The President of the Albanian Football Association, Armand Duka, was the first guest on “Nazarko Podcast”, a new format that just started, in the moderation of Mentor Nazarko and Oneda Skënderi.
During the discussion, President Duka spoke about his journey as the head of the Association, the institution’s growth, his role in UEFA and the changes that have taken place in Albanian football. He emphasized that the AFA has undergone major transformation over the past two decades, expanding as an institution and significantly influencing the development of football in the country. With continuous investments in infrastructure, the growth in the number of football players, and the improvement of competition organization, the AFA is now a modern institution with a clear vision for the future.
Furthermore, President Duka spoke about the National Team, which is on the verge of a new journey in the World Cup qualifiers. He pointed out that the dignified representation of the National Team has strengthened the bond among Albanians worldwide, making football a symbol of unity for the nation.
Have you ever thought that you would be leading Albanian football? – No, and it hasn’t been in my objectives, because my background has always been in management. I graduated in Economics Industry, and with the change of systems, I got into business. I’ve always liked football because I come from a sports-oriented family. My father was a football player and coach, while my brother was a volleyball player, sports are in my family’s DNA. But I had never really thought about leading it.Together with my brother, we sponsored and managed the volleyball team of Shijak. My brother was a volleyball player for over 20 years. We sponsored the team for about three years, and during that time, we won all possible trophies. Sports have always needed sponsorships and financial support, and this involvement allowed me to become more familiar with the football environment of that time. Later, I sponsored the football teams of Erzeni and Teuta, and eventually, I was proposed by AFA members and clubs to become President.
There is no formula for anything. However, in unconsolidated associations like AFA used to be, it is better to have a good manager to consolidate it. Once an institution is consolidated, the President can be anyone.
Leading the Association since 2002-In football, it takes time to gain the right experience and truly understand what needs to be done. There is no formula to determine whether a person should have a long or very long tenure in leading an association like ours.
We often draw parallels with politics, governments, and so on, but it’s not the same thing. This is an association that needs to be managed, directed, and guided every day. If it is managed and led in the right way, utilizing experience properly, I believe it serves the organization positively.
Undoubtedly, everyone has the right to view it negatively, as they may believe that rotation brings new ideas, etc. However, it is crucial not to measure leadership by its duration but by its results. If you achieve results in all the components that make up the association you lead, in this case, the Football Association, then it can be considered positive. In my view, in this particular case, it has been positive. Albania has made progress in national and international football, infrastructure, representation, and more. Of course, there are countless things to criticize along this journey, especially since football is highly criticized and emotional.
Relationship with Politics?– This relationship should not be misunderstood, misinterpreted, or misused, not just in football, but in sports in general, as well as in private business. I believe that we need each other. Even in the private business sector, we rely on politics, just as politics relies on us. The same applies to football. What matters is maintaining integrity in this relationship to support the development of the field we are involved in, in this case, football. If football achieves positive results and develops, then it naturally becomes an area that politics should support, making it a success for both sides. Politics has many ways to contribute and plays a role in the development of football and business. If the right laws are not in place, moving forward becomes difficult. As long as we maintain a fair and respectful relationship without compromising each other’s autonomy in management, it is beneficial for all.
The sense of solidarity in football is very strong, among associations, among everyone involved in the sport, among clubs, and among players. Even though we may criticize and argue with each other, in the end, we stand by and protect one another.
The AFA Institution? – The institution of the Football Association, I believe, is one of the most transparent and democratic institutions in Albania. It is transparent because all of the Association’s decisions are published in real time. All of the Association’s finances are published in real time, they are transparent and are approved by the members. This is something that is never lacking and makes it one of the most transparent institutions in Albania.
The leadership roles you have in UEFA and your position as Vice President? – The relationships and roles do not come as a result of friendships but only through hard work. The first thing needed to sit at the European table is what you have accomplished in your own country. If you don’t have results or something concrete, you won’t have a strong position at the European table. The developments are immense.
When I started leading the Football Association, it was an institution with just 12 people, and today it is an institution with around 180 people managing it. It used to have a budget of around 200,000 euros, and today it operates with a budget of around 30 million euros. It was an institution with very few competitions, very few footballers, and today we have 23,000 footballers in Albania. This growth has occurred even during a difficult time, as we have seen a steady outflow of people from Albania, yet the number of footballers has increased. This growth has undoubtedly been the result of the policies of the Football Association.
We are the only football association in the world that finances every type of uniform for anyone who wants to play football. We are the only football association in the world that covers all expenses related to football, referees, delegates, officials, and even field rentals. The significant investments in infrastructure have created the impression that every field and stadium should be built by the Football Association. We have collaborated with the government and built stadiums with joint funds, such as the stadium in Shkodra. We must remember that 10–12 years ago, we risked not being able to play in Albania because the old “Qemal Stafa” stadium was unsuitable and unacceptable for hosting international matches. At that time, “Elbasan Arena” was built, where we played, and it brought us luck, taking us to the European Championship for the first time in history. Similarly, the stadium in Shkodra was also built, which meets the parameters and criteria for international matches. Later, the most important investment, not only in sports but also more broadly, was the National Stadium in Tirana.
The Kukës stadium has been built, and just last year, we constructed 10 training fields. We have increased the number of children involved in football, launched women’s football, which didn’t exist before, and organized school championships throughout Albania. We have a project called “Groë” aimed at educating young children through football. We have many projects for children in schools, activities, as well as development and infrastructure programs dedicated to them.
The development of Albanian football in recent years – I’m not one of those who believes that a two-year plan brings prosperity. Times have changed, and there has been evolution in both the economy and society. There’s better management of the institution and better talent. In football, it’s not as important to have good individual players, what matters is having a good team. And to have a good team, you need to harmonize all the elements that make up the team. A team is not made by the 11 players who step onto the field, but by everyone together. Even the political climate, in a difficult political moment, can have a ripple effect everywhere. If the leadership of an institution contributes to 10% of its success, and I have contributed 80% of it, I am happy.
How has the representation of players from Kosovo, North Macedonia, and the fact that they joined the National Team in Euro 2016 impacted the team? – They have always been an added value for us, all the players from the diaspora. They have made a great contribution to the National Team. We opened the doors of the National Team earlier than 2015, but after 2015, we welcomed them in greater numbers. These players brought quality. It has had a positive impact and continues to have a positive influence. We have no intention of changing this policy or closing the door to any Albanian who wants to play for the Albanian National Team. There are often discussions and criticisms, but we will continue this open-door policy for anyone who wants to play and who undoubtedly deserves to play.
Kosovo’s admission to UEFA and FIFA – Kosovo’s admission to UEFA was a tough battle. As the Football Association, we lobbied and supported the Football Association of Kosovo in every way, including financially, to help them gain acceptance. The struggle was intense and harsh because Kosovo had many opponents, and in the end, they won by just one vote. This change has transformed the footballing reality in Kosovo because, without being a member of UEFA or FIFA, it is difficult to develop football. We collaborated with the Football Association of Kosovo and its former president, the legend of Albanian football, Fadil Vokrri.
The transfer of players from Kosovo to Albania (the case of Brruti) – I saw a post from the player’s father, and I believe it was the right one. There are accusations against me or the AFA in both directions, why did you take this player, or why didn’t you take him? Whether you take them or not, half of the people are in favor, and half are against. If you are convinced that you’ve done what’s best, you should continue doing it. Did I take Brruti? I am one of those who makes decisions about the policies of the AFA, and one of our policies is that the door of the National Team is open to anyone. We only take Albanian players, anyone who feels Albanian plays for us.
The relationship with the FFK? – I have good relationships with all the associations in Europe, and with the Football Association of Kosovo, I have a fraternal relationship.
Etnik Brruti – In a sports standpoint, everyone who is a supporter and represents Kosovo might have a right, when the football player is a talent and could have been contributing to the team they support. In this respect they are right. In other aspects they don’t have a right, because everyone chooses for themselves. We have no reason to be upset, we are very proud that Xhaka plays for Swiss, and now we don’t like that Brruti plays with Albania. Brruti has taken the passport, and we have applied for an English visa and I hope we have him in time.
The reaction of the U-21 coach of Kosovo – I don’t believe there are players who dream of going to Russia, but undoubtedly, they cannot refuse a Russian club. Players dream of going the west, to England, Germany, Italy, Spain. But if their career leads them to Russia, they can play there as well. That’s not the goal, the goal of the boy is that he enjoyed playing with Albania. He also has a big chance, we will be part of the European U-21 Championship in 2027. If he continues his career well, he will play in the finals of this championship. In your career, you don’t get many opportunities when u play with relatively mid-tier or small teams. What does Brruti offer to Sylvinho? Technically I don’t know him, thea coaches and the technical director of the AFA decide. I have never seen him play. I don’t have the right training to know him technically.
Do you trust international coaches leading the National Team? – As long as we continue with foreign coaches, it means we trust them. De Biasi is one of the historic milestones in Albanian football. For the first time, we qualified for a European Championship, and not even the biggest optimist believed we would qualify. De Biasi made a significant contribution to this qualification. Not only him, there are others who contributed as well, but primarily De Biasi in terms of work culture and the National Football Team.
Everyone contributes a stone, but De Biasi has contributed more than one stone to the development of the national team. Even Sylvinho deserves credit because, for the second time in our history, we qualified for a European Championship. So far, the names of De Biasi and Sylvinho will be written in the history of our football as the most successful.
How much is the Albanian Football Association working on the match against Serbia in Tirana? – There is emotion, the weight of history between the two national teams. I invite everyone, and I believe everyone will do it, to see the match with Serbia as just a football game and nothing more. Our main objective is to win on the field. If we win on the field, we have won everything.
Organization of the U-21 Euro 2027 together with Serbia, reactions – In May 2025, we will host the U-17 European Championship finals. It will be the first European Championship we host, we’ve never organized a final tournament before. The draw will take place on March 31, and the tournament will start on May 19. I am confident it will be a successful organization. In 2027, we will host the U-21 European Championship finals. This has been a subject of discussion, and we are attentive to criticisms, comments, and the insults from fans about why we are cooperating with the Serbian Association for this tournament. We are a sports organization, and this is a sports event. The main goal is sports-related. Undoubtedly, it’s also pragmatic because this was an opportunity to take advantage of having a European Championship, and I doubt such an opportunity will repeat itself in Albania’s history, though I hope it does. From a political standpoint, I have undoubtedly experienced what every Kosovar has experienced (not in the same way, as I wasn’t physically in Kosovo), but all of us have supported and tried to ease the pain of the Albanians in Kosovo. I know the history, but the message is that we need to look forward. We won’t change Serbia, we won’t move Serbia from its place. It will stay there, Kosovo will stay there. Despite the pain, we need to find a way and build communication bridges. Whether this will have a small positive impact, I believe it will. And if this serves to improve the lives of children in Kosovo, I will be satisfied. It will hurt some because the wounds are fresh, but we must look forward.
Will you take measures to ensure the cooperation is successful? – I have no doubt it will be a successful organization and a perfect event. We have proven that we know how to do this, we have done many things well. Every year, we organize a significant number of qualification tournaments in Albania. We organized the first Conference League final. Since we have this experience, and since we have done all these things well, we will organize the 2027 European Championship finals just as well.
You mention the World Cup qualification as certain. How do you see it? – It is always difficult, anyone who thinks they’ve won before the game starts will find it hard to achieve. But there’s no reason not to aim for it, we have the qualities to compete on the field. We are responsible for the opponents we have. The opponents are all strong, all four of them, despite what is said about “England, England,” but you can’t win even against Andorra if you don’t have maximum focus, the right form, and full commitment. We will try. England is a very strong team, with the goal of becoming world champions, and I hope we won’t even let them qualify for the World Cup. Serbia is also a strong team, but Latvia and Andorra are not easy either.
The revival of the national feeling of Albanians connected to the successes of football. This European Championship showed a different face to the world – It was the inner desire of Albanians to proudly showcase their culture and symbols, to unite around an event that would give them the opportunity. It is difficult to have a bigger event than the European Football Championship. They demonstrated everything in Paris and they demonstrated it well. If we recall the French press at that time, it said: “Albanian people, you are welcome to come back to France.” I believe this was a mission fulfilled for the football team, despite the results not being optimal. It started in France and was perfected in Germany. I have never seen more people happy, united, celebrating, even though the game hadn’t started, and perhaps they weren’t too emotional about the result, but they were happy to be part of that event and used the moment to display their national feeling and symbols.
How has the growth of the National Team impacted Albanians living outside of Albania? – With regret, I observe that Albanians from Albania who emigrate abroad, their children don’t all speak Albanian, whereas Albanians from Kosovo, North Macedonia, and other Albanian territories have never forgotten their language. My friend’s children didn’t speak the language and had no desire to visit Albania, but after the European Championship, not only have they started speaking Albanian, but they also wear the Albanian National Team shirt, and since then, they have visited Albania five times. They’ve become even more connected to the country. This shows how much football serves the nation.
Do you have a strategy to develop the national feeling? – Undoubtedly, promotion is a part of organizing success. The strategy is to develop and achieve results. People pay more attention to the results of the national teams, especially the A national team. I hope we achieve good results. People have become quite connected to the national team, undoubtedly due to the impact of two European Championships, but also the other matches that Albania plays, and I am confident it will continue like this. The World Cup is difficult, as only 16 teams qualify, at least for this tournament.
Are the National Team shirts sold outside of Albania? – The shirts are sold more outside of Albania than inside. We don’t sell the shirts ourselves abroad, we sell them through our sponsor, Macron. For Euro 2016, 100,000 shirts were sold. Now, for the World Cup qualifiers, we have prepared a new shirt with traditional Albanian motifs, in all three colors.
Clubs? – Club football is, in a way, an economy. Clubs do not have the proper financial support to take the right steps forward and achieve even more international results. If we look at it, every player raised in Albanian clubs, as soon as they reach a certain level, for economic reasons, moves to other leagues because they are paid better. Only Partizani, during the window between two phases, sold 4-5 players, which undoubtedly affects its quality. To take a step forward, there needs to be financial support, either from the budget or from the sponsorship law, which we have always discussed but has not been implemented. It exists in Kosovo, North Macedonia, and many European countries. Clubs are, in a way, suffering financially to take steps forward. They have limited revenue, and when you have limited revenue, you have limited expenses, and fewer opportunities to retain quality players. The sponsorship law would be a huge help. It’s not just sponsorship or a donation for football, but an investment in the economy. Football returns money quickly. Just from qualifying for the European Championship, the tax on the national team’s bonus income was about 2 million euros. If football develops more, it will sell more players and quickly return that money, but it needs more support.
The conflict with KOKSH, where does the problem lie? – It started in 2020-2021, when the Albanian Olympic Committee held a statutory assembly to change the statute and excluded the Football Association from participating in the Assembly without any rights. We requested that the Football Association be present with full rights. Now, KOKSH says we can attend, but after it has made a mess with the statutory changes or with all those subsequent decisions. So, for this, we didn’t fight with guns, but we pursued it legally and won at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, which ruled that KOKSH must annul those decisions and reorganize from scratch. Albania does not recognize this CAS decision, but with a decision from the Court of Appeal, it says it does not recognize the CAS decision. We respect these decisions, even though they are absurd.
The Krujë stadium, why have you left it forgotten? – We have sent the Municipality of Krujë a written proposal to reconstruct the stadium and the training field, and we have not received a response yet. We have the funds ready to support it.
The championship going from 16 teams to 10, is that considered a success? – It is the optimal structure for developing an activity in a country like Albania for many reasons. One of the reasons is economic because this is the economic capacity that Albania has, and the second reason is that it creates more competition. When I found it, there were 16 teams in total, today, there are 10 in the “Abissnet Superiore”, 12 in the First Division, 22 in the Second Division, and 26 in the Third Division. So, there are many more teams than before, but they are divided into different levels.
The level of the championship? – The Albanian championship is not better than the English one, it is not on par with the German one, but it is among the best in terms of organization, infrastructure, and competition in the entire region.
Prediction for the match in London? – We will win, we are not going for tourism.
