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The 14th episode of "In the House of Football" was broadcast live today on the "FSHF TV" channel. Moderated by Lenida Halilaj, the studio guests were journalist Kristi Sejatllari and football specialist, Ardi Behari.
During this episode, there was extensive discussion on the recent performances of the red and black players, the progress of the "Abissnet Superiore" championship, with a special focus on the matches of week 20, where the race for the top of the standings and survival has become increasingly competitive. Also part of the discussion were the ongoing investments of the Football Federation in sports infrastructure and the development of football in the country.
This episode also featured an exclusive interview with the coach of the Albanian National Team, Silvinjo. The red and black coach has been back at the AFF premises for more than a week after the winter break and has started preparations for the matches in March. Albania aims to make history, attempting to qualify for the 2026 World Cup for the first time.
Below, coach Silvinjo's interview for FSHF TV:
– How would you analyze or define your year 2025 with the Albanian National Team?
– First of all, congratulations to everyone, happy new year! Pleasure to talk to you. If I have to go back in time, I am satisfied with what we have done, we are talking about 8 matches in the World Cup qualifiers, we have won six, drawn two and lost two. Two of them were friendlies, which we have won. We have always believed in this team. I must say something else important, our players, every time they go out on the field, leave everything there, 100%, with soul and heart. They represent our people very well and I am proud of them for this too.
– What moments would you consider difficult and which very positive during the qualifiers?
– It's a long journey, you all know, this happens in the national team, there are 8 matches in 9-10 months. A long journey that generates stress. I think a very difficult moment for us was a draw in Latvia, we drew a difficult match, but when it comes to an objective, a dream, it had to be won. There was a difficult moment to reschedule, it was June, to reschedule, to do some calculations and there the idea is created that you have to recover these points in a future match and next was Serbia practically. It was very difficult to reschedule that moment.
– We all know that first place in the World Cup qualifying group was extremely difficult to achieve, but as for second place, what would be the decisive moment for qualifying for the play-off stage in your opinion?
– After a very difficult moment as I said before, in Latvia, then in September we beat Latvia, in October we beat Serbia on the road and in November Andorra on the road. That was the moment when I saw a more mature team, after 3 years of watching the European qualifiers and an important and beautiful European. I can say that we are now used to playing important, decisive matches, whether against Italy or against a slightly more modest team. These players have begun to understand and play matches with important, decisive national teams. They have done very well, in all three consecutive matches, it has not been easy, we have won and this has brought us to the play-offs. In my opinion, those three months have been very beautiful.
– In the play-off draw, Albania will face Poland away. How do you evaluate this draw?
– I was there. I always tell the President that we can't go to a draw together, either one or the other has to go and of course the President has to go. In a joking way, of course, because it's always a difficult draw.
There are not many options to choose from there. We are talking about two matches, everyone comes there at their 100%. Every now and then I hear here that there may be a weak or easy team to beat. As a coach who has been living football for a decade, I do not agree, football has changed, everything is seen, in 90 minutes anything can happen. So, Poland is a strong team, we know it well, they have one process, we have another, now it will be played, anything can happen.
– We know Poland from the qualifying matches for Euro 2024. Making a comparison between Poland and Albania in 2023 and in 2025/2026, how do you see both teams at this moment?
– In football, three months later everything changes, now we are talking about 2-3 years ago. They have a very good team, great players. Few people know or remember that the same Poland, 4 years ago, went to the play-offs for the 2022 World Cup. They did not play the first match, because it was against Russia, but in the second match they beat Sweden in the final with a score of 2-0. It is a team with important players, they are used to and know the play-off phase well, they have also participated in the World Cup. On our part, we have a team that has improved a lot, as I said, it is a team that is already used to playing difficult, decisive matches, apart from the difficulty, because they are all like that, but decisive matches. There are 90 minutes, where you know that you have to make as few mistakes as possible and that everything is important, because the smallest mistake can do you a lot of harm.
I have a lot of faith in our team, in our players and in our work. There are still 2-3 months to go, I hope we go there with our maximum strength.
– In preparation for the March match, how have you planned your work with the technical staff? Have you planned meetings with the National Team players?
– We have everything. Since we have been in Tirana for a week, the work has started to develop. I have learned a lot from working with the National Team and there can be no mistake in reorganizing the work. At these moments, we are here to repair many things that we have done well and not well in the last year. Now, we communicate with our players, of course the moment will come to watch matches, to study the opponent, but also to visit our players. All this is on the program, now we have to develop it in the next 6-7 weeks, we have to work well and of course we will visit 3-4-5 players during this period.
– Between the objective and the dream, where do you think Albania is today in terms of participating in the World Cup?
– This is a work office. I have another office, but this is where work is done and I am used to telling the staff that this is a work space, especially in a National team where a lot of work is done inside the office. Here is a small discussion with someone from the staff, certainly in a positive sense, in terms of the dream and the objective. I think we have achieved a dream and now we have to move towards the objective.
– Can we make it?
– Of course!
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