Granit Xhaka — the Swiss captain who has always shown that his heart beats in Albanian — was greeted with boos in Pristina last night. In a match where Switzerland was playing against Kosovo, some of the Kosovar fans seemed to be expecting Xhaka to… give them the game on the table.
It's hard to find a greater irony.
Because in fact, it is about the same captain who, in the match between Switzerland and Serbia, after the victory, wore Adem Jashari's jersey, risking a lot. The same one who after every goal never forgets the symbol of the flag, as a sign of his roots.
But apparently, for some who stand on the steps of the stadium and measure patriotism by the number of goals scored by the National Team, this is not enough.
Granit is the same one who makes us proud as an Arsenal player.
The same one who has always spoken of Albanians with pride, even when Switzerland became the country that opened its doors and nurtured its dream.
Yet yesterday, a man who has honored the nation without ever being forced to, was judged solely for not "making way" for Kosovo.
As if football were charity.
As if a Swiss captain had to abandon professionalism just so someone in the stands would feel happy.
And this hurts.
Because last night, it wasn't just Xhaka who played for Switzerland who was booed.
It was the symbol of the Albanian who reaches the top, who works hard, who holds onto his roots with dignity.
And the shame is not his.
The shame belongs to those who forget that respect for someone is not measured by the shirt they wear, but by the values they carry — and by the character they have shown whenever it has been time to speak from the heart.
