Vllaznia down as Napoli come calling
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
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Coach Agim Canaj hopes the loss of three key players will not spoil KS Vllaznia's night as they welcome Serie A's SSC Napoli to Albania vying for a UEFA Cup place.
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Coach Agim Canaj hopes the loss of three key players will not spoil KS Vllaznia's night as they welcome SSC Napoli to Albania in the UEFA Cup on Thursday.
Key departures
Napoli are looking forward to their first game in European competition since 1994, but their opponents are just as excited as Albania welcomes its first Italian club side since Torino FC lost 1-0 to FK Partizani in the first leg of a UEFA Cup Winners' Cup first round game back in September 1968. Canaj can only hope that his side is strong enough to compete following three departures.
'Hard to replace'
Admir Teli, Xheyahir Sukaj and Gilman Lika have all moved on after playing in the first qualifying round success against Slovenia's FC Koper, leaving Canaj – who took over following the departure of Dervish Hadziosmanovic – with a headache. "It's not just one player," said Canaj. "These are three very important men who had a big impact on the team. They will be hard to replace."
'Good football'
Under any circumstances, having to make such crucial changes at short notice would not be easy, but the situation for the Shkoder club has been made even harder by the sheer quality of their opponents. "It's a very tough fixture," said the 51-year-old Canaj. "Napoli are not just a big-name club, they are a good side and they play good football."
Croatian targets
Long-term, Canaj is tempted to look beyond local players and to Croatia, with central defender Marko Bašić having already impressed since his arrival from Ukraine's FC Zorya Luhansk. "I like the way they play football," he said. "They are technical players and physical as well. I have a couple of them in mind."
Sinani eager
Vllaznia also hope that last season's Albanian top scorer Vioresin Sinani will be ready to compete having been ruled out through injury since 5 May. "I want to play and I am ready to play", said the 30-year-old, who scored 20 times in the league last season. "A goal against Napoli would be remarkable, but a victory for the team would be something exceptional."