With Albania in the “fire group”, this year’s European Championship [Finals] guarantees a spectacle. The audience is expected to be at the maximum, not only in the group stage, but until the grand final. Businesses will exploit this attention, allocating marketing budgets as record audiences are expected.

When Germany won the World Cup in 2014, the streets of Albanian cities, especially Shkodër, were filled with fans who came out to celebrate with flags and cheers and German national team uniform, according to Monitor magazine.

It would be impossible for a foreigner to tell whether he was in Germany, or in a small country that has traditionally been noted for its high level of support for the big teams, in European or world competitions, including Brazil, Italy, Holland, England, or Spain from the younger generation.

“Historically, we have become fans of strong teams,” says Alban Xhihani, sports commentator. “The World and European Championships [Finals] are special events around the globe, which take place once every four years. They have a high audience, as they become a traditional celebration for all countries, even those that are not participating,” he says.

This year, as the European Championship is approaching, the interest is much higher for another reason. For the second time in history, Albania has managed to qualify for “Euro 2024”.

A team with strong players, with quality matches and clean victories, that managed to qualify with merit one match before the qualifiers ended, has excited everyone.

These emotions are expected to culminate with the start of the European Championship that will take place in Germany, from June 14 to July 14, 2024.

“The fans are like salt in the meal. Without them, the games would have no meaning. For example, Hasani’s goal against Poland wouldn’t have been so cool if it weren’t for the fans,” says the sports commentator who himself got ‘hoarse’ shouting for the spectacular shot, which unlocked the result against a direct rival to be at the head of the group, in the presence of 22,000 fans who burst into cheers at the “Air Albania” stadium.

“Albanian fans know how to bring atmosphere and fill the stadium full at any time, even on rainy days,” says Xhihani. “When they cheered to madness in Shkodër in 2014 and the city was dressed in the colors of Germany, imagine what they will do for the Albanian national team.”

The groups of “Red and Black Fans”, “Plisat” /The white head dresses /, the Albanians of North Macedonia, are expected to be more fiery than ever.

The location of the championship is an additional element in favor of the National Team. “This time, unlike France, we are in the hearts of all Albanians who have emigrated and are in Germany, or those who will come from the surrounding countries. This makes this competition more special for the fans”.

The commentator is confident that the attendance at the stadiums and the audience on Klan Television, which has the exclusive broadcast, will be at the maximum throughout the month. “When Albania plays, not even a ‘fly will buzz’.

It will be a spectacle, also due to the fact that in the group we have teams with names like Italy, with which historically half of Albania has supported, or Spain, which has gone down in history, or Croatia, Luka Modrić’s strong team. Even if we were to solve them ourselves, we wouldn’t have a group with such greatness”.

At least for 10 days, the maximum attention will be on the national team, whose Red and Black colors are expected to unite and make everyone their own.

Even after Albania, which we hope will go as far as possible, the group stage will bring together the best teams, the competition will increase and the fans will return with their favorite teams, who will probably leave them a little aside in beginning.

“It is certain that this European will be the most unique, the most spectacular and the most followed so far,” says Xhihani for the Monitor.

/a.p./