentina in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final. After that period, he did not feature again in the league as Gollini secured the starting position. At the time of Berisha’s final appearance, Atalanta were 8th in the table, but eventually climbed to 3rd place, qualifying for the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League for the first time in their history.
In the Coppa Italia, Berisha notably played in the quarter-final on 30 January 2019 against Juventus, receiving praise for his composure in Atalanta’s 3–0 victory, with Eurosport noting that he “did not have to make many saves, but showed reliability whenever called upon.”
In European competition, he appeared in both legs of the second qualifying round of the 2018–19 UEFA Europa League against FK Sarajevo — ending 2–2 and 8–0 — before being replaced by Gollini for the subsequent rounds against Hapoel Haifa and Copenhagen, where Atalanta were eliminated after two goalless draws and a penalty shoot-out loss.
Across all competitions, Berisha made 22 appearances and kept 7 clean sheets, serving as an experienced and dependable option throughout the season.

SPAL

On 6 July 2019, Berisha joined SPAL on loan with an obligation to buy.
He made an immediate impact by keeping a clean sheet on his debut on 18 August 2019 in a 3–0 home win over Feralpisalò in the Coppa Italia third round.
A week later, he played the full 90 minutes in SPAL’s Serie A opener against his former club Atalanta, a narrow 3–2 defeat.
Berisha quickly secured the role of first-choice goalkeeper and was ever-present throughout the opening phase of the season, starting 26 consecutive league matches. Despite the team’s struggles, he delivered several notable performances, keeping three clean sheets in eight positive results — including two 1–0 victories and a goalless draw — while conceding just once in five matches where SPAL managed three 2–1 wins and two 1–1 draws.
Before the season was suspended in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he had made 29 appearances across all competitions, with SPAL sitting 19th on 18 points. Shortly after Serie A resumed, Berisha suffered a metacarpal fracture in his right hand during training, ruling him out for the remainder of the season.
Without him, SPAL collected only two points in their final twelve matches and finished bottom of the league with 20 points, confirming relegation to Serie B.
In the Coppa Italia, SPAL advanced past Lecce with a 5–1 win in December 2019 before being eliminated by Milan in the round of 16.
Berisha remained first-choice heading into the 2020–21 Serie B season. He began strongly, featuring in six league matches and keeping three clean sheets as SPAL opened the campaign with three wins and three draws.
However, on 27 November 2020, he tested positive for COVID-19.
After recovering, he returned to regular action and continued to concede relatively few goals, though SPAL struggled due to a lack of attacking efficiency. On 9 February 2021, he suffered his first league defeat on the pitch that season, a 3–1 away loss to Pordenone. In the final stretch, SPAL experienced inconsistent form, including three consecutive defeats two weeks before the season’s end, dropping them out of the Serie B play-off positions. Despite winning the final two matches, they finished ninth.
In the 2020–21 Coppa Italia, Berisha played the full 90 minutes and kept a clean sheet as SPAL eliminated Sassuolo with a 2–0 win in the round of 16, before being knocked out by Juventus in a 4–0 quarter-final defeat. He finished the season with 27 total appearances. His performances earned widespread praise in Italian sports media, with one outlet describing him as “an absolute guarantee for SPAL, delivering consistent performances even in a difficult season.”

Torino

On 3 July 2021, Berisha signed a three-year contract with Torino, in a deal structured as a one-season loan with an obligation to buy. During the early stages of the 2021–22 season, he served primarily as backup to first-choice goalkeeper Vanja Milinković-Savić under head coach Ivan Jurić.
Berisha made his debut for the club on 16 December 2021 in the Coppa Italia second round, playing the full match in a 2–1 away loss to Sampdoria. His opportunity in the league arrived after Milinković-Savić suffered a finger injury, with Berisha making his Serie A debut on 6 March 2022 in matchday 28, keeping a clean sheet in a 0–0 away draw against Bologna.
Although Milinković-Savić returned soon after, head coach Jurić opted to keep Berisha as starter based on his performances. He produced further clean sheets, including a notable one in a goalless draw with eventual league champions Milan. Milinković-Savić briefly reclaimed the starting role, but after conceding four goals against Atalanta, Berisha was restored to the lineup for the final four league matches. Torino ultimately concluded the season in mid-table.
During the 2022–23 season, Berisha did not make any competitive appearances for Torino, either in the league or in the Coppa Italia. In February 2023, reports from Italian media indicated that he had been separated from the squad following a training-ground dispute with head coach Jurić. The disagreement was reportedly linked to Berisha’s desire to leave the club, with negotiations complicated by contractual terms and salary conditions.

Empoli

On 29 August 2023, Berisha joined Empoli on a free transfer.
He was initially signed as experienced cover for young goalkeeper Elia Caprile, who had joined on loan from Napoli and was expected to start the season as first choice. However, following Caprile’s early injury, Berisha was promoted to the starting lineup and quickly delivered several strong performances.
Berisha made his debut for Empoli on 3 September 2023 in a 2–0 away defeat against Juventus, during which he saved a penalty from Dušan Vlahović. The following week, Empoli suffered a heavy 7–0 defeat away to Roma, although Berisha was noted for several important saves that prevented a larger scoreline.
Despite the team’s early struggles, Berisha contributed to a period of improved stability with several clean sheets, including a 1–0 win over Salernitana and a goalless draw against Udinese. On 23 October 2023, he delivered one of his standout performances of the season in Empoli’s 2–0 away victory against Fiorentina, making seven saves — five from inside the penalty area — earning a match rating of 9.0 from SofaScore and being named man of the match by multiple outlets. 
His impressive form continued in Empoli’s 1–0 away win over Napoli, where he was widely described as decisive in securing the result.
After Caprile recovered from injury, head coach Aurelio Andreazzoli returned him to the starting lineup, relegating Berisha to the bench for the remainder of the season. His involvement was further reduced by a chest injury suffered between 16 March and 25 May 2024, concluding the campaign with 14 Serie A appearances.
With Berisha’s contract due to expire at the end of June but containing an option to renew, reports suggested that Empoli were considering keeping him as an experienced second-choice goalkeeper, depending on their Serie A survival. However, despite Empoli securing top-flight status, Berisha reportedly declined the renewal offer and left the club at the expiry of his contract, becoming a free agent.

BK Häcken

After spending nearly a year without a club, Berisha returned to Sweden on 11 April 2025, signing with BK Häcken for the 2025 Allsvenskan season.
Having last played a competitive match in December 2023, Berisha had been out of first-team action for over sixteen months due to injury and his subsequent free-agent status. After spending his first three league matches as an unused substitute, he made his Häcken debut on 27 April 2025, starting in a 1–1 home draw against Hammarby IF in the sixth round of the Allsvenskan.
Following his debut, he established himself as Häcken’s first-choice goalkeeper ahead of veteran Oscar Jansson, recording two consecutive clean sheets in the following matches.
On 29 May 2025, Berisha played a decisive role in Häcken’s triumph in the 2025 Svenska Cupen final against favourites Malmö FF. He kept a clean sheet throughout regular time and extra time, making multiple important saves as the match finished 0–0. During the penalty shoot-out, Berisha saved two spot-kicks and scored one himself, securing a 4–2 victory and delivering the cup title for Häcken. His performance was widely praised in both Swedish and Albanian media, with reports describing him as the key figure behind the club’s success.
Following the cup victory, Berisha and Häcken progressed to the 2025–26 UEFA Europa League qualifying. In the first qualifying round against Slovak side Spartak Trnava, Berisha delivered strong performances in both legs. In the first match, a 1–0 away win, he made several decisive saves while keeping a clean sheet despite persistent fouls from the opposition. In the return leg, he again produced key stops in the closing stages as Häcken held on to a 2–2 draw to advance to the next round.
In the second qualifying round, Häcken faced Belgian side Anderlecht. The first leg ended in a narrow 1–0 defeat away. In the second leg on 1 August 2025, Berisha delivered another decisive performance as Häcken won 2–1 at home to level the aggregate score 2–2 after extra time. In the subsequent penalty shoot-out, he saved two penalties and converted Häcken’s fourth attempt himself, securing a 4–2 win and progression to the next round. Following this qualification, Berisha signed a contract extension keeping him at the club until 2027.
In the third qualifying round, Häcken met Norwegian side Brann. Berisha produced another impressive display, saving a 90th-minute penalty and keeping a clean sheet in a 1–0 away victory. However, Häcken were eliminated 2–1 on aggregate due to their first-leg defeat.
Following elimination from the Europa League, Häcken entered the Conference League play-off round, where Berisha again played a key role. Häcken defeated Romanian side CFR Cluj 7–2 in the first leg and suffered only a narrow 1–0 loss in the return match, advancing comfortably to the 2025–26 UEFA Conference League league phase.
Berisha made his debut in the 2025–26 UEFA Conference League on 2 October 2025, keeping a clean sheet in a 0–0 away draw against Shelbourne.

International career

First call-ups and 2014 World Cup qualification

Berisha received his first senior call-up to the Albania national team in May 2012 for friendlies against Qatar and Iran under coach Gianni De Biasi. He made his debut later that month in a 1–0 win against Iran in Istanbul, playing the full match and keeping a clean sheet. On 1 June 2012, he obtained Albanian citizenship, becoming eligible for competitive fixtures. He appeared again for Albania in the August 2012 friendly against Moldova, coming on as a second-half substitute.
Berisha was included in the squad for the opening matches of the 2014 [FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)|2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers] against Cyprus and Switzerland in September 2012, remaining an unused substitute in both fixtures. He made his competitive debut the following month in the qualifier against Slovenia on 16 October 2012, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 home win at the Qemal Stafa Stadium, which marked Albania’s first victory over Slovenia.
Following his debut in the qualifiers, Berisha became Albania’s starting goalkeeper for the remainder of the campaign. On 22 March 2013, he started in the 1–0 away win against Norway in Oslo, Albania’s first victory over Norway. He featured in all remaining qualifiers, as Albania finished the group with ten points and did not progress to the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

UEFA Euro 2016 campaign

After the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign, Samir Ujkani switched allegiance to the Kosovo national team, leaving Berisha as Albania’s first-choice goalkeeper, with Orges Shehi as his backup. He started Albania’s opening match of the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifiers away to Portugal on 7 September 2014, delivering an effective performance in a 1–0 win — Albania’s first victory against Portugal. Berisha also started in the match against Serbia on 14 October 2014, which was abandoned in the 42nd minute after crowd disturbances involving flares and an on-field invasion by home supporters. UEFA initially awarded Serbia a 3–0 win with a three-point deduction, but both federations appealed; on 10 July 2015 the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned the match result, awarding Albania a 3–0 victory while upholding Serbia’s point deduction.
On 4 September 2015, Berisha helped Albania secure a 0–0 draw away to Denmark, preserving the team’s strong position in the group. He remained in goal for Albania’s next two matches, narrow stoppage-time defeats to Portugal and Serbia. In the decisive final qualifier on 11 October 2015, Berisha kept a clean sheet in a 3–0 away win against Armenia, securing Albania’s first-ever qualification for a major men’s tournament, UEFA Euro 2016.
Berisha was named in Albania’s preliminary 27-man squad for Euro 2016 on 21 May 2016, and was included in the final 23-man list on 31 May. He started all three matches in the Group A stage. In the opening match against Switzerland on 11 June, an early goal from Fabian Schär resulted in a 1–0 defeat. He also started in the 2–0 loss to France on 15 June, with both goals arriving late in the match. In Albania’s final group match on 19 June, Berisha kept a clean sheet in a 1–0 win over Romania, the country’s first victory at a major tournament and their first win against Romania since 1948. Albania finished third in the group with three points but were eliminated as the lowest-ranked third-placed team.

2018 FIFA World Cup qualification

Albania began their 2018 [FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group G|2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign] strongly, collecting six points from their opening two fixtures: a 2–1 home win over Macedonia on 5 September 2016, followed by a 2–0 victory away to Liechtenstein on 6 October. In the latter match, Berisha kept his 18th clean sheet for the national team, surpassing Arjan Beqaj as Albania’s all-time leader in shutouts. His performances in both early victories were widely praised in local media. On 10 October 2016, Berisha started in the home match against Spain. After holding the visitors scoreless in the first half, he miscontrolled a pass early in the second period, allowing David Silva to intercept and set up Diego Costa for the opening goal. Spain doubled their lead eight minutes later and won 2–0. Despite the defeat, Berisha received positive reviews for keeping the scoreline respectable against one of Europe’s strongest teams. On 12 November 2016, in the home fixture against Israel, Berisha was sent off in the first half for headbutting forward Eran Zahavi after a confrontation. The match marked his 41st consecutive appearance for Albania since becoming the starting goalkeeper in October 2012 — a national record for most consecutive matches played. On 19 December 2016, FIFA suspended Berisha for two games and fined him 5,000 Fr, ruling him out of the qualifiers against Italy on 24 March 2017 and the return match against Israel on 11 June. Berisha returned for the final stretch of the campaign. On 6 October 2017, he captained Albania for the first time in a competitive match — the away fixture against Spain — with coach Christian Panucci handing him the armband due to the absences of captain Ansi Agolli and vice-captain Mërgim Mavraj.
He also featured in Albania’s closing qualifier, a narrow 1–0 home defeat to Italy. Albania finished the group in third place with 13 points, ahead of Israel and Macedonia.

2018–2020: UEFA Nations League and Euro 2020 qualifying

Berisha faced increased competition for the starting goalkeeper role from the emerging Thomas Strakosha during this period, while also struggling for regular playing time at Atalanta, where he was frequently benched. As a result, he lost his status as Albania’s first-choice goalkeeper ahead of the inaugural UEFA Nations League campaign in League C. Berisha featured only in the final group match on 17 November 2018 against Scotland, where 10-man Albania suffered a 4–0 home defeat.
Ahead of the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying campaign, Berisha left Atalanta to join SPAL in search of regular football, securing a starting role at club level. This move helped him reclaim his place as Albania’s first-choice goalkeeper ahead of Strakosha, despite the managerial transition from Christian Panucci to Edoardo Reja. He started Albania’s first four qualifiers, keeping two clean sheets that contributed to the team’s victories. Midway through the campaign, Berisha briefly lost the starting position but ultimately regained it for the final fixtures. Albania finished fourth in the group with 13 points, falling short of qualification for the tournament.
In the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League C campaign, Berisha began as a substitute but soon returned to the starting lineup following a 1–0 home defeat to Lithuania. Reinstated as first-choice and designated primary captain by coach Reja, he recorded two clean sheets in goalless draws before captaining Albania to consecutive 3–0 wins over Kazakhstan and Belarus. These results secured Albania top spot in their group and promotion to League B.

2021–2024: 2022 World Cup and Euro 2024

Berisha began the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign as Albania’s first-choice goalkeeper, keeping a clean sheet on 25 March 2021 in a 1–0 away victory against Andorra. Strakosha served as the secondary option, often featuring in lower-profile fixtures such as those against San Marino. Berisha recorded two further clean sheets in both home and away 1–0 victories over Hungary, playing a decisive role in Albania’s strong campaign. Albania achieved a national milestone by registering 18 points—their highest-ever tally in a World Cup qualifying group—earning wins over Andorra, San Marino and Hungary, but failing to secure points against group favourites England and Poland. They ultimately finished third in Group I, narrowly missing out on a play-off spot by two points.
Under new head coach Sylvinho, Berisha was stripped of the captaincy, which was assigned to Elseid Hysaj at the start of the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying campaign. Although he began the campaign as a substitute, Berisha went on to start the majority of the group’s matches, keeping two clean sheets across five appearances and conceding only three goals in total. Albania topped their qualifying group for the first time in history, finishing with 15 points—level with the Czech Republic but ahead on head-to-head results—thus qualifying for the final tournament of a UEFA European Championship for only the second time.
In June 2024, Berisha was named in Sylvinho’s final 26-man squad for UEFA Euro 2024, hosted in Germany. Before the tournament, he captained Albania in a warm-up friendly on 3 June 2024 against Liechtenstein, leading the team to a 3–0 victory and keeping his 36th clean sheet — extending his national record. Despite being part of the final squad, Berisha did not feature during Euro 2024, as Strakosha was preferred as the starting goalkeeper. Albania finished bottom of their group after collecting one point. His absence from the tournament line-up reportedly contributed to a fallout with Sylvinho, after which Berisha was no longer called up to the national team.

Style of play

Berisha is noted for his height, reach and reflexes, attributes that assist him in aerial duels and one-on-one situations. He is also an authoritative organiser of his defence and communicates frequently with his teammates, traits that have been remarked upon since his early years at Kalmar. Unusually for a goalkeeper, Berisha has frequently taken and converted penalties. He records four goals from the penalty spot during his spell at Kalmar FF, underlining his rare dual role as both shot-stopper and spot-kick taker. Media coverage of key cup matches has emphasised Berisha's composure in high-pressure penalty situations. For example, contemporary reports of a Swedish Cup final noted that he "saved two penalties and one he scored himself", a sequence that was widely reported as decisive in the outcome. In interviews Berisha has described how earlier team-mates and coaches influenced his role as a penalty taker. After the cup final he said: "I learned these from Henke. He took penalties at Kalmar and after a match we played against Malmo, it was almost the same situation as in the final. It was Nanne who at that time said that I should become a penalty taker after I had scored many goals in training." Contemporaneous reportage from Kalmar's move to Lazio described him as "a fast-reacting goalkeeper who likes to verbally organise the defence."
He stated that his favourite player and role model is the Dutch goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar.

Controversies

On 31 July 2013, ChievoVerona announced to have signed Berisha during the summer transfer window, but Berisha himself did not accept this, saying that he simply had an accord with the club but did not sign.
On 5 September 2013, after Berisha signed for Lazio, Chievo announced that they had sent the case in to the FIFA. On 11 September 2013, Lazio's president Claudio Lotito declared that Berisha was bought and signed in the regular way according to the Transfer Window rules.
On 14 September 2013, the sport director of Chievo Giovanni Sartori accused Berisha of changing his mind for more money at Lazio. On 29 January 2014, the case was re-opened as now Lazio were looking for another keeper during the winter transfer window. On 31 January 2014, the media announced that Berisha risked a three-month suspension due to contract which he pretended to have signed.
On 5 February 2014, Sartori asked to have this case closed and the accusations dropped. On 20 March 2014, the manager of Kalmar, Svante Samuelson declared that everything about the transfer of their former goalkeeper Etrit Berisha, was regular. On 28 June 2014, the media announced that Berisha's case could be closed as FIFA had not yet made a decision.

Personal life

Berisha was born in Pristina, Kosovo, and is of Albanian ethnicity. In January 2013, he revealed that he had applied for Swedish citizenship after residing in the country for five years since joining Kalmar FF from his hometown club 2 Korriku. He stated that acquiring Swedish nationality would allow him to hold triple citizenship — Kosovo, Albania, and Sweden — and could facilitate his future career in European football as an EU player. Berisha explained that obtaining a Swedish passport would improve his prospects of playing for clubs in major European leagues, describing it as "a step forward for my professional future".
He is a cousin of Drilon Berisha, a former footballer who played for the Kosovan club Prishtina and the Armenian club Ulisses.

Honours

BK Häcken
Individual