Could Caprile switch to Albania?

Cagliari goalkeeper Elia Caprile has been granted Albanian citizenship. The 25-year-old keeper gained dual citizenship through his marriage to Emily Toshkollari, who is of Albanian origin. The decision, signed by Albanian President Bajram Begaj, was approved on 19 October and published in the official gazette.

Born in Verona to an Italian family, Caprile has played for Italy's under-18 and under-21 national teams. In November 2025 he was called up to the senior Italy squad by Gennaro Gattuso, but he has not yet played an official senior match for Italy. For this reason, his commitment to Italy is not yet settled.

A passport alone is not enough. FIFA requires a player choosing a new national team to prove a genuine link, such as birth in the country, a bond through a parent or grandparent, or long-term residence. Marriage does not meet these criteria on its own.

According to the Italian press, the Albanian Football Federation is looking into the possibility of calling Caprile up. However, such a switch would still need FIFA approval, and similar requests have been rejected in the past. Albania's first-choice goalkeeper, Alen Sherri, also plays alongside Caprile as a backup at Cagliari. Albania's head coach, Rolando Maran, knows Serie A well from his time at Chievo, Cagliari and Genoa.