On the eve of their UEFA Europa Conference League opener, Vllaznia head coach Edi Martini stood before the media and delivered a message brimming with determination. Injuries? Not an excuse. Departing players? Unfortunate, but no obstacle. Victory, he insisted, was not optional—it was essential.
“Some things have not gone our way,” he acknowledged then, “but I have told the boys that it is a match that must be won. There is no excuse for us. We have 25 players, no one is irreplaceable. We have taken the necessary measures to win this match.”
It was a statement of confidence fitting for a club with European ambitions, facing a Latvian side that had never before set foot on continental turf. But less than twenty-four hours later, those bold words rang hollow as Vllaznia collapsed on the pitch in disbelief at the Elbasan Arena, stunned by a 0-1 defeat to BFC Daugavpils—a team who needed just one shot on target to snatch the result.
The Albanians had started energetically, pinning the visitors back with waves of early pressure. Young forward Kevin Dodaj threatened repeatedly in the first half, twice denied by the brilliant reactions of Latvian goalkeeper Jānis Beks. Yet, for all their possession and chances, Vllaznia could not find the goal.
When the blow arrived in the 85th minute, it felt almost surreal. A long cross from substitute Dāvis Cucurs into the box saw 21-year-old Valērijs Lizunovs, both Daugavpils academy products, rise above the defence to lob a header into the far corner. Against all odds, the Latvians were ahead—and moments later, victorious.
Suddenly, the tune from the Vllaznia camp had shifted.
Martini, who had so firmly declared injuries irrelevant just a day earlier, now pointed to precisely those issues as critical to the defeat.
“Normally upset, we had our chances,” he said after the match, frustration etched on his face. “We should have scored. We controlled the game, we didn’t score, we conceded an avoidable goal, that’s football.”
He detailed how his plans were undone by last-minute disruptions.
“In the last week we have changed four players in the lineup. We had injuries and we were unable to keep up the pace. Krymi and Sala asked for substitutions in the first half. Mala was also not in optimal condition, he has not trained.”
Martini still insisted the tie remained open, reminding fans that a single goal deficit could be overturned.
“0-0 would be better. We will see the recovery of the players who were injured. It will be decided in the second game. I am optimistic with the game, the way the boys played. I am optimistic and I think we will make it there.”
He also expressed grudging respect for the resolute Latgalians, who frustrated his team all evening.
“This was a tough team, they defend well, they are tall. It is not easy to break 10 men. In the first half we should have scored two or three times. We also had penalty chances. I have faith in the boys because we still have 90 minutes left.”
Captain Bekim Balaj, who struggled to make an impact on the night, echoed the sense of disbelief, turning part of his ire toward the officiating.
“It’s not good when you lose a match and concede a goal like that,” Balaj said. “An opponent who never came to our goal—the first chance he got to the goal, he managed to score. Normally it leaves a bad taste, but it’s a two-match match. We’ll go there full of optimism to turn the result around.”
Despite the referee on the night being very susceptible to on-the-pitch theatrics, Balaj was convinced Vllaznia should have been awarded even more free kicks or penalties.
“I don’t want to get into the discussion, the referee didn’t give any fouls, no chances. Normally it leaves a bad taste. I can’t say what they were, but there were many questionable chances that he didn’t decide in our favor.”
Yet even he conceded that the team’s finishing simply wasn’t good enough.
“The desire to win was great, we started the game well, with a few chances. If we managed to score, the game could have taken a different turn. That’s football, today I think we didn’t deserve this result.”
Despite the shock, Balaj promised that Vllaznia would travel to Latvia with belief intact.
“Losing at home is an unwanted result for everyone, but we are optimistic, we have strength and we will do everything to get through this match. ‘Loro Boriçi’ is not our home ground, and the support of the fans would be even greater if it was. It’s not an excuse for us, we should have won this match. We didn’t manage to, so all the focus is on the next match. Football is like that, there are matches where chances don’t happen. The game doesn’t go well. Rarely do we see matches where the opponent manages to score with a single shot on goal. It happens in football, I hope we can give them back the favor there.”
As Daugavpils celebrated a historic victory, Vllaznia were left facing the stark contrast between pre-game bravado and post-game reality. For a team that promised no excuses, the narrative had turned on its head—and the pressure is on to prove those words weren’t empty when the sides meet again in Latvia next week.
Sources: https://www.panorama.com.al/sport/category/vllaznia/
