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Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Former Kosovo national team goalkeeper Samir Ujkani, who now serves as the Dardanelles' sports director, gave an interview to the Italian newspaper ' Tuttosport ', where he spoke about Edon Zhegrova and his move to Juventus.
According to the newspaper Tuttosport, Edon Zhegrova's transfer to Juventus is, ultimately, a victory for everyone. A triumph. An event that should be celebrated properly, for a country like Kosovo. And for a representative team that, despite a thousand difficulties, is producing players with an increasingly high profile for European football.
In Italy, a few years ago, Samir Ujkani, now the sports director of the Kosovo team, made great strides. As a goalkeeper, he has worn various jerseys in Serie A and B: Palermo, Novara, Chievo, Genoa, Latina, Pisa, Cremonese, Torino and Empoli.
His entire football career has been spent in Italy, since Maurizio Zamparini's Palermo discovered him in 2007 from Anderlecht's youth system. Today, as a coach, his perspective has changed. But the pride in Zhegrova's choice is boundless and transcends professional boundaries.
"-Samir Ujkani, what should Juventus expect from Zhegrova?
He is undoubtedly a top-level player, one of those players who can change the team and shape the season. Now that he is healthy, I am sure he will impress in Italy: he is a hard worker, he has grown year after year and now he is ready for a different experience. Because Juventus, with all due respect to the clubs that Edon has played for so far, is something completely different.
-If you had to define Zhegrova technically and tactically, what qualities would you highlight?
With the ball at his feet, he has phenomenal skills. But above all, he has dribbling skills, which are increasingly rare. Players who can dribble a player are extremely difficult to find, which is why Juventus won the first prize with him. He has also improved physically immensely. I have seen him grow since his debut for the national team. And there is a story that binds us together.
-What?
I provided the assist for his first international goal. We were playing a friendly against Madagascar. It was an unforgettable moment for him and that memory on the pitch will unite us forever, especially because he came to me to celebrate.
-What can a player like this bring to Tudor?
I advised Zhegrova to choose Juventus for Tudor, because I think he is the right coach for this stage of his career. He is coming to Italy at the perfect age to fully express himself and assert himself. There is no doubt that he can be used as an attacking midfielder, starting on the right and as a winger. He will have a lot of space and will achieve great things in Turin, at a very serious club. The club deserves credit for winning the competition for him and 'snatching' him.
-Which teams were most interested in him?
I don't know recently, but a few months ago he was very popular in Spain. Barcelona and Real Madrid had asked about him and made some moves. In general, he was very highly regarded. In Italy, however, Napoli were probably the first to show interest. In fact, Edon asked me for information about the Italian league. Then nothing came of it. And now I'm happy to see him at Juventus.
-What opportunities for improvement does Zhegrova have?
I think he has really come into his own during his time at Lille; they have done a great job helping him mature. Before, he was just focused on ball movement, he wasn't good at slowing down and had a bit of difficulty reading the ball without it. But he has managed to fill that gap, he is now a man, a professional who knows what he wants and given his hunger, I think he is destined to become a Serie A star. He will settle in straight away.
-With the deal that was being finalized, you chose not to include him in his commitments with the national team. Why?
It seemed right to give him these days to get to know Juventus, to help him adapt quickly to his new environment. We know what we want from him and other key Kosovo players like Rrahmani and Muriqi. I don't know if we will be able to go to the World Cup, but our dream is to reach the next European Championship.
"We think it is a realistic goal, despite the many difficulties for our football movement. The fact that Kosovo Albanians occupy non-EU places is a burden for everyone in Europe, it is an obstacle for many of our very strong talents. But, we are growing and we will achieve it soon. We want Zhegrova and his teammates to become the symbol of a nation that is extremely hungry for football," said Ujkani.
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