Silvinho: We will sacrifice in the European, we are motivated for Italy

2024-06-06 14:33:00, Sport CNA

Albania will play tomorrow at 19:00 the second scheduled friendly of June against Azerbaijan at the "Haladas" stadium in Hungary. On the eve of this important challenge for the red and blacks, the coach of the Albanian national team, Silvinjo, and the attacker of the Albanian representative, Taulant Seferi, appeared this Thursday at the official press conference.

Coach Silvinjo spoke about the team's objectives in the friendly match with Azerbaijan, while he said that he is also very satisfied with the commitment of all the players during these days of the preparatory phase. The Brazilian technician said that he will give more minutes to the players who have not played in tomorrow's challenge, Silvinho also commented on the European finals and said that the team should enjoy these matches and give maximum on the field to get points.

The friendly with Azerbaijan - We are preparing for the European Championship and we had two friendlies on the schedule. It is a very fast working process for us, for the technical staff, for the players. It's not like we had 3-4 weeks available to prepare for the European. We have been training for 7 days, including friendlies. We are preparing for the match with Italy, but I cannot say how the team will be, who Albania will be in that match. We still have a few days until the match with Italy and it remains to be seen how things will turn out until that moment. It is important that in the match against Azerbaijan we give the players, especially those who have not played many minutes, the opportunity to try as many new things as possible. It is a very dynamic, very fast process for the National Team.

"Bingo" against Italy? - Italy is the reigning champion team of Europe. Of course it is a very difficult match. We are preparing to properly face Italy, one of the strongest teams in Europe and the world, as well as Croatia and Spain who are in our group. It is a very strong group, very beautiful for Albania, for all of us, the staff, the players. The important thing is to enjoy this second participation in the finals of a big tournament like the European one, to try to do the best in the tournament. After the friendly match with Azerbaijan, we will have the opportunity to evaluate and make our analysis in order to face Italy as best as possible in the first challenge. Normally, I also watched the friendly between Italy and Turkey.

The final roster is handed in tomorrow, are there any players you have doubts about and any last minute changes? - We have been preparing for 8 days and every day is very important for the staff and the team. We are working very well with the whole group. The players are very charged, especially for the participation in this European. We are training in a very good training camp, calm, with fantastic conditions. Tomorrow will be decided for the final list, for the 26 players. We have one more day to see, analyze and decide. If there are any injuries, UEFA allows us to make one last change to the list. We hope this does not happen. It is important that the players prepare well and work well as they have done all this time.

Plan B for the right wing of the attack – For Asani tomorrow is a good opportunity to get minutes. He is a player who has not played an official match with the club for 4-5 months, but has been training regularly. We have kept it under observation throughout this period and it has worked very well, it is in very good condition. In such cases, as with Liechtenstein, when you see a player after 70 minutes feeling a little tired, it is good to intervene. We have very good players available who can do that role very well. Asani will be able to play tomorrow too, let's see how much he will play.

Satisfied with the form of the players and what would like to be different in these preparations? – We participate in a very important tournament and we must enjoy it as much as possible, responsibly and give and take the best from this tournament. As for the preparations, we are very satisfied with the conditions, with the way it is being worked on. We started this collection on May 29 and we have been working from Tirana to Austria for about 9 days. Players are charged and motivated, focused on their work. The part of the clubs is something that we have in our hands. There are players who have played 30-40 games with the clubs, but there are players who have played less. We can't do anything. But what we have in hand is that in these days that we have had here to prepare, we work as best we can. The players have received the right load on the eve of the European Championship and I think that the motivation we have seen in all of them has been very good and they are very charged.

Motivimi i lojtarëve që luajnë në Serie A? – Fakti që luajmë me Italinë na karikon 100%, motivimi është shumë i madh. Në vitin 1982, isha fëmijë, kam parë ndeshjen Brazil-Itali, një nga ndeshjet më të bukura të Botërorit. Brazili humbi atë ndeshje, kishte shumë brazilian që luanin në Itali, por nuk kishin nevojë të luanin në Serie A për të patur motivimin e duhur. Fakti që luan me Italinë t’i jep të gjitha motivimet, nuk ka rëndësi ku luan. E dimë shumë mirë që Italia ka një fanellë të rëndë, është një nga skuadrat favorite në këto turne. Për ne është e rëndësishme që të përgatitemi mirë.

E ardhmja? – Të gjitha energjitë tona duhet të jenë të fokusuara te ndeshjet me Italinë, Kroacinë dhe Spanjën dhe ndoshta me shpresën për të vazhduar përpara. Në këtë moment jemi 100% të fokusuar tek Europiani. Po punojmë në kushte shumë të mira këtu në Austri. Nuk jam aspak I shqetësuar për këtë pjesë, për pjesën e kontratës. Kemi përpara një turne shumë të bukur, është diçka fantastike që ne shkojmë përfaqësojmë Shqipërinë, përfaqësojmë kombin në këtë Europian. I gjithë ky udhëtim ka qenë shumë i bukur, kualifikimi, shorti në skenën e madhe, është gjithçka shumë e bukur. Jemi të fokusuar tek Europiani, më pas do të ulemi të flasim dhe të shohim se çfarë do të ndodhë.

Premio pas Europianit? – Nuk e di. E rëndësishme për ne është të punojmë dhe të luftojmë fort për çdo pikë. Është nder për ne të marrim pjesë në Europian dhe raporti jonë me FSHF-në dhe Presidentin Duka është shumë i bukur. Po përjetojmë një aventurë shumë fantastik në Euro.

Shqetësimi më i madh që keni në prag të ndeshjes së parë me Italinë – Do të doja të shikoja më shumë pjesën difensive. Sidomos në ndeshjen e nesërme me Azerbajxhanin, është një mundësi shumë e mirë. Jam i shqëtësuar për ndeshjen me Italinë, është një përballje shumë e fortë. Është një turne që ka një dinamikë shumë të shpejtë. Kemi dhe 7-8 ditë përpara se të shkojmë te sfida jonë hapëse. Aktualisht po mendojmë për sfidën e nesërme, një miqësore shumë e vlefshme për ne, ndaj një skuadre të mirë si Azerbajxhani, që mund të na vendosë në vështirësi. Pas kësaj sfide ne do të ulemi të bëjmë edhe analizat tona, të analizojmë ekipin, qoftë në aspekt individual, por edhe ekipor. Këto miqësore na japin një mundësi të shohim se ku jemi dhe do na ndihmojnë shumë që të përgatitemi se ku jemi.

Enthusiasm before Italy, declarations of victory? - We have a lot of respect for our rivals, Italy, Croatia and Spain. Above all, we have a lot of respect for the tournament, for Euro 2024. I have not heard these statements, but I assure you 100% that we are aware that we have three not strong rivals in the group, but three very very strong rivals. Of course, we have respect for our rivals. We have seen all these days the proper charging of the players. We have been preparing for 9 days to enjoy the European as best as possible. Enthusiasm, if you ask about it, is good for getting points, I agree. But if we say that we go to beat Italy, or things of this level, I think it is not right. I am convinced that we have very serious players and we just have to work, be humble, sacrifice as much as possible. In the group we don't have 3 teams that want to qualify, but they enter this tournament to win the trophy. We, on the other hand, have the right enthusiasm to fight for every point. We have often said, in a football match anything can happen, miracles. I am pleased that the players have understood from the moment we started work, that we are one. I saw this in Warsaw with Poland, the players performed well. I was pleased that they understood that it was the right way to go down on the field of play, with heart, with sacrifice.

Abrashi, did his return surprise us? - Abrashi was part of the Albanian National Team in the qualifiers as well. It has been in three games, in March and then in the June games. Abrashi has played with the club and had a very good season.

Can you confirm some names from the lineup since it's friendly? - I have to respect all the players, it is not right to say the formation and the players learn it through the media. We have training and we have our work processes. One name I said is Asani.