Prime Minister Edi Rama was among the odd politicians in Albania who did not react publicly after Switzerland’s victory over Serbia in the World Cup, where the main protagonists were the 2 Albanian players, Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri.

Asked by the press about the reasons for this silence, Rama said that he did not see it as appropriate to politically use 2 figures who play for another country, to fan the flames of a ridiculous nationalism.

“I don’t understand why I should talk about the fact that I am not the prime minister of Switzerland, but of Albania. If I were to separate those 2 Albanians that we see with great love and sympathy for a special match, what would I do? I would use those figures for politics and in a not dignified way, because it is the national team of another country and I would fan the flames of a ridiculous nationalism, but nationalism is as ridiculous as it is dangerous. I don’t see it as necessary and whoever does it is not doing the right thing,” said Rama.