Albanian Football President Armand Duka says Christian Panucci will never become a coach

Armand Duka and Christian Panucci

 Armand Duka's love for Italian coaches is now well known to all, including the Italians themselves, a fixed idea of ​​the Albanian Football Federation (AFF) president that is not expected to change for a long period, this was also reflected in the new contract he signed in December with Edi Reja, a four-year contract. 

His "smell" of finding the right man has not worked always, the typical case is that of Christian Panucci, an inexperienced coach but Duka believed in him more than he should. In an interview with TuttoSport, Duka talked also about this election which turned out to be fatal by blowing up the Euro2020 qualifiers for Albania:

Duka

“It was a wrong choice, it destroyed the team. He is a man of conflicts, can never become a coach. After each match there were tensions with the press, created clashes in the team. He does not think about football, but just about money. When I communicated the dismissal, he told me immediately that he would ask for the last cent, he also asked premio about the matches played under Reja. It is not an economic issue, but of ethical correctness,” Duka said, focusing on the future of the national team, Edi Reja:

Armand Duka and Edi Reja shaking hands

“At first he had a little doubt, then Igli Tare phoned and persuaded him to become Albania's coach. Edi is a very experienced coach, a scholar coach. He has put a smile back on the squad and has a constructive climate in the team,” the AFF president said in an interview to TuttoSport.