With memories of the golden years (80's) of the albanian football still fresh on her mind, Albania is now attempting to recreate its strong football legacy. As young players start making their names abroad, the future is looking bright for Albanian football!
Skenderbeu got a good draw as well. They play the winner of one of the first qualifying matches which was a team from North Ireland against an Estonian team.
NYVirus wrote:Skenderbeu got a favorable draw as they will face the winner of Crusaders FC (NIR) vs. FC Levadia Tallinn (EST).
As for the Europa League teams, these were their draws:
FK Kukësi (ALB) v FC Torpedo Zhodino (BLR)
KF Laçi (ALB) v İnter Bakı PİK (AZE)
FK Partizani (ALB) v Strømsgodset IF (NOR)
Good luck to all Albanian teams!
Not a bad draw for any of the teams.
For me it is....Norwegian team almost impossible to beat, Inter Baku used to play european games especially against a poor Laçi who got beaten by a Luxembourg team last year and who is used to fix games. Kukesi may have their chance against this unknown Belarusian team but still...
Europa League draw analysis for the albanian teams:
KUKESI -1st Round they wll meet FC Torpedo Zhodino . A belarussian team that hasn't ever won their championship but this isn't the only time they play in europe. Their first and only time was on 2011-2012 season when they eleminated an Icelandic team 6:1 on agregate and then lost 3:2 on agregate to OKF Beograd (losing 0:1 at home and dawing 2:2 away).
-2nd Round , if successfull against the Belarussian team they will meet the winner of FK Mladost Podgorica (Montenegro) or Neftçi PFK (Azerbaigian).
Mlladost two seasons ago passed two Europa league rounds and got destroyed 9:1 on agregate by Sevilla ,they previously won against Videoton (Hungarian champion) then against FK Senica (Slovenian).
Nefchi on the other side has played 50 games in European competitions , winning 14, drawing 13 and losing 23.
Kukesi's opponents are strong, and the fact that Kukesi will lose almost all his defensive backline (wich was a strongbone of this seasonal success) makes me wonder if they will even pass through the first round. They have a new Serbian coach and most of the team will become full of brasilians once the qualifiers start. They got quite a promissing results these days on friendlies like the MTK Budapest-Kukesi 1-3 but well a friendly is a friendly and qualifying games will have another approach.
KF Laçi -1st round During their first round they will face İnter Bakı PİK (Azerbaigian) a strong team for Laçi's level. Inter obviously has archieved more on european competitions where they played 23 matches winning 10, drawing 6 and losing 6. Laçi was seriously criticized two seasons ago when they lost to the Luxembourg team (same team that after won and passed through a Netherland team) and they tried to make up for it last season in Europe eleminating the slovenian team (Rudar Velenje) during the first round and then losing to Zorya Luhansk both matches.
-2nd Round if passing through the Azeri team reserves quite an easy schedule on paper, the winner from SJK Seinäjoki (Finland) or FH Hafnarfjördur (Iceland) . SJK Seinäjoki plays for the first time in European competitions while the Icelandic team of FH Hafnarfjördur is very experienced on international football . They have played 23 matches winning 9, drawing 7 and losing 7. The icelandic team has always passed one or two rounds at least , two seasons ago they failed to pass to Champions league playoffs losing on agregate 0:1 to Austria Wien and then they faced the Belgian club of Genk on Europa league playoffs. Last season they went to the third Europa League round eleminating a georgian team and then a belarussian one. They lost the first leg of the third round against the Swedish team of Elfsborg and then won 2:1 but wasn't enough.
Laçi got some decent players back : Olsi Gocaj, Vucaj and probably Xhevahir Sukaj (only for EL matches) . Xhemjs has offers from the second bundesliga team of Bochum but Laçi asks 700 k for him . I don't see Laçi passing the first round but miracles exist and if so their coach Armando Cungu would be their heirloom luck.
FK Partizani -1st Round reserves Strømsgodset IF to our Red Bulls , a Norwegian team that has previously played in european competitions. They faced Nantes, Arsenal, Leeds United, Liverpool, Hapoel Telaviv, Aston Villa, Atletico Madrid, Debreceni, Jablonec, Steaua Bucurest. They have passed through Hapoel Televiv and Debreceni not that long ago. Being a seeded team they put Partizani as an underdog here . There is an albanian player playing for them : Flamur Kastrati
-2nd Round finds FK Mladá Boleslav (Czech Rep) waiting for the Partizani-Strømsgodset IF outcome. The Czech team is really strong and they have been in Euro Cup groups twice.
Partizani can be tricky in Europe but i don't want to jinx them. They have the strongest rivals on both legs.
Skenderbeu has to pass through now , no excuses . Both opponents are weaker and they got the experience , the group and the support they need.
Shkendija and Renova won't pass through. Their opponents are too strong .
