The Football Association presented on Monday evening its four-year football development strategy, “Vision to Victory”, an ambitious plan drafted in cooperation with top UEFA experts, which lays the foundations for sustainable growth, broad inclusion, and elite performance at every level of the game.
At the event held at the “House of Football,” representatives of clubs, academies, regional associations, leaders of state institutions, sponsors, partner organizations, members of the football community, well-known former footballers, and media representatives were introduced to a vision that aims to take Albanian football into a new phase of development by building a modern, inclusive, and competitive ecosystem.
This strategy is built on seven key pillars, carefully designed to touch every dimension of football:
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Entry onto the pitch
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Elite talent for national teams and clubs
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Building the game
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Education beyond the pitch
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Promoting passion and purpose
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Encouraging investment
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An excellent organization
One of the main objectives of the AFA’s four-year football development plan is to increase participation in football by guaranteeing access for everyone, regardless of age, gender, or ability. Projects such as “My Jersey” and “Your Ball” have demonstrated that investing at grassroots level produces concrete results, marking a significant increase in participation over the past four years. This growth will continue through the extension of these projects, the expansion of school and community programs, the strengthening of regional associations, direct support for clubs working with younger age groups, and the creation of more organized activities for children and youth.
Infrastructure also remains a key focus, with the goal of increasing the number of football pitches and improving the population-to-pitch ratio, especially in urban areas and in Tirana, where demand is highest.
“Vision to Victory” foresees the creation of a unified national system for talent identification and development, where elite academies and professional clubs work under shared methodologies. The goal is to see more Albanian players competing in Europe’s top leagues and to ensure that youth national teams regularly qualify for UEFA final tournaments. Likewise, the objective for the senior national team remains clear and unchanged: to always compete for qualification in every European Championship and World Cup cycle.
Special emphasis is also placed on the pillar “Education Beyond the Pitch,” which aims to increase both the number and quality of licensed coaches, develop online courses, support female coaches, and strengthen the pool of young referees. Education will also extend to club administrators, ensuring a more professional and sustainable football experience.
Through the pillar “Promoting Passion and Purpose,” the AFA will intensify communication with the football community through various social media channels and traditional media, tailoring messaging to different football audiences. This pillar serves not only to promote the beauty of the game, but also to use football as a tool for social impact—raising not just the level of the game, but also society and quality of life.
In the medium term, the strategy aims to strengthen partnerships, increase public and private investment, and advance governance and digitalization, ensuring that administrative and sporting processes function fully in a digital, data-driven manner.
“Vision to Victory” is not just a strategy. It is the concrete commitment of the AFA to move Albanian football forward, from grassroots to elite, and from vision to victory.
