Albania enter UEFA Euro 2016 hoping to write yet another beautiful underdog story. The Eagles are looking to continue with their upward surge under coach Gianni De Biasi, a performance that has seen them slay the likes of France, Armenia and Portugal. This will be the first time the Albanians will be participating in this tournament, something that should give them the inspiration to leave their mark despite being one of the underdogs on paper, but not on the pitch.
Recent form
The highlight of their recent good form was back in June 2015 when they pulled a shocking 1-0 win over Euro 2016 hosts France in Elbasan. This was followed by their historic 3-0 win over Armenia, a result that booked them a ticket to their first ever senior final tournament, the European Championship. In 2015, they played a total of eight international matches, including qualifiers and friendlies. Out of the eight, they won three, lost two, and drew three. Their biggest win was 3-0 in Yerevan against Armenia.
In 2016, they have played two international friendlies. One of them was a 2-1 loss against Austria and the other was a 2-0 win away to Luxembourg. They currently sit at the 45th position internationally on the May 2016 FIFA ranking table.
Manager’s profile
Gianni De Biasi, 59, has been the head coach of the Albanian national football team since December 14, 2011. He took over from Josip Kuze and has been credited for the development of youth talent in his squad. He started his career with the Albanians on a high, winning 3-1 against Cyprus in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers. He also registered a famous 1-0 win over Portugal in the Euro 2016 qualifiers, a result that led to the resignation of Portugal's ex-manager Paulo Bento. 
Surprisingly, the Albanians then beat Armenia 2-1, a result that also caused the resignation of Armenia manager Bernard Challandes. Then the most shocking result of all was the 1-0 win over France on 13 June 2015, a result that steered the country to the 36th position in July’s FIFA world rankings for the first time in their history. By virtue of being giant slayers, the Albanians will be hoping to pull a surprise in this tournament and their track record has proven that anything is possible.
Under De Biasi, Albania have played 38 games, won 15, drawn 10 and lost 13.
UEFA Euro 2016 broadcasters in Albania
The Euro 2016 will be available to watch live on DigitAlb, Albania’s leading pay-TV digital satellite and terrestrial TV platform. Subscribers will be able to enjoy extensive of the tournament on SuperSport Albania, which will air many of the group stage matches on SuperSport 2.
Go to Albania's page for the team's full UEFA Euro 2016 fixtures and global online and TV listings.
Team roster
Here is Albania's official 23-man squad for Euro 2016:
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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