NAPLES, ITALY – AUGUST 30: Amir Rahmani of SSC Napoli during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and Cagliari football clubs at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium on August 30, 2025 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)
Napoli center back and Kosovo national team captain Amir Rahmani announced on Friday night that he will retire from the national team at the age of 32 “as long as the Kosovo National Party is led by a current individual.”
Rahmani retires from Kosovo national team amid ‘coordinated attack’ by FA president
Rahmani has been a Kosovo international for 12 years since 2014 and served as Kosovo captain for the last seven years of his career.
He has made 67 appearances for the Kosovo national team but said he felt he could not continue to play for the national team due to “ongoing differences” with senior decision-makers at the Kosovo Football Association.
The 32-year-old, who has made more than 200 appearances in Serie A, including 170 for Napoli, informed supporters of his decision to retire from international duty on Instagram.
He hinted that there was a chance of a return, but only if the Kosovo FA top brass made widespread changes.
“After 10 years in the national team, seven of them as captain, I declare that I will no longer be a member of the Kosovo national team as long as the Workers’ Party of Kosovo is led by current members,” Rahmani wrote in a post on the Kosovo national team. Instagram.
“The situation has not improved over the years due to a combination of factors, ongoing divisions and a lack of competent personnel to address our issues and grievances.
“And what did I get in return? For more than two years, there have been constant, organized attacks by those who are supposed to protect us. One day, justice will be served.
“This decision comes from the need to safeguard my integrity as a captain and a professional footballer, but most importantly, my values as a human being.”