At 27, Mërgim Berisha would be expected to be at the peak of his career, displaying the potential he had shown in his early years as a footballer. However, like many young talents, expectations for him have been greater than his actual achievements so far.
Born in Germany, Berisha began his career at Bischofsweisen, but soon moved to Austria, where he grew and developed professionally at Red Bull Salzburg. During these years, he had loan spells at LASK and Altach in Austria, as well as Magdeburg in Germany.
In September 2021, he took a big step in his career, moving to Fenerbahçe in Turkey. After a year there, he was loaned to Augsburg in the Bundesliga, and on July 2, 2023, the German club bought his card for 4 million euros, only to sell him on August 30 to Hoffenheim for 14 million euros. In January last year, he was loaned again to Augsburg, whose loan ended on June 30.
Today, Berisha is part of Hoffenheim, where three Kosovo representatives also play: Fisnik Asllani, Leon Avdullahu and Albion Hajdari. The striker has a contract with the German club until June 2027, but this has not prevented his constant absence from the field.
He has not played a single match this season, and has never been called up. His last match was on 20 April 2025 for Augsburg against Eintracht Frankfurt, while his last goal for Hoffenheim dates back to 14 September 2024.
"A year ago, Augsburg loaned Mërgim Berisha from Hoffenheim. The striker became a representative player at Augsburg, but never really settled in Hoffenheim afterwards. His second spell at Augsburg also ended in disappointment. After several injuries, Berisha never fully recovered and remained in the shadows. The parties parted ways again in the summer," wrote the German media. Augsburger Allgemeine.
Meanwhile, Augsburg has loaned 31-year-old striker Michael Gregoritsch, hinting that Berisha will not return to the German club.
Internationally, Berisha had great success with Germany U21, winning the European title in this age group in 2021. In March 2023, he played two friendlies for the Germany A team against Peru and Belgium, but was then not called up again.
Kosovo has had interest in Berisha for years, but the striker has aimed to play for Germany.
The manager of the Kosovo Federation, Bajram Shala, has commented on this situation.
"We have been waiting for Mërgim Berisha for four years and have been in constant contact with him, offering him everything that can be offered. But if his dream was to play for Germany, it is now coming true. Even Mërgim Berisha and many players who have chosen Switzerland now are using Kosovo to put pressure on other federations to invite them," Shala had declared.
Since he has not played any official matches with the German A team, Berisha still has the option of changing the national team, but it seems that the path to getting closer to Kosovo is difficult, due to the competition in attack and the player's approach.Telegrafi/
