Brazilian coach Sylvinho spoke to the press today, alongside defender Berat Gjimshiti, as they prepare for Albania’s second ever European championship campaign.
The Red and Blacks face an incredibly tough group, beginning with a baptism of fire against reigning champions Italy in Dortmund tomorrow evening.
What Berat Gjimshiti said
Embed from Getty ImagesGjimshiti knows plenty of tomorrow’s opposition, as he plies his trade in Serie A for Atalanta.
“Many of us have played in Italy for a long time, meaning we know all the players very well and who we’re facing. When it comes to weaknesses, we have looked at all the details with a coach, it’s part of our tactical approach, but of course recently Italy has been the European champion and we have the maximum respect for this team that is very well prepared.”
“I think experience counts for a great deal, not only for me but also the head coach also worked in Italy and a number of our players have also played in Italy or continue to do so.
“It can help you because you’re already familiar with who you’re playing against.
“But you’re still playing against Italy and they are a team that are always trying to win competitions such as these, so we need to be careful.”
On Albania’s preparations to face the reigning champions, he said: “I believe that the coach has been able to spot the strengths and where we should be careful and those are the matches that will be utilised in order to prepare ourselves in order to have the best possible performance tomorrow.”
Albania’s turnaround in form has been remarkable under manager Sylvinho, and Gjimshiti was quick to compliment him. The Brazilian took over a team that had won only one game in 2022 and took them on an eight-match unbeaten run that saw them qualify top of their group.
“He brought a lot of joy, a lot of work… we know how he works every day in Albania to make our team better.
“I think he’s a person that can motivate us really well… I think we saw it in the qualification.”
What Sylvinho said
Embed from Getty ImagesSylvinho was equally complimentary about Gjimshiti, saying:
“He didn’t play in 2016 and I think it’s absolutely fantastic that he now has the opportunity to be here and take part in the European Championship as captain.
“He really deserves it, he’s a captain who represents us all very well.”
As he prepares his side for their second ever Euros, Sylvinho said: “First and foremost we’re delighted to be here. We’ve been on a very difficult run when it comes to our qualification; it was anything but easy and it’s a real honour to represent Albania at EURO2024.”
Speaking about the expected large Albanian support tomorrow, Sylvinho commented: “We have so many Albanians throughout the world. We know there are a lot of Albanians in Germany, in Italy too, in Switzerland, all over the place. It’s a huge responsibility for us to represent this people.”
His side are the definite underdogs in tomorrow’s fixture against the reigning champions, a fact Sylvinho is well aware of.
Embed from Getty Images“Italy are a top side, they’re a tough nut to crack. They have some excellent footballers, some powerful players, speed, pace, power, skill.
“[Luciano]Spalletti is an incredible coach and he deserves everything he’s got, he’s got huge experience..
“I heard all this stuff about (poor performance in) friendlies – forget all that.
“They’re thinking about winning the competition.”
In spite of this though, he said:“The dressing room is very motivated, the guys are really up for it to go out there, and its a wonderful day to represent our country.
“We’ll go out there to try and give our utmost and scrap for points.“
You can follow the clash between Italy and Albania, and every other match of EURO2024, here on FromTheSpot.