March 17 – Albanian FA president Armand Duka was overwhelmingly re-elected for a sixth four-year term on Tuesday following weeks of bitter disagreement about the validity of the process.
Duka won 37-4 over former Albanian coach Sulejman Starova while two votes were invalid in a vote boycotted by one of the federation’s regional associations.
Dritan Shakohoxha, a well-known sports journalist in the country and the third candidate for the post, also reportedly boycotted the occasion calling the process illegal.
Last month a three-member UEFA delegation visited the country to evaluate the electoral process amid concerns about political interference. It was originally scheduled to take place in early March but an Albanian court suspended Duka and two other senior officials from their posts.
Albania has eight regional associations eligible to vote in the election. But the national federation has been in dispute with Tirana city hall which accuses it of corruption and manipulation of the voting process.
The ballot nevertheless went ahead with both UEFA and FIFA officials reportedly present.
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