Kosovo national team coach Franco Foda has addressed the media ahead of the November Nations League matches, discussing the importance of the upcoming fixtures, the inclusion of new players, and his monitoring of footballers competing in the Kosovo Super League.

Foda stressed that Kosovo's primary objective since the beginning of the Nations League campaign has been to remain in League B, describing the upcoming match against Israel as particularly important.

"Our goal is always to win every match, but from the beginning, our objective has been to remain in League B under all circumstances. Therefore, the match against Israel is very important, and we definitely want to win it. Afterwards, we will see whether we can finish the group in first or second place," Foda said.

The German coach also explained his decision to include young players in the squad, emphasizing that the November international window provides an opportunity to assess their potential and prepare for future competitions.

"Even in this edition of the Nations League, we have the opportunity to invite young players and get a clearer picture of their qualities within the national team. At the same time, we are indirectly preparing for next year's European Championship qualifiers," he said.

Foda added that his coaching staff closely monitors players regardless of the leagues in which they compete. He said he frequently visits Kosovo to follow Super League matches and also travels abroad to watch Kosovo players and young talents.

"It is always important for a national team to think about the future, give young players opportunities to present themselves and demonstrate their qualities. We follow all players, regardless of which league they play in. I am often in Kosovo and attend domestic championship matches, but I also travel to other countries where our players compete. We constantly monitor young talents playing abroad as well. Our task is to maintain a competitive national team today while also looking ahead and bringing new energy into the squad," Foda emphasized.

Speaking about domestic football, Foda praised the competitiveness of the Kosovo Super League, highlighting Malisheva, Prishtina and Drita as the three teams currently standing out.

"I follow the Kosovo Super League very closely. I am constantly here, I know the teams and maintain contact with some club presidents. For me, it does not matter whether a footballer plays in Kosovo, Germany, Spain or Italy. What matters is his performance on the pitch. We have a very interesting championship this season. Malisheva, Prishtina and Drita are currently the three teams standing out. Any player who performs well and demonstrates consistency has the opportunity to receive a national team call-up," he said.

Foda also discussed the criteria behind his selections for the November fixtures, explaining that current form and physical condition are important but not the only factors considered.

As an example, he mentioned Milot Rashica, who has recently had limited playing time at Besiktas but has demonstrated his value when given opportunities with the national team.

"For the national team, it is important that players are in good form and physical condition. However, we have to look at the bigger picture. For example, Milot Rashica has not been playing much for Besiktas, but in the recent matches against Austria and Israel, when he came on as a substitute, he showed that he can bring new energy to the team.

"Over the past few months, we have analyzed performances in the last four international matches, but we have also followed many other players and watched numerous games. Following this process, we have full confidence that the players called up deserve our trust. They are currently the players who best fit our philosophy and style of play," Foda concluded.

Kosovo will face Israel on November 14 at the “Fadil Vokrri” Stadium in Pristina before travelling to face Ireland three days later in their final Nations League matches of this campaign.