At the press conference before Albania's debut in "Euro 2024" against Italy, captain Berat Gjimshiti emphasized that a good start to the tournament is very important, in order to hope for a long journey of the National Team in the European Championship.
The match with Italy will be very important for our progress in the European...
Of course, the three matches are very important, but if we start on a good foot, we can have more motivation to move forward. A positive result against Italy could be one more boost for the other matches.
You will have a duel with your teammate, Scamacca. Have you spoken to him during this time and what can we expect on the field?
I know him very well, as we played together for a whole season. Since the party when we won the Europa League, we have not spoken together, but the Gjimshiti-Scamacca duel will not be important, but the Albania-Italy match as a whole.
Italy has suffered quite a bit in the last friendlies. Is this a trap of theirs?
Of course, we have followed Italy's last matches and the coach has shown us their strength, where we must be careful. Analysis is needed for tomorrow's game and I believe we have prepared well to be ready.
In this Albania, what is there from Serie A and Italian football?
There is a lot of Italian football, as not only are there many footballers who play in Italy, but also the coach has significant experience in Serie A. We play there and know our opponents very well, but we know very well that we are facing Italy, the champion in power and who plays in such competitions to win, so we must be careful.
Many of Albania's footballers are children of immigrants who were born and raised in other countries, but who represent their country...
True. Many of us were born or raised in other countries, but we are Albanians. Albanian is spoken in our homes and we grew up with love for our country. We are happy to represent our country.
You also won the Europa League this season with Atalanta. What knowledge or emotions have you gained in this competition that you would like to pass on to your teammates?
The triumph in the Europa League was the result of a work process that started a long time ago. We are prepared to do our best to win every game. We are prepared to do our best and hope it goes well.
Can you tell us what the work of the coach has brought to you?
His work has greatly improved us, more than a year since he arrived. We know how you work every day to help us. He was a great footballer and an incredible motivator. We are here coming through a tough group and we have received many compliments, not only us, but also the staff and the coach.