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The President of the Albanian Football Federation, Armand Duka, has reacted after the draw that placed Albania in Group C1 of the Nations League. In a statement for the official website of the Albanian Football Federation, from Brussels where the ceremony took place, Duka stressed that assessments of the draw remain relative, as according to him, the results are determined on the field.
"It's not won on paper"
The Duke said that he does not consider draws as a decisive factor for success in a competition.
" Matches and competitions are won on the field, not in the draw or on paper. There are times when you think the draw is unfavorable and in the end you rank better, and vice versa ," he declared.
According to him, dividing the teams into pots creates a sporting balance, making it difficult to label the draw as favorable or unfavorable. However, he considered the fact that Albania will not face very long trips as positive.
Specifically, the Duke also mentioned the climatic conditions in Finland, expressing the wish that the match there not take place in November due to low temperatures.
Main focus: March play-offs
Despite the importance of the Nations League, the AFF president stressed that the national team's current focus remains on the play-off matches in March, which could secure Albania a ticket to the 2026 World Cup.
" For us and for all Albanians today, the main focus is the March matches. I wish us success and do everything well to achieve the objective ," said Duka.
Only after the completion of these challenges, according to him, will attention shift fully to the Nations League.
The importance of the League of Nations
The President of the Albanian Football Association underlined that the Nations League remains a significant competition, not only for the ranking and the possibility of promotion to a higher group, but also for the additional chances it offers on the road to the European Championship.
From this tournament, he emphasized, a place in the European Championship qualifiers play-offs could be secured, which increases the strategic importance of serious preparation.
The Duke expressed optimism that the team will prepare in the best possible way and expressed his desire for the national team to have all the players available, including new players, to successfully face future challenges.
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