Duke for players from Kosovo: National has open doors for every Albanian, wherever it lives

In this interview, his first in a television studio in northern Macedonia, the head of Albanian football spoke extensively about the Albanian National, about players of Albanian origin representing Albania, as well as those who have chosen to play for northern Macedonia or Kosovo.

President Duka also stopped in relations with the new presidency of the North Macedonia Football Federation, his role as vice president UEFA, organising the U-21 European Championship finals in co-operation with Serbia and many other issues of public interest.

Below, the full interview of President Duke.

How important is your role as vice president of Albania for football UEFA? It's a pleasure to be on TV 21, that I'm always watching. For the first time, I'm on a television in northern Macedonia for an interview in the studio. The positioning or representation of a federation at UEFA is important for any kind of federation. It shows the contribution and assessment of a federation as a whole rather than an individual who is in the concrete case the president of the FSHF. I think it's a positive development. It's not about how many projects the FSHF wins. You are not a member of the Committee to gain unfair projects, but you are a member of the Committee to build policies and strategies for European football development. Part of which are we, Northern Macedonia and Kosovo, and all others. On the European level is the shared development of football.

Victory against Serbia and the National and chances of qualifying in the World? It's a difficult road around the world, it's a way harder than European Championship qualifications, which we've touched twice over the last eight years. The result with Serbia first in the sports perspective was very important for us, because it keeps us at play to be the World Play-Off contender. We're not in the playoffs yet, we have a fight against Andorra, we have a fight against England, so it's our two games. Serbia's two matches, to undoubtedly determine that we are serious contenders. We are one point, just one point ahead of Serbia.

We must fully evaluate Andorra. He's an opponent who can harm an opponent who in his field is not easy to defeat. If it is thought before the game as we have won, we will not win it, but I hope very much, and I am confident that Albanian national football players are as professional as they understand the importance and appreciation that they should give her the match to win it then, what others do, we should see. There are not many differences in national teams today. There's too many differences. It's hard to predict results. With a slight exception, any team you can predict, others are unpredictable.

The approach of football players originally from Kosovo or Macedonia to the Albanian Nationalist We have opened the doors to the national team for years for all Albanians wherever they live and I believe this is the best thing we've done. We're lucky to have so many fans not only within state boundaries but also abroad. In northern Macedonia, in Kosovo and abroad. Our strategy has been that anyone who speaks Albanian, who wants to, who wants talent and will contribute to the National and the Red Flag, we have opened the doors. Even when Kosovo had no team, which was a bridge to draw Kosovo closer to FIFA and U EFA and we are happy to have so many Albanian talents. We will respect their decisions to contribute to Albania's national or even if they decide otherwise.

Player elections to represent Albania or Kosovo and relations with the NFF? We have excellent brotherly reports with the Federation of Kosovo. We respect and help each other in all our developmental steps. We have contributed fully even at the time when Kosovo was unable to be or there were no international matches, it was not known, there was less possibility. The same thing we do now, while I have made it public and formally clear to Agim Ademi and everyone, that every man, every Albanian who wants to contribute to the Albanian National, we will continue to have the same policy. Of course we don't care if they decide differently. We don't care. We want them to be better only with us, but if they decide otherwise...

Albanians playing in northern Macedonia? Albanians living in northern Macedonia are part of the Macedonian state and it is legitimate to play for the North Macedonian National. This comes naturally because when they are young, they are selected for age teams and go up to the first team. We respect elections even when playing for another national, we would like to play for Albania those who are Albanians, but it is legitimate they play for Macedonia. For as long as Albanians play on Macedonia's national team, they have had weight, were the most quality football players and qualified in the European world. There are very good footballers in Northern Macedonia.

The relationship with the new FFM presidency? People change, but the federations don't. Federations should always have correct and good reports and the Albanian Football Federation with that of Northern Macedonia have had all the time, the more we are neighbours, the more we have, the more we say, the same trouble. So no matter what the president has changed, but not the Federation. Relations, if I repeat that they were stable and very good, no doubt speaking a language with Muamat Sejdin, could have been a little bit more, but also with the new president, with Mr. Massar I have an old personal recognition because he has been a member of the federation's executive committee since Harry was president of the Macedonian Football Federation. There was even ambition at the time to be president of the federation and came one day and became president, so it's part of the football community, so I said they have old recognition, it's a former footballer and willing to develop football in northern Macedonia. I'm sure it'll do well, we have very good reports.

North Macedonia footballers playing for the National? We have the most qualified of Northern Macedonia. Nedim Bajrami has scored us a goal in Czechia at a difficult time for us, a goal that kept us in play and took us to first place in the European world. Yassir Asan has scored three fantastic goals in qualifying against Czechia, Moldova, and Poland. They have written the name with their work and contribution. Taulant Sefer as well. On the other hand, you don't have to say it. They're great guys, and they have great contributions. Then, once a lion or s'auan, this is football and the coach's assessment. But at no time have I read to any of those who would not enjoy victory the same as those on the field. And that's our team's good. That we're all together whether we're on a bench or a tribunes or a field.

The rise in the number of fans to see the National in the stadium? With the National Team we have no problems. Albanians follow the national team not only on the stadium steps, as well as on TV. Interest in the extraordinary. But for the champ the audience's participation is not satisfying. There's some kind of growth, and I don't believe growth will come by chance if we don't work in this direction. We've started a project along with clubs, because the main task is for clubs to promote, organize it better and have more participation. It is often discussed by opinionists, the television studio, that level is not right. Level, whatever it is, competition is. Football is a good one; it's also followed in Germany at fourth and fifth. It's not a level issue. I think it's about promotion, organization, club relations with fans. We've started a project and I have a lot of confidence that we'll progress to increase the number of spectators.

In the games of the Nationals, it's a problem to find a ticket, how do you like the ticket prices? I wish we had the stadium without money. I would be very happy to have people come to the stadium and pay nothing, but in the economy that we've chosen to be, the market economy, what we think is best, without income is hard to move forward. We'll definitely set a price. If we're going to talk from the policy position of the market economy, as long as there's so much demand, price I think is free.

The federation is united in U EFA, FIFA is a fan, a key is a match, you can support me, but you have a champion. You need to maintain relationships, talk to them, awareness them. For instance, we should never think football will say Atter, and we don't want that. We want football to remain football. It's a game of so much emotion that it's hard to enforce all the rules. Of course we worked, we called, we did everything we could to have fewer disciplinary violations on the stage.

Co-organised for the U-21 European Championship with Serbia? When we decided to apply to be co-operative with the Federation of Serbia at the U-21 European Championship, we certainly thought about it all. We have seen what brings positive sports - based organization but not alone. From a sports point of view, I don't think there is any objection that organising a U-21 European Championship is important for every European country, much more for a country like Albania, Northern Macedonia or Serbia. It is Europe's second most important activity after the European First Team Championship.

The sports Benefi is huge, because it promotes our footballers, we get more organisational experience because the Albanian spectator sees more matches, sees future European football stars in Albania's stadiums. We have no discussion here. The discussion is that of the history between Albania and Serbia, of the events that have occurred, which are really serious, and the organisation of a European Championship does not erase history. Instead, he tries to build a better future, and I think football is a game that unites people, creates bridges of communication and brings positive developments. It's not easy to accept, but being convinced that it's a positive development, we're convinced it's good for everyone. I don't think people are guilty even when negative things happen. The guilt is theirs to guide the peoples, and they wrong them.

Albanian clubs in European competitions, what can be improved? It's not just a matter of luck. Championship is in Albania, or North Macedonia and Kosovo, will be difficult because they reflect the country's economy. Last year alone, over 15 football players have been sold by the Albanian champion. Any quality footballer is obviously asking for more income, which our economy does not offer. They want to play in better clothes and they want more income.

It will be difficult for our clubs to be in the group of Conference League, Europe League or Champions League. I'm glad that light and Church are in groups. I don't think of it as a normal development, I consider it a disparate qualifications. Conference League, on those levels we are. But to get further away requires more strength, more economy needs, more income. I don't know if they're offering these kinds of markets. There is definitely a policy different from the states, both Albania and etc. Kosovo is fine, there is a sponsorship law that brings more finances for clubs and that can be developed more. We don't have it, it's hard to rebuild into such a small market, in a market with a limited number of populations, to get to the levels of Europe League groups and the League Champions.

As far as technology can go to football, as you see U. EFA, like chance or danger? How do you see U EFA, FIFA and federations and clubs are the facts that have decided and, in some way, technology has been introduced. System WAR, goal-line technology, or so. Personally, I'm not much in favor of football technology. With a simple argument, this game is so beautiful, it's played in history for over 100 years, there's so much interest in it, with the same rules, the same size, the same number of footballers, without technology. If it continues to be so beautiful and it will open up so many ways of technology, it remains to be seen.

Always calm in your stances, though full of commitments in both the Federation and UEFA. How can you balance your privacy? I don't know. I don't know if I'm really cool or not. I'm not so calm. I'm on a power job, I'm an expert. /Periscopi/