Sports journalist Qeqa Krelani has reacted sharply to Amir Rrahmani's decision to withdraw from the Kosovo national team. In a long and critical reaction, Krelani questioned the reasoning behind this decision, recalling some of Kosovo's most important matches where, according to her, the national team captain was not present.
Krelani begins her reaction with a strong statement, describing Rrahmani's withdrawal as positive news for Kosovo football and emphasizing that football will continue even without him. She brings to mind the match of October 8, 2020 against North Macedonia, which she describes as one of the most important challenges in Kosovo's history, as well as the matches of November 2023 in the framework of the qualifications for EURO 2024. According to Krelani, in these crucial moments Rrahmani was not with the National Team.
The journalist also criticizes the fact that, according to her, Rrahmani did not come out himself to give explanations to the public for his absences, while the reasoning was communicated to him through his manager. Krelani singles out the statement that Kosovo did not have a "concrete objective", describing this as unacceptable for a captain of the national team. An important part of the reaction is related to the responsibility that, according to her, the captain's armband carries. Krelani emphasizes that a club can give the player a salary and a contract, but it is Kosovo that has given him the name and trust to wear the captain's armband. "The armband is not a contract. It is a homeland on the chest", she writes.
Finally, Krelani shifts the reaction from the sporting aspect to the relationship between the footballer and the country he represents. She argues that a player is not judged only by trophies, salaries or clubs he has played for, but also by his presence at the moments when the national team has needed him most. She concludes her reaction with a direct message: Kosovo existed before its footballers and will exist after them.
