The Albanian national team will play their first qualifying match for the 2026 World Cup against England tomorrow at the “Wembley” stadium, at 20:45. Ahead of this important challenge for the red and blacks, coach Sylvinho and captain Berat Gjimshiti attended the official media conference from the “Wembley” stadium and spoke about the upcoming match against England.
Coach Sylvinho discussed the team’s preparations for the match against England and the issues in defense. The Albanian coach emphasized that it will be a difficult match but one to enjoy. Despite the tough opponent, he stated that the players will give their best on the field, as anything can happen in football.
Defensive issues? – Yes, it’s true, we have had some small problems this week. This afternoon, we will have our final training session, and we will have time tomorrow morning to assess the players. We also have other options like Ajeti and Mihaj, and we will make a decision.
Preparation for the match against England? – It will be a difficult match, but at the same time, a very enjoyable one. It’s true that we don’t have much time to prepare, but I believe this time should be enough for us to get ready for such a match. We discussed this in a meeting with the coaches at FIFA. Being a national team coach is tough, you have very little time, two matches in three days, and you need to manage both matches. Let’s not forget that we have another match against Andorra. But this is the first match, and we are only focusing on England. It will be tough because there isn’t enough time. We would have preferred to have more time for a longer training session, but we have used videos and spoken to the players. Let’s not forget another detail, players often arrive tired, not only from Albania but from all national teams, as the season is long. But we shouldn’t complain. Today, we will have the final training, and tomorrow we will decide on the starting lineup.
Thomas Tuchel? – Football is incredible, and anything can happen during those 90 minutes. We have studied Tuchel, as well as the England team. We know how he likes to play, and they have many good players in their squad. But I believe that for both teams, everything is very clear. It’s 90 minutes to be played, to be enjoyed, to take responsibility, but also to respect the opponent, as they are one of the best teams in the world. But we are focused, and we are prepared.
Do you feel pressure for tomorrow’s match, and will you change anything in your playing style? – Tuchel is a great coach. He’s young, but at the same time, a winner, and he has a lot of energy. It doesn’t matter how we play. We could play with three or four defenders. The system doesn’t matter much because it’s the players who move on the field. They are a team with high physical and technical quality, and they play well one on one. We will try to do something special. Of course, we have worked on both defense and attack. We will try to do something special in attack. It’s the first match, and it’s challenging and difficult. But let’s enjoy it, because we are in one of the most beautiful stadiums in the world. It’s time to enjoy.
Experience in England, based on that, how well do you understand English football? – Yes, I played in England some time ago. Zabaleta has spent about 10 years in England. We understand the high tempo of the English league. It is one of the strongest leagues in the world, and they play at very high levels. In the national team, there are many good players with a lot of quality. Here we are not talking about competition, but we must try to focus on attack because with a team like England, you can’t just play to defend, you need to create a strategy, as the tempo is very different. We have worked, spoken with the players, used videos, and prepared for the 90 minutes tomorrow.
Lewis-Skelly of Arsenal? – He’s a very good player, and I think he has a great future ahead. It’s a pleasure to see young players called up to the national team and starting to play with a team like Arsenal. I want to congratulate Arteta as a coach. He has some very good players. I really enjoy the work and football they are doing.
Could Sylvinho be a Christopher Columbus who will discover America? – We work together. There is no other way. We must put our hearts and souls on the field. There is only one way, we must fight for every point. Every meter on the field is important. We have good players, both physically and experienced. We must fight to move forward.
What do you think is missing from England? – That’s a tough question. I have a lot of respect for the English team. I remember a match in 2000-2001 between England and Brazil, 1-1 here at “Wembley”, a fantastic atmosphere from the fans. It’s true that they have lacked a strong performance in final matches, but we have seen some very good performances in the European Championship and World Cup. Football is like that, you have very good players and the potential to win.
The captain of our national team, Berat Djimsiti, returns to the squad after missing the Nations League, and he expresses that he has found the team with a very positive atmosphere. He emphasized in the press conference that Albania will try everything on the field tomorrow against England, while also highly valuing the opponent.
Djimsiti mentioned that the team has prepared well over the past few days and will fight as a group to stop the English team. The return of the captain, Berat Djimsiti, after missing the Nations League, brings confidence as he found a highly positive atmosphere in the squad. During the press conference, he rated the opponent highly but stressed that Albania will give everything on the field against England. He also pointed out that the team has had good preparation and will fight together to stop the English.
How did you find the atmosphere in the squad after your return? – I found a very good atmosphere. There’s a fresh spirit, with some new players who are talented and improve the team. In training, I saw that everyone is giving their maximum on the field to achieve a goal that has never happened before. I believe this is the most important thing.
Can qualifications for the World Cup be achieved? – They say dreams are impossible, but I believe some dreams can come true. And why not? I don’t think people ever thought that Albania would qualify twice for the European Championship. We are a smaller team than England, but we have a goal. We need to try because we have the chances, we’ll give everything, and in the end, the result will show. But we must give everything on the field, and then, if we achieve it, it will be a success.
How do you rate the match considering the opponent? – The strength of England is well known, and I don’t want to talk about individual players. We have prepared well, the coach has told us what we need to do on the field, and we’ll be ready to give everything. What’s most important is for the team to do what it knows best on the field. We had a few days to prepare, but we’ve prepared very well, and we’ll see tomorrow.
Will you manage to block Harry Kane? – Individually, I don’t think we should talk about England’s players. The team has a difficult job tomorrow, not just Djimsiti or whoever will play. As a team, we need to stop England’s attack. It won’t be individual duels, but a team duel, and I believe if we handle it well, they will find it difficult.
How do you think Albania will handle tomorrow’s challenge, considering England is the favorite? – I believe that England, not only against us but also against other teams, comes onto the field as the favorite to win. I don’t think England will underestimate us because they know we’ve done some good things as a national team. Football is unpredictable, and I don’t believe they will underestimate us.
What did you learn from the European Championship that you’ll apply in tomorrow’s match? – I believe we had a good European Championship, even though we didn’t progress further. We had very strong opponents, of world-class level, like England tomorrow. We need to stay 100% focused throughout the match. In the European Championship, we conceded goals quickly in the matches against Italy and Croatia due to a lack of full concentration on the field.
How do you rate your chances of advancing from the group? – It’s too early to talk about the chances. Maybe after four matches, we’ll have a better idea. But we won’t step onto the field without a goal. We will give everything on the pitch.
