BAND of BROTHERS
One will play for Albania, the other for the Swiss as an historic case of sibling rivalry breaks new ground
THaT age-old concept of Swiss neutrality will be given a very modern twist today when the parents of Euro 2016 footballers Granit and Taulant Xhaka find themselves having to support both teams as albania meet Switzerland in Lens.
The case of how two brothers are about to make European Championship history by playing against each other for different nations is a symbol of these complex and diverse political times.
Yet it’ll be a hugely emotional moment for their father, Ragip, as his two boys walk out side-by-side into the Stade Bollaert-Delelis — arsenal’s new £35million man Granit representing Switzerland where he was born and grew up, his older brother bearing the colours of albania.
For Ragip, it will be impossible not to reflect on his own remarkable journey from a prison cell in Kosovo where he served three years as a political prisoner. It was only after his release at the age of 25, the same age as Taulant is now, that he was allowed him to begin his life properly in the safe haven of Basle.
Now his boys are centre stage in front of the world. While they are unlikely to indulge in a private duel to match Merseyside siblings Peter and Shaun Reid when they faced each other playing for Bury and Rochdale — the referee pulled them aside after five minutes and told them to start kicking the ball and not each other — neither are the Xhaka brothers midfield softies, which should make it interesting.
Granit, 23, was sent off three times for Borussia Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga last season, though that clearly didn’t dissuade arsene Wenger.
and if anything, Taulant is even more hottempered. He’s been suspended twice at FC Basle for slapping and pulling the hair of opponents and was involved in a near-riot when albania played Serbia in Belgrade during Euro qualification.
He gives the impression that he’d rather not be competing against family in public glare but promises: ‘I can’t say I’ll only play at 50 per cent because my brother is on the other team. That’s the way it is in football. He has a job, I have mine.’
Granit acknowledges the wider significance of their match-up. He told Sportsmail: ‘Football has the power to bring together people of different nations, colour and roots. and the power to make them feel happy.
‘I am just glad my parents chose Switzerland as the country to live in once they had left Kosovo. Yes, I do feel fortunate about that.’
The incredible Xhaka family story began in 1986 when Ragip, a thirdyear agricultural engineering student in the Kosovan capital of Pristina, was arrested at home after campaigning against Serbian rule detested by the majority ethnic albanian population.
The next three-and-a-half years of his life were spent sharing a prison cell with three other men, allowed out for only 10 minutes a day and visits from his fiancee Eli restricted to once a fortnight. The threat of beatings and other discomfort were never far.
amnesty International took up his case and eventually helped secure his release in 1990, much to his shock and delight.
‘I was called into an office and told I was free,’ he recalled. ‘I was taken outside and had to find my own way home which wasn’t easy. I found a phone box and called my family. There were tears of happiness.’
amnesty, whose annual reports through the 1980s mentioned ‘harsh conditions in certain (Kosovan) prisons and allegations of mistreatment’, then assisted Ragip and Eli’s move 1,200miles northwest to start a new life in Basle. Taulant was born there in March 1991 and Granit 18 months later. Ragip made football part of his sons’ life ‘to keep them off the streets’.
Granit was just four when he registered with his big brother for FC Concordia, FC Basle’s junior club.
It became clear he was blessed with talent and a mature head on young shoulders. at 17, he made his debut for Switzerland at Wembley, and won two Swiss titles with Basle before moving to Monchengladbach and now arsenal. Granit made it clear in early interviews he was aware of his ethnic background. ‘I’ve heard people say things about “s*** albanians” but I never let it get to me because I knew it was a cliché. People often forget that there are some good people from the Balkans as well,’ he said. However, in the build-up to this weekend he’s keen to emphasise his positive feelings towards Swizterland and has ruled out switching allegiance to Kosovo, who became FIFa’s newest member last month.
‘Don’t forget, I was born in Switzerland, grew up in Basle, went to school there,’ he said. ‘I know a lot about Kosovo but I never felt like being a stranger, an outsider, at all. ‘
Ragip is also quick to praise his adopted home. ‘after all that Switzerland has done for me, I can say: “Yes, for this country I’d give my blood”.’
By his own admission, he is a late developer. ‘I was a trouble-maker and didn’t put up with the rules,’ he said.
any cynicism regarding his commitment to The Red and Black Eagles disappeared on a volatile night in Serbia in October, when a drone infamously interrupted the game by lowering a flag towards the pitch bearing the insignia Greater albania.
as Serbia defender Stefan Mitrovic grabbed the flag, Xhaka and andi Lila weighed in to take it back and it all kicked off. The brawl which followed between players, fans and team officials led to the match abandoned.
albania were later awarded a 3-0 victory.
Significantly, Granit posted
a picture on Instagram of his brother clenching his fist in front of 10 Serbian players with the message ‘Showing the strength of the Albanian’.
Switzerland is not immune to the migrant issue that is a hot topic around Europe but their football team has been an area of positive contribution.
Six of their Euro 2016 squad are ethnic Albanian. Xherdan Shaqiri has the colours of Albania, Kosovo and Switzerland stitched into his boots.
Valon Behrami is also ethnic Albanian. He said: ‘My parents live in Albania now, so it’s going to be strange playing against them. It will be difficult to manage the emotion but we have to think it’s just a game at the end of the day, even if it is not.
‘I had to decide which national team I wanted to play for. I chose Switzerland and don’t regret that.’
If anything, the Albanian squad will be even more torn. Ten of them were either born or grew up in Switzerland, including their captain Lorik Cana. For Granit and Taulant Xhaka, it will be a unique experience to play against each other as internationals at a major finals. ‘I know life was not easy for my mother and father,’ said Taulant. ‘I don’t ask him too much about the past in case it’s a burden. But I hope he will be proud when he sees us play in France.’ With three teams potentially able to qualify from Group A that also contains Romania and France, the game in Lens could be crucial to Swiss and Albanian chances of reaching the knockout stages. So who will Ragip support, given he’s got feet in both camps? ‘I’ll be neutral,’ he insisted. After 26 years living in Switzerland, he knows the score.