FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Regont Murati became the first footballer of Albanian origin to debut in the most expensive competition of the moment, the Club World Cup, which is currently taking place in the USA.
The 29-year-old defender, born in Peja, was activated as a starter for the New Zealand team, Auckland City, in the duel against Bayern Munich, which was won by the Germans with a score of 10 to 0.
Murati stayed on the field throughout the match, while in an exclusive story for "Panorama Sport", he reveals that his family emigrated to New Zealand during the war in Kosovo, when Regonti was only 3 years old.
He does not hide his sense of pride for his origin, while sharing some interesting details from the special duel with the giants of Bayern, where the Albanian boy shows that he experienced one of the strongest emotions of his career. Being a semi-professional footballer, Regonti also talks about the work he does in New Zealand. At the end of the challenge against Bayern, the Albanian defender managed to exchange jerseys with Serge Gnabry, while a comment on the Albania-Serbia confrontation could not be missing...
Hello Regont, how many years have you immigrated to New Zealand and how did you become part of the Auckland City football club?
I came to New Zealand when I was 3 years old, a full 26 years ago when the war was going on, my family and I moved to New Zealand. I have been with Auckland City for 3 and a half years. I moved after having a good season at rival club Auckland United and I have been blessed to have been involved in some great tournaments since then.
Along with Kristjan Asllani of Inter and Adrian Bajram of Benfica, you are the 3 footballers who represent the Albanian nation in the Club World Cup, does this fact make you proud?
It really makes me very proud! I said it in another interview that I am happy that our nations are getting representation in football because I personally think recently, especially in football, we have shown what we can do at the highest level with our players playing in the best teams and competing in the highest tournaments in Europe. I am blessed to be from Kosovo and represent my culture by being Albanian. I know that we are not the first nor the last to represent our nation at the highest level.
Are you fully dedicated to football or do you work in parallel? What is your profession?
No, I'm a semi-professional/amateur. I get paid, but my living wage is through my day job as a clerk at a logistics company that transports containers of meat and other food products.
How did you emotionally experience the match against Bayern, in such a major competition as the Club World Cup?
I experienced a lot of strong emotions both during the match, but also before and after it. I feel very blessed and grateful to have spent time on the field competing with the best team and players. The result is something I am not happy about, but on the other hand, we faced one of the best teams in the world. And again I am happy. I hope I have made my family, friends, nation and culture proud and all the people around me.
Did you swap shirts with any Bayern players?
Yes, I got it from Serge Gnabry, I was marking him at the end of the match, so I asked him when the match was over and he gave it to me.
Was that match against Bayern the most exciting moment in your football career? Is there any interesting detail from this match that you can share with the Albanian fans? Did you have the opportunity to communicate with any of the players?
Of course, I'm not sure if anything else will surpass the emotions experienced during the match against Bayern. The most beautiful detail for me was that there were Albanian fans in the stadium shouting my name saying "come back if you're Albanian" in Albanian. And I turned around and they smiled and cheered me on. Something very emotional for me, I want to say hello to those Albanian fans who supported me in the stadium! I didn't talk much to the other players during the match and everything seems to go by so quickly.
How are your relations with Kosovo and Albania? Do you follow the Albanian National Team?
Very positive relationships, I have family and relatives in my home in Peja, I visit my hometown almost every year, I have been to Albania, first of all I am Albanian, I love my nation and culture. I saw the last match against Serbia, whose result was unfortunate, I thought we could have gotten more, there are some really quality players in that team!/Panorama Sport
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