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'Groom' challenges the Croatians in the European Championship, Ismajli: Who will my girlfriend support? Croatia or Albania?

2023-12-05 13:59:36Sport SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

'Groom' challenges the Croatians in the European Championship,

Albania-Croatia will be a fiery Balkan challenge in the "Euro 2024" finals. The two national teams are quite well known, due to the numerous "giving and receiving" over the years. Thus, the Croatian national team is led by Zlatko Dalic, who coached Dinamo Tirana in the 2008-2009 season.

Likewise, some of our current Reds and Blacks have played in the Croatian championship, such as Uzuni, Mersinaj, Cikallesi and Ismajli. The latter was confessed to "24sata.hr", after the draw of the "Euro 2024" finals. The Albanian defender has played several years for Hajduk in Croatia, he is very connected to this club, but also to the country, because he considers himself the "son-in-law" of Croatia. His girlfriend is Croatian, so this "size" gives a different perspective to Ismajl's confession in the aforementioned Croatian media:

"Ardian Ismajli, former player of Hajduk, part of the Albanian national team, was contacted by us after the draw of the European Championship finals: "I watched the draw of the European Championship 'live' on the bus, we were just returning from a visit to Genoa. It was an interesting draw, everyone agreed that our group was the hardest, the group of death."

The group in which the three best teams from the last League of Nations, Spain, Croatia and Italy, are the most difficult for Albania: "We were drawn in a group with three big national teams, but you know how it is, there is no easy opponents in the European.

Everyone who qualified deserves to be there and hope to get through the group, just like us. When the qualifiers started, many people considered the Czechs and the Poles as favorites, but in the end we came out first in the group, which means we deserve it. This was especially evident in the tests with direct competitors for qualification".

Ismajli is looking forward to seeing his former Croatian teammates: "The Croatian national team includes Nikola Vlashic, Josip Juranovic and Martin Erlic, whom I met in Italy, as well as several other players. It will be good to see them on the field again, to exchange jerseys after the game...

Far from it, it will be difficult both for us and for them. In the last five years, Croatia has won three medals in major competitions, we all know how strong the Croatian national team is, what mentality it has."

If anyone knows Croatian players very well, it is Ismajli, who has spent 5 years in Croatia: "I know how strong Croatia is, led by coach Dalic. I know almost all the players and I don't need to talk about what kind of individuals they are, what kind of clubs they all play for. But it's not just Croatia...

Spain and Italy are also big national teams, so it will be interesting to see how things play out in our group. We will do our best on the field, then how it will end, football is unpredictable. The game can go in one direction or another, I believe that we also have a chance, despite the weight of the other national teams that are favorites".

It will be interesting on the field, but nothing less interesting will be in the stands: "Oh, yes, it will be a show, ha, ha, ha... I'm sure there will be many of our fans, because many Albanians and Kosovars live in Germany, Austria, Switzerland. Many of them will also come from Albania and Kosovo. Everyone will want to see how much we can do in the competition of the three big national teams. I have no doubt that we will have great fan support, at least as much as our rivals."

In the history of major competitions, Albania qualified for the European Championship only once, eight years ago in France, when it was eliminated in the group after defeats against Switzerland and France, with the only historic victory against Romania: "I watched those matches, in my opinion the Albanian national team looked much better than the final results showed.

I believe that in Germany we will get a better result, regardless of the iron group. If you ask me, let Croatia and Albania pass, ha, ha, ha... Croatia is strong, from the goalkeeper to the center forward, especially in the midfield, Modric, Kovacic, Brozovic, and Guardiol... It is not known in what form they will long live Perisic, who in my opinion is Croatia's greatest strength".

What about Albania's greatest strength? The defender of Empoli in Serie A answers: "If Yasir Asani plays, if he manages to get the right form, it will be our biggest reinforcement. I think we are a well organized team, Berisha, Gjimshiti, Bajrami, Seferi, Ramadani, Muci, Asllani, Hysaj..., Cikalleshi who you know from Split, Uzuni who played for Lokomotiva. We still have assistant coach of the national team, Ervin Bulku, who played for Hajduk".

Ismajli is satisfied with his performances in Italy, a standard player in Empoli's lineup: "Not to be satisfied, I play standard in one of the best leagues in the world, I am constantly improving. We are fighting for survival, which is not easy, but I believe we will stay in Serie A, because we have a quality team. I hope for a much better spring. I have already achieved one objective of the season, which is to qualify for 'Euro 2024'. Now I have two left, to stay in Serie A and play well in Europe".

What about Hajduk? "It is my great love, I hope this is the season in which he will go all the way for the title. I watched the match against Gorica, the draw, as I watch every match. I am very pleased with his appearance.

Everything starts from president Jakobusic, who organized the club well at all levels, coach Karoglan has some quality players in every position and I am convinced that Hajduku will win the championship. I don't see who can compete with him", says Ismajli.

And when we teased him that he praises Jakobusic for the fact that his long-time girlfriend, Matea Belsic, is the head of the women's section of Hajduk, and therefore an associate of the president, he just laughed:

"No, no, I praise him because he deserves it. While the women have already taken a big step forward, being ranked in the First League, they will hardly be champions this year. Who will my girlfriend cheer for; Croatia or Albania? She wants a man, that's for sure…”


Në përputhje me standarded JTI

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