Kristjan Asllani


Kristjan Asllani is an Albanian professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for club Beşiktaş, on loan from club Inter Milan, and the Albania national team.
Born in Elbasan, Albania, and raised in Buti, Italy, Asllani developed through the Empoli youth system, making his professional debut with the club in 2021. After helping Empoli secure their place in Serie A and establishing himself as one of the league’s most promising young midfielders, he joined Inter Milan in 2022. With Inter, Asllani was part of the squads that won the 2022 Supercoppa Italiana, 2023–24 Serie A title, and 2023 Supercoppa Italiana. In August 2025, he moved to Torino on a season-long loan to gain regular first-team experience.
Asllani has represented Albania at every youth level before making his senior debut in 2022. Since then, he has become a key figure for the national side, contributing to Albania’s historic qualification as group winners for UEFA Euro 2024 and participating in the final tournament. Known for his consistency and composure in midfield, Asllani set a national record for consecutive appearances by an outfield player and scored several decisive goals in competitive matches, including winners in the 2024–25 [UEFA Nations League B] and the 2026 [FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group K|2026 World Cup qualifiers].

Early life

Kristjan Asllani was born in Elbasan, Albania. When he was two years old, his family emigrated to Italy and settled in the small Tuscany town of Buti. There, Asllani began playing football with the local club Butese at the age of five, taking his first steps in the sport before later joining the Empoli youth academy, where he continued his development through the club’s ranks.

Club career

Empoli

Having progressed through the Empoli youth system, Asllani made his professional debut for the senior team on 13 January 2021, in a Coppa Italia match against Napoli.
He made his Serie A debut later that year, during the 2021–22 season, after Empoli’s promotion to the top flight. Initially used as a substitute, he gradually established himself as a regular starter under coach Aurelio Andreazzoli, impressing with his composure, tactical awareness, and passing ability in midfield. During that campaign, he made 23 league appearances and scored one goal, helping Empoli secure their Serie A status. His performances drew attention from several major Italian clubs, including Inter Milan, leading to his eventual transfer to the Milanese side in 2022.

Inter Milan

Following his breakout season with Empoli, Asllani completed a move to Inter Milan in June 2022. Empoli announced that the transfer was structured as an initial loan deal with an obligation for Inter to buy. He arrived at the Nerazzurri as the designated backup to Marcelo Brozović, and gradually adapted to coach Simone Inzaghi’s tactical system.

2022–23 season

Asllani made his competitive debut for Inter Milan on 13 August 2022, coming on as a substitute in a 2–1 away win against Lecce on the opening day of the Serie A season. During his first months at the club, he was mainly used as a rotational option in central midfield, providing cover for Marcelo Brozović and occasionally replacing him in domestic cup and European fixtures. Despite limited playing time, Asllani was praised by Italian media for his composure on the ball and tactical intelligence, showing maturity beyond his age. He made his UEFA Champions League debut on 4 October 2022 in a group stage match against Barcelona, coming on in stoppage time as Inter secured a 1–0 victory at the San Siro.
On 18 January 2023, Asllani won his first career trophy, the 2022 Supercoppa Italiana, as Inter defeated Milan 3–0 at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh; he came on as a substitute in the 84th minute. He later added a second domestic trophy as Inter won the 2022–23 Coppa Italia, though he did not appear in the final against Fiorentina. Throughout the season, he made 12 Serie A appearances and 5 in the Champions League, including a brief cameo in the semi-final second leg against Milan, which Inter won 1–0 to reach the final. He was part of the matchday squad for the 2023 [UEFA Champions League final] against Manchester City, though he remained an unused substitute as Inter were defeated 1–0.
Asllani concluded his debut season with 24 appearances across all competitions, gaining valuable experience under Simone Inzaghi and contributing to one of Inter’s most successful campaigns in recent years.

2023–24 season

Following the departure of Brozović in summer 2023, Asllani saw increased playing time under coach Inzaghi.
Although he initially alternated with Hakan Çalhanoğlu in the deep-lying playmaker role, Asllani gradually earned more regular playing time during the second half of the season, particularly in league and cup fixtures.
On 4 March 2024 he scored his first competitive goal for Inter, opening the scoring in a 2–1 win over Genoa.
Asllani continued to impress with his tactical awareness and ability to dictate tempo from midfield, drawing praise from Italian pundits for his maturity and improved defensive positioning.
Across the 2023–24 campaign Asllani made around 30 appearances in all competitions, registering one goaland providing three assists, as Inter lifted both the Serie A title and the 2023 Supercoppa Italiana, completing a domestic double.

2024–25 season

Asllani continued to be part of Inter's first-team squad, featuring in both domestic and European competitions. Despite limited starts due to competition in midfield, his performances drew praise for his maturity and tactical awareness.
On 19 December 2024, Asllani scored a rare goal directly from a corner kick in a 2–0 Coppa Italia victory over Udinese, earning widespread media attention for the technical execution of the strike. Later in the season, on 3 May 2025, he converted a penalty to secure a 1–0 home win over Hellas Verona, and was named man of the match for his composed performance. He found the net again eight days later, converting another penalty in a 2–0 away win over Torino. Throughout the season, Asllani was praised by Italian media for his tactical intelligence, set-piece delivery, and positional discipline, showing significant progress in his defensive awareness and distribution under Inzaghi’s system.
Across all competitions, Asllani made 33 appearances, scoring 3 goals and providing 1 assist. His contributions were instrumental in Inter's continued success during the season.
His overall development and reliability in midfield earned him interest from several Serie A clubs seeking regular starters ahead of the 2025–26 season.

Loan to Torino

On 25 August 2025, Asllani joined fellow Serie A club Torino on a season-long loan with an option to make the transfer permanent. The loan deal reportedly included a €1.5 million fee, with Torino holding a purchase option valued at around €7 million, potentially granting Inter a capital gain should the option be exercised.
The move was viewed as an opportunity for the midfielder to gain consistent playing time and further his development; indeed, Asllani stated he “needed to play” after finding limited guarantees of game time at Inter over the summer. Meanwhile, Torino are reported to have offered him assurances of a significant role in the starting eleven under coach Marco Baroni.
He made his debut for Torino on 1 September 2025 in a goalless draw against Fiorentina, playing 81 minutes.
In early October 2025, Italian media highlighted Asllani’s composure and passing range in Torino’s midfield setup, noting his quick adaptation to Baroni’s tactical system.

Loan to Beşiktaş

On 30 January 2026, Asllani's spell with Torino was terminated, as he joined Süper Lig side Beşiktaş for the remainder of the season with an option to make the transfer permanent.
Asllani's debut was going well when he came on in the 76th minute, playing against Konyaspor and delivering an assist 1 minute later, but 6 minutes later, he was sent off, after a harsh tackle on a Konyaspor midfielder.

International career

Internationally, Asllani progressed through Albania’s youth system, representing the country at various age levels. He first appeared for the under-16 football team|under-16] side in 2017, before featuring for the under-18 football team|under-18] and under-19 football team|under-19] teams in 2019. He made his debut for the under-21s in June 2021 during a friendly against Bulgaria. Asllani went on to make four appearances in the 2023 [UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification|2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifiers], contributing to two victories for the Red and Blacks.

Senior: debut and establishment as a starter

Having lived in Italy since the age of two, Asllani was eligible to represent either Italy or Albania, as he holds dual citizenship. He ultimately chose to play for Albania. Asllani made his debut for the Albanian senior national team on 26 March 2022 in a friendly match against Spain, coming on as a substitute for Qazim Laçi in the 78th minute of a 2–1 defeat. Later that year, he established himself as a regular starter for the national team. On 19 November 2022, in Albania’s final match of the year, Asllani scored his first international goal at the age of 20 — converting a penalty in a 2–0 win over Armenia, a game that marked the farewell of coach Edoardo Reja.
Under new head coach Sylvinho, appointed in early 2023, Asllani remained a first-choice starter and featured in every Albania match until June 2025, setting a personal Albania [national football team records and statistics|record for consecutive appearances] by an outfield player, with 28 consecutive matches. Apart from his first seven games in this run, he went on to play the full 90 minutes in each of the following 21 appearances, further cementing his role as a key figure in the national team. During this record run of 28 consecutive matches, Asllani was part of Albania’s successful UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying campaign, where they finished top of their group for the first time in history, collecting 15 points—level with the Czech Republic but ahead on the head-to-head record—thus qualifying for the final tournament of a European Championship for only the second time. On 20 June 2023, Asllani scored a spectacular long-range goal in a 3–1 home victory over the Faroe Islands, further contributing to Albania’s historic campaign.
Asllani was named in Albania’s final 26-man squad for UEFA Euro 2024. During the finals in Group B, he featured in all of Albania’s matches as a central midfielder. Despite several competitive performances, Albania finished bottom of the group with a single point and were eliminated from the tournament.

Post-Euro 2024 era

On 14 October 2024, Asllani scored the winning goal in Albania’s 1–0 away victory over Georgia in the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League B, keeping the team’s hopes alive for promotion play-offs. However, on 19 November 2024, Albania were defeated by the Ukraine and were subsequently relegated to League C.
On 9 September 2025, Asllani scored another decisive goal, converting a penalty to secure a 1–0 home victory over Latvia in the 2026 [FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group K|2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers].

Career statistics

Club

International

No.DateVenueCapOpponentScoreResultCompetition
119 November 2022Arena Kombëtare, Tirana, Albania72–02–0Friendly
220 June 2023Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands102–13–1UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying
314 October 2024Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi, Georgia271–01–02024–25 UEFA Nations League B
49 September 2025Arena Kombëtare, Tirana, Albania341–01–02026 FIFA World Cup qualification
513 November 2025Estadi de la FAF, Encamp, Andorra371–01–02026 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours

Empoli
Inter Milan