UEFA’s technical analysis is revealed: why fate was merciless with Albania and rewarded Kosovo!

The Albanian national football team takes to the pitch at the “National Arena” today to hold its final training session, before the closing challenge of this intense phase in the Nations League.

Tomorrow evening, coach Maran’s boys will face San Marino, but attention is split between the pitch and UEFA’s calculations.

The panorama has changed completely after the last matches played at the weekend. The 2-1 defeat Albania suffered from Finland in Helsinki has shaken the red-and-blacks’ positions. Based on these results, projections show that Albania currently slips into the fourth pot.

This means that in the draw for the Euro 2028 qualifiers, which will be thrown on 6 December, the red-and-blacks risk a “group of hell” with extremely difficult opponents. If the situation remains like this, a real uphill climb would begin for Maran’s team to fulfil its ambition towards the European Championship.

In complete contrast to us, Kosovo is experiencing a golden moment. The point taken at “Fadil Vokrri” after the 1-1 draw with Austria has been enough for the “Dardanians” to climb into the second pot. This positioning makes them much more favoured for a passable group, marking a historic step if they manage to stay in the same “waters”.

In this dramatic situation of calculations, tomorrow’s challenge takes on vital importance. The red-and-blacks count 2 wins and 1 defeat so far, while they play against San Marino, without discussion the weakest team in the group (3 matches, 3 defeats).

For Albania tomorrow a simple win is not enough; a convincing rout is needed to fix the goal difference and to try to recover the ground lost in UEFA’s overall ranking, in the hope of escaping the fourth pot.