The President of the Football Federation of Kosovo, Agim Ademi, has spoken extensively about the latest developments in Kosovo football, including the future of coach Franco Foda, openness to new players, the approach of Arijon Ibrahimovic to the national team, support for local clubs and the current format of the Super League.
In an interview for KosovaPress, Ademi revealed that coach Franco Foda has rejected a stunning offer from a club in Arab countries, deciding to continue his engagement with the Kosovo National Team.
“It’s true, Foda had an offer from a club in the Arab states which was normally an extremely good offer, a great offer for athletes, but especially for coaches. Fuda never said ‘I want to leave’, this came entirely from his management, from his manager and his management… Foda has been very professional in relation to our contract and with us. He said that I never said I was leaving. My question was do you want to go? If you want to go, tell me, because people don’t stay in the national team against their will and it’s not right to stay against their will… He said that I actually have the contract and I am obligated by the contract but it’s not like I had any intention of going, despite the good offer I have”, said Ademi.
The FFK president said that together with the coaching staff, they are continuing to scout new players and that the door for all of them continues to be open in Kosovo.
“We do not close the door to anyone. Any player who fits the profile and meets the criteria to join a national team, the criteria that are set, of course we open the door to them and we never say you can’t come or don’t come. We reach out, talk, bring them to training camps, and allow them to evaluate where they stand, he sees where he is at the moment, we also see where he is… We we select those who are in the best form at the moment, or the coach makes that call”, said Ademi.
Regarding new arrivals to Kosovo, Ademi exclusively for KosovaPress has revealed that they are in intensive talks with Bayern Munich player Arijon Ibrahimovic.
“Arijon Ibrahimovic is one of them and of course we will have contacts very soon with him, with his family, namely with his father, who is from the Prizren region, lives in Prizren and of course through some people who themselves are committed to Ibrahimovic coming to Kosovo. We will meet now during the holidays and see how it is”, Ademi announced.
In terms of club football, Ademi emphasized that the Football Federation of Kosovo is strongly supporting domestic football, including women’s and youth categories, ensuring that no club has faced financial difficulties in participating in competitions.
“There is absolutely no comparison here, not even Albania, everyone has their own budget, their own policies, their own agendas and we move forward. Who says we’re not giving more, or haven’t given more until now? Have you seen how many sponsors it has? Kosovo has the biggest brand sponsors, it has three banks, it has the biggest companies that Kosovo has and we have sponsors, there is no league that does not have one, we cannot compare ourselves with anyone, but there is almost no league that does not have sponsors, even the women’s leagues, the U17 women’s league and the U21 men’s league that we have created, have sponsors. And beyond the sponsors, the federation always takes care of things — it always has. Have you ever heard of a club struggling with something, or being unable to participate in competitions? That simply doesn’t happen”, Ademi emphasized.
He also clarified that the current format of the Kosovo Super league with 10 teams will remain unchanged, since according to him, this is the most suitable model, considering the country’s capacities and the goal of participation in European competitions.
“Absolutely not. It will continue as is, we don’t have the capacity for more. Kosovo is a small country, and the 10-team format suits us well, especially considering that we qualify with 40 percent of teams for Europe. If we increase the number, say to 12 or 14 teams, and still send four clubs to Europe, I don’t believe that’s in the best interest of the clubs, because for us as a federation, it’s not a problem to create table formats, schedules, and project plans… But overall, I believe this current league format is the one that best fits our needs,” said Ademi. In European competitions, Kosovo is represented by Drita, Ballkani, Prishtina, and Malisheva. /A.Bytyçi/
