The Kosovo national football team was rocked by controversy on Sunday after three of its players were dismissed from the squad for allegedly breaking team rules.
One of the players at the forefront of the scandal was Premier League goalkeeper Arijanet Muric, who was evicted alongside Edon Zhegrova, and Florent Muslija.
The three players were accused of attending a nightclub during international duty, an infraction that occurred following Kosovo's 3-0 loss to Romania on Friday afternoon.
According to reports, the players stayed at the nightclub until 2am, leading to swift disciplinary action from the Kosovo Football Federation (FFK).
The FFK issued a statement confirming the dismissal of the players, explaining that the decision was made jointly by the team's coach, Franco Foda, and the association's leadership.
The Kosovo national football team was rocked by controversy on Sunday after three of its players were dismissed from the squad
Goalkeeper Arijanet Muric, winger Edon Zhegrova, and midfielder Florent Muslija were all accused of attending a nightclub during international duty
The statement read: 'By a joint decision of coach Franco Foda and the association, three football players were excluded: Arijanet Muric, Edon Zhegrova, and Florent Muslija, because they violated the rules of the national team established by the coach and the association.'
In addition, the federation announced that goalkeeper Faton Maloku from FC Drita would be called up as a replacement for the team, writing: 'The Executive Committee of the FFK will decide on further measures against the football players concerned. In the meantime, goalkeeper Faton Maloku from FC Drita, who was on the waiting list, will join the team.'
The incident has drawn considerable attention, with reports circulating that videos of the players at the nightclub surfaced on social media, adding fuel to the fire.
Despite the controversy, the players appeared to show little remorse. Zhegrova took to Instagram, dismissing the reports as 'fake news,' while Muric allegedly claimed that their presence at the club was purely for food, not for partying.
He went on to add: 'The decision for us was not fair at all and the rumours that are circulating are not true at all.'
All three players have enjoyed relatively successful careers at their respective clubs, and their absence will undoubtedly be felt in Kosovo's Euro 2024 qualification campaign.
Muric, who joined the Ipswich Town from Burnley this summer for £15million, secured his 39th full cap as Kosovo were beaten 3-0 by Romania in Pristina on Friday.
According to reports, the players stayed at the nightclub until 2am, leading to swift disciplinary action from the Kosovo Football Federation (FFK)
All three players have enjoyed relatively successful careers at their respective clubs, and their absence will undoubtedly be felt in Kosovo's Euro 2024 qualification campaign
Muric only made 10 Premier League appearances last season as the Clarets were relegated back to the Championship under the tutelage of Manchester City legend Vincent Kompany
Muric's absence will be felt among the Kosovo team given his impressive performances during the 2022-23 season helped Burnley earn promotion to the Premier League.
However, Muric only made 10 Premier League appearances last season as the Clarets were relegated back to the Championship under the tutelage of Manchester City legend Vincent Kompany.
Nevertheless, Muric has enjoyed a successful start to his Ipswich career after being nominated for the Save of the Month award for August after denying Erling Haaland from close range.
Zhegrova, meanwhile, has been a rising star in Ligue 1, contributing regularly for Lille since joining the French club. Additionally, Muslija - who is 26 years old and plays in Germany's top tier - has been a consistent performer for SC Freiburg - who are currently sitting 10th in the Bundesliga this season.