Duke at Diaspora Summit: National team unites Albanians everywhere. Football has changed Albania's image

2026-04-16 17:50:00, Sport CNA

Duke at Diaspora Summit: National team unites Albanians everywhere. Football has

The President of the Albanian Football Federation, Armand Duka, was invited to the panel "Albanian Diaspora and the Power of Sport", as part of the Albanian Diaspora Summit that took place in Tirana on April 13-15, 2026.

This panel was also attended by two former captains of the Albanian National Team, Altin Lala and Lorik Cana, as well as the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sports, Endrit Hoxha, who discussed the role of the Albanian diaspora in the development of sports and football.

During his speech, the President of the Albanian Football Federation emphasized the importance of investments and relations with Albanians living abroad, underlining that the diaspora is a great potential for the development of Albanian football.

President Duka emphasized that the results of the National Team have significantly influenced the growth of interest and the strengthening of the connection with Albanians everywhere in the world. He mentioned as important moments Albania's qualifications for Euro 2016 and Euro 2024, which have also positively influenced the promotion of the country's image.

President Duka also emphasized that the development of football is not only related to sporting results, but also to the impact that sport has on the education and inclusion of young people. He also praised the role of Albanian fans, describing them as an extraordinary support for the National team.

The discussion also focused on the role of sport in international diplomacy, with President Duka emphasizing that Albanian footballers have been important ambassadors of the country in many countries around the world.

Investments and the role of the diaspora in the development of football – It is truly a special pleasure for me to be on this honored panel with the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sports, Endrit Hoxha, with two very important figures of Albanian football, two former captains, both former footballers, Altin Lala and Lorik Cana. To return in a way to the topic you opened, the investments that we need to make so that Albanians living in the world become a potential in the development of sports in Albania.

It's really a kind of circle that all help each other. The result is needed to set positive examples and to bring more people closer, to inspire more people, because I am very sure that many children, young people and our Albanian sons who live in different lands are inspired by Lorik Cana, are inspired by Altin Lala, even by the results of the National team.

Rezultatet e ekipit Kombëtar shqiptar, sidomos me kualifikimin në Euro 2016 dhe Euro 2024, qoftë edhe kualifikimin në play-off tani, i ka shërbyer në përgjithësi çështjes Kombëtare shqiptare. Ne mbase kemi pasur nevojë që ta tregojmë veten se kush jemi dhe Kombëtarja na e ka dhënë këtë mundësi. Ajo se çfarë ne duhet të investojmë që të krijojmë kushte sa më të mira kësaj Kombëtare, por edhe futbollit në Shqipëri për të shkuar më lart.

Padyshim që gjërat në Shqipëri kanë ndryshuar shumë në shumë drejtime. Ne jemi një vend që kemi kaluar një periudhë tranzicioni. Kemi pasur problematika, apo halle të mëdha dhe sot jemi goxha të zhvilluar dhe mund të mendojmë akoma më shumë për të rritur kualitetin e jetës. Dhe si mund të përmirësohet kualiteti i jetës, një nga mënyrat është sporti, është futbolli. Të paktën në vizionin tim dhe qëllimi jonë i futbollit nuk është thjeshtë për të bërë rezultat, por për të pasur sa më shumë njerëz që edukohen nëpërmjet sportit. Por që të kesh sa më shumë njerëz duhet të kesh rezultat, prandaj thashë që është një lloj rrethi. Besoj se si Federatë Futbolli kemi bërë goxha për të realizuar këtë objektiv. Kemi bërë goxha për të pasur një marrëdhënie shumë të mirë me shqiptarët që jetojnë jashtë Shqipërisë. Sepse ne kemi ekipin Kombëtar sot, dhe jo vetëm ekipin Kombëtar, por ekipet Kombëtare, që luajnë të rinj që mbase janë lindur jashtë Shqipërie. Investimet në vend, investimet në marrëdhënie, investimet në rezultate janë më të duhurat dhe më të domosdoshme për të shkuar më përpara.

Marrëdhëniet me tifozët – Në futboll quhet lojtari i 12-të, kurse në Shqipëri mund të thuash më shumë se sa lojtari i 12-të, sepse aq shumë e mbështesin futbollin në Shqipëri, aq shumë e duan, aq shumë kërkojnë që të ketë rezultat sa vërtetë është më shumë se lojtari i 12-të. Padyshim që ka politika dhe strategji për t’i ofruar sa më shumë. Fakti që sot në Shqipëri nuk është problem që të kemi njerëz në stadium, të paktën në ekipin Kombëtar, por është problem se si t’i sigurojmë një biletë njerëzve, do të thotë që është bërë një punë e mirë për t’i afruar spektatorët, për të mbështetur kryesisht ekipin Kombëtar.

Diplomacy through sports – States get tired and invest a lot in diplomacy, to have a very good representation through the people they appoint in embassies to increase the image of their country. Fortunately, we do not have this difficulty in football, because we have ambassadors all over the world. With all the respect I have for all the officials and representatives of Albanian diplomacy, I do not believe that he has raised the image of Albania, for example in Germany more than Altin Lala, or any other, because we have many other footballers like Altin, but since Altin is here, or Lorik and all the other footballers. So we have many ambassadors in the football we play, but what we can do is to institutionalize the relationship and preserve, organize and make the best use of this gift that we have through footballers during their careers, even after they stop playing football. What we need to do is to do things in an organized manner and raise the image of football as much as possible, and through football, of Albania and Albanians.

The red and black story with De Biasi – De Biasi is truly a beautiful story of Albanian football. He was the team's coach, Lorik's coach, when Lorik was captain in 2016 at the European Championship. We continue to have very good relations, extraordinary respect for De Biasi. But, our game is collective and neither De Biasi, nor Lorik, nor Duka nor Altini can lead Albania, nor to the European Championship nor win the group and cannot win a single match. Only when we are all together, only when we have a positive atmosphere. We have never had all the very good quality that the two panelists who are here today have, we have not had superstars, or stars in the team. We have not had Messi or Ronaldo, but we have had a positive atmosphere, we have had a good group, every time we have joined forces, not only with those who are in the team, in the technical staff, in the Albanian Football Association, but with the government, with the fans and we have all achieved positive results. Football is like this, we hope for better in the future.