Rocco Vata and Brajan Gruda have officially declined to represent the Albanian national football team. This news was confirmed by the coach of Albania's U21 team, who revealed that invitations were sent to both players, but they chose to refuse them.
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| From the left: Alban Bushi, Rocco Vata, Brajan Gruda and Luis Hasa (montage) |
Statement from Albania's U21 Coach
In a statement to the media, U21 coach Alban Bushi explained the situation:
“Of course, we are doing our job. If we look at the players the senior team has today, they have come through the ranks of Albania's youth teams. So, I think a good job has been done, especially by the National Teams Department, in scouting and contacting all the players who are abroad. Don’t think that these players you mentioned have not been contacted.
We contacted Brajan Gruda last year. We also contacted Rocco Vata and Luis Hasa. All have been contacted; there are no Albanian players who have not been contacted by the Albanian Football Federation. Ultimately, it is a personal choice, a choice from the heart that everyone makes as they wish. It would be a luxury to have those names in the team, but it is their personal choice. I have nothing more to say about this.
There are also players (referring to Luis Hasa) who only expect an invitation from the senior national team and have refused our U21 invitation. When it comes to a great talent, I understand that they might go directly to the senior national team. But when it comes to a very good player with potential, their development might be very good, but we don’t know. They need to prove themselves first in the youth teams of Albania, especially in the U21 team. We have seen recently how many players have moved from the U21 team to the senior team, countless. So, first they need to come here, then go there,” Bushi stated.