[ALBSA-Info] The Times

[Agron Alibali]

The Times (London) 


March 26, 2001, Monday 

Sport 

Albania prove they have ability to worry Eriksson 

Bill Edgar 

IF ENGLAND needed convincing that Albania are no
longer the weaklings that Bobby Robson's men brushed
aside en route to the World Cup finals in 1990, it
could be found in the reaction yesterday from Rudi
Vata, the central defender, to his team's 2-1 defeat
away to Germany. "Everybody is hurt from this game,"
the captain said. "We didn't get what we deserved." 

Albania will face England in Tirana on Wednesday
lamenting their third successive failure to grasp a
golden opportunity to draw with Germany. In Leverkusen
on Saturday evening, just as happened when the teams
met in qualifying for the last World Cup, Albania were
level with the former world champions with ten minutes
remaining, only to suffer defeat. 

"It is the same story of the last few games against
Germany," Vata, whose side conceded an 88th-minute
winning goal by Miroslav Klose, said. "We spoke before
the game about having to concentrate until the last
minute. We spoke a lot about discipline, but we gave
it away at the end." 

Nonetheless, the swift inter-passing that cut through
the Germany defence on several occasions was a further
indication of Albania's progress in recent years. "We
are playing much better than when we played England in
1989. We are stronger than ever," Vata, who played for
Celtic between 1992 and 1996, said. "We do not feel
inferior against the big teams. Most of us play abroad
and that has helped us to make progress in our
careers." 

"We always had the talent in our country, but we did
not learn a lot because the coaching and facilities in
our country was just not good enough. In Europe we
work with good coaches and clubs. We have learnt a
lot." 

Albania's entire starting line-up in Leverkusen is
based abroad: three are in Germany, two each in
Belgium and Greece and one each in Italy, France,
Turkey and Cyprus. Sadly for Vata, a booking on
Saturday meant that he was flying back yesterday to
rejoin club colleagues at Energie Cottbus, the
Bundesliga side, having been suspended for the match
against England. 

However, Sven-Goran Eriksson's team will face Bledar
Kola, the AEK Athens midfield player, who scored the
66th-minute equalising goal from 20 yards against
Germany, and Igli Tare, the imposing Brescia striker.
Tottenham Hotspur fans may remember Tare ruefully as
the substitute who helped Kaiserslautern to turn the
Uefa Cup meeting between the sides on its head last
season. 

While Albania's first qualification for the finals of
either World Cup or European Championship still seems
some way off, they have produced many impressive
results under Medin Zhega, the former under-21 coach.
Their other two group nine matches have brought a 2-1
defeat away to Finland and a 2-0 home win over Greece.


Albania have progressed despite upheaval at home. The
domestic league was suspended for six months in 1997
when the country descended into civil war after the
collapse of a pyramid savings scheme, political
tension in the region has caused several international
home matches to be played on neutral territory and,
towards the end of last season, the nation's most
famous referee and the president of a title-chasing
club were shot dead. 

Albania's performances have lifted spirits at home and
Rudi Voller, the Germany coach, is keen for a repeat
on Wednesday. "I hope the Albanians are not exhausted
and that they will play as well against England as
they did against us," he said. Vata is hopeful, too.
"It is going to be a difficult game, but we are not
going to give in to England." 

I was there, page S13 

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