Levante’s Young Star Enis Bardhi Is The Biggest Bargain Of This La Liga Season

Levante’s Young Star Enis Bardhi Is The Biggest Bargain Of This La Liga Season
19:59, 25 Sep 2017

Enis Bardhi’s story highlights the fact that young talent can sometimes slip through the scouting net. Owing to problems with his passport, the 22-year-old midfielder, born in Macedonia but of Albanian heritage, found himself bounced around from Denmark, Sweden, Germany, before most recently spending three first-team seasons in Hungary. 

This summer, Bardhi found himself a new home in Valencia, after Levante paid one and a half million euros to purchase his services from Hungarian top-flight club Ujpest. After playing with Macedonia’s under-21 side in Poland, La Liga would be his next destination. A division with a focus on the technical aspects of football that would suit Bardhi down to the ground.

Las Granotas’ pre-season campaign acted as a window into the young midfielder capabilities, with trademark free-kicks building upon what was already a glowing resume from Poland. In a side which had never previously had the quality nor fortune to qualify for an under-21 European Championship, Bardhi paired up alongside ex-Barcelona youngster David Babunski in central midfield to impressive effect with Macedonia. The 22-year-old was bright, energetic and positive whenever in possession, confident to drive and beat players - a true livewire.

Word was already circulating before Bardhi had kicked a ball on his debut that Levante had quite a talent on their hands. His face is already plastered on the club’s merchandise store and season ticket advertisements, with ‘Bardhi 10’ shirts much more common than you would expect on a match day, solely six games into a youngster’s adventure into an alien league. He has his new fanbase excited, with big clubs sure to follow.

Bardhi’s deployment in midfield varies, with Levante’s system based on the collective. The likes of Morales, Ivi and Jason have license to be inventive in the final third, but off the ball, they must be a unit and defend as such. Their pressing in midfield ensures that opponents have an incredibly tough task on their hands to break Levante’s lines with balls into their front men. Sometimes, Bardhi is part of a flatter central midfield three, but often he gets license to roam and find space.

As such, opponents are forced to look wide to threaten, or otherwise take risks in the centre of the field. An area inhabited by Bardhi, Jose Campana and, when fit, Jefferson Lerma. Three players who are capable of looking forward with their range of passing should they pick up possession. For a team that enjoy using counter attacks to stretch tough opponents, but are just as happy to dominate the ball for spells, the Skopje-born playmaker is the perfect forward-thinking midfielder.

Bardhi is incredibly positive and adventurous with the ball, but rarely takes the wrong decision whether under pressure or otherwise, getting the balance right between risk-taking and recycling. He chooses apt moments to drive forth and beat his man, or lift a well-weighted diagonal pass over the opposition’s full back. Given his age and relative lack of experience at the highest level, his composure and awareness is unparalleled. 

Off the ball, he can be slightly cynical and scrappy in the tackle, but that one negative is held in contrast to a long list of praises to be sung. The 22-year-old has rapidly become the offensive heartbeat of a team that is well structured, with his teammates already aware that Bardhi is constantly an outlet for their counter-attacking plans, whether in acres of space or in close proximity to an opponent.

His box of tricks is not short of a nutmeg, nor a body feint, but there is no air of arrogance to Bardhi’s style. A change of pace, some confidence and low centre of gravity is more than enough to get the wrong side of his man with ease, but he is equally as formidable with his passing range. Capable of keeping it neat and tidy with lay offs in close-quarter situations, or opening up play, he is incredibly complete. His technique at the point of meeting the ball is exceptional, too.

While blessed with talent in open play, Bardhi possesses a certain specialism regarding dead-ball situations. Entrusted with the responsibility of taking corners for Levante, the youngster has also been given first refusal on free kicks. During pre season, he found the mark in such circumstances, which has since led to the ex-Ujpest midfielder being given the license to curl home two emphatic free kicks in La Liga action.

Deportivo and Real Sociedad have been the two teams to fall victim to Bardhi’s trademark strikes, and they certainly won’t be the last. The youngster is capable of testing goalkeepers from anywhere within a 30-yard range, with his powerful, dipping efforts moving somewhat in the air to deceive worried goalkeepers even further.

As Bardhi gathered up a dead ball on Thursday night against Real Sociedad, before carrying it over to take a corner on the left-hand side, he found himself in full view of Levante’s singing section. Rather than the usual smattering of applause that others would receive on their approach, the Macedonia youth international was treated as Lionel Messi would be at Camp Nou. 

Long, drawn-out chants of his surname echoed around the stadium, and they would do so again after he rattled a fierce free-kick effort beyond a hapless Geronimo Rulli in stoppage time. Levante have already got themselves a new hero, and his long journey into the spotlight will have taught him that there is no better place for both of his feet than to remain planted firmly on the ground. 

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