Leon Avdullahu has decided to wear the kit of the Kosovan national team in future. What are the possible reasons for such a change of nation? blue Sport asked Mladen Petric.
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- Leon Avdullahu has decided to play for the Kosovo national team.
- For Mladen Petric, who once opted for Croatia instead of Switzerland, there are various reasons for such a change of nation.
- Ultimately, the decision is up to the player: "It's his decision and he has to be able to live with it. There can be so many different reasons, but it remains his decision."
Late on Monday evening, Kosovo's association president Agim Ademi proudly announced on Instagram that Leon Avdullahu had informed him that he wanted to play for Kosovo's national team. "He has proven that Kosovo remains a choice of the heart and that identity and origin will not be denied," wrote Ademi.
The news was confirmed by national team director Pierluigi Tami in a statement on Tuesday morning: "Leon has informed us of his decision. We are disappointed that he now wants to take a different path. But I also want to make it clear that we only want those players in our national teams who identify one hundred percent with our country and our national team."
Changes of nation are not uncommon
The association had made efforts to recruit the former Basel player, who represented the Swiss junior teams from U15 to U21, and also wanted to call him up for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. Now he could make his debut for Kosovo on September 5 against Switzerland of all teams.
For the Swiss national team, this is the second loss of a great talent in just a few days. Last week, defender Eman Kospo, who is under contract with Fiorentina, announced his intention to play for Bosnia and Herzegovina in the future.
Such decisions to switch nations are nothing new in Switzerland. Before Avdullahu and Kospo, Ivan Rakitic, Amir Abrashi and today's blue Sport expert Mladen Petric, for example, decided to play for their parents' home country.
"There can be a different reason for each player. On the one hand, there are players who switch because they see better prospects for playing," says Petric in an interview with blue Sport.
"There are also players who see more prospects of having greater success with the national team," continues the 45-time Croatian international. If one national team is significantly better than the other, they have a better chance of taking part in a major tournament.
"Nobody has to understand that"
For the 44-year-old himself, this was also one of the reasons why he ultimately opted for Croatia. Back then, the chances of taking part in a major tournament were greater.
It is currently rather unlikely that Avdullahu will play in a major international tournament with the Kosovan national team any time soon. Although the still young nation has slowly worked its way up the world rankings and also celebrated successes in the Nations League, it is weaker than Switzerland.
Another reason could be the influence of the family and their pride in their country of origin - but that doesn't necessarily have to be the case for Petric. "The player himself can feel the desire to play for his home country."
Ultimately, the decision lies with the player and does not have to be comprehensible to the public. "It's his decision and he has to be able to live with it. There can be so many different reasons that we don't know. Of course it's a shame for Swiss football, but it's still his decision."
