Albania’s senior national team and its youth sides, U-17 and U-19, are preparing for important international fixtures as the red-and-black representatives continue their respective campaigns in UEFA competitions.
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Albania Senior Team Nears Finland Clash as Hoxha and Shpendi Work on Recovery
Albania’s senior national team held another training session on Tuesday afternoon at the House of Football in Tirana, continuing preparations for its upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures against Finland and Belarus.
According to the Albanian Football Federation’s Communications Department, all players were available to head coach Rolando Maran and completed the session at full intensity.
Arbër Hoxha and Cristian Shpendi, however, followed individualized training programmes on the pitch as they continue recovering from injuries sustained following challenges during their recent club matches. Both players are expected to rejoin the full squad on Wednesday, ahead of the official training session before the Finland encounter.
Tuesday’s programme began with gym work before Maran and his coaching staff focused on different match situations and tactical aspects on the training pitch.
Albania will hold its official pre-match training session on Wednesday at 11:00, with the first 15 minutes open to the media. Later in the day, at 16:00, Maran and one of his players will attend the official press conference at the stadium.
Finland will also hold its media conference on Wednesday at 11:30, followed by its official training session at 12:30.
The highly anticipated Albania-Finland encounter will take place on Thursday at 20:45 at Tirana’s Air Albania Stadium as part of the UEFA Nations League. The match is expected to be played in front of a full house, with all tickets already sold.
Albania U-17 Completes Preparations for European Championship Qualifier Against Sweden
Meanwhile, Albania’s U-17 national team has completed its preparations for the opening match against Sweden in the first qualifying round of the UEFA European Under-17 Championship 2027.
The team, coached by Armand Dama, held its final training session ahead of Wednesday’s encounter, scheduled for November 11 at 14:00 at Elbasan Arena.
The squad is in good physical condition, with all players available to the coaching staff and no reported injury concerns ahead of the opening fixture.
Albania will be looking to begin its European qualifying campaign with a positive result. The team has been drawn into Group 4, alongside Sweden, Scotland and Finland.
The match between Albania U-17 and Sweden U-17 will be broadcast live on FSHF TV, allowing supporters to follow the young Albanian players as they begin their quest for a place in the next stage of the European Championship qualifiers.
Albania U-19 Ready for European Championship Qualifying Match Against Cyprus
Albania’s U-19 national team has also completed its preparations for an important opening fixture, facing Cyprus in the second qualifying round of the UEFA European Under-19 Championship.
Head coach Fatjon Tafaj has overseen the squad’s final training sessions ahead of the tournament, with the players reportedly in very good physical condition and no injury problems affecting the group.
Albania U-19 will face Cyprus on November 11 at 13:30 at Sotira Municipal Stadium.
The match will be broadcast live on the Albanian Football Federation’s official YouTube channel, giving fans the opportunity to follow the team’s performance.
Following the opening encounter against Cyprus, Albania will return to action on November 14, when it takes on Armenia at 13:30 at the same stadium.
With the senior national team preparing for its Nations League commitments and both youth sides entering crucial European qualifying competitions, November represents an important period for Albanian football across all age groups.
The performances of the three national teams will be closely followed by supporters hoping to see Albania strengthen its presence on the international football stage.