Rudi Vata

Who is Rudi Vata?

Rudi Vata is a former Albanian footballer who played as a defender. He is the manager of Albanian team KS Vllaznia Shkoder.

Vata's career in Western football began in France in 1991, when the KS Dinamo Tirana player claimed political asylum following an international match. He played for Le Mans Union Club 72 and Tours FC, before playing for Celtic between January 1993 and 1995-96. He became the first Albanian to win an honour in a major European country when he won the 1995 Scottish FA Cup with Celtic.

Vata went on to play for Apollon Limassol, Energie Cottbus, Rot-Weiß Ahlen and SK Tirana. This was followed by a spell in Japan, from where he signed for St. Johnstone F.C. in 2004. He retired from football in 2005 after a brief stint with KF Partizani Tirana. He was capped 58 times and scored 5 goals for the Albanian national team.

Since retiring from the professional game, Vata has become a sports agent, specialising in Eastern European football, and facilitating the transfer of players such as Garry O'Connor and Aiden McGeady.