Xherdan Shaqiri

In a poignant moment of heartfelt patriotism, Xherdan Shaqiri, the illustrious Swiss footballing maestro, gracefully placed his hand over his chest as the Kosovo national anthem resounded through the stadium on a recent Saturday. This stirring gesture serves as a testament to the deep-rooted connection he holds with his place of birth, the vibrant Kosovan city of Gjilan, where his journey on this earth began in 1992. However, destiny soon set its course, and a year later, Shaqiri and his family embarked on a transformative odyssey, migrating to the picturesque landscapes of Switzerland.

Two of Switzerland's best players Xherdan Shaqiri and Grant Xhaka could be leaving Liverpool and Arsenal respectively, according to reports. Shaqiri is said to be highly frustrated about his extreme lack of football action at Liverpool under manager Jurgen Klopp and he is said to have evaluated his future and is keen to leave Anfield this summer. Shaqiri's favorite role in the attack is currently occupied by Mohamed Salah and it is a difficult task for him to displace the Egypt international star from the starting eleven unless he is out injured or suspended.

Liverpool and Switzerland international midfielder, Xherdan Shaqiri has been linked with a summer exit from Anfield this summer and it has continued to look highly inevitable that he will not be a Liverpool player next season. The winger was signed by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp from Stoke City some seasons ago and has since been a bit-part player at the club.

Although he is said to be an important player in the squad, he has not been able to nail a starting spot in the team and has reportedly revealed his desire to seek first-team opportunities elsewhere.

The signing of Diogo Jota from Wolverhampton Wanderers last summer by Liverpool further dampened Shaqiri's hopes of becoming a regular starter at the club and he was further reduced to a bench player as well.

Switzerland international Xherdan Shaqiri has described his move to Liverpool from Stoke City as a fairy tale. The attacker faced relegation with the Potters during the 2017/18 campaign but just 12 months later, he has managed to win the Champions League title for the second time in his professional career.

Speaking to SRF, Shaqiri described the experience as a fairytale and said that there are many players, who have never tested success in the elite competition. He added that the Reds triumph in Europe has to be credited to manager Jurgen Klopp, who has worked tirelessly to end the club’s seven-year wait for a trophy.

Switzerland international Xherdan Shaqiri has spoken about the belief in the Liverpool side after they made a stunning comeback against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final. The Reds appeared down and out after suffering a 3-0 loss in the first leg but they made a tremendous return at Anfield where they scored four goals without reply to progress.

Speaking in a press conference, Shaqiri acknowledged that the result shocked many in the footballing fraternity and there were tears among the Reds players in the dressing room, he said: “Crazy. Everyone was shocked, like they couldn't believe it. We were celebrating, some of the guys were crying. Me? No! I am just so happy, so happy to have helped. We have achieved something special. The manager didn't change things a lot. He just told us to perform, to keep going. We knew everyone had written us off because of what happened in the first leg. It was an incredible performance. If you believe - if you believe in life - anything and everything can happen.”

Switzerland international Xherdan Shaqiri has said that Liverpool possess the title-winning credentials with the experience of the players within the first-team squad. The Merseyside outfit are currently trailing Manchester City by virtue of goal difference for the top spot but they can leapfrog them with a positive result against Manchester United in their game in hand.

Speaking to reporters, Shaqiri spoke about his time of winning titles at Bayern and believes the same can be replicated at Anfield with the positive mentality within the squad, he said: “I played in Germany and won titles there, so I have experience of it. It has to be a winning mentality and the players need to be focused.

Liverpool attacker Xherdan Shaqiri has said that the Reds did not deserve to exit the FA Cup against Wolverhampton Wanderers without a replay. Jurgen Klopp decided to field a weakened team over the weekend amid the Reds’ Premier League challenge and the move eventually proved costly with the club being ousted from the FA Cup at the third round.

Speaking after the game, Shaqiri admitted that the players are disappointed by the outcome of the Cup tie and believes the team deserved at least a replay with the effort shown during the backend of the encounter, he told the club’s official website: “Of course, we are disappointed after this game because we lost, first of all, but I think we didn't deserve this result because we tried to play football. We tried to come back. We tried everything until the end and you cannot say the attitude wasn't there until the last minute - we tried everything. Sometimes you need luck also and the free-kick was very unlucky. I saw the ball inside already, but it never went in.”

Switzerland international Xherdan Shaqiri has hit back at the criticism labelled by Gary Neville earlier in the year.

The Manchester United legend had suggested that the attacker was ‘unprofessional’ and ‘inconsistent’ after he made the surprise switch to Liverpool from Stoke City in July but he has since managed to outdo his expectations with the new club.

Switzerland vice-captain Valon Behrami has assured that Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri won’t repeat the Eagle celebration which could have quit easily got them suspended during the World Cup. The pair made the two-headed Eagles gesture during their previous group stage game against Serbia and shortly after, their opponents reported the incident to FIFA.

Initially, there were suggestions that the duo could be suspended for at least two international matches but after a show of leniency, FIFA decide to fine $10,000 from each whilst captain Stephan Lichtsteiner was fined around $5,000 for joining in the celebration despite having no link with Albanian, who are said to have a poor political relationship with Serbia.

Stoke City manager Paul Lambert feels the club cannot be solely reliant on Xherdan Shaqiri to change the club’s fortunes. The Switzerland international is the Potters’ leading contributor this term with seven goals and a further six assists, but this has not been sufficient to propel the club above the drop zone.