TIRANA, Nov. 9 – Albania’s national football team is preparing to plays two friendlies with Kosovo and Georgia as part of its preparations for France’s 2016 European Championships — the first major tournament the country has ever reached.
Coach Giovanni de Biasi has said that the match with Kosovo in Pristina on Thursday and that with Georgia on Monday will be good test for the preparation of the Euro finals next year.
Kosovo, from where most of the Albanian national team players come from, is expecting to join UEFA next year, a move that could lead to a place in 2018 World Cup qualifying rounds. De Biasi said both federations enjoy very friendly ties and have agreed that existing players will not change teams.
De Biasi said three players were missing for health reasons, but he has called two new players — Frederik Veseli of Lugano, Switzerland and Rei Manaj of Internazionale, Italy.
In the next months until early May he has to choose among 32 players of the national team for the Euro 2016.
The coach said the squad was open to everyone as “who always plays well, who always fights, who considers himself part of a team, who loughs even when replaced, who always jump to come when convened at the national team.”
“We have achieved so far as a team, not because we are better than the others,” he said.
Albania ranked second in the Group I after Portugal, leaving behind Denmark, Serbia and Armenia.
Albania has planned one or two more friendlies in March next year but the federation has to work and find opponents to play with.
