Leading on Two Fronts, Mërgim Vojvoda’s Dual Captaincy

There are few players in modern football who carry the weight of leadership across two distinct stages the way Mërgim Vojvoda does. At Como 1907, he was one of four or five captains in a leadership group helping to shape one of Serie A’s most ambitious projects. With Kosovo, he wears the armband permanently, guiding a young nation through its most important years of footballing development. The contexts are different, the challenges unique, but the thread connecting them is the same, a quiet, determined leadership built on 300 professional games and a career that has taught him the value of persistence.

Vojvoda’s international journey began in 2018, just as Kosovo gained FIFA recognition and started building its football identity from scratch. He was there from the beginning, and now, with over 68 caps, he stands as Kosovo’s most experienced player. Recent results reflect how far the team has come under his captaincy. The 1-0 victory over Sweden in Gothenburg during World Cup qualifying showed Kosovo’s ability to compete on the biggest stage, while promotion to Nations League B marked another historic achievement for a nation that started in League D just seven years ago.

“I think reaching League B of the Nations League is a huge achievement for our country, it’s historic,” Vojvoda reflects. “I mean, knowing that we started in League D just seven years ago, and now to have made it from Group D to Group B, and in a final like that against Iceland, playing so well, I believe it’s something the whole country can be proud of.”

For a nation that endured conflict three decades ago, these sporting milestones carry significance beyond the pitch. “It means a lot to all the people, especially those who lived through very difficult times thirty years ago. So yes, it’s definitely a moment of great pride for our nation.” Yet Vojvoda is clear-eyed about where Kosovo stands in its development. “We’ve got a good generation coming through. We want to qualify for a big tournament, but we need time. We’re still building that football culture. But I think I started that story. And we’re writing good things now.”

At Como, Vojvoda’s leadership takes a different form. As one of several captains in the squad, he shares the responsibility of guiding a team that blends promising young talent with proven winners. “When you see the players they bring in, from Barcelona, Real Madrid, very promising youngsters, it’s impressive,” Vojvoda observes. “And that shows their ambition to grow the club. The infrastructure, the new stadium… Everything is going very fast.”

But ambition without guidance can falter, and that’s where Vojvoda and his fellow experienced teammates provide crucial balance. “And then, they also bring in experienced players. Because young people need to be supported by people like Sergi. They are winners. Even the coach, that’s what he transmits, the mentality of a winner. And you can feel the change immediately. Even after a win, you don’t have to be too happy, because for them it’s normal to win. It’s routine. And that teaches you a lot.”

This winning culture, instilled by Cesc Fàbregas and reinforced by experienced players, is transforming Como’s identity. Vojvoda has embraced his role in that transformation, particularly after overcoming injury setbacks that could have derailed his move to the club. “I arrived here injured, so I really wanted to give back to the club the trust they put in me. Not everyone would take a player who’s not healed yet. But they believed in me.” His response was emphatic: one goal and two assists against his former club Torino in just his third start, a performance that demonstrated both his quality and his character.

Working under Fàbregas has accelerated Vojvoda’s development even at thirty, and what he learns at Como, he carries with him to the international stage. “Here at Como we have a very specific way of working, it’s very technical and quite compact, actually something different from what I’ve done before, and I really enjoy the approach,” he explains. “We focus a lot on close ball possession, starting from the back, and those are things that obviously aren’t exactly the same as with the national team, since there’s a different coach and different methods.”

The Spanish influence at Como is unmistakable, and Vojvoda speaks with genuine appreciation about Fàbregas’s impact. “He has a great personality and is a genuinely nice person. You learn a lot. It’s a very Spanish style, he teaches you to move, play fast, look before receiving. That gives you a huge advantage. I’m a player who likes to touch the ball, so this really helps me progress.” This willingness to evolve and adapt after more than 300 professional games sets an important example for Como’s younger players, leadership isn’t about having all the answers, it’s about maintaining the hunger to improve.

What strikes you most about Vojvoda is his understanding of Como’s unique identity. “There is a lot of quality here. When you hear about the project, what they’re putting in place, it’s going at an incredible speed. And you can feel that they really want to do something great. This club has a different soul.” That soul is built on the same principles Vojvoda has carried throughout his career, belief in the face of doubt, persistence through setbacks, and an unwavering commitment to the collective goal.

His journey embodies those principles. From Pironchamps to over 130 Serie A appearances, from being overlooked by Belgium to captaining Kosovo through historic achievements, Vojvoda has taken the hard path and emerged stronger for it. “If someone had told me, as a kid in Liège, that I’d play more than 130 Serie A games, I wouldn’t have believed it. But I always believed in myself. I took the hard path, loans, a season in German fourth division, but I knew I’d make it if I worked hard. I’m proud of my journey. And just because I’m thirty doesn’t mean I’m done.”

At thirty, Vojvoda stands at the intersection of experience and ambition. His performances have already made an impact on Como’s season, and his character has made him a natural fit within the squad’s leadership group. At club level, he is one of the captains guiding Como toward their objectives. At international level, he is the captain building Kosovo’s football future, one historic achievement at a time. Two teams, two forms of captaincy, one unwavering commitment to excellence. In Mërgim Vojvoda, both Como 1907 and Kosovo have found a leader who understands that true leadership is not about individual glory, but about lifting those around you and building something bigger than yourself.