Xherdan Shaqiri: ‘In sport, you always have a chance to escape’

There is something about Xherdan Shaqiri. He has a presence. At just 5ft 7in, it’s not his towering height.

The former Liverpool, Stoke City, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan is in a relaxed mood following a training session with Major League Soccer side Chicago Fire. Casual. Polite. But then I see it. A glance. A flash of the eyes that reveals something more. A reminder perhaps of a long journey that began in Gjilan, Kosovo. Or Yugoslavia as it was, when he was born in 1991.

Shaqiri has been moving since before he could barely walk. After his first birthday, his family made the decision to move to Switzerland. The Yugoslav wars had begun and the region was on the cusp of the Kosovo War. The move provided safety for the family. But it was far from easy. “If you change country, you’re going to a place where you don’t know anybody,” he says. “I did not come from a rich family. My parents worked hard. We did not have the best time. But, sometimes this makes you stronger.”

They set up home in Augst, Switzerland, in 1992. His father found work as a laborer. His mother cleaned office buildings. Money was tight as the family sent as much as they could back to family members they left behind. Shaqiri says he was the only foreigner at his school. And football was his refuge. “In sport, you always have a chance to escape these kind of things. To grow as a person, to be competitive, to learn new cultures.”

Shaqiri’s talent drew the attention of scouts from Swiss side FC Basel. In his first full season after turning professional, he helped the side to win three Swiss titles and two Swiss Cups in just three years. Then in 2012, came a move to Bayern Munich where he was part of the all-conquering, treble-winning 2012-13 team.

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