As the European Championships are about to kick off, Albania's skipper Silvinho has provocatively predicted that the opening match will be a tough test on a psychological level for Italy.
"Despite our rocky journey in the qualifiers, we have sharpened our edge and are ready to take on the big national powers on the big stage of the Europa League." Silvinho's words reveal confidence.
He further noted that Italy, the ancient empire of soccer, has always been a strong competitive force. He borrowed the example of Brazil's draw with Switzerland in the 2018 World Cup to warn Italy that once it loses its first match, the subsequent journey will be thorny.
However, Silvinho also confessed that although the Albanian team is not under as much pressure as Italy, the same atmosphere of tension hangs over them. He revealed that the team is in good shape and the players are giving their best in training.
Talking about his personal experience, Silvinho recalled his coaching years in Italy, especially his time as assistant coach of Inter Milan, with great emotion and praised the tactical philosophy of Italian soccer.
As the European Championships draw closer, Silvinho and his Albanian team are ready to go and they are looking forward to proving themselves on the field in an exciting showdown with soccer powerhouses such as Italy.
