Gashi out to conquer American hearts - ALBANIA
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Having won numerous championships and cups with FC Basel, competed against the best in the world in the UEFA Champions League and helped Albania to qualify for a European Championship for the first time in over 50 years, Shkelzen Gashi has enjoyed a fulfilling career.
In February of this year, just months before the kick-off of the continental showpiece the 27-year-old embarked on a new adventure, this time in the United States. "I'm a huge fan of the US and came here on holiday a lot," he told FIFA.com in an exclusive interview. "It just happened. The club made an effort and at some point I just pulled myself together and said: 'Come on Gashi, pack your bags, give it your all and conquer American hearts.'"
The midfielder was born in Kosovo but grew up in Zurich, where he cut his teeth in the game by playing in the youth teams of both of the city's clubs, Grasshoppers and FC Zurich. As a professional he laced his boots for seven different Swiss sides between 2005 and 2016 before joining Colorado Rapids in February this year. And he is happy with the move: "It's a completely different world and a lot of fun. Things have been going well so far. On top of that, the sense of anticipation ahead of the EURO is growing."
At the European Championship, which runs from 10 June to 10 July, Albania face host nation France, Romania and Switzerland, of all teams. "I had to laugh at first – we're playing against Switzerland again," Gashi said. "We're really looking forward to it. It's a very good group but we could cause a surprise. We're heading to France full of confidence because we played well in qualifying and we beat Portugal, among others. We know what we can do and don't need to fear anyone. We've played two friendlies against France and haven't lost. We'll give it our all and see what we get for our efforts after 90 minutes. I was desperate to play in a tournament for Albania. It was a weight off my shoulders when we secured qualification. We want to have a great tournament. Obviously we're not going into the group as favourites, but we hope we can spring a surprise."
"As a team we're a new generation. They know international football and they're all hungry, and that's the secret to success."
Shkelzen Gashi on the secret to Albania's qualifying success
There was nothing surprising about Albania's qualification either. Kuq e Zinjte (the Red and Blacks) have been steadily improving in recent years and although they finished second bottom in their group during 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ qualifying, they did record a victory and secured notable draws against Portugal (0-0), Sweden (0-0) and Denmark (1-1). Albania also came in second bottom during qualifying for Brazil 2014 but once again their results were much improved, winning three matches.
The breakthrough came en route to France as Albania booked their place at an international tournament 52 years after their first attempt, succeeding at the 23rd time of asking. Coach Gianni De Biasi's side were rank outsiders prior to the qualifying campaign for UEFA EURO 2016, sitting behind all of their group rivals in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking. Nevertheless, the unfancied southeastern Europeans pulled off a sensational 1-0 victory in Portugal in their opening game and never looked back. Needing to defeat Armenia away in their final fixture in order to edge ahead of Denmark to second place in the standings, they did so with ease, posting a 3-0 triumph to equal the country's biggest ever competitive victory.
"When I think about how many players our coach fielded, you can truly say he did a great job," said Gashi. "As a team we're a new generation. A lot of players either grew up abroad or play overseas. They know international football and they're all hungry, and that's the secret to success."
Countless supporters poured onto the streets when the team returned to Albania. The heroes waved to their fans from an open-topped bus, which took them to a celebration at the residence of a delighted Edi Rama, the country's Prime Minister. Rama announced that everyone involved in the success would be awarded the nation's highest Order of Merit. "It's well known that Albanians are completely football crazy," Gashi said. "It's unbelievable. The only thing anyone talks about now is EURO 2016 and they're really looking forward to it. It's a party. Every Albanian should enjoy the fact that we're there. After all, we've all been waiting for a long time. When I think about what it was like when we qualified, it's unbelievable. We're all delighted."
Regardless of what happens during their adventure in France, the next challenge is already looming on the horizon. Qualifying for Russia 2018 starts in September, and Albania will face teams of the calibre of Spain and Italy, among others. "It'll be a cool World Cup qualifying campaign and obviously it won't be easy." Gashi concluded. "But what is easy nowadays? We're looking forward to it, but first of all we're only thinking about the Euro. We've got one highlight after the other."