Medon Berisha

Medon Berisha (; born 21 October 2003) is a professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Serie A club Lecce. Born in Switzerland, he was a former youth international for Albania, and played for the Kosovo U21 in a pair of matches before switching back to play eventually for the Albania national team.

Berisha began his career in Switzerland with FC Bern and Young Boys before joining Italian side Lecce in 2022. After excelling with Primavera team and winning the 2022–23 national youth championship, he progressed to the senior squad, making his Serie A and Coppa Italia debuts the following season. By 2025, he had established himself as a first-team regular for Lecce in Serie A.

Internationally, Berisha initially represented Albania at under-19, but switched for Kosovo at under-21 level before switching allegiance back to Albania after obtaining his Albanian citizenship. He went on to captain the Albania U21 team during the qualifiers for the 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. In 2024, he made his senior debut for the Albania national team and was later included in the squad for UEFA Euro 2024, where he became the youngest player ever to appear for Albania in a European Championship at 20 years, 8 months and 3 days.

Club career Early life and youth career Berisha was born in Münsingen, Switzerland to Kosovar Albanian parents from Kaçanik. He started playing football at the age of five. Berisha began his youth football career with Bern 1894, where he developed his early skills and played until the age of 15. He moved and developed his skills in the youth academy of BSC Young Boys in Bern, the capital of Switzerland, where he progressed through several age groups and gained attention for his technical ability and vision on the field. He managed to play consecutively for U-17, U-18 and U-19 teams within two years, scoring several goals, especially during the 2019–20 U-18 League where he recorded 14 goals in 28 appearances, before eventually debuting as a senior in September 2021 with the Young Boys under-21 team in 2021–22 Promotion League, the third tier of the Swiss football system, where he also scored.

Lecce In early 2022, Berisha joined the youth academy of Italian club Lecce, where he quickly established himself as one of the most promising attacking midfielders in the Primavera squad. He contributed with 13 appearances, scoring 2 goals. In the following 2023–24 season, Berisha was regularly included in Lecce's matchday squads for both Serie A and Coppa Italia fixtures. He made six league appearances and one in the cup, totaling fewer than 300 minutes of play. His Serie A debut followed on 25 February 2024 in a 4–0 away defeat to Inter. In the 2024–25 season, Berisha established himself as a regular starter for Lecce, although his campaign was affected by occasional injuries. He finished the season with 17 league appearances and one in the Coppa Italia.

International career Berisha was initially called up by the Albania U19 squad; however, due to bureaucratic issues in obtaining his Albanian passport, he represented Kosovo at U21 level, making a few appearances for their youth side. Once his Albanian citizenship process was completed, Albania U20 and U21 coach, Alban Bushi, initially called him up to the Albania U20 squad, and later to the Albania U21 squad, which he accepted, leading the team during the qualification for the 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, where he scored 2 goals in process. He made his senior debut on 3 June 2024 in a 3–0 friendly win over Liechtenstein, coming on as a 74th-minute substitute for Jasir Asani. During the UEFA Euro 2024 group stage tournament, Berisha made his competitive debut for Albania in the match against Spain, coming on as a second-half substitute. At 20 years, 8 months and 3 days old, he became the youngest player ever to appear for Albania in a European Championship, breaking the previous record held by Mario Mitaj.

Style of play Berisha's natural position is central midfielder but he can also play as a left winger and is known for his passing ability.

Honours Lecce Primavera Campionato Primavera 1: 2022–23