Dossena takes Albania job
Thursday, June 27, 2002
Article summary
Former Italian international Giuseppe Dossena has taken over as coach of Albania.
Article body
Former Italian international Giuseppe Dossena has taken over as coach of the Albanian national team.
Third foreign coach
Dossena, who was assistant to Paraguay coach Cesare Maldini at the FIFA World Cup, becomes the third foreign coach to take over the Albanian national team after the Yugoslavian Ljubisa Brocic in 1946 and the Hungarian Miklos Vadas in 1953. He replaces Sulejman Demollari, who was sacked in April after Albania lost 2-0 to Andorra.
Bottom of the group
Albania will face Russia, Switzerland, Georgia and the Republic of Ireland in Group 10 of the UEFA European Championship qualifiers. They finished bottom of their group in the World Cup qualifiers, winning just one of their eight matches - 2-0 against Greece.
Assisting Maldini
Dossena played for Torino Calcio, Udinese Calcio, Bologna FC and Sampdoria UC in the 1980s, when he won 38 international caps. He beat compatriot Sergio Brio and Germany's Hans-Peter Briegel to the job. Under the contract, Dossena will be free to choose his deputy and travel freely to follow his players' club matches abroad.
