TIRANA, Jan  9  /ATA/ The new coach of the national team, Sylvio Mendes Campos Júnior, was introduced on Monday  at the AFF premises.

Sylvinho will replace Edoardo Reja in this position, who was in charge of the Albanian national team for 3 and a half years.

In a press conference held on Monday at the Football House, the former coach of the national team, Edoardo Reja, said that he has done his best at the helm of the Albanian National Team.

“I am extremely excited at this moment. Every journey comes to an end, both in terms of results and human relations, the cooperation has been very good,” said Reja.

“The results achieved are laudable. We involved about 40 players for the first time, we came very close to qualifying for the world cup, only 1 point away from the qualifying matches. When I took up the management of the team, it was in disarray. So we have done an extraordinary job,” he said.

The president of the AFF, Arman Duka, made a presentation of the coach Sylvinho and his technical staff Pablo Javier Zabaleta Girod and the Brazilian Dorival Guidoni Junior.

Duka said that the duration of agreement between the AFF and the new staff led by Sylvinho will last until the end of Euro 2024.

Pressed by journalists, Duka revealed that yesterday they had dinner together with Prime Minister Edi Rama, the new coach Sylvinho and his staff.

“I have asked the prime minister to receive the staff of the national team, precisely to tell the staff who will lead the team, what I told them in Milan, that the national team is more than a football team for us, it is the most important thing that we Albanians have. And I could make it clear through a meeting with the PM of the country,” said Duka.

The Brazilian coach comes after two seasons with Lyon and Corinthias and his salary will depend on the objective of qualifying to the 2024 European Championship.

In his remarks, coach Sylvinho thanked his predecessor Reja and the president of the AFF, Duka, for this opportunity.

“I wanted to say something to Reja, the work of a coach is always challenging, it is not simple. There is a lot of work behind the scenes. We have to make choices, sometimes you win, sometimes you don’t. I thank him for the work he has done for these footballers, for his heart, for his passion”, said Sylvinho.

/j.p/sm/