As England prepare to sponsor Kosovo at Tuesday’s Euro 2020 Qualifier, we look at the’Brazil of the Balkans’ development as a country and they turned into Europe’s in-form global side.
A nation’s development
Kosovo, which has a population of 1.8m folks, needed to campaign for almost a decade before they were admitted as FIFA and UEFA members at 2016 following their announcement of independence from Serbia in February 2008.
Many nations, such as Serbia do not reevaluate Kosovan sovereignty and the issue continues to back its head.
Officials said authorities in Kosovo arrested eight European fans that were planning to fly a drone with an banner throughout the Euro 2020 Qualifier between the two sides of Saturday. Six men and two women were detained near the capital of Pristina and authorities captured a drone, a Serbian flag and a banner that read”Kosovo is Serbia,” along with fireworks and a knife.
Having played friendlies because 2010, Kosovo began playing with FIFA members in friendlies in 2014, with their first official match with a goalless draw with Haiti.
Kosovo played their first international soccer game in September 2016 – a 1-1 draw against Finland in a World Cup 2018 qualifier and have participate in now and the UEFA Nations League Euro 2020 eligibility.
Head coach
Bernard Challandes might not have been a family name until this enthusiastic information conference, but he’s got the golden touch in regards to handling Kosovo.
The 68-year-old was handed the reins and has turned effects. He had no true playing career to talk, playing at the Swiss leagues that are lower, but has had a protracted career.
He has also handled Armenia but resigned to qualify for Euro 2016, has taken charge of the U21s of Switzerland and has been in charge of a plethora of teams, including Young Boys.
He won the league in 2009 with FC Zurich and the team made their debut in the Champions League group stages the following season. He also won the Cup together with Sion.
Recent form
Challandes’ arrival as Albert Bunjaki’s successor in 2018 has turned Kosovo’s fortunes . They’re unbeaten winning 10 of these, and so are in with a real chance of making next summer’s finals, with all lovers dubbing them ‘Brazil of the Balkans’.
Their form enabled their Nations League class, so they’re ensured a place to be topped by them, and they are also dark horses at England’s Group A, having beaten the Czech Republic and Bulgaria.
A 2-1 home victory over the Czech Republic in the weekend made it 15 games unbeaten, the longest such run in Europe.
They are now 120th in the FIFA world rankings, Bulgaria are 60th and however, for context, Czech Republic are all 43rd.
Star participant
Among the titles is that of Sheffield Wednesday striker Atdhe Nuhiu, who is a goal man using his 6ins elevation and strength.
Bersant Celina will be a familiar face. For Championship side Swansea having begun at Manchester City, he plays.
Reporter’s opinion – Kaveh Solhekol and Mark McAdam
Sky Sports News reporter Kaveh Solhekol was Bernard Challandes’ pre-match news conference: Below are his thoughts…
Kosovo playing England’s significance cannot be overestimated. There is a special bond between the nations since UK-backed NATO bombing against Serbian targets in 1999 led to independence.
Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair remains a figure there and also for some time Tonibler and Tony were a few of their most popular names for baby boys in Kosovo.
He wished to discuss football although manager Bernard Challandes was asked concerning the bond between the united kingdom and Kosovo. He is expecting his game program will”upset” England and he thinks his players will not be underestimated by their competitions.
There should not be any danger of this. Gareth Southgate is expecting this to be his side’s toughest test up to now in qualifying. Kosovo haven’t lost for almost two years and their 15-match unbeaten run would be the longest in European football.
Whatever the outcome, spare a thought for the guy who will sit alongside Challandes again at the news conference to interpret his words into Albanian. Challandes speaks English so much and so fast to be able to have a chance to translate his words that his translator has to stop him. Let us hope England’s defenders have a more quiet night in St. Mary’s.
Sky Sports News reporter Mark McAdam also talked to Kosovo players Bersant Celina and Elbasan Rashani to get their thoughts ahead of the England battle…
Three years back, there wasn’t a Kosovo side, currently there is. And boy have they announced themselves to the entire world. Unbeaten in 15 games over a couple of decades, their meteoric rise over the global stage is just short of awesome. Up next a match the players describe as their”largest ever” – England.
They’ll face a team full of superstar players they watch every week in the Premier League. Daunted? No. Worried? No. Excited? Yes. However, for them this is just another game.
I met a player dubbed the mind of the Kosovo team, two of the stars, Bersant Celina top of the Championship with Swansea, along with his roommate Elbasan Rashani, called Elba acting in Norway.
They have been relaxed and focused on the job at hand. Their notes for the game from the manager left on the coffee table comprised diagrams like it was school prep. You wouldn’t have thought away from playing in the biggest game of their lives, they had been 24 hours.
We chatted to club football and their charismatic manager, because he’s in the room that they say is the exact same in the front of the media. Passionate is an understatement. Who would dare to argue with him right now? The unthinkable is being masterminded by him.
Both lads grin with every response , they joke with each other when their English isn’t quite as great as they think that it should be, but they can more than hold their own. They know more about the history of their nation, they’ve seen the films, listened to these stories, relived the minutes.
The family members arguably get more from the victory of the team, seeing grandparents and their kids playing to the nation they were forced to flee. The players take all this into their stride. They are aware, respectful and modest of what this means. However, for them, again, it’s just another game.
Read more here: http://www.appmenow.com/2019/09/26/ufc-st-petersburg-shaping-up-with-alistair-overeem-vs-alexander-volkov/
