Erblin Osmani becomes A‑international – Bayern jewel makes history

In the home stadium of Munich, the 17‑year‑old midfield talent Erblin Osmani took the field for Kosovo's A‑team on Thursday. In the 87th minute he replaced a teammate, and Kosovo won the Nations League duel against Ireland 1:0. This made him, at 17 years, four months and five days, the youngest international player of the country.

National team debut

The Kosovo national coach Franco Foda had unexpectedly nominated Osmani for the ongoing Nations League matches. The debut for Kosovo was a very special moment for him and his family, Osmani said after the game. He emphasized that he had worked for a long time for this moment and that it would stay in his memory forever.

Bavaria's youth path and further news

Until recently, Erblin Osmani was still occasionally a squad player in Bayern Munich's U19, where he came off the bench in four of seven appearances. Previously he had played for the German U16 and U17 teams before choosing his Kosovan roots. In March, at the age of 16, he celebrated his Bundesliga debut for FC Bayern Munich in a 4:0 victory over Union Berlin.

In July, Osmani signed his first professional contract, tying him to the German record champions until 2029. Coach Vincent Kompany spoke positively about the homegrown talent and saw great potential. In the U19 season he started in the starting eleven in the derby against 1860 Munich and scored a double, before being substituted into the second team of the FCB in the Regionalliga against TSV Aubstadt for the final half hour.

German media predict three-way points race in Nations League group

Karl‑Heinz Rummenigge recently confirmed that Bayern had shown interest in the young talent, and emphasized that the news and rumours about the FCB draw attention to Osmani. At the same time it was reported that Maycon Cardozo could celebrate his comeback already in November after a shoulder dislocation, although sporting director Christoph Freund had initially expected a return only in December.

Another Bayern jewel, Nestory Irankunda, caused a stir in the Australian national team's friendly against Brazil when he scored from a free kick in the 68th minute. Irankunda, who now plays for Sporting Lisbon, reminded that such moments strengthen the international reputation of FC Bayern.

Erblin Osmani has therefore not only made history, but also shows how FC Bayern Munich nurtures young talents and enables them to make the jump from youth to the A‑national team.