The Albanian Football Association’s Elite Youth Development Academy project has successfully completed its second year, marking significant progress in the development of young footballers. Coach Armand Dama, who has worked with all three age groups, believes the work carried out throughout the season has already produced tangible results, both in the players’ individual development and in the teams’ performances during international friendly matches.
Speaking to FSHF.org, Dama reflected on the past season and also discussed the new developments planned for the project’s third year.
“We had three age groups: players born in 2012, 2011 and 2010. Throughout the season, we were based in Durrës, where the players lived, attended school and trained together during the week. We trained four times a week, from Monday to Thursday, and I believe the training process has been of a very high standard. The players’ progress clearly reflects the quality of the work that has been done.
Each training session lasted two hours and was carried out in close coordination with our fitness coaches and technical staff. We have done excellent work in every aspect, and overall I believe it has been a very positive year for the project.
The results of our work were also evident in the friendly matches we recently played. The 2010 age group played two matches against Bulgaria, winning one and losing the other. The 2011 age group faced North Macedonia twice and won both games, while the 2012 group recorded one win and one draw. However, it is not simply about the results. Above all, the way the teams played and the performances they delivered on the pitch demonstrate that all three groups have made clear progress.
This year we will have only two groups instead of three. In cooperation with the clubs, the players will compete in championships with an older age category. I believe this will be very beneficial because they will train together and then compete together, allowing them to understand each other better as well as our playing philosophy. At their clubs, different coaches apply different tactical approaches and players are often used in various positions depending on the team’s needs. Our objective, however, is always to develop them in the positions that best suit their characteristics and where they can fully express their potential.
Our ultimate goal is for these footballers to progress into the first teams of their clubs and to become part of Albania’s national team pathway, from the U-19 and U-21 sides all the way to the senior national team.”
The Elite Youth Development Academy is one of the Albanian Football Association’s strategic projects for talent development, aimed at creating a strong pool of high-quality players for Albanian clubs and the country’s national teams in the years ahead.
