Kosovo Coach Foda: Pitch Is Pristine, Israel Has No Cause to Complain
Kosovo head coach Franco Foda stated that the pitch in Pristina is in excellent condition ahead of Saturday's UEFA Nations League match against Israel, dismissing any potential complaints.
Kosovo is finalizing its preparations to host Israel on Saturday at 16:00 in Pristina, aiming for a crucial victory to keep alive its hopes of winning the group in League B of the UEFA Nations League. Head coach Franco Foda is dealing with a few squad dilemmas, as center-back Lumbardh Dellova has been ruled out, while Ermal Krasniqi remains a major doubt due to a muscle strain.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Foda addressed the condition of the pitch and the upcoming encounter. "The pitch is in excellent condition. We trained yesterday and saw significant improvements, so this time the Israelis have no reason to complain," the coach stated, recalling similar complaints made three years ago during Israel's previous defeat in Kosovo.
Foda also touched on the tactical preparation and squad absences, confirming that both Dellova and Krasniqi will not be available. "We are ready for tomorrow's match. Today we will hold our final training session to work on tactical aspects. We have some absences, but we believe in all the players at our disposal," he said, hinting that an additional player might be called up to the squad.
The Kosovo coach emphasized the positive atmosphere within the camp ahead of the vital fixture, as the hosts look to improve their standing in the race for promotion to League A. "We worked well, the atmosphere is very good, and training was held at a high intensity. These are very important matches, and we hope to achieve a positive result," Foda added.
Commenting on the opposing side, Foda praised the quality of the Israeli squad. "Israel has a good team. They are very strong, with excellent individual players like Manor Solomon and Oscar Gloukh. All their matches are very close, as they showed against Austria and Ireland," he noted.
Kosovo enters the match following a scoreless draw against Israel in Hungary last month, and a home victory would provide a major boost in the campaign. Three years ago, Kosovo defeated Israel 1:0 in Pristina with a goal by Milot Rashica, and Foda's side will look to replicate that success in front of their home supporters.
