AGONA Profile: Kosovo, the dark horses of League C 

The AGONA Profile takes a closer look at Kosovo, who will compete against Greece in League C of the 2020/2021 UEFA Nations League.

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Don’t be drawn into thinking that the matches against Kosovo will be walkovers. Yes, Greece should certainly be beating this team, however Kosovo boast the potential to cause any opponent plenty of problems. Something which they have consistently proved over the course of the last couple of years.

Kosovo still have the chance to qualify for UEFA Euro 2020. In the previous Nations League, they stormed to promotion from League D by remaining undefeated in six games against Azerbaijan, Malta and the Faroe Islands. In the qualifying phase of Euro 2020, Kosovo earned three major victories against Bulgaria (3-2), the Czech Republic (2-1) and Montenegro (2-0), while also giving England a scare in Southampton as they scored three goals in a 5-3 loss. In the end, Kosovo did finish in third place of their qualifying group for Euro 2020 behind England and the Czechs, however they still have a chance to make the final tournament through the playoffs. Kosovo will do battle against North Macedonia, Georgia and Belarus in the bid to qualify for Euro 2020, a competition which could be delayed until 2021 as a result of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

In May 2016, Kosovo became a FIFA-registered member, with 141 voting in favour and 23 against. Naturally, Kosovo are yet to qualify for a top-level international competition, however they are in with a realistic shout of qualifying for Euro 2020 and their recent results have suggested that they will offer Greece stern opposition.

Kosovo play their home matches at the Fadil Vokrri Stadium in Pristina.

HEAD COACH

Bernard Challandes, 68, has been the head coach of Kosovo’s national team since March 2018. So far, the Swiss boss has managed 20 games - including friendlies - at the helm, recording a strong tally of 11 victories, five draws and four losses with a positive goal difference of +16 (37-21). In the past, Challendes has coached the likes of the under 21 Swiss national team, FC Zurich, Sion, Thun, Young Boys Bern and the senior Armenian national team. He won the 2008/2009 Super League at Zurich and the 2010/2011 Swiss Cup with Sion.

KEY PLAYERS

Vedat Muriqi is a real threat. 25 years of age, the tall forward (194 centimeters) is enjoying a strong campaign with Fenerbahce this year, having already tallied 15 goals and six assists for the Turkish giants across all tournaments. On the international stage, Muriqi has been a leading light for Kosovo, scoring eight goals in 23 appearances. The forward, valued at 12 million euros by Transfermarkt, will cause the Greek defence several problems with his aerial ability, skillful play with the ball and scoring prowess.

Central midfielder Valon Berisha, born in the Swedish city of Malmo and a five-time champion of Austria with RB Salzburg, is a key figure in the middle of the park. A consistent performer, Berisha provides the link between defence and attack, always looking to move forward and create scoring opportunities. At the moment, Berisha is playing on loan at Fortuna Dusseldorf from Lazio, however he has struggled to really make his mark in the Bundesliga. Berisha has scored three goals in 18 games for the national team after switching his allegiance from Norway in 2016.

Amir Rrahmani is a dominant player in the centre of defence. Valued at 12 million, Rrahmani has caught the eye at Hellas Verona in Serie A, participating in 25 league matches for the Italian organisation. Interestingly, Napoli signed Rrahmani for a grand total of 14 million in the winter transfer window, opting to send him back to Verona on loan for the remainder of the 2019/2020 campaign which has now been halted. Rrahmani joined Verona from Dinamo Zagreb for 2.1 million last summer.  

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