Prime Minister Rama receives UEFA President Michel Platini

Prime Minister Edi Rama welcomed today the President of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Michel Platini and accompanying delegation.

At the end of the meeting, Prime Minister Rama and UEFA President Platini made the following pronouncements for media:

Prime Minister Edi Rama: “It is always a pleasure to have a great champion, a great hero of childhood of many of us, back in Tirana. For me it is a double pleasure because luckily, due to my job, I have known Michel Platini since a long time ago and I consider him a friend. He is a friend who pays a constant attention to progress of football in Albania.

Today, we met and discussed preparations for next season of the national team. I was happy to inform him that we are committed and convinced that in September we will present as a gift to our National Team, and as part of our competition, a stadium in Elbasan, which will be up to the image we want for Albania.

In cooperation with Albanian Football Federation, Government will finance this operation. Meanwhile, we talked also about the future of the National Stadium, which, unfortunately, today does not meet the standards of hosting an international match. Likewise, we shared the same old opinion that what we should never forget is that football is a sport that at first belongs to children and youth and above all it is an irreplaceable social instrument.

In this respect, I would like to thank Michel, because he is really not only a worldwide promoter of this great idea of Sports For All but also a direct supporter of our initiatives.

I would like to assure him of our Government’s will to continue staying close to Federation, close to football and sports supporters. Our ambition is known: We want to turn our stadiums into a place frequented not only by heartily fans but also by families and children, where there could always be more women and girls.

President of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Michel Platini: “I am pleased to be here together with the UEFA delegation. We think that football is in the good hands of Prime Minister and President of Albanian Football Federation Armando Duka. We believe in this because these two persons love football. We have known each-other for years and I know what they want to do and I know what can be done and I know what cannot be done, because it is not easy to do good things.

We talked about the new stadium, which Prime Minister and President Armando Duka have consulted together, and will be realized as soon as all everthing is ready. The new stadium will be constructed in Elbasan, about 40 kilometres from here and it will be very important for holding of international matches, as well as for creation of a new vision of football in Albania, because beginning from September all matches in Albania will be broadcast worldwide.

What we have achieved here, also with the kind contribution of UEFA, is what the Prime Minsiter, in cooperation with the Albaian Football Association have done for development of football at schools. This is a very beautiful thing. The Prime Minsiter will offer his help in this respect, Albanian Federation too, and us, UEFA, will assist with delivery of material basis and visits of different experts, thues we offer our assistance for development of football in Albania. Then, it will be up to you to give us great champions, we cannot help you with this. But, as the Prime Minsiter said, the most important this is for your children and youth to have fun by playing this sport, and maybe one day one of them could become a Ronaldo, a Messi, which would be something wonderful for Albania.

Thank you for the reception Edi, thank you Armando! We, UEFA, are satisfied with progress of football here in Albania, what is more with two important characters that love this sport a lot. Basketball too, but this is another issue.

Thank you!