For the first time, Nati Oran Bislemi – a newcomer who has a special relationship with the coach – sports

Oran Pislimi is part of the Swiss national team for the first time – although he was still playing for Kosovo in the autumn.

The Swiss national team has been preparing for the European Championship qualifiers against Andorra and Romania since Saturday in Tenero. Together with Renato Steffen, Oran Bislemi probably had the shortest path to get here. Therefore, the national newcomer, who earns his bread and butter at FC Lugano, can feel right at home in his premiere in the sunny part of Switzerland.

He moved “cheerful, willing and hungry” to the patriotic camp. Bislemi, who slipped into the lineup with the injured Braille Embolo, has probably been on the radar of a few Nati fans before. The 23-year-old has only played in the Premier League since last season, but has quickly become a regular in midfield at Lugano. Murat Yakin has known Beslemy from their time together at Schaffhausen. He owes a lot to the national coach: “It was he who made the leap into professional football possible for me. I am still very grateful to him for that.”

The Bislemi team came as a bit of a surprise despite their shared past. The dual national of Switzerland and Kosovar earned two caps for his parents’ country last fall. Also in the spring he received a squad from Kosovo for qualification to the European Championship. But Bislemi refused. In a competitive match, the door to the Swiss national team would have closed forever.