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"We are trustworthy, not like them!"/ Lorik Cana comments for the first time on the World Cup draw: Serbia...
2024-12-18 20:55:08 / SPORT
Albania against Serbia is undoubtedly the challenge that has received the most attention in these qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, not only in our country, but throughout Europe.
Everyone remembers that event that happened 10 years ago in Belgrade, where the Serbian fans entered the field and started hitting the Albanian footballers with whatever they could, with the CAS doing justice by giving our National team the victory on the table 0-3, rejecting the strange decision by UEFA that did the opposite.
The former captain of the National Team, Lorik Canba, has confessed in an interview with Top Channel journalist, Endi Tufa, what he expects from the next two challenges that will decide Albania's fate for a place in the World Cup.
"I take the focus away from the technical part, from the game, from the goal, which is perhaps for the first time to try to take a concrete step towards qualifying for a World Cup because we have always been very far away.
The only year where we could have caught a draw was in the 2014 World Cup because I think we were in a catchable group, but we hadn't reached some kind of maturity as a team.
This year, let's say that we are in the third pot for the first time and this makes our journey with only one opponent that must be left behind. It's easier said than done. I would only see the part of Serbia as a high-level opponent that we should pretend to compete with until the end.
Of course there are players who have been, I think it's an experience they have in their luggage. While for the young boys who have not been in 10 years ago, it will be an episode that makes them want to be part of the national team.
I am very convinced that it is something that helps them in their virtues and the sacrifice that must be made for the national team. In terms of the rules that will be set, FIFA and UEFA have rules for countries that are in direct conflict or that have certain political approaches to ban these matches.
I think what we have experienced as a nation and especially the part of the Albanians in Yugoslavia, it seemed to me that at first something illogical to face then this should not be an obstacle for us. 10 years ago we left them behind in the classification and it is something that we can do in the same way, given that England is also in the group, which is the favorite for the first place.
At that time I happened to have two Serbian players at Lazio but also in other teams and I talked with them.
I think one of the main reasons that a tragedy did not happen that night is because we did not perceive it at the time, we simply reacted in our most natural way, but it was the protection that a part of the Serbian team gave us and this it is not to be overlooked. I believe that the two teams do not want the events to be repeated because in the end they suffered and were punished in the end.
But now we have to build the values as a team in the technical aspect and then as a national element to claim something and be an inspiration not only for the players of the national team but for all those who identify with the red and black colors.
It is an evening that we often remember, what we did and how we behaved was something very spontaneous. It has shown the true spirit of the team because when one has the right intentions to protect each other and our symbols or our country then there is nothing wrong in between. On the contrary, it was an evening which at that time solidified and gathered even more the part of the people, our people and the fans with the national team and it was an important moment for the meaning of the national team and in the end it ended with a qualification. I believe this should be an inspiration for the national team players to give their best. I think the difference between the two teams is not big even though they have some players who are probably higher.
The fact that there will be no fans seems very normal to me because no one guarantees the order and safety of the fans who will come. Despite the fact that we have proven many times that we know how to wait because the Albanian does not wait in faith, in this case if I can call him "the friend" who comes to our house and in many cases we are the most talkative in this aspect.
It is normal that football should be with fans, there should be opposing fans, but the relationship we have with Serbian society in general and with the situation where Albania and Serbia are still involved, always remains between the identity of Kosovo and the journey we have had and there is still no final solution that makes this situation more delicate.
The two countries have not been in direct conflict and they do not claim each other's territories and then the match will automatically be without fans, but I think that in the current situation, I believe that it is better for everyone to wait in their own house without opposing fans. It provides some kind of success. I do not expect the same events or even violence inside the field, especially from our side. I think that we should be mature enough, as we have proven and at the time when Serbia came to us, that we see things differently, we think differently and we act differently, and I believe that this is an example that we give to everyone". - said Cana.
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