Jashari had given his allegiance to Milan... a promise that among Albanians is worth as much as a signature on a contract.

2025-08-08 15:52:00, Sport CNA

"La Gazzetta dello Sport" article about the Albanian's faith

Jashari had given his allegiance to Milan... a promise that among Albanians is

Every country has its own customs. On the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, where war and violence are sad “companions” of life, there is “Pashtunwali”, an ethical code that for the local people, the Pashtuns, applies above everything, even tribal hatred. It includes hospitality, reception and respect for every visitor. In Albania there is something similar, Milan was also a beneficiary of it in the deal for Ardon Jashari. This is called “besa”.

“Besa” is a fundamental cultural principle of Albanian tradition, representing the word given, personal honor and trustworthiness of an individual. It is different from, but complementary to, honor, which means “family honor”. Both of these concepts are part of a culture where identity and social reputation are based on respecting shared moral codes.

The meaning of honor here should not be misunderstood as in a negative or criminal sense, as in the mafia’s “men of honor.” On the contrary, it comes very close to the idea of integrity and responsibility. “Besa” is a promise that cannot be broken. During the centuries, when the Kanun, the Albanian customary code, was in force, both besa and honor had real legal value.

For this reason, even today, for many Albanians, a given word is as valuable as a signature on a contract. It seems that the Swiss midfielder of Albanian origin gave his word (trust) to Milan and precisely for this reason he tried resolutely to keep it, rejecting higher financial offers that came to him from other clubs at Brugge.

Even today, in contemporary Albania, far from the mentality of the Kanun, one of the most serious personal insults is "disloyal", similar to the very serious Latin terms "infidus" and "perfidus", more offensive than their counterparts in modern Italian.

Thanks to the “trust”, Albania saved many Jews during the Holocaust, which is why Albanians were honored with the title “Righteous Among the Nations”. And thanks to the trust given, returning to the simpler topic, Allegri has finally got the much-desired midfielder.

Jashari had given his allegiance to Milan... a promise that among Albanians is