Major political pressure continues in Albanian football: USRF Gjirokastra Assembly puts off operations

The conflict between state institutions and the Albanian Football Federation has escalated, following events that took place today in Gjirokastra. The Assembly of Regional Football Association Gjirokastra today failed to develop works on the agenda envisioned by political interference, which reached the closure of the Warrior's Stadium where hard work and pressure were to take place on members of this association.

SHRF chairman Sadik Sadikuj, accompanied by his staff and FSF Executive Committee member Arben Dervisaj, appeared at the stadium's facilities to organise the meeting, but concluded that the doors were closed and were not allowed to enter. Of the 9 delegates that were authorized according to legal definitions by members, 5 of them were absent, according to what they claimed to be, shaken by intense political pressure, as government representatives and district mayors have threatened to dismiss them and their family members.

EC member Arben Dervisaj speaking to the media has explained the whole situation and denounced the political pressure being put on members of the SHRF Gjirokastra: “We have announced, appointed and agreed with the Gjirokastra Together that the gathering of the Regional Gjirokastra Football Association will take place at stadium facilities. We come here, part of the delegates as a result of major political pressures have not come, but even the environments for Assembly development have not been made available to us. This would be a common assembly in which issues such as the adoption of the SHRF Gjirokastra” budget would eventually be discussed, Dervisaj said, which continued. “We will act as the statute predicts. Within 24 hours, another Assembly will be held. That's how the Regional Association statute predicts, and within 24 hours we'll alert the members to be participants in the Assembly, because in the end, there's no missing here but losing Gjirokastra football”, the EC member of FSHF said.

Asked by the media if it had political impacts and whether it was true that the Minister Godbaro himself was involved in blocking Assembly work, Dervisaj replied: “What we observe as in other circles is the clear political pressure, pressure on delegates, because simple issues would be discussed here, issues involving the overall development of football”. “How clubs acted I can't say, because I'm not a lawyer, but from the verifications, which I've made, they've been reformed the statute. Every time choices are made, these things have happened. It happened in 2006, you're a witness, they've happened in 2018 and they're continuing, and what's our challenge is that politics don't have anything to do with the sport. Why were delegates not present at the Assembly meeting? As long as delegates don't come, you can understand for yourself the reason” has ended Dervisaj.