Loyalties tested as Albania meet Switzerland

Albania make their final tournament debut against Switzerland in UEFA EURO 2016 Group A, with brothers Taulant and Granit Xhaka potentially playing on opposite sides in Lens.

Previous meetings
• Albania have yet to win in six internationals against Switzerland (D1 L5).

• The teams' most recent encounters took place in 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying, Gianni De Biasi's Albania losing 2-0 in Lucerne and 2-1 in Tirana to Ottmar Hitzfeld's men. Xherdan Shaqiri, who has Kosovar-Albanian roots, scored for Switzerland in both matches.

• Albania's lone draw against Switzerland came at home in UEFA EURO 2004 qualifying, when Edvin Murati cancelled out Murat Yakin's opener to earn a point for a side coached by another Italian, Giuseppe Dossena.

• The countries have met in four age group competition fixtures, two each at Under-17 and U21 level, with the Swiss recording three wins and a draw.

• In four UEFA competition meetings between the nations' clubs, the Swiss sides' record is also W3 D1. Most recently, Thun eliminated Vllaznia 2-1 on aggregate in the 2011/12 UEFA Europa League second qualifying round.

EURO facts – Albania
• Albania are one of two teams making their major tournament debut at UEFA EURO 2016 along with Iceland.

• Albania's record in qualifying was W4 D2 L2; prior to a 3-0 victory in Armenia in their final qualifier, they had not scored in three competitive games (D1 L2), which included two home defeats.

EURO facts – Switzerland
• Switzerland's record in qualifying was W7 D0 L3, two of those defeats coming against Group E winners England. They won their last two competitive games, scoring eight goals and conceding none.

• This is Switzerland's first European championship final tournament since they co-hosted UEFA EURO 2008 with Austria. They lost their opening two matches and bowed out at the group stage despite a 2-0 triumph against Portugal in their last game.

• That success against Portugal was Switzerland's first win in nine EURO finals contests (W1 D2 L6). They have yet to make it through the group stage in three finals appearances.

• Switzerland have reached the finals of the last three World Cups, opening two of them with victories – 1-0 against Spain in 2010 and 2-1 versus Ecuador in 2014 – and drawing 0-0 with France in 2006.

• The only Swiss side to have played a competitive game in Lens is Young Boys, who lost 5-1 to Lens in a 2007/08 UEFA Cup second qualifying round match.

Coach and player links
• Albania midfielder Taulant Xhaka could face his younger brother, Switzerland midfielder Granit. The siblings were born in Basel to Kosovar-Albanian parents and both represented Switzerland at youth level. They would be the first brothers to meet in a EURO game.

• There is some precedent for this: Germany's Jérôme Boateng has twice played against Ghana sides featuring his brother Kevin-Prince Boateng at World Cup final tournaments. Germany won 1-0 in 2010 and drew 2-2 in 2014.

• The game is taking place the day after Switzerland defender Steve von Bergen's 33rd birthday and the day before his team-mate Eren Derdiyok turns 28.

• As well as Granit Xhaka, Switzerland's Valon Behrami, Admir Mehmedi and Xherdan Shaqiri are from Kosovar-Albanian families, while Blerim Džemaili is also of Albanian extraction.

• Albania's Amir Abrashi, Arlind Ajeti, Migjen Basha, Shkëlzen Gashi and Frédéric Veseli were all born in Switzerland, while team-mates Naser Aliji, Lorik Cana, Burim Kukeli and Ermir Lenjani spent significant parts of their childhood in the Alpine nation.

• Albania captain Cana made his senior international debut against Switzerland, coming on as a substitute in a 3-2 UEFA EURO 2004 qualifying loss in June 2003.

• Albania coach De Biasi will celebrate his 60th birthday at UEFA EURO 2016, on 16 June – the day after his side meet France in their second Group A game.

• De Biasi coached Switzerland's Džemaili at Torino in 2008/09.

• Albania's Cana and Etrit Berisha played under Switzerland coach Vladimir Petković during their time at Lazio from 2012–14.

• Albania assistant coach Erjon Bogdani and Switzerland midfielder Behrami were team-mates at Verona in 2004/05.

• Albania's Gashi, Taulant Xhaka (Basel), Kukeli, Armando Sadiku (Zürich), Aliji (Basel, Vaduz), Veseli (Lugano) and Basha (Luzern) played club football in Switzerland in 2015/16. Gashi joined the Colorado Rapids on 1 February.

• Play together:
Naser Aliji and Taulant Xhaka (Albania) & Michael Lang and Breel Embolo (Switzerland) – Basel