Constantinides at the helm of renascent Albania

TIRANA (FIBA EuroBasket 2017 Qualifiers) - The Basketball Federation of Albania (FSHB) has trusted coach Antonis Constantinides with the task of leading the senior national team on their return to the international stage, in the summer's FIBA EuroBasket 2017 Qualifiers.

The FSHB had put on hold its senior national team programme in 2012, following the conclusion of their unsuccessful FIBA EuroBasket 2013 qualification campaign.

Albania last took part in the Final Round of a EuroBasket tournament in 1957, but FSHB president Avni Ponari considers the appointment of Constantinides as the first step of a long-term plan which hopefully will spark a renaissance of basketball in the country.

"Our initial agreement is for the summer qualifiers but the goal we set is to lay the foundations of a structure for the future," Constantinides, a FIBA Europe Coaching Certificate graduate, explained to fibaeurope.com.

"We will look to incorporate players from the youth national teams that could help the team have higher goals in a few years' time.

"There are seven-to-eight players that play abroad and I would like them to make up the core of the team.

"From then on we will look at the best players in the domestic Albanian league and we will soon start scanning the USA for players with Albanian roots, especially in the NCAA, so that we can bring these kids close to the national team."

The 41-year-old Cypriot coach is currently the boss of Kosovo champions and former FIBA Europe Cup participants Sigal Prishtina.

He assumed charge of Prishtina in December after parting ways with Energia Targu-Jiu, having steered the Romanian club to the EuroChallenge Final Four in 2015.

In coaching Albania however, he will draw on his experience at the helm of the Cypriot national team, during the FIBA EuroBasket 2013 Qualification Round.

"I am far more experienced now than I was then and I am fully aware that the role of the coach at a club and at a national team are two distinct things," Constantinides said.

"The biggest challenge has to do with the fact the team was inactive during the last years.

"But on the other hand I am very excited for taking over a team that wants to make a fresh start."

Albania's first competitive game in four years will be against Georgia on the road, in the premiere of the EuroBasket 2017 Qualifiers on 31st August.

The Albanians will also do battle with Montenegro and the Slovak Republic in home and away games in Group F.

"Of course there will be huge respect for all opponents from our part but we cannot fear anybody, even such good teams as Georgia and Montenegro," Constantinides commented on the group.

"We are not going to play in the Qualifiers only to gain experience.

"The aim is to put out a team that, at the least when playing at home with the support of the fans, will give its all to win games.

"We want to build a competitive team that will have a clear gameplan on both ends of the floor and will fight for 40 minutes."

FIBA