The Football Association organized on Wednesday afternoon another promotional event as part of the U-17 European Championship “Albania 2025.” The activity took place at the “House of Football” premises and brought together football enthusiasts, citizens of Tirana, dedicated volunteers, and children from youth teams, creating a lively and electrifying atmosphere for this important event that gives Albania a central role in the international youth football arena.
Participants in this event included the President of the Albanian Football Association, Armand Duka; the Deputy Minister of Education and Sports, Endrit Hoxha; the Ambassador of the U-17 European Championship, Valbona Selimllari; former national team player and current Vllaznia player, Bekim Balaj; the national team coach, Sylvinho; as well as members of the AFA Executive Committee.
In his welcoming speech, President Duka expressed that hosting the U-17 European Championship in Albania is a historic moment for Albanian football and a testament to the organizational abilities of the country and the Football Federation.
He emphasized the excitement and pleasure this event brings to everyone, highlighting the involvement of children, youth, football stars, and the national team, which is participating in such an event for the first time.
President Duka thanked all those who contributed to preparing the sports infrastructure, expressed confidence that Albanian hospitality will leave a positive impression on all participants, and wished the national team great success in the European Championship.
“It is a very special emotion, pleasure, and happiness for me to see you here on this AFA field. On a field we truly dreamed of, to see the past of Albanian football, the present, and the future. To see the stars of Albanian football, who undoubtedly express their joy for this major event for Albania.
I also see the future of football, all these children who have filled the field. Today, in a way, we officially begin this important activity, the U-17 European Championship. A very important event for Albania, an event that once again confirms Albania’s organizational abilities, the organizational abilities of Albanian football, and confirms the trust that European institutions have in our experience and expertise to organize major events.
This is not just a football championship; it is an opportunity for all the young players participating to express their talent, to express their emotions, and why not, to create international friendships beyond their borders, among the 7 teams that will participate, joining our national team, which for the first time in history participates in such an event.
To achieve its organization, for us as a Association, I can say modestly or reasonably, it required a very large effort to prepare the four stadiums that are now ready: “Arena Kombëtare,” “Elbasan Arena,” “Arena Egnatia,” and “Niko Dovana,” along with 10 training fields, which truly represent a large volume of work. For this, I want to thank everyone who made the preparation of this infrastructure possible, and now we are truly at the perfect moment to start this European Championship.
I am very confident that all the young footballers who will come to this European Championship, the officials participating, their observers, and the fans who will follow, will be satisfied with Albanian hospitality. Our tradition of hospitality will remain in their memory, and they will come again. I wish all the players who will come to really enjoy it; I wish all of you to enjoy the European Championship in Albania, support it, and together we will have even more beautiful events in the future.
I wish great success to our national team in this European Championship, even though all seven opponents are truly among the best in Europe. Thank you very much for coming, and congratulations to everyone,” said the President of the AFA, Armand Duka.
The activity was also greeted by the Deputy Minister of Education and Sports, Endrit Hoxha, who thanked President Duka for bringing this major event to Albania.
“It is a great pleasure and honor to be here before you, to express thanks to the President of the Football Association, who with his initiative has already succeeded in bringing this event to Albania, our country, to show Europe that we are ready to organize events like this European Championship,” said Deputy Minister of Education and Sports Endrit Hoxha.
The Ambassador of Euro U-17 2025, Valbona Selimllari, expressed enthusiasm and pride for hosting the U-17 European Championship in Albania, calling it a great achievement for the country. She thanked the Football Association and President Duka for the opportunity and support given to the youth.
“We never dreamed of this before; today we are at the European Championship, tomorrow we could be at the World Cup. Big teams are coming, and the U-17 European Championship is here in Albania. This is a very big achievement, and certainly thanks go to the AFA under the leadership of Armand Duka and the wonderful team he has.
Besides saying that I feel very honored to support the 17-year-olds, who I am confident will honor us. And don’t be afraid; the teams are strong, but you are stronger. Play a beautiful game, we will support you strongly. The Association has created all the facilities for you to train well. This is a very big event and a great opportunity for all of you. Good luck!” said Valbona Selimllari.
A special guest at the U-17 European Championship promotional event held at the “House of Football” was former Albanian national team player Bekim Balaj. In his speech, Balaj emphasized that hosting such an important competition in Albania is a source of pride for all Albanians, highlighting that our country now meets all the standards to host events of this international level.
“Organizing such an event in our country makes us all proud and responsible to contribute, even just a little, to its smooth running and, above all, to supporting our boys. Hosting an event like this in our country shows that Albania meets the standards to organize such events. Certainly, this is thanks to the great work done by the Albanian Football Association led by President Armand Duka, to organize this event and other events that await us in the future,” said Bekim Balaj.
