Perspectives
Albania had an incredible run during the qualifying phase, something even more surprising considering they were coming off one of the worst years in their football history, with just one win in 11 games in 2022. Their fortunes changed immediately with the appointment of Sylvinho as coach in January 2023, and the team went on a streak of eight games without defeat, including victories against Poland and the Czech Republic, which led the “red and black” to win Group E and qualify for their second phase final of a European Championship.
Players like Armando Broja, Marash Kumbulla and Rey Manaj were expected to have a central role, but they were not there due to injuries. The Brazilian coach dared to field Jasir Asani, Mario Mitaj, Mirlind Daku and Arbnor Muja, who had never been internationals, and all of them were decisive in the result, even if their performances were not particularly brilliant.
Form will be a concern in the European Championship, as several important players arrive short of minutes this season. Among them, the two goalkeepers, Etrit Berisha, from Empoli, and Thomas Strakosha, from Brentford, and Asani, the decisive scorer with a good long shot, who has only played eight minutes for his club, South Korean Gwangju, so far this season. 2024, due to contractual disputes.
The coach likes the 4-3-3 system, and knows that he needs his entire squad in optimal condition for it to work. “Players who don’t run won’t join,” was Sylvinho’s quick response after two mediocre performances in the March friendlies, with losses 3-0 against Chile and 1-0 against Sweden. The system with the double pivot in the center of the field requires that the attacking players participate directly in defensive tasks.
This will undoubtedly be the case in a Euro 2024 group with matches against Italy, Croatia and Spain, where the defense will be stretched to the limit. The counterattack is the weapon most used by Albania, which requires speed and technique from its wingers. This is not going to change against rivals of such caliber.
The selector
Sylvinho’s appointment in January 2023 was met with skepticism by many. The former Arsenal and Barcelona player had a poor start as a manager in his brief spell at Lyon, and did not fare much better at his former club, Brazilian side Corinthians, where It lasted only nine months. But on an international level he had been Tite’s assistant with Brazil and from his first training session, in March of last year, he made it clear what he wanted and expected from the team. “We are sweat, heart and soul” is a phrase that he uses in his press conferences to describe what the team must give, more than tactics. “I can change the 4-3-3 system for whatever we want, but, without everyone’s commitment, we are not a team,” he adds.
The icon
While under the previous coach, Edoardo Reja, he struggled to get playing time, Kristjan Asllani has become the undisputed starter with Albania under Sylvinho, who has given him the space he needed to bring out his capabilities. Everything passes through the feet of this 22-year-old midfielder, who worked as a part-time waiter in the city where he grew up before finding a place for himself at Empoli. He has had a formidable progression, as evidenced by the fact that he has become a reliable reinforcement for Hakan Calhanoglu at Italian champion Inter. “He has matured and given us important answers, often in important games,” says Simone Inzaghi, coach of the Serie A champion, under whose direction Asllani is clearly flourishing.
Player to follow
The rapid evolution of Mario Mitaj points to a change of scenery in the near future. The left-back has shone with both Albania and Lokomotiv Moscow, where he also regularly occupies the defensive midfield position. Consequently, many clubs are following him closely, and a transfer to one of the major European leagues during the summer is a good plan, so a solid performance in Germany would not fall on deaf ears.
The nonconformist
The feeling that Rey Manaj will do something unexpected with the national team jersey is constant. Quite a controversial player in his early days due to his communication with the selectors, he has always had impeccable behavior on the field of play with Albania. But receiving cards almost as often as he scores goals for his Turkish club, Sivasspor, is a problem that Manaj will have to solve sooner rather than later, as he could become a liability for the national team.
The core
Sylvinho has created a solid core in the Albanian team and the experience of the veterans has helped the youngsters adapt quickly. The very experienced goalkeeper Etrit Berisha and Berat Gjimsiti provide the calm that the team needs at the back. In the middle, the game goes through Kristjan Asllani, the creative midfielder who makes all the pieces fit together. Above, the key lies in the movements of Sokol Cikalleshi. He’s not the most prolific goalscorer, but he initiates transitions and creates space for wingers to shoot from distance, an asset that has proven crucial for Albania in qualifying.
Probable starting eleven
4-2-1-3: Berisha – Hysaj, Ismajli, Gjimsiti, Mitaj – Asllani, Ramadani – Bajrami – Asani, Cikalleshi, Seferi.
famous fan
There will be numerous Albanian celebrities who will travel to Germany to attend the Euro Cup, but there is one person whom the red and black fans would prefer not to see in the stadium: the Albanian Prime Minister, Edi Rama. This is due to his “football jinx”, at least according to popular belief. Rama often attends events or electoral campaigns dressed in the shirt of a team and, curiously, the team in question usually has a calamitous performance afterwards. If you ask Albanian fans, Manchester City’s penalty shootout defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals last April could have had something to do with Rama presenting the City’s new Albanian academy project that same day in Tirana.
Culinary delight
Although chips, cheese and salami washed down with alcohol are the favorite food of Albanians during football matches, there are many who remain faithful to the byrek. The traditional Albanian cake has different varieties: vegetarian, with cheese, yogurt or minced meat. Just ask Hans-Peter Briegel, the German coach who used to order these delicacies during his stay in Albania, when he coached the national team between 2002 and 2006.
This article is a collaboration with The Guardian. Ermal Kuka He is a journalist at Panorama.
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