MESSAGE OF PRESIDENT DUKA FOR NEW YEAR 2021! - FSHF

MESSAGE OF PRESIDENT DUKA FOR NEW YEAR 2021!

The message of congratulation of President Duke for the New Year 2021!

Dear friends!

First I wish you well and health and be close to your loved ones at this end of the year. We are leaving behind a difficult year with many vicissitudes for the whole society and especially for the Albanian football.

I wish with all my heart that the year 2021 turns the page of history and is completely different from the year 2020. It has been a year that has faced football, as well as every field of life, with countless challenges. The challenge we have successfully faced, staying together and being as always in solidarity. At first the November 2019 earthquake and then the COVID-19 pandemic tested us hard, but we did not give up. We raised funds and have now started rebuilding four houses with donations provided by the partner federations and national teams.

At the height of the quarantine imposed by the pandemic, we found ourselves close to the football community, which was abandoned in the most painful way by the government, providing two salaries for football employees everywhere in Albania through the football solidarity package. We resumed all competitions and showed that we are capable of managing any football activity by respecting health protocols. The national team closed a fantastic edition in terms of results, getting the maximum at the Nations League. Albanian clubs also made a very good appearance in European competitions.

This difficult year actually ended with fantastic news for Albanians. The Executive Committee of UEFA decided that the first final of the newest European competition for clubs ‘’Conference League’’ to be played at “Air Albania” stadium in Tirana in May 2022. A historic achievement that makes us proud and for which we should we all enjoy. We look forward to showing the world one of the most distinctive features of Albanians, the hospitality.

I wish with all my heart that the consequences of the pandemic come to fade and the civilized world triumphs over this invisible evil that created so many problems for humanity.

This is my biggest desire for this New Year. With the situation returning to normal, we will finally return to all activities to advance the development of football.

I wish you all a happy New Year 2021! May it be a good and prosperous year for all Albanians and for football! Cheers!