Albania name provisional Euro 2016 squad

Somewhat of an unknown entity as we head towards Euro 2016, Albania boss Gianni De Biasi has named his provisional squad that will take to the field against Qatar on the 29th May & Ukraine on the 3^rd of June in preparation for their first ever major tournament.

While the former Udinese boss doesn’t have a whole host of household names to call upon, he does however possess Lazio’s back-up stopper Etrit Berisha, Napoli’s Elseid Hysaj and Basel’s Taulant Xhaka (brother of Granit) in his arsenal.

In a qualifying campaign overshadowed by an abandoned game against Serbia, the Eagles recorded a famous win away to Portugal and a hard fought scoreless draw against the Danes which saw them finish second behind the Portuguese and claim a precious automatic qualifying spot.

Some of the players who were crucial in the Albanian’s successful Group I campaign such as talismanic captain Lorik Cana of Nantes, Bekim Balaj who scored in Portugal and Kevin Doyle’s strike partner Shkëlzen Gashi all made the 27 man list but domestic top scorer Hamdi Salihi and Inter Milan youngster Rey Manaj find themselves out of the reckoning with De Biasi saying: “It’s all my opinion and my decision – nobody else’s. I have sent a message to all the players to explain my decision, as I always do.

He will have four more tough decisions to make as his squad will have to be trimmed down to 23 players before The Red and Blacks face a tough challenge in Group D which will see Albania take on Switzerland in Lens, hosts France in Marseille and Romania in Lyon on the 11^th, 15^th, and 19^th of June respectively. 

Provisional Albania squad for UEFA EURO 2016

Goalkeepers: Etrit Berisha (Lazio), Alban Hoxha (Partizani), Orges Shehi (Skënderbeu).

Defenders: Lorik Cana (Nantes), Arlind Ajeti (Frosinone), Berat Gjimshiti (Atalanta), Mërgim Mavraj (Köln), Amir Rrahmani (Split), Elseid Hysaj (Napoli), Ansi Agolli (Qarabag), Frederic Veseli (Lugano), Naser Aliji (Basel).

Midfielders: Ledjan Memushaj (Pescara), Ergys Kaçe (PAOK), Andi Lila (Giannina), Migjen Basha (Como), Odise Roshi (Rijeka), Burim Kukeli (Zürich), Ermir Lenjani (Nantes), Herolind Shala (Slovan Liberec), Taulant Xhaka (Basel), Armir Abrashi (Freiburg).

Forwards:

Bekim Balaj (Rijeka), Sokol Çikalleshi (Medipol Baksasehir), Armando Sadiku (Vaduz), Milot Rashica (Vitesse), Shkëlzen Gashi (Colorado Rapids).