Albania U-21 will play two friendly matches against Greece on March 21 and Luxembourg on March 25. The Albanian national team began preparations for these matches today, with head coach Alban Bushi calling up 23 players. The red and black coach held a press conference at the “Arena Kombëtare” stadium, where he discussed the team’s objectives for these two games, the new recruited players, the absences, and the issues concerning the U-21 squad.
What do you expect from these friendlies? – We will not treat these matches as friendlies but as qualifiers. The European Championship is in 2027, and we will face very strong teams. To compete against top tier teams like Germany, England, and France, we must give our best against teams that are at our level or slightly above average. We will approach every match as a final, and I have made this clear to the players. Not only the matches but also every training session should be considered a final in my mindset. As for the squad, it is a new group with many young players. At first, it is a bit challenging since they are not yet familiar with each other. However, these long training camps and matches provide the opportunity to build a strong team atmosphere.
New additions to the squad? – We have brought in new players. Burak Alili is one of them, he chose Albania despite previously being part of Switzerland’s team. I want to thank him and his family for making this heartfelt decision to represent Albania. He is a player with great potential, having been a key figure in Switzerland’s youth teams up to the U-20 level. I truly appreciate his commitment, and I believe he will be a valuable asset not only for our U-21 team but also for the senior national team in the future. Another promising player is Gabriel Ramaj from Atalanta, who is joining us for the first time. He is still young but has great potential, and Atalanta sees him as part of their plans for the next generation.
Any players who haven’t been convinced to represent Albania? – We had two players who promised me until the very last day that they would join Albania, but then I saw them on Kosovo’s squad list. There’s nothing wrong with that, but they should have been more transparent in our communication. They assured me they would come, and in the end, they chose Kosovo. I’m not upset because Kosovo also deserves support from Albanians in Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and the entire diaspora. It is our nation as well, and we are happy when talented players go there too.
Have you started preparing the squad for the Euro U-21 2027 final? – We are actively scouting for players, but we are not in our best shape when it comes to squad depth. From midfield forward, we have many talented players, but we face challenges in defense. We will work to address these issues, and I believe that within a year, we will find quality defenders. We need defenders with potential who are also playing regularly because when facing strong teams, having game time and competing in good leagues is crucial. We are currently searching for defenders, as this is our main concern. I sincerely hope we can find strong options. I believe the backbone of the team should come from the Albanian league. Unfortunately, young players are not given enough priority in our domestic championship. I hope this changes because building a strong national team is difficult without a solid foundation. We have already called up some highly promising players from the Albanian league, and I hope that next year, we will have even more.
Maldin Kaçurri – We made an invitation to Maldin, and he would join us. However, two days before the call, he informed us that he felt it was better to stay with his club, as he had a chance to secure a spot in the starting lineup.
After discussing it with the staff, we decided to let him remain at his club so he could play regularly and establish himself in the team. This benefits us as well because having more game time will help him develop. I believe he will be part of our squad in the future.
