Kosovo national football team
Encyclopedia
The Kosovo national football team represents Republic of Kosovo
in international men's football
. Controlled by the Football Federation of Kosovo
, the governing body for football in Kosovo
, they are not a member of FIFA
or UEFA
.
The Kosovo national football team was formed following the break-up of the former Yugoslavia
, and has played a number of friendly matches. Most of these friendly matches were played against football clubs, although a number were played against national teams of other countries. The team is currently coached by Albert Bunjaku
, who took charge in May 2009.
, played in Ankara
, Turkey
, on June 15, 2007. It was the first time that Kosovo played a team that has taken part in the FIFA World Cup
and the winning goal was scored by Kristian Nushi
from the penalty spot on the 84th minute. The biggest win for Kosovo is the 7–1 defeat of Monaco
, who hosted the event on April 24, 2006. The team that played against Monaco
was led by the former Kosovo national team coach, Muharrem Sahiti
, who after the match stated that: "I am very pleased with the team's performance even though we had predicted a stronger opponent. However, I want to emphasize that our players have been fantastic. The fact that we do not play many international matches may have inspired the players to give it their all this time".
Previously, Kosovo played two matches against Albania
and lost in both of them: 0–1 at home, and 3–1 away. In two other matches the Kosovo team played against Turkey
, winning one and losing one: the first match was won by Kosovo 3–0 while the second was a 2–1 defeat, with both matches played in same stadium, but on different dates. The games against Turkey
were, however, played with a team consisting of 34–35 year-old seniors. Turkey
and Albania
on the first match played with their B teams.
In 2005 they participated to the KTFF 50th Anniversary Cup
in Northern Cyprus, finishing second out of three. They lost 1–0 against the host and won 4–1 against Sàpmi.
Kosovo score listed first
}
|
| align=center|1–0 W
|-
| Thursday November 3, 2005
|
Northern Cyprus
|
| align=center|4–1 W
|-
| Saturday April 22, 2006
|
|
| align=center|7–1 W
|-
| Friday June 15, 2007
|
|
| align=center|1–0 W
|-
| Saturday March 9, 2010
|
Stade de la Maladière, Switzerland
| Neuchâtel Xamax
| align=center|2–0 W
|-
|}
declared independence from Serbia
and sought international recognition. A number of states such as France
, the United States
and the United Kingdom
immediately recognised the new state. Others, such as Serbia
, Russia
and China
are fiercely opposed to independence.
On May 6, 2008, Kosovo applied for FIFA membership. "It's an historical moment for our country. We hope to be accepted.", said Fadil Vokrri
, president of the FFK
. Kosovo's applications was discussed at the FIFA Congress in Zurich
, in October 2008 when Kosovo was rejected membership in FIFA and denied right to play any friendly matches as it was deemed it does not comply with article 10 of the FIFA statutes, that only "an independent state recognized by the international community" may be admitted into FIFA.
The IOC has stated that Kosovo
must be a member of the UN before it can enter the Olympics.
, held to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Northern Cyprus
Football Federation. >
* Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kick
s.
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Republic of Kosovo
Kosovo , officially the Republic of Kosovo is a partially recognised state and a disputed territory in the Balkans...
in international men's football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
. Controlled by the Football Federation of Kosovo
Football Federation of Kosovo
The Football Federation of Kosovo is the governing body of football in Kosovo, with headquarters in Pristina. The Football Federation of Kosovo was established in 1946 and is currently headed by Fadil Vokrri...
, the governing body for football in Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
, they are not a member of FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
or UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
.
The Kosovo national football team was formed following the break-up of the former Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, and has played a number of friendly matches. Most of these friendly matches were played against football clubs, although a number were played against national teams of other countries. The team is currently coached by Albert Bunjaku
Albert Bunjaku (coach)
Albert Bunjaku is a football coach. He is currently manager of the Kosovo national football team. He is the youngest coach to have led the Kosovar national team aged 38.- History :...
, who took charge in May 2009.
Match record
Kosovo has played a number of international matches. The last international match was a 1–0 win over Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia national football team
Saudi Arabia national football team is the national team of Saudi Arabia and is controlled by the Saudi Arabia Football Federation...
, played in Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, on June 15, 2007. It was the first time that Kosovo played a team that has taken part in the FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
and the winning goal was scored by Kristian Nushi
Kristian Nushi
Kristian Nushi is a Kosovar Albanian football player. He is a midfielder and currently plays for FC St. Gallen in Switzerland. He plays for the Kosovo national football team at international level.-Career:...
from the penalty spot on the 84th minute. The biggest win for Kosovo is the 7–1 defeat of Monaco
Monaco national football team
The Monaco national football team represents Monaco in association football and is controlled by the Monegasque Football Federation, the governing body for football in Monaco. The current manager is Thierry Petit....
, who hosted the event on April 24, 2006. The team that played against Monaco
Monaco national football team
The Monaco national football team represents Monaco in association football and is controlled by the Monegasque Football Federation, the governing body for football in Monaco. The current manager is Thierry Petit....
was led by the former Kosovo national team coach, Muharrem Sahiti
Muharrem Sahiti
Muharrem Sahiti is a Kosovar Albanian football manager and former player.From January 2008 he is the Political Advisor to the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport of the Kosovo Government.-External sources:* at Zerodic....
, who after the match stated that: "I am very pleased with the team's performance even though we had predicted a stronger opponent. However, I want to emphasize that our players have been fantastic. The fact that we do not play many international matches may have inspired the players to give it their all this time".
Previously, Kosovo played two matches against Albania
Albania national football team
The Albania national association football team is the national association football team of Albania and is controlled by the Football Association of Albania...
and lost in both of them: 0–1 at home, and 3–1 away. In two other matches the Kosovo team played against Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
, winning one and losing one: the first match was won by Kosovo 3–0 while the second was a 2–1 defeat, with both matches played in same stadium, but on different dates. The games against Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
were, however, played with a team consisting of 34–35 year-old seniors. Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
and Albania
Albania national football team
The Albania national association football team is the national association football team of Albania and is controlled by the Football Association of Albania...
on the first match played with their B teams.
In 2005 they participated to the KTFF 50th Anniversary Cup
KTFF 50th Anniversary Cup
Held under the auspices of the NF-Board, this tournament celebrated 50 years of the football association of Northern Cyprus, the KTFF, and featured representative sides from the host nation, the Sápmi, and Kosovo...
in Northern Cyprus, finishing second out of three. They lost 1–0 against the host and won 4–1 against Sàpmi.
Kosovo score listed first
| Date | Venue | Opponent | Result |
|---|
| Friday September 6, 2002 |
|
| align=center|1–0 W
|-
| Thursday November 3, 2005
|
Northern Cyprus|
| align=center|4–1 W
|-
| Saturday April 22, 2006
|
|
| align=center|7–1 W
|-
| Friday June 15, 2007
|
|
| align=center|1–0 W
|-
| Saturday March 9, 2010
|
Stade de la Maladière, SwitzerlandSwitzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
|
Neuchâtel XamaxNeuchâtel Xamax
Neuchâtel Xamax Football Club is a Swiss football club, based in Neuchâtel. It was created in 1970 through a merger between FC Cantonal and FC Xamax . The club plays in red shirts, black shorts and red socks and are currently in the Axpo Super League, the highest Swiss football league. They play...
| align=center|2–0 W
|-
|}
Declaration of independence
On February 17, 2008 KosovoKosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
declared independence from Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
and sought international recognition. A number of states such as France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
immediately recognised the new state. Others, such as Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
are fiercely opposed to independence.
On May 6, 2008, Kosovo applied for FIFA membership. "It's an historical moment for our country. We hope to be accepted.", said Fadil Vokrri
Fadil Vokrri
Fadil Vokrri is a former Yugoslav football player, from the 1980s.Vokrri was known for his Diego Maradona-like approach with quick movement and strong shooting...
, president of the FFK
Football Federation of Kosovo
The Football Federation of Kosovo is the governing body of football in Kosovo, with headquarters in Pristina. The Football Federation of Kosovo was established in 1946 and is currently headed by Fadil Vokrri...
. Kosovo's applications was discussed at the FIFA Congress in Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, in October 2008 when Kosovo was rejected membership in FIFA and denied right to play any friendly matches as it was deemed it does not comply with article 10 of the FIFA statutes, that only "an independent state recognized by the international community" may be admitted into FIFA.
The IOC has stated that Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
must be a member of the UN before it can enter the Olympics.
Tournament Record
Kosovo has so far only participated in one international tournament, the KTFF 50th Anniversary CupKTFF 50th Anniversary Cup
Held under the auspices of the NF-Board, this tournament celebrated 50 years of the football association of Northern Cyprus, the KTFF, and featured representative sides from the host nation, the Sápmi, and Kosovo...
, held to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Northern Cyprus
Cyprus Turkish Football Federation
The Cyprus Turkish Football Federation is the top division of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Football Federation, which is not recognised by other federations]...
Football Federation. >
KTFF Cup
| Year | Round | Position | Matches | Wins | Draws* | Losses | Goals Scored | Goals Against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KTFF 50th Anniversary Cup KTFF 50th Anniversary Cup Held under the auspices of the NF-Board, this tournament celebrated 50 years of the football association of Northern Cyprus, the KTFF, and featured representative sides from the host nation, the Sápmi, and Kosovo... |
Group Stage | Runners Up | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
s.
Recent call-ups
The following players were called up for a Kosovo squad in 2010. Caps and goals updated as of a friendly match against Albania on February 17, 2010.|-
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External links
- Football Federation of Kosovo Official website
- International results from Roon Ba
- FIFA receives Kosovo football delegation KosovaReport 21 February 2006