Leon Avdullahu and Albian Hajdari competed against each other in the last edition of the Swiss Super League in football. Now both are at Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga and are also teammates in Kosovo.
The major Swiss newspaper, “Blick”, has conducted an interview with the two players who left Switzerland to play for Kosovo. According to “Blick”, midfielder Avdullahu and center back, Hajdari, have made all of Kosovo dream of the World Cup.
They were first asked how long they had known each other.
"We have known each other for many years, from the Basel academy, although we were in different age groups. The friendship developed when we did our commercial internship together at 'Novartis' and were in the same class," said 21-year-old Avdullahu.
The 22-year-old Hajdari has emphasized that they played together once or twice in Basel's U18 team, before he joined the first team.
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Avdullahu emphasized that he never thought that they would play together in a Bundesliga team. Meanwhile, Hajdari emphasized that he first thought about this in the spring. When he heard that Leon Avdullahu was transferring to Hoffenheim, he told the manager that he also wanted to transfer to this team.
Midfielder Avdullahu said he was happy when Hajdari also completed his transfer to Hoffenheim. He emphasized that he plays better when he feels comfortable and that for this reason it was important for him to complete his preparations at Hoffenheim.
Avdullahu has revealed what surprised him at Hoffenheim.
"It is mandatory to go to the gym every day with weights. I was not used to this. It's not that I like it very much, but it is important and necessary. I am seeing the results in myself," said the midfielder.
Hajdari spoke about his communication on the field with Avdullah. He said that sometimes one speaks in standard German and the other asks to speak in Swiss German.
"Then we agree in Albanian," Hajdari said, laughing.
Avdullahu was asked about his debut for Kosovo, in the match against Switzerland.
"There was a lot of pressure, but in a positive way. With the final score 4:0 to Switzerland, I want to forget the match as soon as possible. I imagined it would be completely different. Although, looking back, the way we lost may have been good for us," said Avdullahu.
Hajdari admitted that he saw more opportunities in Kosovo than in Switzerland.
"I wanted to see my two countries playing in the stadium and support Leon in his debut. I knew that 'Nati' (Switzerland's national team) would not make many changes in the future with this form and I saw more opportunities with Kosovo," said defender Hajdari.
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Avdullahu said he was focused when he made the decision to represent the country.
"I have strong ties to both countries. I listened to my heart and it told me Kosovo," says Avdullahu.
Hajdari said he was only interested in the opinions of those close to him. He expected there to be discussions about his decision, regardless of what it would be.
"Blick" journalists asked the two Kosovo stars what the Swiss federation could have done to get them to play for Switzerland in these qualifiers.
"Nothing," Avdullahu replied.
"Maybe 50 appearances for Switzerland would be realistic for me, but in Kosovo we can also contribute something. We can help build something beautiful in this new country. Our decision should inspire other young Kosovars: be brave and take this step. Leoni and I made the decision and we feel good," said Hajdari.
Kosovo is strongly in the race for the 2026 World Cup qualification playoffs. But there is also a chance of direct qualification.
"Legendary status can come quickly, right?" Hajdari said with a laugh. "No, we haven't won anything yet and it's not just about the two of us, it's about the whole team. Something is happening in Kosovo, you can feel it," the defender said.
"The expectations are there and the euphoria in the country is enormous. Even if we finish in second place and qualify for the playoffs, it will be a great achievement," midfielder Leon Avdullahu continued.
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Kosovo first plays Slovenia and then hosts Switzerland in Pristina. It could be a decisive match for first place in the group and a ticket to the World Cup.
"First we have the match with Slovenia, which is very important for second place. For the match with Switzerland to be a 'final', it must drop points. There are many combinations. However, it will be a special match for us at home against Switzerland," said Albian Hajdari.
