Valon Behrami, a Swiss football midfielder, was born on April 19, 1985 in Mitrovica, Kosovo, in erstwhile Socialist Federal Republic (SFR) of Yugoslavia. His parent, relocated to Stabio, a village in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland that helped him get a Swiss nationality. This international footballer played for the Switzerland Under-18, Under-19 and "A" teams before representing the senior national team.
Valon Behrami netted an important goal in the first leg of the country’s 2006 World Cup qualifier play-off tie against Turkey in the Stade de Suisse. At the 2006 World Cup, he came in as a substitute in the 88th minute in the third group match against Korea Republic. At the 2008 Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) European Football Championship, Valon Behrami was a part of the starting lineup and played three matches.
Valon Behrami started his football career by joining the youth ranks at Football Club (FC) Stabio in 1993 and went on to hone his football skills by moving to FC Chiasso in 1997. After his stint with Chiasso he transferred to FC Lugano in 2000 and his exceptional performances with the club caught the attention of Italian clubs Genoa and Udinese, which jointly signed him in 2003. He played 24 games for Genoa in the Serie B championship during the 2003-04 season.
Valon Behrami was loaned out to Hellas Verona in the 2004-05 season and during that season, he played 32 matches, netting thrice. Following his impressive performance for the club, he was signed by Lazio in the summer of 2005. His first goal for Lazio came in the 92nd minute at the Derby della Capitale against rivals A.S. Roma on March 19, 2008. With this goal Valon Behrami etched his name in the annals of Lazio history as it helped it clinch the match. During his three-year stint with Lazio, he made 64 appearances and scored 4 goals.
On July 23, 2008, West Ham United acquired the services of Valon Behrami by signing a five-year contract with him, and as of August 2008, he has played four matches for the club.
In his leisure time, Valon Behrami, who goes by the nickname “Pepperami”, spends time on the phone and on the computer. He also enjoys playing video games, especially virtual soccer.
