The Albanian national football team has recently faced a significant setback as two of its promising talents have opted to represent other countries. The desire for them to play for Albania was strong, and one of them was even rumored to be a surprise addition to coach Sylvinho's list. However, it is now official: Brajan Gruda has been called up by the German national team coach Julian Nagelsmann. He has been included in the squad for a week-long training camp and is expected to join the main team after the European Championship. This news has been confirmed by the German Football Association, which carefully managed to outmaneuver the competition from the Albanian team.
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| From the left, on action Andrea Ndoj and Brajan Gruda |
Brajan Gruda, a 19-year-old winger, currently plays for Mainz in the Bundesliga and is regarded as a player with significant potential for the future. In the recently concluded season in Germany, he managed to score four goals and provide three assists in the Bundesliga. Previously, he has played for the youth teams of Germany and has been a consistent starter for the U21 team.
Another player who will not be wearing the red and black jersey of Albania is Andrea Ndoj, the Albanian defender from Olympiacos. He has been called up by the Greek national team for two friendlies against Germany and Malta. Ndoj, a 21-year-old defender who has been with Olympiacos since 2022, had previously been summoned by Albania but expressed his desire to be part of the Greek national team—a dream that now seems to have come true.
These developments represent a notable loss for the Albanian national team, which had high hopes for integrating these young talents into their squad. Both players' decisions to join other national teams highlight the competitive nature of international football, where national associations vie for promising players to enhance their teams' prospects.