Albania U21

Association	Football Association of Albania
Confederation	UEFA (Europe)
Head coach	Artan Bushati
Captain	Enco Malindi
Home stadium	Niko Dovana Stadium
FIFA code	ALB
Home colours Away colours
UEFA U-21 Championship
Appearances	1 (First in 1984)
Best result	Quarter-finals, 1984

The Albania national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Albania and is controlled by the Football Association of Albania. The team competes in the European Under-21 Football Championship, which is held held every two years.

In terms of youth football, this team is the highest age group team in which the best young, professional footballers who have were born in Albania, or have Albanian parents or grandparents, can be selected to play in. The team's players have the hope that they can successfully play international football with some success and possibly be called up to play in the full senior Albania team.

[edit] Current squad

Head coach: Artan Bushati

Artan Bushati

[edit] Goalkeepers

No. Pos. Player DoB (Age) Caps Goals Club GK Enea Koliqi (on loan from Iraklis) December 13, 1986 (1986-12-13) (age 23) 9 0 Olympiakos Volos GK Samir Ujkani (on loan from Palermo) July 5, 1988 (1988-07-05) (age 21) 0 0 Novara GK Shpëtim Moçka May 6, 1986 (1986-05-06) (age 23) 1 0 Flamurtari Vlorë GK Olti Bishani January 11, 1988 (1988-01-11) (age 21) 1 0 Vllaznia Shkodër GK Sulejman Hoxha February 13, 1990 (1990-02-13) (age 19) 0 0 Dinamo Tirana

[edit] Defenders

No. Pos. Player DoB (Age) Caps Goals Club DF Renato Arapi September 28, 1986 (1986-09-28) (age 23) 13 0 Silkeborg DF Maringlen Shoshi January 29, 1987 (1987-01-29) (age 22) 5 1 Apolonia Fier DF Renato Mallota June 24, 1989 (1989-06-24) (age 20) 4 0 Partizani Tirana DF Bledion Guga February 20, 1986 (1986-02-20) (age 23) 3 0 Flamurtari Vlorë DF Daniel Ramazani January 14, 1987 (1987-01-14) (age 22) 2 0 Shkumbini Peqin DF Franc Veliu November 11, 1988 (1988-11-11) (age 21) 1 0 Flamurtari Vlorë DF Ditmar Bicaj February 26, 1989 (1989-02-26) (age 20) 1 0 Belasitsa Petrich DF Klodian Semina January 19, 1989 (1989-01-19) (age 20) 1 0 Gramozi Ersekë DF Bazjon Trogas August 16, 1988 (1988-08-16) (age 21) 0 0 Besa Kavaje DF Sadush Danaj November 6, 1988 (1988-11-06) (age 21) 0 0 Besëlidhja Lezhë

[edit] Midfielders

No. Pos. Player DoB (Age) Caps Goals Club MF Gerhard Progni November 6, 1986 (1986-11-06) (age 23) 10 2 Besa Kavaje MF Jetmir Sefa January 30, 1987 (1987-01-30) (age 22) 8 1 Tirana MF Gilman Lika January 31, 1987 (1987-01-31) (age 22) 9 0 Hacettepe MF Hair Zeqiri October 11, 1988 (1988-10-11) (age 21) 6 1 Flamurtari Vlorë MF Jahmir Hyka March 8, 1988 (1988-03-08) (age 21) 5 0 Mainz MF Besmir Arifaj May 6, 1986 (1986-05-06) (age 23) 5 0 Flamurtari Vlorë DF Arben Likmeta March 3, 1987 (1987-03-03) (age 22) 4 0 Teuta Durres MF Jozef Thana December 14, 1988 (1988-12-14) (age 21) 4 0 Elbasani MF Erindo Karabeci April 28, 1987 (1987-04-28) (age 22) 3 0 Partizani Tirana MF Ilirjan Çaushaj March 18, 1987 (1987-03-18) (age 22) 2 0 Dinamo Tirana MF Renaldo Rama January 27, 1990 (1990-01-27) (age 19) 1 0 Koblenz MF Polizoi Arbëri September 9, 1988 (1988-09-09) (age 21) 1 0 Bylis Ballsh MF Aldo Durmishi November 21, 1986 (1986-11-21) (age 23) 0 0 Teuta Durres MF Alsid Tafili August 20, 1987 (1987-08-20) (age 22) 0 0 Elbasani MF Arlind Xaka July 18, 1988 (1988-07-18) (age 21) 0 0 Skënderbeu Korçë MF Shaqir Stafa April 23, 1987 (1987-04-23) (age 22) 0 0 Teuta Durres

[edit] Strikers

No. Pos. Player DoB (Age) Caps Goals Club FW Emiljano Vila March 12, 1988 (1988-03-12) (age 21) 10 1 Lokomotiva Zagreb FW Enco Malindi January 15, 1987 (1987-01-15) (age 22) 4 0 Tirana FW Arbër Abilaliaj June 6, 1986 (1986-06-06) (age 23) 2 1 Tirana FW Xhulian Rrudho September 9, 1987 (1987-09-09) (age 22) 2 0 Chievo FW Ardit Shehaj September 23, 1990 (1990-09-23) (age 19) 1 0 Flamurtari Vlorë FW Ahmed Yanuzi July 8, 1988 (1988-07-08) (age 21) 2 1 Vorskla Poltava FW Semiran Çela January 1, 1989 (1989-01-01) (age 21) 1 0 Zadar FW Alban Dashi September 25, 1989 (1989-09-25) (age 20) 0 0 Partizani Tirana FW Ergys Sorra August 23, 1989 (1989-08-23) (age 20) 0 0 Tirana MF Migen Metani May 5, 1989 (1989-05-05) (age 20) 0 0 Tirana DF Olsi Teqja July 27, 1988 (1988-07-27) (age 21) 0 0 Kastrioti Krujë FW Vilfor Hysa September 9, 1989 (1989-09-09) (age 20) 0 0 Teuta Durres FW Vasil Shkurtaj April 27, 1992 (1992-04-27) (age 17) 0 0 Olympiacos

[edit] 1984 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship

Albania Under-21's have only ever managed to qualify for any competition once in their history, and that came in the year of 1984 when they managed to qualify for the 1984 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship. They were drawn in a very tough group which included the West Germany, Turkey and Austria. This historic event in Albanian football history is the only occasion where any Albanian national team has ever managed to qualify for a major European or even World championship. To this day the team that qualified for 1984 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship are still regarded as the most successful team in Albanian history. This is because they managed to qualify without losing a single game and managing two very good draws against one of the biggest and best footballing nations on the planet, Germany (West Germany).

[edit] Qualifying

Qualifying Group 6 P W D L F A Pts 1  Albania 6 4 2 0 9 3 10 2  West Germany 6 3 3 0 13 4 9 3  Turkey 6 1 1 4 6 11 3 4  Austria 6 0 2 4 4 14 2

Austria 1-2 Albania Turkey 0-1 Albania Albania 1-1 W.Germany Albania 1-0 Turkey Albania 3-0 Austria W.Germany 1-1 Albania  Albania qualify as group winners. West Germany failed to qualify despite being undefetead.

[edit] Quarter-finals

After the Albania national under-21 football team qualified for the actual tournament, they were drawn against one of the best teams on the planet, Italy. Albania were just proud to be in the competition and so when they had to go up against a team with a real shot of actually winning it things were always going to be tough for the small Balkan nation.^{[citation needed]} In Tirana, Albania showed much spirit and determination, but in the end the class of Italy managed to just scrape a win against Albania.^{[citation needed]} By the second leg, the damage had already been done and Albania had no real chance of getting any further in the competition.^{[citation needed]} The match in Italy also ended 1–0 to Azzuri. Italy won 2–0 on aggregate and made it through to the semi-finals where they were knocked out by the runners-up Spain.

• Albania 0–1 Italy
• Italy 1–0 Albania

 Italy win 2–0 on aggregate

[edit] References

[edit] See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Players of Albania national under-21 football team

• Albania national football team
• Albania national under-17 football team
• Albania national under-19 football team
• Albania national youth football team