Albania is heading towards a tour of strength in the Nation League, where it must play four consecutive matches, and the coach of the Albanian National Team, Rolando Maran, explained his choices for the final roster of the Rossoneri in the press conference, focusing particularly on the lack of call-ups of Armando Broja and Nedim Bajrami, but also on the two debutants Sabah Kerjota and Samuele Sina and the return of Etri Berisha.
Regarding Broja and Bajram, Maran emphasized that the decision was made by looking at the current situation of each player and that the door to the National Team is not closed for them. "Regarding Broja and Bajram, I assessed the general conditions, the moment. It is not a door that closes. I spoke with them, at this moment I have made different choices. They are choices dictated by the moment and that's it," Maran said. So, the Italian does not consider this a final decision for the two players, but a choice that is related to the current moment and to what he has assessed for this gathering.
Maran on Kerjota: We have been watching him since last season
One of the new additions to the list is Sabah Kerjota. The winger, who plays in Scotland with Hearts, has long been under the watch of the national team staff. "We have been watching Kerjota since last season where he was a protagonist with his team. With the club they almost managed to win the championship, he has characteristics that can help the team," said coach Maran, who admitted that following players who play in different championships is not always easy, so gathering them gives the staff the opportunity to see them more closely. "It's a bit difficult and tiring to follow players who play in different championships. That's why I wanted to have some of these players in the collection, to watch them closely," he said.
For Sina, Maran revealed that the young defender has recently been included in the staff's records and that his performances in a difficult championship have attracted attention. "Sina has been put on record recently, he plays in a difficult championship. He has been a protagonist and has scored. In the defensive aspect, we may have shortcomings and difficulties", said the coach. However, Maran does not consider the 19-year-old's future with the A National Team to be determined yet. According to him, we must first see his performance in this collection and whether he will continue in the first team or return to the U-21. "It remains to be assessed whether he will continue with our team or can continue with the U-21", added Maran.
Berisha returns: "I shouldn't look at my age"
Another decision that has attracted attention is the return of Etri Berisha. The goalkeeper has been recalled after a period of absence, while Maran also linked the choice to the absence of Thomas Strakosha. "Berisha is a player who is showing that he is good, I have spoken to him. We also have the absence of Strakosha and I evaluated the best goalkeepers who were at this moment and he is among them. I called him and he was happy", declared the coach. Maran emphasized that for him it is not age that determines a collection, but form and what a player can give to the team. "I spoke to him clearly that he is a player who if he goes on the field and defends his team, it means that he is in good shape and it is not that I should look at his age, whether he is 17 or 37. I evaluate him among the most capable goalkeepers in Albania", he said.
The coach added that if Strakosha were available, he would also be part of the list, while the competition for the place in goal will be determined by form. "If it were Strakosha, he would come anyway. He would come anyway and I would choose who is better, I have a lot of faith in his potential. I will understand if he deserves to play more or not, I think it is part of the law of sport and it is right that way", said Maran.
Maran: I want a team that fights until the end
Finally, the coach also spoke about what he expects to see on the field from the Albanian National Team. Beyond the names and individual choices, Maran is looking for a team that will face the matches with maximum commitment. "I expect to see a team that fights, goes on the field, plays the match and shows that we are more capable than our opponents, through play, through suffering. I want to see every player leave every drop of sweat on the field. If we do this, we will have the opportunity to rejoice at the end of the match," concluded Maran.
