Silvinho delighted with victory with Gibraltar: Happy for debutants

2025-09-04 23:31:00, Sport CNA

Albania won minimally against Gibraltar in a friendly. In this match, coach Silvinjo applied some changes in the formation, giving space to the new players who debuted from the first minute. The game of the Rossoneri did not have the usual rhythm, which also brought criticism from the fans about the team's performance. However, for the technical staff this match served as a test on the eve of the official challenge against Latvia.

In his post-match statement, Silvinjo stressed the importance of preparing for the qualifying matches, appreciating the contribution of the young players. He also mentioned a personal experience to show the pressure that accompanies the debut with a national team. Silvinjo said that the atmosphere in the group is positive and the work in training will be decisive for the next match. Finally, he appealed for the support of the fans in the next match in Tirana.

"It was a difficult match. I've said that it's always difficult to prepare a friendly before an important official match like Latvia. It's very difficult. But they did very well, 3-4 young players, who are playing for the first time from the start with us. They did very well, it's not easy for them. I remember that in the Brazilian national team, when I debuted, I couldn't sleep at night. I'm happy for them. And for the others. We did a good performance, in a difficult match, it wasn't easy.

We have done something important, we have seen some movement, but that's it, everything is still open. We have 3-4 good days of training to prepare very well for a very important match for us like the one with Latvia at home. We will work in the coming days and everything is open.

"We have spent 3-4 days in this training camp, we have seen that there is a very good atmosphere among us. We will return to Tirana tomorrow and wait for our public, so that they can give us a good boost because it is an important match for us. We have to give everything on the field, what we want is a good atmosphere among all of us, including the players", declared Silvinjo.

The next match for Albania will be against Latvia on September 9, for the World Cup qualifiers.