“It would be suicide if I sacrificed myself,” Ernest Gjoka after elimination from the Cup: We cannot be in two competitions

Dinamo triumphed away against Skënderbeu in the second leg of the Albanian Cup quarter-finals. After losing 0-2 in the first match, today the Dinamo players won 0-4, securing a spot in the semi-finals. Following the match, the losing coach, Ernest Gjoka, spoke.

“I am saying it sincerely—we could not compete in two competitions. We did not have a full squad. So, it would have been suicide if I had sacrificed the team today.

Skënderbeu’s Academy, U19, is in first place for a reason. There are some very talented players. Two or three have already been in the focus of the first team, and today was a test for them, so we can consider them for the future.

The team itself was aware of the effort required and what needed to be done. With key players dealing with physical issues, I could not take the risk. There were essentially two different teams—one with most of the U19 starters and three or four first-team players.

I sincerely thank the U19 players because they played with passion and sacrifice. I believe they will remember this match against Skënderbeu for a long time. This was the best these young players could do,” Gjoka stated.

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