The Swiss Football Association is losing the tug-of-war over Leon Avdullahu. The Hoffenheim professional has decided to switch nations and play for Kosovo.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- The Swiss national team has lost another hope for the future.
- Kosovo's association president Agim Ademi announced on Instagram that Leon Avdullahu will play for his parents' home country.
- Avdullahu could make his debut for Kosovo's national team against Switzerland of all teams. The national team will start the World Cup qualifiers against Kosovo on September 5.
Just a week ago, the SFA suffered a bitter blow when it was announced that top talent Eman Kospo had decided to play for Bosnia in the future. Now the Swiss national team has lost another potential hope for the future: as Kosovo's association president Agim Ademi announced on Instagram, Leon Avdullahu will play for his parents' home country.
Avdullahu, who made his breakthrough at FC Basel over the past two years and moved to the Bundesliga side Hoffenheim for €8 million this summer, has played at every level of the Swiss junior national team since the U15s and made six appearances for the U21s - the last of which came in March of this year. It will probably be the last time Avdullahu wears the Swiss jersey.
An application must be submitted to the SFA for a change of nation. That seems to have happened in the last few days - or will happen in the next few days. "Leon informed me of the big decision tonight," Agim Ademi wrote on Instagram on Monday evening. "He has proven that Kosovo remains a choice of the heart and that identity and origin will not be denied."
Yakin wanted to call up Avdullahu
The efforts of SFA president Peter Knäbel and national team coach Murat Yakin were in vain. An SFA delegation led by Yakin was in Hoffenheim a few days ago to convince Avdullahu. According to information from blue Sport, Yakin wanted to call up the midfielder for the senior team for the first time for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. Avdullahu is now likely to start the World Cup campaign with Kosovo.
On September 5, the national team will kick off their qualifying campaign for the 2026 World Cup against Kosovo, meaning Avdullahu could make his debut for Kosovo against Switzerland of all teams. And in Basel of all places, where he grew up.
