Taulant Xhaka
Taulant Ragip Xhaka (born 28 March 1991 in Basel, Switzerland) is a former professional footballer who played mainly as a defensive midfielder and defender. He is the older brother of Granit Xhaka and the son of Albanian parents from Kosovo. Taulant represented Albania at international level, while his brother plays for Switzerland.
Club career in brief
Taulant began playing football at Concordia Basel, then moved to Basel, where he progressed through the youth teams and the Basel U21 side. He made his first-team debut for Basel in 2010 and spent a season on loan at Grasshoppers in 2012–2013 to gain regular playing time. He returned to Basel and became an important defender, helping the club win multiple Swiss Super League titles and a Swiss Cup. Highlights include his UEFA Champions League debut against Manchester United in 2011 and a goal for Basel in 2012. He served as vice-captain from 2017 and scored in European competition, including a CL goal against CSKA Moscow in 2017. In 2020 he suffered a serious knee injury, missing the 2020–21 season. Taulant announced his retirement from professional football in February 2025, and played his final match in May 2025. As of 2025, he is the manager of FC Dardania Basel.
International career
Taulant played for Switzerland at youth levels until deciding to represent Albania. He received Albanian citizenship in 2013 and was cleared by FIFA to play for Albania in 2014. He featured for Albania at Euro 2016. He earned 31 caps and scored one goal for Albania. He had a public disagreement with the Albania coach in 2017 and briefly left the national team, but he returned later that year. His goal for Albania came in the UEFA Nations League in 2018. He retired from international football in November 2021.
Personal life
In 2018 Taulant married his longtime partner Arbnora Nuredini.
This page was last edited on 1 February 2026, at 23:45 (CET).