Minister of Prime calls back personally infrequently. However, Albania also rarely enters major football tournaments - Cnn.com wrote James Masters. Therefore, for temporarily pushing aside state affairs, wanting to facilitate the passage of compatriots to the final stage of the 2016 European Championship in France, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama can be forgiven. Monday, welcoming their heroes, at Tirana airport they were greeted by Rama, and then the whole team moved on to celebrate the entry of the state with just three million inhabitants into the tournament. A few days before that, Albania's dream of reaching the finals was hanging by a thread, as they had to admit defeat to their toughest opponents Serbia 0-2. That was the moment when Rama tried to ignite the hopes of millions of people. "I met them after the match with Serbia. They felt very disappointed - the loss was hard," Rama said giving an interview to CNN. "I talked to them and said, Listen, when you try to reach the top of the mountain, you must deal with more and more severe winds. Now is the time to show your character." Despite the mountains and winds, Albania confidently defeated Armenia by a score of 3-0, which equaled the biggest national team victory of all time. It brought a huge celebration both to the homeland and to Kosovo, where 1.8 million people are ethnic Albanians. The fireworks show and celebration continued until late, and thousands of people gathered to welcome back the team that had flown back to the country. The fans honored their heroes from the airport to the center of Tirana. No one believed that Albania could rise in a group where Portugal, Denmark, and their principal rival Serbia were competing. Despite their Albanian roots, many talented footballers, such as Xherdan Shaqiri, Valon Behrami, and Granit Xhaka, decided to represent Switzerland. Xhaka's brother Taulant, on the other hand, chose Albania, but another player, Shkodran Mustafi, defends the honor of Germany. Nevertheless, Albania made it to the championship. "I never dreamed of anything like this," said national team captain Lorik Cana to CNN. "After the match in Armenia, I called my father and he cried for two hours." "We are just happy people. I know that our compatriots at home have serious problems, so being able to provide them with joy, pride, and help them forget their troubles is truly special." Cana, along with the other players and coaching staff, presented Rama with thank-you medals, confirming that everyone who contributed to the success of the Albanian national team would be given the highest honor. "This is an incredible achievement," said Rama. "This is a fantastic elevation of our country and society. This team is one whose star is the team itself, not individual players." "They showed that when people work together and sacrifice for a dream, everything becomes possible." "I hope that after Albania's entry into the European Championship, membership in the European Union will follow," Rama added, reminding of long-held ambitions of the Balkan country. Since the time when, in the 1990s, under the totalitarian Enver Hoxha regime, Albania was one of the most isolated countries in the world, the country has come a long way. No one was allowed to travel, and many were imprisoned in secret gulags. Beards, like all religions, were prohibited. While Rama at home watched events in Armenia on TV, also watching over his 17-month-old son Zaho with one eye, another father was busy directing what to do on the field according to the instructions. A few weeks ago, Cana also became a father, which may have helped him to deal with insomnia on Sunday night. "We didn't sleep at all," Cana confirmed with a smile. "My career was rich, I represented 'Paris Saint-Germain' in France, 'Lazio' in Italy, and also played in the Premier League. However, the national team is special." "When you wear those jerseys, you feel the whole nation and people on your shoulders, and when you achieve something like this, it is one of the most impressive moments." For Albania, finishing second in their group, qualification was tough, especially noting the two matches against Serbia. The first, held in Belgrade in October 2014, was interrupted after 41 minutes of play as a drone carrying a flag with a nationalist slogan flew into the field. Albanian players ran out of the field seeking where to hide from fans and caretakers, later refusing to return and extend the match. The main European football body UEFA counted Serbia's victory with a technical result of 3-0, but revoked all three points from it. Both football associations were fined $126,410, and Serbia had to play the next two home matches in an empty stadium. Last week, both teams met again, this time in Elbasan, where Serbia scored two goals at the end of the match and left Albania in a situation where they needed a victory against Armenia. "After the match against Serbia, it was very difficult," Cana said. "Together with the coach, we worked to ignite a patriotic and fighting atmosphere." "Some people were disappointed with the result and perhaps feared losing the dream of progressing." "However, the support of the country, all institutions, and the Prime Minister was very important." Although Rama shamelessly admits to being a bigger basketball fan, the recent events in the country's sports history have certainly left an indelible impression on him. "This team united the Albanians. It is a great opportunity for everyone to show Albania because football is a big magnet." "We never thought this could be possible - it doesn't happen every day. The whole country is proud of them.
