England’s record under Tuchel so good it’s ‘disgusting’ – Albania boss
England’s exceptional form under Thomas Tuchel has earned high praise from Albania head coach Sylvinho ahead of their World Cup qualifying clash in Tirana. The European runners-up have won all seven of their Group K matches, scoring 20 goals while keeping a perfect defensive record, with Tuchel’s reign having started with a 2-0 victory over Albania in March at Wembley.
Sylvinho, a former Arsenal and Manchester City left-back, acknowledged the challenge ahead, describing England’s statistics as “disgusting” due to their consistency and dominance. “Unfortunately, I have to say they are stronger than six months ago,” he said. “The numbers are amazing. It’s disgusting! What can I say.”
Despite the daunting task, the Albanian manager emphasized his team’s readiness and confidence. “We are happy, we are going to face one of the best tomorrow and we are going to try to do our job,” he said. “My players have confidence and love what they are doing on the pitch. We are going to prepare something, try to score, and have a great match.”
Albania enters Sunday’s fixture buoyed by securing second place in Group K, guaranteeing a spot in the World Cup playoffs following their recent win in Andorra and England’s 2-0 win over Serbia. Sylvinho stressed the difference in quality between the sides but remained optimistic about his team’s performance. “They are on a completely different level [to us]. Don’t make any confusion about us. We are very happy with our team, and for the first time, we are going to play the playoffs in March. Tomorrow is a great game, it’s a difficult game as well. Great coach, love him, the way that he plays, and also he has some of the best players in the world.”
With England’s impeccable record and attacking firepower, the match presents a stern test for Albania. For Tuchel, it represents the continuation of a near-perfect start to his tenure, highlighting both his tactical acumen and the squad’s balance between offensive potency and defensive solidity.