Lazio forward Vedat Muriqi discussed his goal for Kosovo in their 2-1 friendly loss to Albania and his time with the Biancocelesti in an interview with local reporters after the game, as reported by Italian media outlet La Lazio Siamo Noi.
I’m back to scoring for Kosovo after a year. The result doesn’t matter, neither us nor Albania were interested. Every time I come back here, I get excited, I think back to my past.
It was a game between brothers. As far as I’m concerned, I’m happy, I’m back and now I want to continue giving 100% in the next matches.”
The 26-year-old Kosovan forward, who is contracted to the Roman club until 2025, stressed the need for patience as he settles into a new club, league and country.
I feel good. I’ve had a couple of difficult months psychologically, but it’s not a question of pressure, at most the pressure pushes you to give more. I had a muscle injury, then COVID-19 and so I lost time to train with Fenerbahce and Lazio.
Now I feel a bit better, but I have to get used to Italy, learn the language, adapt to a completely new culture, different from the ones that I know already. I need a little time and then my goals will come, even if results are more important.
The 26-year-old Muriqi, who has scored eight goals for Kosovo in 23 caps, joined the Biancocelesti from Turkish side Fenerbahce in a deal worth around €18 million, one of the summer’s top signings for the Roman side.
The player has made seven appearances across all competitions so far this season for Lazio, for a total of 284 minutes. In that time, he has worked on adapting to coach Simone Inzaghi’s tactical system and has shown promising signals.
Last season, Muriqi scored 17 goals and provided seven assists in 36 appearances across all competitions.
