VIDEO SHOWS: SERBIAN AND ALBANIAN NATIONAL SOCCER TEAMS TRAINING / PRESS CONFERENCES WITH EACH TEAM RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT SHOWS: LESKOVAC, SERBIA (OCTOBER 10, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all) 1. SERBIA COACH, DRAGAN STOJKOVIC, AND STRIKER ALEKSANDAR MITROVIĆ TAKING SEAT AT TABLE IN PRESS BRIEFING ROOM 2. (SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) SERBIA COACH, DRAGAN STOJKOVIC, SAYING: “First and foremost, we have a difficult match ahead of us against a sporting rival – Albania, an exceptionally good team. The expectation is that we will win. This is one of, if not the most important matches for our group ranking. We know how important this match is, and we are preparing for it accordingly.” 3. PRESS BRIEFING IN PROGRESS 4. (SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) SERBIA COACH, DRAGAN STOJKOVIC, SAYING: “Aside from the public expecting (a win), I expect it, and that's the most important thing. In this October window of qualifiers, so to say, we aim to achieve our maximum performance, which is 6 points. We're working on it. We've been working on it, and we'll do everything we can to achieve that goal – three points against Albania tomorrow and three points in Andorra. So that we can have a successful October cycle.” 5. PRESS BRIEFING UNDWERWAY NIS, SERBIA (OCTOBER 10, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all) 6. VARIOUS OF SERBIA SQUAD AND STOJKOVIC COMING OUT FOR TRAINING 7. VARIOUS OF SQUAD WARMING UP 8. VARIOUS OF STRIKER DUSAN VLAHOVIC TRAINING 9. STOJKOVIC STANDING, TALKING 10. STRIKER ALEKSANDAR MITROVIĆ TRAINING 11. VARIOUS OF SERBIA SQUAD TRAINING, RUNNING, JUMPING, KICKING BALL LESKOVAC, SERBIA (OCTOBER 10, 2025) (REUTERS –Access all) 12. START OF PRESS CONFERENCE WITH ALBANIA COACH, SYLVIO MENDES CAMPOS JUNIOR (SYLVINHO), AND ALBANIA DEFENDER, ELSEID HYSAJ 13. (SOUNDBITE) (Albanian) ALBANIA DEFENDER, ELSEID HYSAJ, SAYING: “Everyone, just like me, believes that we have come here for a win, because we are not here for a draw or a loss. As I mentioned earlier, soccer is very unpredictable; you never know how things might turn out. However, the good thing would be for all of us to have the same mindset tomorrow: to enter the pitch with one goal, to move forward and get a victory. I hope that tomorrow will be that moment or that day.” 14. PRESS BRIEFING IN PROGRESS 15. (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) ALBANIA COACH, SYLVIO MENDES CAMPOS JUNIOR (SYLVINHO), SAYING: “All matches are important. Today, yes, the question is appropriate. Today, yes, absolutely. A month ago it was Latvia, if you don't beat Latvia, there would have been no point in staying here. We won, so now we're in a position to play a very important match.” 16. VARIOUS OF ALBANIA SQUAD TRAINING, LARGE SCREEN ON STADIUM WITH SERBIAN AND ALBANIAN FLAGS AND INSCRIPTION: EUROPEAN QUALIFIERS (WELCOME in English, Serbian and Albanian languages) 17. MIDFIELDER YLBER RAMADANI STANDING AND TALKING 18. VARIOUS OF TRAINING 19. VARIOUS OF FORWARD MIRLIND DAKU KICKING BALL WITH ANOTHER PLAYER, TRAINING 20. VARIOUS OF MIDFIELDER QAZIM LAÇI TRAINING 21. ALBANIA COACH, SYLVIO MENDES CAMPOS JUNIOR (SYLVINHO) STANDING, OVERLOOKING TRAINING 22. DEFENDER ELSEID HYSAJ HUGGING MIDFIELDER YLBER RAMADANI, BOTH LAUGHING 23. VARIOUS OF TRAINING STORY: Serbia and Albania—Balkan neighbours with a history of soccer rivalry—will clash in a World Cup qualifier match on Saturday (Oct. 11). The two sides are vying for a place in next year's tournament in North America. Going into Saturday, the Albanians have an edge on eight points, the Serbians on seven. Both are well behind group K leaders England on 15 points, but second place in the group would secure a place in the play-offs and keep hopes of qualifying alive. The first qualifier match between the two in June ended in a 0–0 draw. Serbia and Albania have a historic soccer rivalry. In 2014, a politically sensitive Euro 2016 qualifier was abandoned following a brawl between players from both sides after a drone appeared carrying a flag with a map of so-called 'Greater Albania,' which included parts of other countries where ethnic Albanians live. (Production: Fedja Grulovic, Branko Filipovic, Thomas Holdstock)
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