TIRANA, Jan. 18 – Two Albanian internationals have left Switzerland’s FC Zurich in the January transfer window following few playing opportunities in the club which is struggling in the relegation zone of the Swiss Super League.
Italian club Atalanta announced on Monday it has signed Swiss-born Albanian defender Berat Djimsiti from Zurich in an undisclosed deal. Italian sports portals said the 22-year Albanian defender has been signed under a three-and-half-year contract and will be paid €250,000 per season.
Born in Zurich, Djimsiti whose origin is from the ethnic Albanian-inhabited Presevo Valley in Serbia, has played 110 games in the Swiss Super League, scoring five goals. Djimsiti joined Albania in Sept. 2015 when he made his debut against Denmark in a key qualifier after having previously represented Switzerland in the Under-21. He also scored a decisive goal in Albania’s last Euro qualifier against Armenia which gave the national side a historic first-ever direct qualification in a major football tournament.
Albanian international forward Armando Sadiku also left Zurich last week when he joined FC Vaduz, another Swiss club ranking bottom in the Super League, on loan from Zurich. The 25-year forward will spend the next six months with Vaduz before playing in the Euro 2016 when new opportunities could come up.
Midfielder Blerim Kukeli remains the only Albanian international with FC Zurich after the departure of Djimsiti and Sadiku.
Elseid Hysaj has been the Albanian international with the best performance this season. The 21-year-old-defender has been a regular starter for Napoli which lead Italy’s Serie A.
Albania will face France, Switzerland and Romania in Group A of the Euro 2016 in a bid to make another surprise campaign after a historic qualification as an outsider.
Albania will make its first-ever appearance in a major football competition on June 11, 2016 against Switzerland in what is considered a derby as the Albanian side features as many as seven Swiss-born players while five of the Swiss internationals have Albanian roots.
