Shkelzen Gashi's friends thought he was nuts for leaving Switzerland to come and play in MLS, but now his pals want to come join him, the Albania forward told World Soccer in a question-and-answer interview piece.
"Some people were surprised when I left Switzerland, but I wanted a new challenge and the league is on the up,'' Gashi told World Soccer. "The quality is good. Now I've got friends ringing up and asking if I could get them a deal in MLS!''
Gashi, who plays for the Colorado Rapids, is with the Albania squad for the 2016 European Championships, the first major tournament for which Albania have qualified. Albania play their tournament opener Friday at 9 am ET against Switzerland (ESPN, ESPN Deportes, TSN, RDS2), which is where Gashi was born and the country he played for at the youth level, up to the Under-21 national team. Gashi, whose parents hail from Kosovo, had the option to play for Switzerland or Albania at the full international level, and in 2013, he chose to play for Albania. He played against Switzerland later that year.
"It was a pure footballing decision,'' Gashi told World Soccer of his choice to play for Albania. "I knew Albania had a good generation of players, they had a good chance of qualifying for a major tournament for the first time, and I wanted to be a part of that.''
Gashi said the improvement of Albania as a soccer-playing nation has come with the current generation, which features many players who play outside of the country, in places like Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and of course, MLS, which Gashi joined this season. Not much is expected of Albania in this tournament, but Gashi said the Albanians are hoping to do well.
"It will be tough, but we're capable of springing a surprise,'' he said.
