Baton Zabergja (in the center) is spending his first season in the UPL. Photo: FC Metalist 1925 January 23, 2026, 09:41

The Kosovar striker of Metalist 1925 Baton Zabergja played 8 matches in the autumn part of the championship, but so far he has not scored goals in Ukraine. Instead, in 2025, he made his debut for the Kosovo national team and played for his national team in qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.

In an exclusive interview with Football.ua, Baton Zabergja spoke about his adaptation in Ukraine, interaction with his club partners and performances for the Kosovo national team.

– Baton, first of all: how was your vacation? Did you have time to rest and recover after the first half of the season?

– Yes, the vacation was good, there was enough time for rest and recovery.

– This is your first season in the UPL. What are your impressions of our championship?

– This is a really good championship, with a lot of physical work and good teams.

– You have only 8 matches this season. Which match can you call the best for you?

– Yes, I only played 8 matches because at the beginning of the championship I was injured while playing for the national team, so I only played 8 matches. The best match, I think, was against Polissia.

– Mladen Bartulovich is from Croatia, you are from Kosovo. What advice did you get from Mladen regarding adaptation in Ukraine?

– Mladen is, first of all, a really good person and also a great coach, he helped me a lot with his advice during the adaptation, because he knows the Balkan mentality.

– Metalist 1925 has many players from different countries. How do you communicate with each other? Of course, probably in English?

– Yes, we speak English, but I hope to start speaking Ukrainian soon.

– Who is your best friend in the team?

– All teammates are really good, but my best friend is Rashitsa, because we represent the same country.

– You have three matches for the Kosovo national team. The first of them was in September 2025. How did you feel when the head coach said to you: “Okay, Baton, be ready, you’re going on the field!”?

– Playing for the national team is the best thing that can happen to a professional player. My first match in September was very emotional and I dreamed of this moment my whole life and of course I was 100% ready.

– The last match against Switzerland was so successful for your team that you drew 1:1. What can you say about Xhaka, Embolo, Rodriguez? What are your impressions of their game?

– The last match against Switzerland was really good, we have a good team and the coach is really doing a great job. Switzerland has a lot of good players playing in the top 5 leagues, but we are also playing well.

– So, now you are going to the training camp. What do you like about the training period and what don’t you like?

– The training camp is good because it helps us improve physically and tactically. And that’s what I like there.

– What do you think about the spring part of the season? You’ll be fighting for a higher place and a chance to qualify for the European Cups next season, won’t you?

– Of course, because we have a good team, we can fight for higher places in the UPL and we have every chance to do so.