Xherdan Shaqiri has played 125 international matches for Switzerland. But the FCB star has never forgotten his Kosovan roots. He also has them to thank for his passion on the football pitch, says Shaqiri.
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- Xherdan Shaqiri was a guest on blue Sport and also spoke about his character traits.
- "When you see my emotions on the pitch, that's probably more the Albanian. Otherwise, in everyday life, I certainly live 100 percent like a Swiss," said the FCB star.
- Shaqiri was born in Kosovo and came to Switzerland when he was four years old. "I have both mentalities in me," he says.
On the pitch, Xherdan Shaqiri is a whirlwind, a spectacle player, the man for the decisive scenes and dream goals. The 33-year-old also prefers things a little quieter. He is reliable, down-to-earth and sets great store by punctuality - a true Swiss, as Shaqiri says in an interview with blue Sport.
That is not a matter of course. After all, the FC Basel captain was not born in Switzerland, but in the town of Gjilan in Kosovo. Little Xherdan was four years old when he fled to Switzerland with his family. War was raging in his home country.
"I didn't have an easy childhood, but it shaped me a lot. I grew up in an old farmhouse, which didn't exactly have the best heating," Shaqiri recalls. "But things like that help you stay grounded when you have a lot. I like to stay down to earth."
Albanian temperament on the football pitch
The 125-time Swiss international still has two hearts in his chest. This is also reflected in his character. "When you see my emotions on the pitch, it's probably more the Albanian," smiles Shaqiri. These emotions are part of his character and he likes to show them.
"Otherwise, in everyday life, I certainly live 100 percent like a Swiss. In normal life, for example, I pay a lot of attention to punctuality, which is typically Swiss," he continues. "I have both mentalities in me."
