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On Saturday (tomorrow) October 11 at 20:45, the Albanian national football team plays 'a final' against Serbia in Leskovac, a challenge valid for Group K of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
In an exclusive interview with Report TV, former national team coach, Italian-Albanian Gianni De Biasi said that the Serbs have a better chance of getting three points, but the red and black team must show their skills on the field as it is not impossible for Serbia to get three points.
Part of the Albanian national team from 2011 to June 2017, the 69-year-old led the team in 51 matches and for the first time managed to send it to the finals of a European Championship, 'France 2016'.
De Biasi was also on the bench on October 14, 2014, when the Rossoneri footballers were attacked in Belgrade by Serbian hooligans and the match was abandoned, only to be won 0-3 by CAS. 'Archived as an experience that makes you grow', is how De Biasi says of that event.
"-Hello mystery man, how are you?"
Hello everyone, I'm fine and I hope you're all fine too.
-Okay, a warm hug from Tirana. If the 2026 World Cup qualifying match between Serbia and Albania is played, what match do you expect most from our national team?
I expect a balanced match between two teams that are at the same level in terms of the quality of the players. It will be a difficult match against a team that has values, has quality and has good players. The fact that it is played outside Belgrade could be an advantage for us in terms of the atmosphere and the fans that will be in the stadium.
-How do you think our team will behave on the field and can Albania win this match, which is like a final?
It is not an impossible match to win, if we play intelligently and take advantage of the opportunities it is a match that will give us a positive result. If I had to say it in percentages I think the chances are 60 to 40 for Serbia, but we have to play to that percentage of our possibilities. To play with courage, with determination and with a lot of belief that we can succeed.
-How is our national team playing, do you like it and is there anything you think should definitely be done in tomorrow's match?
I have seen Albania up close in the challenge against England and in the Nations League matches. They have shown oscillations after having good matches and when they have faced stronger and more physical teams they have encountered difficulties, but this is normal because when you face England it is not easy to play.
-Mister, we also have a dream and a goal to go to the World Cup for the first time, how possible do you think this is, will everything be decided by the match with Serbia or do we have to see what happens in the matches with Andorra and England?
The difficult challenge is tomorrow as it is a direct confrontation between two teams fighting for second place and from this match I believe that the team that will go to the play-off will emerge. Albania will play the last match against England who will be qualified and they may not be fully focused, but I must also tell you that this is not in the English style. But we must focus on Serbia because everything is possible, even when I was managing Albania we won in Portugal which seemed impossible or we even beat France in Elbasan.
-Do you expect football to dominate tomorrow or the off-field aspects?
I don't expect anything to happen off the field, what I expect is that the match will be fought on the field and fair. Off the field I expect everything to be under control since it has been moved outside of Belgrade specifically so that everything is more under control. We hope that everything will be normal tomorrow and above all that a real match will be played on the field and that Albania will come out with a more than positive result.
-And the last question, now that we're talking, how do you remember that match on October 14, 2014 in Belgrade?
It's been 11 years since that match, of course you can remember everything, but it's more important to remember the positive things than the things that are better not to remember in football. We leave that match there, we archive it in episodes of life that served to give you experience.
-Thank you, mister, and I wish you all the best.
"Thank you and Forca Shqipëria," said De Biasi.
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