The Albanian national team wants to respond after the defeat in Helsinki against Finland. On the eve of the next challenge at the “National Arena”, defender Ardian Ismajli and coach Rolando Maran have spoken to the media. The Albanian player talked about the team’s objectives, the mistakes of the first match and the changes in the philosophy of play.
Ismajli did not hide Albania’s ambition, stressing that the objective remains first place in the group. According to him, the Red and Black have more quality than their opponents, but this must be proven on the pitch.
“We are very well prepared and we know the importance of this match. Our goal and obligation is first place. We are a team with more quality than all the other teams in our group, but we must show this on the pitch. In the first match we played very well, but episodes decide things, and so that match went the way it went”, the defender said.
Referring to the defeat in Finland, the Albanian player acknowledged that set pieces proved decisive. He stressed that the team must be more careful, especially in avoiding fouls near the box, given the quality of their opponents in this aspect.
“In the first match we conceded two goals from two set pieces. Sometimes luck turns its back on you, as we had our chances but did not manage to take advantage of them. Given that our opponents have very good set-piece takers, we must avoid fouls near our area”, Ismajli declared.
Another topic discussed was the support of Albanian fans. The defender rejected the idea that the team feels pressure when playing at home, considering the public an important factor in the positive results achieved at the “National Arena”.
“I cannot say that the boys feel stress or panic when they play in front of our fans. They are our 12th player and we can say that we have always achieved very good results here. Even in the match against San Marino they supported us greatly and we managed to win. Sometimes the win matters, not the way you play, and in that match the fans’ support helped us a lot”, he stressed.
Finally, Ismajli also spoke about the change in playing philosophy between former coach Sylvinho and current coach Rolando Maran. The defender said that modern football demands more initiative, pressure on the opponent and attacking play, praising the approach of the Italian coach.
“I believe the best defence is attack. Sylvinho practised a very defensive and static style of football, but that football no longer exists. Modern football is what Maran is applying today, because you have to press the opponent to force them into mistakes. We have players who are capable of winning one-on-one duels and we have the opportunities to do this. If we stay too far back, everything becomes harder”, Ismajli concluded.