sign in sign up
<<
Home , Alban Bushi, Altin Rraklli, Amir Abrashi, Ansi Agolli, Igli Tare

EUROPEAN QUALIFIERS - 2014/16 SEASON MATCH PRESS KITS - Elbasan Thursday 8 October 2015 20.45CET (20.45 local time) Group I - Matchday -4 Serbia Last updated 12/07/2021 15:47CET

Official Partners of UEFA EURO 2020

Previous meetings 2 Match background 3 Squad list 4 Head coach 6 Match officials 7 Competition facts 8 Match-by-match lineups 9 Team facts 11 Legend 13

1 Albania - Serbia Thursday 8 October 2015 - 20.45CET (20.45 local time) Match press kit Elbasan Arena, Elbasan

Previous meetings Head to Head 2016 UEFA European Championship Stage Date Match Result Venue Goalscorers reached 3-0 14/10/2014 QR (GS) Serbia - Albania Belgrade Match forfeited f

1968 UEFA European Championship Stage Date Match Result Venue Goalscorers reached Sprečo 44, Osim 48, 12/11/1967 PR (GS) Yugoslavia - Albania 4-0 Belgrade 82, Lazarević 56 14/05/1967 PR (GS) Albania - Yugoslavia 0-2 Zambata 22, 56

Final Qualifying Total tournament

Home Away Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L GF GA EURO Albania 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 2 - - - - 3 0 0 3 0 9 Serbia 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 0 - - - - 3 3 0 0 9 0 FIFA* Albania ------Serbia ------Friendlies Albania ------3 0 1 2 4 7 Serbia ------3 2 1 0 7 4 Total Albania 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 2 - - - - 6 0 1 5 4 16 Serbia 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 0 - - - - 6 5 1 0 16 4 * FIFA World Cup/FIFA Confederations Cup

2 Albania - Serbia Thursday 8 October 2015 - 20.45CET (20.45 local time) Match press kit Elbasan Arena, Elbasan Match background

Already certain of at least a play-off place, Albania will hope that a victory at home against Serbia can strengthen their case for a top-two finish in Group I – and a direct route to their first finals. • Albania have an inferior head-to-head record in the event that they finish level on points with Denmark. • Albania will thus have to settle for their current third position if they fail to overcome Serbia and the second-placed Danes beat Portugal. • Albania and Portugal have an identical head-to-head record in the event that the two sides finish level on points. Previous meetings • The teams' opening Group I meeting in Belgrade on 14 October 2014 was abandoned and the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body subsequently awarded a 3-0 forfeit win to Serbia, who were then deducted the three points. The UEFA Appeals Body upheld the decision on 3 December 2014. • A subsequent ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on 10 July 2015 overturned the decision, awarding a 3-0 forfeit victory to Albania who moved onto ten points in Group I. • That was the nations' first encounter in their present form, though Yugoslavia twice beat Albania in 1968 UEFA European Championship qualifying. Form guide • Albania's five-game unbeaten run in Group I (W3 D2) was curtailed with a 1-0 home loss to Portugal last time out. • In addition to those competitive matches, Albania also scalped UEFA EURO 2016 hosts France 1-0 in Elbasan on 13 June. • Serbia picked up their first victory in the section – 2-0 against Armenia in Novi Sad – on the day Albania's unbeaten sequence ended. Disciplinary • , , and will incur a suspension with their next yellow cards. • Branislav Ivanović and Aleksandar Kolarov are both a booking away from a ban. Trivia and links • Albania have never qualified for a major final tournament. • Albanian and Serbian clubs have met in four UEFA competition fixtures. In fact, the two countries' clubs have identical records (W1 D2 L1), though the Albanian team was victorious in both ties: Flamurtari edged Partizan 3-2 on aggregate in the 1987/88 UEFA Cup first round; away goals then proved the difference as Besa got the better of Bežanija in the 2007/08 UEFA Cup.

3 Albania - Serbia Thursday 8 October 2015 - 20.45CET (20.45 local time) Match press kit Elbasan Arena, Elbasan Squad list

Albania Current season Overall Qual. FT Team No. Player DoB Age Club D Pld Gls Pld Gls Pld Gls Goalkeepers - 25/09/1977 38 Skënderbeu - 0 0 0 0 6 - - 23/11/1987 27 Partizani - 0 0 0 0 - - - 10/03/1989 26 Lazio - 6 0 0 0 27 - Defenders - Ansi Agolli 11/10/1982 32 Qarabağ * 6 0 0 0 56 2 - 12/02/1986 29 Giannina - 3 0 0 0 53 - - 25/09/1993 22 - 2 0 0 0 5 - - 20/02/1994 21 Napoli - 4 0 0 0 14 - - Berat Xhimshiti 19/02/1993 22 Zürich - 2 0 0 0 2 - - Amir Rrahmani 24/02/1994 21 Split - 0 0 0 0 1 - Midfielders - 27/07/1983 32 Nantes - 6 0 0 0 85 1 - 05/01/1987 28 Luzern - 2 0 0 0 11 2 - 22/05/1991 24 Rijeka - 4 0 0 0 25 1 - Taulant Xhaka 28/03/1991 24 Basel * 6 0 0 0 6 - - Amir Abrashi 27/03/1990 25 Freiburg * 6 0 0 0 15 - - Burim Kukeli 16/01/1984 31 Zürich * 6 0 0 0 12 - - 05/08/1989 26 Nantes - 6 1 0 0 12 1 - Ergys Kaçe 08/07/1993 22 PAOK - 1 0 0 0 12 2 - 17/12/1986 28 Pescara - 1 0 0 0 9 - - Alban Meha 26/04/1986 29 Konyaspor - 0 0 0 0 6 2 Forwards - Shkelzen Gashi 15/07/1988 27 Basel - 3 1 0 0 8 1 - 11/01/1991 24 Rijeka - 4 1 0 0 11 1 İstanbul - Sokol Çikalleshi 27/07/1990 25 - 5 0 0 0 11 - Başakşehir - 27/05/1991 24 Zürich - 1 0 0 0 13 1 Coach - Giovanni de Biasi 16/06/1956 59 - 6 0 0 0 32 -

4 Albania - Serbia Thursday 8 October 2015 - 20.45CET (20.45 local time) Match press kit Elbasan Arena, Elbasan

Serbia Current season Overall Qual. FT Team No. Player DoB Age Club D Pld Gls Pld Gls Pld Gls Goalkeepers - Vladimir Stojković 28/07/1983 32 M. Haifa - 6 0 0 0 62 - - Marko Dmitrović 24/01/1992 23 Alcorcón - 0 0 0 0 - - - Predrag Rajković 31/10/1995 19 M. Tel-Aviv - 0 0 0 0 2 - Defenders - Duško Tošić 19/01/1985 30 Beşiktaş - 1 0 0 0 13 1 - Branislav Ivanović 22/02/1984 31 Chelsea * 6 0 0 0 81 10 - Nenad Tomović 30/08/1987 28 Fiorentina - 1 0 0 0 19 - - Aleksandar Kolarov 10/11/1985 29 Man. City * 5 0 0 0 56 6 - Ivan Obradović 25/07/1988 27 Anderlecht - 0 0 0 0 21 1 - Uroš Spajić 13/02/1993 22 Toulouse - 1 0 0 0 2 - - Stefan Mitrović 22/05/1990 25 Gent - 3 0 0 0 6 - Midfielders CSKA - Zoran Tošić 28/04/1987 28 - 6 2 0 0 68 10 Moskva - Miralem Sulejmani 05/12/1988 26 Young Boys - 0 0 0 0 16 1 - Ljubomir Fejsa 14/08/1988 27 Benfica - 2 0 0 0 21 - - Luka Milivojević 07/04/1991 24 Olympiacos - 0 0 0 0 8 - - Nemanja Gudelj 16/11/1991 23 Ajax - 3 0 0 0 10 1 - Nemanja Matić 01/08/1988 27 Chelsea - 6 1 0 0 23 1 - Darko Brašanac 12/02/1992 23 Partizan - 1 0 0 0 1 - Crvena - Aleksandar Katai 06/02/1991 24 - 0 0 0 0 - - zvezda - Sergej Milinković-Savić 27/02/1995 20 Lazio - 0 0 0 0 - - Forwards Lokomotiv - Petar Škuletić 29/06/1990 25 - 2 0 0 0 4 - Moskva - Dušan Tadić 20/11/1988 26 Southampton - 5 0 0 0 32 6 - Adem Ljajić 29/09/1991 24 Internazionale - 3 1 0 0 14 2 - Aleksandar Mitrović 16/09/1994 21 Newcastle - 5 0 0 0 15 2 Coach - Radovan Ćurčić 10/01/1972 43 - 3 0 0 0 10 -

5 Albania - Serbia Thursday 8 October 2015 - 20.45CET (20.45 local time) Match press kit Elbasan Arena, Elbasan Head coach Date of birth: 16 June 1956 Nationality: Italian Playing career: Treviso FC, FC Internazionale Milano, AC Reggiana 1919, Pescara Calcio, , US Città di Palermo, Vicenza Calcio, Bassano Virtus 55 ST Coaching career: FC Pro Vasto, Carpi FC 1909, Cosenza Calcio, SPAL 1907, Modena FC, Brescia Calcio, Torino FC (three times), Levante UD, Udinese Calcio, Albania • Served apprenticeship as an academy coach and on the lower rungs of the Italian football ladder before making his name overseeing back-to-back promotions at Modena – guiding them from the third division to in 2002. It ended a 38-year absence from the top flight. • Helped Modena survive first season among the elite before moving to Brescia, where he stayed two years before embarking on a tumultuous spell at Torino in 2005. • Arrived with Torino picking up the pieces after bankruptcy and exceeded expectations by steering them back to Serie A in his first campaign, only to be replaced by Alberto Zaccheroni three days before the start of the next term. He was reappointed within seven months, leading the Granata to safety. • Spent 2007/08 at Levante, winning plaudits despite relegation, then returned for a third stint at Torino with five games of the season remaining and saved them from relegation again. Sacked that December, he had a two-month reign at Udinese in 2009/10 before finding more constancy as Albania boss. • A one-time midfielder with a handful of top-flight playing campaigns under his belt, De Biasi was installed in December 2011 as successor to Josip Kuže. He signed a new deal running until the end of UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying in November 2013. Radovan Ćurčić Date of birth: 10 January 1972 Nationality: Serbian Playing career: FK Javor (three times), FK Sloboda Užice, OFK Beograd, NK Gorica, FK Priština, FK Borac Čačak Coaching career: FK Javor (twice), FK Borac Čačak, Serbia (assistant, caretaker), Serbia Under-21, Serbia • A powerful forward, Ćurčić was top scorer in the second division for Javor in 2001/02, managing 24 goals. • Having hung up his boots in 2003, promptly moved into coaching with Javor, where he stayed till 2006. After a season at Borac (2006/07), returned for a second stint at Javour, staying till 2010. • Accepted invitation to work as Vladimir Petrović's assistant with the national team ahead of the 2010/11 season, but found himself in caretaker charge following the latter's resignation in October 2011. • Following appointment of Siniša Mihajlović as Petrović's permanent successor, Ćurčić took over as Serbia Under-21 coach and went on to lead the team to the 2015 UEFA European U21 Championship finals, eliminating Spain – who had won the two previous tournaments – in the play-offs. • Ćurčić, however, would not be around for the tournament in the Czech Republic, stepping back up to the senior side after Dick Advocaat resigned in November 2014; this time he was given the role on a long-term basis, agreeing a deal until after the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

6 Albania - Serbia Thursday 8 October 2015 - 20.45CET (20.45 local time) Match press kit Elbasan Arena, Elbasan Match officials

Referee Nicola Rizzoli (ITA) Assistant referees Elenito Di Liberatore (ITA) , Mauro Tonolini (ITA) Additional assistant referees Luca Banti (ITA) , Antonio Damato (ITA) Fourth official Andrea Padovan (ITA) UEFA Delegate Dennis Cruise (IRL) UEFA Referee observer Juan Antonio Fernandez Marin (ESP)

Referee UEFA EURO Name Date of birth UEFA matches matches Nicola Rizzoli 05/10/1971 11 76

Nicola Rizzoli Referee since: 1988 First division: 2001 FIFA badge: 2007

Tournaments: 2014 FIFA World Cup, 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup, UEFA EURO 2012, 2011 FIFA Club World Cup

Finals 2014 FIFA World Cup 2013 UEFA Champions League 2010 UEFA Europa League

UEFA European Championship matches featuring the two countries involved in this match No such matches refereed Other matches involving teams from either of the two countries involved in this match Stage Date Competition Home Away Result Venue reached 02/06/2007 U19 ELITE Switzerland Serbia 0-1 Fribourg

7 Albania - Serbia Thursday 8 October 2015 - 20.45CET (20.45 local time) Match press kit Elbasan Arena, Elbasan Competition facts

8 Albania - Serbia Thursday 8 October 2015 - 20.45CET (20.45 local time) Match press kit Elbasan Arena, Elbasan Match-by-match lineups Albania

European Qualifiers Matchday 1 (07/09/2014) Portugal 0-1 Albania Goals: 0-1 Balaj 52 Albania: Berisha, Lenjani (75 Lila), Hysaj, Cana, Agolli, Kukeli (66 Kaçe), Xhaka, Mavraj, Balaj (82 Çikalleshi), Roshi, Abrashi Matchday 2 (11/10/2014) Albania 1-1 Denmark Goals: 1-0 Lenjani 38, 1-1 Vibe 81 Albania: Berisha, Lila (87 Çurri), Lenjani, Hysaj, Cana, Agolli, Kukeli, Xhaka (82 Rama), Mavraj, Balaj (69 Çikalleshi), Abrashi Matchday 3 (14/10/2014) Serbia 0-3 Albania (Match forfeited) Albania: Berisha, Lila, Lenjani, Hysaj, Cana, Agolli, Kukeli, Xhaka, Mavraj, Balaj, Abrashi Matchday 5 (29/03/2015) Albania 2-1 Armenia Goals: 0-1 Mavraj 4 (og) , 1-1 Mavraj 77, 2-1 Gashi 81 Albania: Berisha, Hysaj, Cana, Agolli, Memushaj (46 Gashi), Kukeli, Xhaka, Mavraj, Çikalleshi, Roshi (69 Salihi), Abrashi (46 Lenjani) Matchday 7 (04/09/2015) Denmark 0-0 Albania Albania: Berisha, Lenjani (64 Sadiku), Cana, Xhimshiti, Agolli, Gashi (83 Roshi), Kukeli, Xhaka, Arlind Ajeti, Çikalleshi, Abrashi (64 Basha) Matchday 8 (07/09/2015) Albania 0-1 Portugal Goals: 0-1 Miguel Veloso 90+2 Albania: Berisha, Lenjani, Cana, Xhimshiti, Agolli, Gashi (70 Roshi), Kukeli, Xhaka, Arlind Ajeti, Çikalleshi (86 Balaj), Abrashi (54 Basha) Matchday 9 (08/10/2015) Albania-Serbia Matchday 10 (11/10/2015) Armenia-Albania Serbia

European Qualifiers Matchday 2 (11/10/2014) Armenia 1-1 Serbia Goals: 1-0 Arzumanyan 73, 1-1 Tošić 89 Serbia: Stojković, Nastasić, Ivanović, Tošić, Gudelj (74 A. Mitrović), F. Djordjević (69 Lazović), Tadić, Kolarov, S. Mitrović, Matić, Marković (26 Kuzmanović) Matchday 3 (14/10/2014) Serbia 0-3 Albania (Match forfeited) Serbia: Stojković, Nastasić, Ivanović, Tošić, Gudelj, Tadić, Kolarov, S. Mitrović, Matić, Lazović, Djuričić Matchday 4 (14/11/2014) Serbia 1-3 Denmark Goals: 1-0 Tošić 4, 1-1 Bendtner 60, 1-2 Kjær 62, 1-3 Bendtner 85 Serbia: Stojković, D. Tošić, Biševac, Ivanović, Tošić, Gudelj (66 A. Mitrović), Tadić (71 Marković), S. Mitrović, Matić, Lazović, Djuričić (46 Kuzmanović)

9 Albania - Serbia Thursday 8 October 2015 - 20.45CET (20.45 local time) Match press kit Elbasan Arena, Elbasan Matchday 5 (29/03/2015) Portugal 2-1 Serbia Goals: 1-0 R. Carvalho 10, 1-1 Matić 61, 2-1 Fábio Coentrão 63 Serbia: Stojković, Nastasić, Ivanović, Petrović, A. Mitrović, Tadić (78 Tošić), Kolarov, Matić, Basta, Marković (65 Djuričić), Ljajić (85 Škuletić) Matchday 6 (13/06/2015) Denmark 2-0 Serbia Goals: 1-0 Y. Poulsen 13, 2-0 J. Poulsen 87 Serbia: Stojković, Nastasić, Ivanović, Tošić (65 Kostić), A. Mitrović (90 Škuletić), Kolarov, Maksimović, Matić, Fejsa, Marković, Ljajić (81 Djuričić) Matchday 7 (04/09/2015) Serbia 2-0 Armenia Goals: 1-0 Hayrapetyan 22 (og) , 2-0 Ljajić 53 Serbia: Stojković, Tomović, Ivanović, A. Mitrović, Kolarov, Spajić, Matić, Brašanac, Kostić (84 Tadić), A. Živković (59 Tošić), Ljajić (73 Fejsa) Matchday 9 (08/10/2015) Albania-Serbia Matchday 10 (11/10/2015) Serbia-Portugal

10 Albania - Serbia Thursday 8 October 2015 - 20.45CET (20.45 local time) Match press kit Elbasan Arena, Elbasan Team facts

UEFA European Championship records: Albania History 2012 – did not qualify 2008 – did not qualify 2004 – did not qualify 2000 – did not qualify 1996 – did not qualify 1992 – did not qualify 1988 – did not qualify 1984 – did not qualify 1980 – did not qualify 1976 – did not qualify 1972 – did not qualify 1968 – did not qualify 1964 – did not qualify 1960 – did not participate Qualifying win 3-0: five times, most recently Luxembourg v Albania, 06/06/07 Qualifying defeat 9-0: Spain v Albania, 19/12/90 Overall appearances 29: Fotaq Strakosha 29: 25: 25: Klodia Duro 25: Lorik Cana 23: Alban Bushi 23: Altin Rraklli Overall goals 5: Edmond Kapllani 4: Sokol Kushta 4: Alban Bushi 4: Altin Rraklli 4: Ervin Skela 4: Igli Tare

UEFA European Championship records: Serbia History 2012 – did not qualify 2008 – did not qualify 2004 – did not qualify (as Serbia and Montenegro) 2000 – quarter-finals (as Yugoslavia) 1996 – did not participate (as Yugoslavia) 1992 – qualified, unable to compete (as Yugoslavia) 1988 – did not qualify (as Yugoslavia) 1984 – group stage (as Yugoslavia) 1980 – did not qualify (as Yugoslavia) 1976 – fourth place (as Yugoslavia) 1972 – did not qualify (as Yugoslavia) 1968 – runners-up (as Yugoslavia) 1964 – did not qualify (as Yugoslavia) 1960 – runners-up (as Yugoslavia) Final tournament win 0-1: Norway v Yugoslavia, 18/06/00 1-0: Yugoslavia v England, 05/06/68

11 Albania - Serbia Thursday 8 October 2015 - 20.45CET (20.45 local time) Match press kit Elbasan Arena, Elbasan 4-5: France v Yugoslavia, 06/07/60 Final tournament loss 6-1: Netherlands v Yugoslavia, 25/06/00 5-0: Denmark v Yugoslavia, 16/06/84 Qualifying win 7-0: Yugoslavia v Faroe Islands, 16/05/91 Qualifying loss 1-4: Yugoslavia v England, 11/11/87 3-0: three times, most recently Italy v Serbia, 12/10/10 Final tournament appearances 7: Dragan Stojković 5: Dragan Džajić 4: 8 players Final tournament goals 5: Savo Milošević 4: Dragan Džajić 2: Milan Galić 2: Dražan Jerković Overall appearances 32: Dejan Stanković 21: Dragan Džajić 20: Savo Milošević 20: Branislav Ivanović 19: Vladimir Stojković 19: Zoran Tosić 19: Predrag Mijatović 18: Danko Lazović Overall goals 10: Darko Pancev 10: Savo Milošević 10: Nikola Žigić 9: Zlatko Vujović 8: Dragan Džajić

12 Albania - Serbia Thursday 8 October 2015 - 20.45CET (20.45 local time) Match press kit Elbasan Arena, Elbasan Legend

:: Previous meetings

Goals for/against: Goal totals include the outcome of disciplinary decisions (e.g. match forfeits when a 3-0 result is determined). Goals totals do not include goals scored during a penalty shoot-out after a tie ended in a draw

:: Squad list

Qual.: Total European Qualifiers appearances/goals for UEFA EURO 2020 only. FT: Total UEFA EURO 2020 appearances/goals in final tournament only. Overall: Total international appearances/goals. DoB: Date of birth Age: Based on the date press kit was last updated D: Disciplinary (*: misses next match if booked, S: suspended)

:: Team facts

EURO finals: The UEFA European Championship was a four-team event in 1960, 1964, 1968, 1972 and 1976 (when the preliminary round and quarter-finals were considered part of qualifying).

From 1980 it was expanded to an eight-team finals and remained in that format in 1984, 1988 and 1992 until 1996, when the 16-team format was adopted. UEFA EURO 2016 was the first tournament to be played as a 24-team finals.

Records of inactive countries A number of UEFA associations have been affected by dissolution or splits of member associations. For statistical purposes, the records of these inactive countries have been allocated elsewhere: therefore, all Soviet Union matches are awarded to Russia; all West – but not East Germany – matches are awarded to Germany; all Yugoslavia and Serbia & Montenegro matches are awarded to Serbia; all Czechoslovakia matches are allocated to both the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Abandoned/forfeited matches For statisical purposes, when a match has been started and then abandoned but later forfeited, the result on the pitch at the time of abandonment is counted. Matches that never started and were either cancelled or forfeited are not included in the overall statistics. Competitions Other abbreviations (aet): After extra time pens: Penalties No.: Number og: Own goal ag: Match decided on away goals P: Penalty agg: Aggregate Pld: Matches played AP: Appearances Pos.: Position Comp.: Competition Pts: Points D: Drawn R: Sent off (straight red card) DoB: Date of birth Res.: Result ET: Extra Time sg: Match decided by silver goal GA: Goals against t: Match decided by toss of a coin GF: Goals for W: Won gg: Match decided by golden goal Y: Booked L: Lost Y/R: Sent off (two yellow cards) Nat.: Nationality N/A: Not applicable Disclaimer: Although UEFA has taken all reasonable care that the information contained within this document is accurate at the time of publication, no representation or guarantee (including liability towards third parties), expressed or implied, is made as to its accuracy, reliability or completeness. Therefore, UEFA assumes no liability for the use or interpretation of information contained herein. More information can be found in the competition regulations available on UEFA.com.

13