Ervin Bulku, assistant coach of the Albanian national football team, has affirmed that the team is gearing up for their match against Croatia on June 19.

In an interview on RTSH show “Euro ’24 in 3D”, Bulku highlighted that the recent loss to Italy stemmed from the Albanian team’s relative inexperience in such high-stakes competitions, despite this being Albania’s second appearance in the European Championship Finals.

“I believe our lack of experience in these competitions played a role. This is only our second time participating, and the young age of our players could also be a factor. Overall, I think we performed well. With a bit more luck, we could have evened the score. The team is in excellent shape. They’re all prepared for the Croatia match. Asani sustained a knock during the game, but our medical staff assures us it’s minor. I don’t anticipate it affecting his availability for the next match,” clarified Bulku.

Describing the team atmosphere as positive, Bulku emphasized, “We need to move on from Italy quickly because in football, and especially in such competitions, dwelling on past matches isn’t productive.”

Looking ahead to the Croatia match, Bulku revealed that the Albanian team has been analyzing Croatia’s tactics for the past three months, including their recent performance against Spain.

“We’ve been studying Croatia intensively, along with all other teams. Particularly after their match against Spain, we’re aware of their experience and the quality of their players. Technically, they’re stronger than Italy. Together with the team, we’re aiming to give our best effort to secure a positive result and advance further,” concluded Bulku.

/a.p./