Albania head coach Silvinho has challenged Italy in their upcoming Euro opener. He bluntly said that this opening match will put a heavy psychological burden on the opponents.
Despite Albania's rocky qualifying campaign, Silvinho is confident that the team is poised and ready to give it their all on the Euro stage.
He mentioned that the Italian team, as a soccer powerhouse, has traditionally been highly competitive. Citing the 2018 World Cup draw between Brazil and Switzerland as an example, he warned the Italians that if they lose their first match, subsequent matches will be tougher.
Silvinho also confessed that Albania is not under as much pressure as Italy, but is also feeling the tension of the tournament. He revealed that the team is in good health and the players are giving their best in training.
Talking about his coaching career, Silvinho recalled his time in Italy, saying that he benefited greatly from his time as assistant coach of Inter Milan and spoke highly of the tactical philosophy of Italian soccer.
With the Europa League approaching, Silvinho and his Albanian team are ready to go and looking forward to showing their strength on the field and competing against strong teams such as Italy.
