President Duka, congratulatory message: Closing a year with records, we welcome great events in 2025

2024-12-31 10:45:00, Sport CNA

President Duka, congratulatory message: Closing a year with records, we welcome

The President of the Football Federation, Armand Duka, on the eve of the New Year's holiday, has sent a congratulatory message to the Albanian football community, where he talked about the great achievements during the year 2024 and the new objectives for the coming year.

In his message, President Duka mentions, among other things, the dignified participation of the Albanian National Team in the "EURO 2024" finals, the creation of the "Elite Youth Development Academy", the holding in Tirana of four important UEFA European meetings, the organization of dozens international tournaments in Albania, investments in infrastructure and in the sports education sector.

He also spoke about the important events that 2025 has in store, starting from the evening of the FSF GALA, the organization of the European Championship for U-17 in 4 cities of Albania, the holding of the next meeting of the UEFA Executive Committee- s in Tirana and the qualifying matches for the world championship and the Nations League for the boys' and girls' national team.

Below is the full message of President Duka on the eve of the 2025 New Year holiday:

dear friends,

We are closing yet another year filled with records and emotions, with competitions, debates and discussions, with completed projects and some others just started.

We experienced extraordinary emotions at the European Championship in Germany this year, with the national team boys on the field, the fans in the stadiums, streets and squares, with our flag that was waved with pride and more than ever by every Albanian in Germany and in every corner of the globe .

The ranking in the first place in the group of girls of the national team and climbing one category higher in the Nations League is also nice.

At a time when all sectors of society have been affected by the great "exodus" of departures, with our stimulating policies we have managed to preserve the structure and strengthen it. 2820 more young men and women are federated in 2024, bringing the number of footballers to 23,171.

For the first time, we are organizing the "Elite Youth Development Academy" project with 37 young people, who you will surely see in a few years contributing to our national team.

I must proudly say that we are closing this year with a dignified representation in the International arena. For the first time, four important European meetings of UEFA were organized in Tirana: that of the strategy of the 55 member federations, the UEFA Grassroots Panel, the Meeting of Environmental Sustainability and Social Responsibility as well as the Media Committee.

14 international tournaments for boys and girls have been organized, bringing to Albania 30 teams from other European countries, who were welcomed, accommodated and played competitive matches in our country.

We are clear that we cannot develop football from the grassroots to the professional level if we do not have the appropriate academic capacities. This year, we approached 20 foreign lecturers, including our former stars and idols, to train and graduate four hundred and ninety-six football coaches and specialists.

17 football fields were built, 2 stadiums were reconstructed, and 5 sports complexes were improved with an investment value of 10 million euros, all with financing projects provided by UEFA and FIFA.

For all that we have accomplished together, I want to thank from the bottom of my heart on this last day of the year all of you dear friends: club and academy leaders, coaches, footballers, officials, but also the Executive Committee and the administration of the AFL.

2025 will find us with several major international activities: football and administrative, in addition to our extraordinary work with our footballers.

In September of this year, for the first time we will welcome in Albania the organization of the UEFA Executive Committee meeting. I am convinced that we will know how to show the best of the values ??that we represent: sports, culture and tourism.

This activity is preceded by another major event that happens for the first time in Albania: the organization of the U-17 European Championship, in our 4 stadiums; where 8 qualified European teams, including our national team as the host country, will face each other to announce the CHAMPION.

These events will not defocus our daily work, which begins in January with the crowning of the best of our football at the Golden Ball ceremony, for which we have been preparing for a long time and I am sure that you will also be surprised.

We will follow with excitement our national teams of girls and boys: Girls, in their competition for the Nations League against Croatia, Ukraine and the Czech Republic; and our boys in the World Cup qualifiers against England, Serbia, Latvia and Andorra.

Well, there is no more beautiful bouquet of congratulations than all these achievements and all these challenges that we will look at and enjoy together in 2025.

I wish that in addition to these achievements of the programs, the new year will bring to you girls and boys who love football the much sought after and necessary law of sponsorships in sports.

Dear Albanians,

I wish you from the bottom of my heart as much health, prosperity and happiness in your families,

On behalf of the Albanian Football Federation,

Happy 2025!

Come white and prosperous!