Talented Swiss footballer Riola Xhemaili says she has never had an invitation from Kosovo, while announcing that she was congratulated by Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri when she scored against Finland.
Xhemaili is the main player on the Swiss team, and has shown that she often encounters problems due to her background.
Among other things, it is for “NZZ“revealed that she never received an invitation from the Kosovo National Team, because women’s football was not very advanced at that time (that is, when she was invited by Switzerland).
“Whenever we go to Kosovo, people say: ‘These are foreigners’, they don’t know how we live here. In Switzerland people think you’re good if you do something good. But if you do something bad they say ‘Of course, they’re from Kosovo’. You can’t please everyone, so I make decisions that are good for my family and me.”
“Besides that, I never received any offer to play for Kosovo. Women’s football in Kosovo was not that advanced at that time.”
Xhemaili then revealed that he was congratulated by Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri when he scored a goal for Switzerland against Finland.
“When I scored against Finland, Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri congratulated me. I was closest to Shaqiri. I also know Leon Avdullahum who now plays for Kosovo. We were in the same class and played for the same club.”
“Each of us has our own history and this connects us. Sometimes I ask myself why the question of loyalty is only posed to us Kosovars. There are other players on the national team whose parents are not from Switzerland.”
When asked about the famous goal she scored when she qualified Switzerland for the quarterfinals of the European Championship, she described it as the best moment of her life.
“Probably the best moment for women’s football in Switzerland. The European Championship at home was like a beautiful movie, with qualification to the quarter-finals in the last minute and I even scored the goal. For me, it was the best moment of my life.”Telegraph