The President of the Albanian Football Association, Armand Duka, has shared a New Year’s message with the Albanian football community, reflecting on the great achievements of 2024 and the goals for the coming year.
In his message, President Duka highlights several key points, including: The outstanding participation of the Albanian National Team in the EURO 2024 finals, the creation of the “Elite Youth Development Academy” to foster young talent, hosting four major UEFA meetings in Tirana, organizing dozens of international tournaments in Albania, significant investments in infrastructure and the sports education sector.
Additionally, he spoke about the exciting events planned for 2025, such as: The AFA Gala night, Hosting the UEFA U-17 European Championship in four cities across Albania. The UEFA Executive Committee meeting to be held in Tirana. The qualifying matches for both the World Cup and Nations League for both the men’s and women’s national teams.
Below is the full message from President Duka ahead of the New Year 2025 celebrations:
Dear friends,
We are closing yet another year filled with records and emotions, with competitions, debates, and discussions, with completed projects and some newly started ones.
We experienced extraordinary emotions at the European Championship in Germany this year, with our national team on the field, fans in the stadiums, on the streets, and in the squares, with our flag waving proudly and more than ever from every Albanian in Germany and all over the world.
The ranking of the national women’s team in first place in their group and their promotion to a higher category in the Nations League was also beautiful.
At a time when all sectors of society are affected by the large “exodus” of departures, with our stimulating policies, we have managed to maintain and strengthen our structure. 2,820 more young people have been federated in 2024, bringing the total number of footballers to 23,171.
For the first time, we are organizing the “Elite Youth Development Academy” project with 37 young people, who will certainly be seen in a few years contributing to our national team.
With pride, I must say that we are closing this year with a dignified representation on the international stage. For the first time, four major European UEFA meetings were organized in Tirana: the strategy meeting for the 55 member federations, the UEFA Grassroots Panel, the Environmental Sustainability and Social Responsibility meeting, and the Media Committee.
14 international tournaments for boys and girls were organized, bringing 30 teams from other European countries to Albania, who were warmly welcomed, accommodated, and played competitive matches in our country.
We are clear that we cannot develop football from the grassroots to the professional level if we do not have the proper academic capacities. This year, we brought in 20 foreign lecturers, including some of our former idols, to train and graduate 496 football coaches and specialists.
17 football fields were built, 2 stadiums were reconstructed, and 5 sports complexes were improved with an investment value of 10 million euros, all with financing projects secured by UEFA and FIFA.
For all that we have accomplished together, I would like to sincerely thank you all, dear friends, on this last day of the year: club and academy leaders, coaches, footballers, officials, as well as the Executive Committee and the AFA administration.
In 2025, we will be facing several major international activities: both football-related and administrative, in addition to our extraordinary work with our players.
In September of this year, for the first time, we will host the UEFA Executive Committee meeting in Albania. I am confident that we will show the best of the values we represent: sports, culture, and tourism.
This event will be preceded by another major event that is happening for the first time in Albania: The organization of the U-17 European Championship in our 4 stadiums, where 8 qualified European teams, including our own national team as the host, will compete to crown the CHAMPION.
These events will not divert our focus from our daily work, which begins in January with the crowning of the best in Albanian football at the Golden Ball ceremony. We have been preparing for this event for some time, and I am sure you will be surprised as well.
We will follow with great emotion the performances of our men’s and women’s national teams: The women’s team, competing in the Nations League against Croatia, Ukraine, and the Czech Republic; and our men’s team in the World Cup qualifiers against England, Serbia, Latvia, and Andorra.
So, there is no more beautiful bouquet of wishes than all these achievements and challenges that we will witness and enjoy together in 2025.
I hope that, in addition to these achievements and programs, the New Year will bring you girls and boys who love football, the long-awaited and necessary law of sponsorships in sports.
Dear Albanians,
I wish you from the heart, good health, prosperity, and happiness in your families.
On behalf of the Albanian Football Association,
Happy 2025!
May it come bright and prosperous!
