With memories of the golden years (80's) of the albanian football still fresh on her mind, Albania is now attempting to recreate its strong football legacy. As young players start making their names abroad, the future is looking bright for Albanian football!
Aurora Bulkualis wrote: Sun Sep 21, 2025 9:50 pm
The number of Kosovars has been drastically reduced though compared to 2016. Back then they were half our team, now it's maybe 1/4.
I'm kinda torn on this tbh. Kosovo needs to legitimize themselves as a country, and athletics helps them for sure. But footballing wise we just can't afford this fragmentization. I'll say at this point, just leave it to the players to decide.
Kosovars were a big help when the Bogdani/Skela/Lala generation was gone because it was a dark period when it came to players. Albania and its diaspora weren't producing anything. Mavraj and the "Swiss rejects" filled in that void and brought some needed professionalism.
After 2016 the Albanian diaspora from Italy started producing. Its fruits were expected eventually. It started with Hysaj and then everyone else came through.
artan wrote: Sun Sep 21, 2025 9:26 pm
And yes the lack of player problem is the biggest problem. Without Kosovars and diaspora the Albanian national team is on par with teams like Bulgaria. Hopeless teams that can barely beat teams like Latvia.
The number of Kosovars has been drastically reduced though compared to 2016. Back then they were half our team, now it's maybe 1/4.
I'm kinda torn on this tbh. Kosovo needs to legitimize themselves as a country, and athletics helps them for sure. But footballing wise we just can't afford this fragmentization. I'll say at this point, just leave it to the players to decide.
What are you talking about. In the 2016 Qualifiers the entire lineup was Kosovars minus Agolli, Hysaj, Lila and Balaj. In some qualifying matches i believe we fielded 11/11 kosovars. In the 2024 Qualifiers there was not one player developed in Albania in the starting lineup besides maybe Uzuini or Cikaleshi starting on occasion. The core players were Gymcity, Asani, Asllani, Bajrami, Ramadani, Mitaj and Ismajli. All players with exception of Asllani/Mitaj with origins from Kosovo, Macedonia, Presheva. Other contributors too like Daku, Seferi, Muja, Ajeti were from those areas too.
The Albanian national team is still heavily reliant on these players and will always be because Albania is pathetic when it comes to sport. The first olympic medal winner was from Dagestan ffs. And don't you worry because in 10 years these clowns will fill the Albanian national team with Ghanians and you will love it.
Aurora Bulkualis wrote: Sun Sep 21, 2025 9:50 pm
The number of Kosovars has been drastically reduced though compared to 2016. Back then they were half our team, now it's maybe 1/4.
I'm kinda torn on this tbh. Kosovo needs to legitimize themselves as a country, and athletics helps them for sure. But footballing wise we just can't afford this fragmentization. I'll say at this point, just leave it to the players to decide.
Kosovars were a big help when the Bogdani/Skela/Lala generation was gone because it was a dark period when it came to players. Albania and its diaspora weren't producing anything. Mavraj and the "Swiss rejects" filled in that void and brought some needed professionalism.
After 2016 the Albanian diaspora from Italy started producing. Its fruits were expected eventually. It started with Hysaj and then everyone else came through.
The Bogdani/Skela/Lala generation aka the golden generation of Albanian football where they'd finish dead last in each qualifying group.
artan wrote: Mon Sep 22, 2025 5:39 pm
The Albanian national team is still heavily reliant on these players and will always be because Albania is pathetic when it comes to sport. The first olympic medal winner was from Dagestan ffs. And don't you worry because in 10 years these clowns will fill the Albanian national team with Ghanians and you will love it.
Albania is heavily reliant on diaspora because Albanians are a society of immigrants. The NT reflects that. There are more Albanians living abroad than domestically and people living in Albania are still looking to move. As long as that continues the NT will reflect it.
It's a numbers game. You only have so many resources. It's not like Turkey where their diaspora is a bonus because domestically they have 85 million people....
artan wrote: Mon Sep 22, 2025 5:39 pm
The Albanian national team is still heavily reliant on these players and will always be because Albania is pathetic when it comes to sport. The first olympic medal winner was from Dagestan ffs. And don't you worry because in 10 years these clowns will fill the Albanian national team with Ghanians and you will love it.
Albania is heavily reliant on diaspora because Albanians are a society of immigrants. The NT reflects that. There are more Albanians living abroad than domestically and people living in Albania are still looking to move. As long as that continues the NT will reflect it.
It's a numbers game. You only have so many resources. It's not like Turkey where their diaspora is a bonus because domestically they have 85 million people....
Every Balkan country has big diasporas, this is a very lazy excuse as to why for example a micro country like Montenegro is able to develope 2-3 top 5 league players every 5-10 years and Albania isn't.
Here you are crying that some kosovar scrubs are stealing playing time from the albanian ones. Lmao, that pathetic .
Every Balkan country has big diasporas, this is a very lazy excuse as to why for example a micro country like Montenegro is able to develope 2-3 top 5 league players every 5-10 years and Albania isn't.
Here you are crying that some kosovar scrubs are stealing playing time from the albanian ones. Lmao, that pathetic .
Monenegrins are south Slavs. They are very unique in general. They are gifted in sports by nature.
In Yugoslavia guess who was the black hole in sports?? Kosovo. While the slavs were producing world class after world player in multiple sports, Kosovo only had 1 "Fadil Vokrri" to show for. That's embarassing and it shows the difference.
Albanians simply need the numbers. They are not like the south slavs physically, culturally or mentally.
Every Balkan country has big diasporas, this is a very lazy excuse as to why for example a micro country like Montenegro is able to develope 2-3 top 5 league players every 5-10 years and Albania isn't.
Here you are crying that some kosovar scrubs are stealing playing time from the albanian ones. Lmao, that pathetic .
Monenegrins are south Slavs. They are very unique in general. They are gifted in sports by nature.
In Yugoslavia guess who was the black hole in sports?? Kosovo. While the slavs were producing world class after world player in multiple sports, Kosovo only had 1 "Fadil Vokrri" to show for. That's embarassing and it shows the difference.
Albanians simply need the numbers. They are not like the south slavs physically, culturally or mentally.
Ignoring the circumstances surrounding Kosovo during Yugoslavia just to suit your narrative? .
Them being slavs has nothing to do with developing good players in this time and age. They might have had a better system on youth development in the 20th century, but that's no excuse as to why Albania is terrible in developing decent footballers nowadays.
It's the same with North Macedonia, Slovenia and now Kosovo(after being accepted in intl. federations), smaller populations, but are far more superior than Albania in sports.
Them being slavs has nothing to do with developing good players in this time and age. They might have had a better system on youth development in the 20th century, but that's no excuse as to why Albania is terrible in developing decent footballers nowadays.
It's the same with North Macedonia, Slovenia and now Kosovo(after being accepted in intl. federations), smaller populations, but are far more superior than Albania in sports.
It has everything to do with it because tradition/culture/DNA travels along time. It doesn't go away.
It explains why Kosovars were and still are horrific at sports all the other Yugoslavs thrived at: basketball, volleyball, handball, waterpolo, tennis, etc.. Kosovo has produced 0 top athletes at any of those sports even though they lived in a super pro-sport regime. That's shocking.
And don't give me that "we were held back" myth. Fadil Vokrri proved it was possible to make it. It was a socialist regime where everyone was equal and sports were a top priority unlike in Albania.
Btw what sports is Kosovo good at right now since you want to talk about present... female judo??? LMFAO
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