Prime Minister Edi Rama’s remarks at presentation of the FIFA World Cup Trophy that will be displayed in the premises of the Prime Minister’s office for football fans as part of the global journey, travelling to 51 countries and territories across the world: 

 

Hello everyone! I I will speak two words in Italian, in honor of someone who is present here, but who is not him, but her, the legendary Mrs, Coca-Cola, because it is really easy to bring the world cup trophy to Albania nowadays, Luka, but when your mother came here to establish the Albanian part of the Coca-Cola empire for the first time, it was not simple at all as it was a newly born state out of immense pain and wounds. It is for this reason why this country will be eternally grateful and kind-hearted towards Mrs. Buzi, to whom I would like to extend a warm welcome, and the time when you grew up would be the time of Coca-Cola cup. 

On the other hand I am very grateful to Brazil, one of the world champions that brought the trophy here, because if you are to take a closer look, although it was designed and created by an Italian sculptor, it looks like it has been made to permanently remain in Brazil.

I would like to thank the President of Albanian Football Federation and everyone else participating and contributing to this event. As I was chatting with Erion a little while ago and these are really special days for Albania’s Customs Administration, because it was for the first time ever when customs clearance procedures had to be conducted not just for one, but two European and international football trophies concurrently, namely the World Cup and the Europa Conference League Cup, with the latter due to be handed over to the winners of the final match due to be played in our stadium on Wednesday. However, clearing these two trophies is a problem we would wish to encounter a lot in the future although the hours for the World Cup trophy to remain in Tirana can be counted on the fingers of one hand, as it will remain here just five hours, because the procedure is as such as it should continue its journey throughout the world.

I very much wish and hope that as many football fans as possible will have the opportunity to visit this open space at the Prime Minister’s office today to see up-close the Cup and I wish that the Republic Guard officers won’t deny people entry should more people than expected come to admire the trophy.

I see the permanent captain of our national team, Lorik Cana, amidst many others here and frankly speaking I don’t actually know who is the captain of the national side now and Lorik is to be blamed for this indeed, because he has been such a captain that everyone after him looks like a temporary one, just like it is the case with the world cup trophy, whose house is Brazil, although it falls in others’ hands time after time. The armband of the national team is always worn by Lorik, although it is sometimes delegated to somebody else just for procedural reasons.

 I hope all our guests, including Gilberto, will feel home during these hours and have a pleasant evening in Tirana. We are ready to offer them longer stay and hospitality, and when Gilberto said he is now in Brazil, but he is mulling plans to return to Europe, I told him that Albania could be one of his next stations, because at the moment we are dealing with the cups of others, but you may never know that the day will come when we too will win a cup. You may never know and never say never.

Thank you very much everyone!