The President of the Football Association, Armand Duka, has been selected as one of the most prominent figures of 2024 by the program “Jetë Shqiptare” on RTSH, recognized for his personal and professional achievements that have impacted and marked the past year.
During his interview, President Duka described 2024 as a historic year, highlighting the participation of the national team in a European Championship for the second time. He also emphasized other achievements throughout 2024, such as organizing numerous international tournaments in the country, investments in infrastructure, an increase in the number of football players in Albania, and many other accomplishments.
President Duka stated that 2025 will bring many new challenges, but also significant events, including the U-17 European Championship to be hosted in Albania, the first-ever meeting of the UEFA Executive Committee in Tirana, as well as the continued journey of the women’s and men’s national teams in the upcoming qualifiers.
Below is the full interview:
How did 2024 turn out for you?
Every year has its events, both positive and negative, emotions. In football, these are present every day, every minute. I think 2024 has been a historic and important year for Albanian football, especially for Albania’s participation in the “Germany 2024” European Championship, the team’s performance, the fans’ presence, and the spectacle in general, not just in Germany, but worldwide where Albanians live. I can say with certainty that we must thank the national team for what they have given us—not only in terms of results, but they made us proud. They made us say with conviction that we are Albanian and wave the flag with great pride. They started in France and confirmed it in Germany. I don’t believe there has been any other event that has made Albanians as happy as this one, not only raising the flag but also showcasing the entire Albanian culture across all the cities in Germany. This was the main historic event, I believe, of 2024, but not the only one. There have certainly been other positive developments. Being a game, a competition, there are discussions and debates, but mostly there have been positive developments, and I consider this a step forward.
What lesson did you learn from Albania’s second participation in a European Championship?
I think it’s the best thing that has happened to us when looking at it as a whole. The presence, the participation of the team on the field, and the joy it gave to everyone who was in Germany. We would undoubtedly be even happier if we had won, but no Albanian was unhappy with the participation and the team’s performance. Yes, there’s always room for improvement. Even European and World champions have things they haven’t done well and need to improve in the future. Not only on the international stage, but we’ve had positive results in domestic football as well. Despite a kind of phenomenon of emigration where Albania’s population is somewhat decreasing, the number of football players in our country has increased, and this is another positive fact. After all, football is inclusive and aims to help people’s lives in general. Many socially responsible projects, with impact on Albanian society, have been developed this year by the Football Association, not only with national actors but also international ones. There have been positive competitions and a lot of presence. Albania’s placement on the international stage has been another positive step. In 2024, more than 14 international tournaments were organized in Albania, with over 30 national teams visiting our country. Besides the A team that everyone sees, the women’s and men’s teams have played and competed, were accommodated, etc. I am sure that we are the first country in Europe to organize more international tournaments. There have been many other positive things as well.
The most beautiful event for you in 2024?
There have been many positive and negative things. 365 days are a lot. Like every other Albanian, the most beautiful event was our participation in the European Championship.
What goals do you have for 2025?
We have many positive events already planned. We have many projects that started in 2024. The Football Association invested about 10 million euros in sports infrastructure during 2024, which I believe is one of the record figures compared to previous years. These investments secured through international FIFA and UEFA projects, combined with local investors, have contributed to building 17 new sports fields in our country. The reconstruction of two stadiums. We are finishing the reconstruction of the stadium in Rrogozhinë to prepare it for the U-17 European Championship 2025 in Albania. In 2025, the most important event will be the U-17 European Championship in our country, where the 8 best teams in Europe will participate. We, as participants, along with 7 other teams, will compete for the championship title. There will be many activities during this tournament. We have other investment plans. I would also consider it historic as the UEFA Executive Committee will hold its meeting for the first time ever in 2025 in Tirana. The women’s and men’s national teams have upcoming challenges. The women’s team in the UEFA Nations League and the men in the World Cup qualifiers, where we have an interesting and tough group: England, Serbia, Latvia, and Andorra. On March 21, we will start our journey in Wembley, continuing our dream for the 2026 World Cup.
