A former player on Kosovo's youth national team died in a car accident at the age of 22
Faton Bunyaku, a former player for Kosovo’s U-21 national team and the Albanian club AF Elbasani, died at the age of 22. The athlete was the victim of a traffic accident.
According to local media reports, the fatal traffic accident occurred on the night of June 7 on the highway between Pristina and Mitrovica.
The Football Federation of Kosovo confirmed the tragic news and expressed its condolences to the player’s family and loved ones. The organization’s president, Agim Ademi, personally visited the footballer’s family to offer his support during this difficult time.
“In these difficult moments, we stand with you and pray that you find the strength to endure this great pain,” Ademi told the player’s family.
In its statement, the Federation also expressed its condolences to Bunyaku’s friends, teammates, and everyone who knew him.
“The Football Federation of Kosovo once again extends its sincere condolences to Bunyaku’s family, friends, teammates, and everyone who knew Fatjon, sharing in the pain of this great loss. Rest in peace, Fatjon!” the organization’s statement reads.
In the 2025/26 season, he played 32 matches for Elbasani, scoring three goals and providing one assist. The player also represented Kosovo’s youth and junior national teams, appearing in seven matches.
This was reported by the Football Federation of Kosovo.
As a reminder, UEFA suspended Russia from international football back in 2022 following the start of the full-scale invasion, and since then, representatives of the aggressor country have not participated in European tournaments. As for Belarus, UEFA imposed only limited sanctions, which prohibit matches against Ukraine’s national teams in any tournaments under its auspices, starting in 2022.
The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) has suspended athletes from Russia and Belarus from participating in all international competitions.
