Kosovo is waiting to become independent, so a dilemma, like a ball, is circulating: Will the Kosovar football players continue to play with the Albanian national team? The officials of the two countries often make patriotic or confused declarations, while the players just want to play.

That day, he was surrounded by a crowd of fans and journalists. He was the star of the local media and the most requested man on the Albanian national soccer team in Belarus. The Kosovar Lorik Cana, who plays for French football club Olympique de Marseille, was giving autographs and responding to questions. ‘What will you do if Kosovo becomes independent? Will you still play for the Albanian national team?’ an Albanian journalist asked him. A moment of silence followed. Finally: ‘I have found my team,’ replied the best-paid footballer of the red and blacks. The truth was out: Even if Kosovo’s final status remains unresolved, the age and the talent of its players cannot wait indefinitely.