page_title: Anel Rashkaj
section_title: International career
hierarchical_section_title: Anel Rashkaj / International career
caption_attribution_description: English: Anel Raskaj as team captain for Kosovo national football team in 2010
context_page_description: Anel Rashkaj is a Kosovan professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Finnish club SJK and the Kosovo national team.
context_section_description: On 27 March 2009, In an interview with the local newspaper Hallandsposten, Rashkaj stated that he had been in contact with Swedish U21 co-manager Jörgen Lennartsson, who had told him that he just had missed out on the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship as he had not yet gained Swedish citizenship. He also stated in the interview that he would choose Sweden ahead of Kosovo, if he was considered good enough to get a position on the Swedish team. In another interview with Fotbolldirekt.se, he stated that Albania had already approached him and he had however turned them down.
  In 2009. Rashkaj was called up to the unofficial Kosovo national team, playing under the name Team Kosovo, to play in two matches against Swedish opposition, first against 2008 Swedish champions Kalmar FF. Rashkaj did not take part in the second match against Malmö FF.
  On 17 February 2010, Rashkaj was again called up from Kosovo for a friendly match against Albania.
  On 10 June 2010, Rashkaj participated as team captain when Kosovo played a friendly against his club Halmstads BK on Örjans Vall in Halmstad, the match ended 4–4 with another Halmstads BK and Kosovo national player Kujtim Bala, scoring a goal.
  On 28 July 2010, Rashkaj announced that he had chosen to represent the Kosovo, stating that he wished to play national team football and that he believed he would have more chance of doing so with Kosovo rather than Sweden. He also stated that he had not yet fully closed the door regarding Sweden as U21 coach Jörgen Lennartsson had stated he wished to see Rashkaj in the U21 team and the 2011 U21 European Championship in Denmark. However, he has yet to obtain Swedish citizenship and Kosovo has yet to be approved by FIFA.
caption: Anel Rashkaj as team captain for Kosovo in 2010
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