Our U21 star: Imeri has so far outperformed everyone at the European Championships

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“Does it still hurt?” Blick asks Kastriot Imeri (23). In Sunday’s match against Italy, Edoardo Bove steps on Imeri’s foot with an open sole. The Swiss writhes in pain, but there is no punishment. As before with Bove’s foul against Amdouni.

The day after, Imeri feels only mental pain, frustration at the avoidable 2:3 defeat. “My foot is fine, but my shoe is broken,” says Imeri – and quickly runs to the hotel room before returning with the “corpus delicti”. Clearly recognizable: two holes drilled through Bove’s tunnel.

Due to the defeat, Imeri is not really happy with his goal to make it 1:3 in the meantime, a nice shot that certainly has its place in the tournament review. Nor about the fact that he has been the secret Swiss star of the U21 European Championship so far. Match winner in opening win against Norway thanks to assist and goal, now the dream goal and a strong second half against Italy.

“It’s always about the team for me,” Imeri, who describes himself as one of the leaders of the U21 national team, puts it in perspective. Logical: he was already at the EM 2021. And shortly afterwards celebrated his debut in the A-Nati. Even before the trio Amdouni, Jashari, Rieder, who all eyes were on for the U21 European Championship and from whose shadow Imeri has stepped.

Such performances naturally end up in the notebooks of the numerous scouts here in Romania. The Geneva native with Kosovar roots does not think about changing clubs. After the EM and the holidays, the YB professional wants to start in Bern. After a first year in the capital, which he describes as follows: “I played regularly and we won two titles. But when I left my youth club Servette a year ago, I thought I was an experienced player. Until I was born in Bern.”

What Imeri means: new language, new coach and new teammates, new system, the artificial turf – he had to get used to everything. Privately, he moved out of his parents’ house in Geneva, where he shared a room with his brother, who was ten years younger than him, until the end.

Record transfer within the Super League

In August 2022, Imeri moved from Servette to Bern, the transfer fee was more than three million francs, a record for a transfer within the Super League. It was a decision for sporting development – and against lucrative offers from abroad. Imeri now wants to continue in the same style: “I want to become a leading player at YB next season.”

This is confirmed by Imeris advisor Gezim Ibrahimi, who, like many colleagues, is present at the U21 European Championship: “YB and Kastriot, that’s a project. In the second season, it’s about becoming a regular player at YB. And thus imposing for the senior national team.”

Unlike Imeri, his U21 colleagues and Marco Burch and Darian Males, who are also advised by Ibrahimi, are about to be transferred. According to Blick, Ibrahimi and Christian Gentner, Head of Licensed Players at Bundesliga club Stuttgart, talked for a long time in the VIP area about the match in Italy – about last year’s FCB top scorer Men?

Back to Imeri, who said in view of Wednesday’s decisive group game: “We came here to win every game. Also against France.”

Source : Blick