Stojkovic ahead of the match against Albania: We can’t win If we don’t play well

The head coach of the Serbian national football team, Dragan Stojkovic Piksi, addressed the media ahead of the upcoming World Cup 2026 qualifier against Albania, reports B92.

Piksi opened the press conference by extending congratulations on Kurban Bayram. Speaking about the opponent, he said they had watched many of Albania’s matches and that the impression remained the same — they are well-organized.

"The fact that they played in the European Championship says enough about them. They are characterized by aggression, and we have to find an answer to that. I already told the players — without mentioning names — that they are truly a quality team. Strakosha is an excellent goalkeeper, Gjimshiti is a great center-back, and he proves that.  Everything the players needed to know, we provided them. I assume they did the same regarding us,” he said.

Stojković reacted strongly to a question about a possible resignation in the event of a poor result in the next match.

"You're a bit crazy to ask that. That’s not a question for now. We’re not thinking along those lines. I don’t know where that idea even came from,” Piksi replied.

The Serbian national coach emphasized that Serbia would have to be “very, very good” to beat Albania.

"It’s plain and simple. We can’t win if we don’t play well,” said Stojkovic.

Team captain Aleksandar Mitrovic added that Serbia cannot win unless they score.

"We’ve been following them, analyzing them. They’re a tough team, and as the coach said, to win, we have to be at our absolute best," Mitrovic said.

Speaking about their preparation for the match, Mitrović stated that regardless of the opponent, their approach is always the same — to take all three points.

"Whether it’s Brazil, Andorra, or Albania, it doesn’t matter — we approach the match with the same mindset. We came here to take three points, and after the game, we’ll see if we’re satisfied,” he added.

After the press conference, the Serbian national team held a training session, followed by the Albanian team’s media conference.

The match, eagerly awaited across the region, is scheduled for tomorrow at 20:45 at the “Air Albania” stadium in Tirana. 

The host has three points from two matches, while this will be Serbia’s first match in the new qualifying cycle.