A main talking point at the Lazio training grounds in the past few days surround Thomas Strakosha’s stay at the Formello over the International Break. A confusing topic for both Laziali and Albanian supporters, the reason for the 24-year-old’s absence in the national side was made clear a few days ago by former manager Christian Panucci (who was sacked two days ago following a 3-0 loss to Turkey in the EURO 2020 qualifiers).
Strakosha was reportedly held up by the traffic in Rome and missed his flight, and hasconsequentially been dropped from the Albania squad as punishment. He’ll therefore not take part in the EURO 2020 qualifiers against Andorra and Turkey.
The topic is still obviously one of the most debated in Albania and Napoli defender Elseid Hysaj spoke to reporters about the issue.
Strakosha must understand his error, because nobody is punished without reason. I talked to him and I gave him all my moral support because he is a very important player for us. But those who make mistakes must pay. I told him to stay calm and remember this experience the next time; understanding his error will allow him to not repeat it. Discipline is important.
This drop from the Albanian national team particularly painful for Strakosha as this missed flight came on the same day as his 24th birthday…
