Elis Bakaj

Elis Flamour Bakaj was born on the 25th June 1987 in Tirana. He is a footballer from Albania and he plays for Chornomorets Odessa in the Ukrainian Premier League. He is also a member of the Albanian national team. 

source of picture: www.bulhufas.es

Early Career
Elis joined his first club, which is KF Kristali in the year 1966 when he was just 8, and he stayed there until October. Even though he played for less than six month for the club, he managed to be named the best player of the youth league. For the next 6 months Elis was personally trained by the former Albanian international player Andrea Marko. In June 1997, Elis joined Partizani Tirana and he was under the guidance of the coach, Gazmend Kraja, and there he worked his way up to the best ranks of the club and he impressed the club, including the president of the club, Albert Xhani, who sent the young footballer into the senior club side in the year 2002.
Career in Partizani Tirana
Elis joined the first team of Partizanii at the age of 15 in january 2002, and he was handed a seven years contract with a minimal waged of 150,000 Leke per season. His official appearance for the club came up in the year 2003 Intertoto Cup that was played against Maccabi Netanya, the Israeli club side, where the coach of te club, Musta Perlat played Elis in the last 7 minutes of the game. 
In September 2003, the new coach of the club Ilis Spahiu sent Elis on a loan to FC Nacionali, a feeder team in Partizani that was playing in the Second division of the country football. The head coach of the club Genci Tomori gave Elis the opportunity to play in the first team of the club always, permitting him to show his talent and he scored goals for the club. In january 2004, his loan was finished and he went back to Partizani as the former coach of the club has left the club and a new coach, Sulejman Mema was in charge of the club.
Elis’ first senior team goal of the his club, Partizani came on the 24th March 2004 in the quarter finals of the Albanian Cup that was played against KF Elbasani, there he scored the winning goal of the game for his clubin the 74th minute, and that was the goal that sent his club to the semi-final of the competition and the club won the Albanian Cup.
Career in Dinamo Bucuresti 
In the last hours of the winter transfer window in January 2011, Elis made a move to Dinamo Bucuresti. He signed a five-year contract with the Romanian club, and the club accepted to offer him €200.000, this is because he entered the last six months of his contract. 
He played his first game for his new club on the 26th February 2011, when he brought into the game in the last 16 minutes of the game against Sportal Studentesc. He scored his first goal for the club in a game against Unirea Urziceni. At the 2011 Cupa României Final, Elis was thrown a firecracker by a Steaua București fan and he tried to dodge it.
Career in Chornomorets Odessa
On the 27th February 2012, he made a move to Chornomorets Odessa, a Ukrainian club on loan. And on May, he signed for the club on a three-year contract. 
International Career
Elis is also a member of the Albanian national team. He played his first game for the country on the 21st November 2007 against the Romanian side in a Euro 2008 qualifying game. Elis came into the game as a substitute on the 83rd minute of the match, substituting Erjon Bogdani. Elis scored his first goal for the country against Qatar on the 22nd May 2012 at the Campo de Fútbol de Vallecas, Madrid, Spain.
Honours
Club
Partizani Tirana
• Albanian Cup (1): 2003–04
• Albanian Supercup (1): 2004
Dinamo Tirana
• Albanian Superliga (1): 2009–10
Individual
• Albanian Superleague Footballer of the Year (2): 2009, 2010
• Dinamo Tirana Player of the Season (1): 2009–10
• Dinamo Tirana Goal of the Season (2): 2009–10, 2010–11