UEFA Euro 2024 Team Previews: Albania
UEFA Euro 2024 is just weeks away from kicking off in Germany. Over the next 17 days, we will be previewing each team that will be taking part in Europe’s biggest football tournament. Check out all of the team previews that have been done so far. Making their second-ever Euros appearance: Albania.
One of the lower-ranked teams in the tournament, Albania qualified for the Euros after finishing first in their group which included Poland, the Czech Republic, Moldova, and the Faroe Islands. In the eight matches, Albania won 4, drew 3 and dropped one. While the group isn’t as strong as others, finishing at the top of their group is a notable feat for them heading into the tournament.
Euro Appearances
This will be Albania’s second-ever appearance in the Euros, with their last qualification being in the 2016 Euros. With the upcoming Euros, Albania has qualified for two of the three recent Euros.
Best Finish at the Euros
Since they have only qualified once before this upcoming Euro, the best finish for the Albanians was a group-stage exit. And with a hard chance of making it out of the group stage again, the Albanian National Team won’t improve their best finish.
Key Players
While not having as many notable players as the other countries, Albania has a couple of notable names that could surprise in the group stage. Armando Broja is returning to Chelsea after a loan spell with Fulham and will be Albania’s main striker heading into the tournament. The national team will be captained by Berat Djimsiti, who just won the Europa League with Italian Serie A club Atalanta. Holding down the midfield is Kristjan Asllani, who won the Serie A this season with Inter Milan. Every other spot is a bit iffy, but the squad is not TOO shabby.
Manager
The Albania national team has Sylvinho as the manager. Taking over as manager before the qualifying group phase, he brought the team around with the team finishing first in their respective group. Having experienced coached in Ligue 1 and Brazilian Serie A, he brings valuable experience experience to the team.
Biggest Group Game – All Of Them
Albania is the massive underdog in every single game. If they want to make it to the knockout stage, they’ll have to win their first match against 2020 Euro Champions Italy. While a win is not guaranteed, a draw would be a result for the Albanian National Team and keep their chances alive for the round of 16.
Prediction
Unless a miracle happens, Albania won’t win a single game this tournament. It would be hard for them to beat any of the teams even if their opponents play at their worst. Albania exits the Euros after losing the first two matches and will eventually end the group stage winless.
Subscribe to Vendetta’s Twitch
Subscribe to Vendetta’s YouTube
Check out the Vendetta Shop
CLICK HERE for more Soccer content!
