Kleis Bozhanaj

Overview

Kleis Bozhanaj (Albanian pronunciation: [ˈklɛis bɔzaˈnaj]; born 1 March 2001) is an Albanian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder or forward for Serie B club Modena. Bozhanaj began his football development in Albania, progressing through the youth systems of Ali Demi, Dinamo Tirana, Partizani and Internacional Tirana before moving to Italy in 2017 to join Empoli's academy. During his time with Empoli, he continued his development and in 2020 spent a brief loan spell with Napoli, gaining experience within a top-level Italian club environment. In 2021, Bozhanaj signed for Spezia, although he did not make a senior appearance for the club. He subsequently gained regular playing time through loan spells in Portugal and Italy, joining Casa Pia in the 2021–22 season and Carrarese in 2022, where he established himself as a first-team player and contributed goals from midfield. After a short permanent stint with Carrarese in 2023, he moved to Modena later the same year, becoming part of the club's Serie B squad. While under contract with Modena, Bozhanaj returned to Carrarese on loan in 2023 and again during the 2025–26 season, continuing to accumulate senior experience. In 2026, he joined Reggiana on loan, competing in Serie B. At international level, Bozhanaj has represented Albania in youth categories. He played for the under-17 national team in 2017, scoring five goals in six appearances, and later represented the under-19 team in 2019.