Frédéric Veseli

Ipswich Town In July 2013, Veseli was signed by Mick McCarthy's Championship club Ipswich Town on a two-year deal. On 6 August, Veseli made his professional debut in a 2–0 League Cup defeat by Stevenage at Broadhall Way. However, he was unsuited to McCarthy's long ball style of play. His loan spell at Gigg Lane was later extended by a further month before finally being extended to the full 93-day period. He started 18 league games for the club. He was influential in their rise from 20th in the table and fighting relegation up to 11th when he left after new manager David Flitcroft decided to include Veseli in a back three alongside Pablo Mills and Jimmy McNulty. In his 18 appearances, the "Shakers" kept ten clean sheets.

Port Vale In July 2014, Veseli signed on loan for League One side Port Vale for the first half of the 2014–15 season, with manager Micky Adams intending him to provide first-team competition for right-back Adam Yates. He missed two weeks after breaking his ribs in September. He returned to the starting eleven at centre-back on 15 November, helping the "Valiants" to a 1–0 win over Rochdale at Vale Park. He was picked out as the star player in the following week's 1–0 defeat to Milton Keynes Dons. He joined Port Vale on a permanent basis on 7 January 2015, after being released by Ipswich. On 21 February, he scored his first goal in professional football with a speculative effort from in a 3–0 home win over Doncaster Rovers. The goal helped him to be named in the English Football League team of the week. He was offered a new contract of £1,000-a-week, but turned it down. He played 33 of the club's 36 league games in the 2015–16 season, as Lugano avoided relegation by finishing just one point above bottom club FC Zürich. Lugano also reached the final of the Swiss Cup at Letzigrund, where Veseli was sent off in stoppage time after receiving two yellow cards in a 1–0 defeat to Zürich. He rejected the club's contract offer of 7,000-Swiss francs-a-month and the club unsuccessfully sued him, which prevented him from playing professional football until October 2016. He played 17 games for the "Azzurri", but was an unused substitute on the last day of the 2016–17 as Empoli were relegated with a 2–1 defeat at Palermo. Following the club's relegation, Veseli was one of only three survivors of a cull to the playing squad and was named as a vice-captain. On 25 August 2017, he renewed his contract with Empoli until 30 June 2021. He made 30 appearances across the 2017–18 campaign as Empoli made an immediate return to the top-flight as champions of Serie B under the stewardship of Aurelio Andreazzoli. He then featured 31 times in Serie A during the 2018–19 campaign as Empoli were relegated on the final day of the season. On 31 January 2020, he joined French Ligue 2 club Le Mans on loan. The 2019–20 Ligue 2 season was suspended indefinitely on 12 March and was eventually abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in France.

Salernitana On 26 August 2020, he signed a two-year contract with Serie B club Salernitana. He played 23 league games in the 2020–21 season, scoring one goal, as Fabrizio Castori's Salernitana secured promotion into Serie A with a second-place finish in Serie B. However, it was a difficult season on a personal level as he injured his knee, his calf, fractured his ankle and contracted COVID-19 throughout the campaign. He featured 21 times in the 2022–23 campaign as Benevento were relegated in last place.

Fatih Karagümrük On 23 July 2023, Veseli joined Süper Lig club Fatih Karagümrük on a two-year deal.

Egnatia On 15 October 2024, he signed a contract with Kategoria Superiore champions Egnatia to run until 2026. He played eight games in what transpired to be a three-month spell. He featured 16 times in the second half of the 2024–25 season.

Although he has Swiss citizenship, Veseli declared to the media that he would welcome a call-up from Albania, given his Albanian ethnicity. He had also been contacted several times by Kosovo coach Albert Bunjaki, but refused to commit himself to Kosovo.

Albania On 7 November 2015, Veseli received his first call-up to Albania by coach Gianni De Biasi for the friendly matches against Kosovo and Georgia on 13 and 16 November 2015. He made his first appearance against Kosovo as a substitute in the 63rd minute for Berat Djimsiti. He formally secured Albanian citizenship in May 2016. and in Albania's final 23-man UEFA Euro 2016 squad on 31 May. He appeared as an 86th-minute substitute against hosts France in Albania's second group game, which ended in a 2–0 defeat. Albania finished the group in the third position with three points and with a goal difference –2, and was ranked last in the third-placed teams, which eventually eliminated them.

Style of play Speaking in July 2014, Port Vale manager Micky Adams stated that Veseli was "quick, he can handle the ball and he's got decent pedigree".

Career statistics

Club + Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals

2010–11 Premier League

2011–12 Premier League

2011–12 Premier League

2013–14 Championship

Bury (loan) 2013–14 League One

Lugano 2015–16 Swiss Super League

2016–17

Honours Lugano Swiss Cup runner-up: 2015–16

Empoli Serie B: 2017–18

Salernitana Serie B second-place promotion: 2020–21

Switzerland U17 FIFA U-17 World Cup: 2009