Lutfi Dalipi, Young Boys loanee at Vaduz, chooses Kosovo over Switzerland

The announcement

Lutfi Dalipi, a 20-year-old midfielder born in Switzerland, will play for the Kosovo national team. He and the Kosovo Football Federation shared an Instagram video on Thursday evening, 12 November 2026, and federation president Agim Ademi posted a photo of the pair from a meeting at Pristina airport. The federation's accompanying text described him as coming from Presevo and welcomed him home. Dalipi is on loan from Young Boys to FC Vaduz, where he has been one of the standout performers of the Super League season. He had turned down Switzerland in the week before the announcement.

Why Kosovo

Dalipi was eligible for Kosovo, Albania and Portugal. Blick reports that he had promised his grandfather to play for one of the two Balkan nations, and the Kosovo choice keeps that promise. He played for Switzerland's youth selections up to the U21 side. Murat Yakin, the Swiss national coach, recently praised his Super League form but cautioned about his chances in the squad.

“As long as I have so many players available in central midfield, it will be difficult to get into this squad.”

Swiss youth alumni in Kosovo's squad

Dalipi is not the only Kosovo-bound player with a Swiss past. Blick notes that the earlier call-off decisions by Leon Avdullahu and Albian Hajdari drew considerable attention. The current Kosovo squad gathering also includes Amir Saipi, Lindrit Kamberi, Kreshnik Hajrizi, Dion Kacuri and Valmir Matoshi, all of whom once played for Swiss junior selections. Alex Frei, coach of the Swiss U21 side and the senior team's record goalscorer, told Blick that the pressure from home on such players must not be underestimated.

“The pressure from back home must not be underestimated with these players.”

Frei said young players have many people around them who influence them every day. When he learns that a player is considering leaving, he talks to him and asks whether anything can still be done. He also said recent developments in world football make it easier for such players to pick another nation.

Switzerland's position

Frei described Switzerland as being in a good position. Since 2004 the senior side has played in every World Cup and European Championship tournament except Euro 2012. Frei argued that the country should not undersell itself.

“In that time there were completely different nations that were not there. So we should not make ourselves smaller than we are.”

Season form and what is still open

RTS reports that Dalipi has scored 5 goals and provided 9 assists in 13 Super League matches this season. The Kosovo federation chose to publish the news with a photo, and Ademi wrote that he had the pleasure of welcoming Dalipi. No date for Dalipi's first appearance for Kosovo is given in the reporting.

Goals5

Assists9

Goals

5

Assists

9

Data from the article text