Although his contract ends in July, Sylvinho's era on the Albania bench seems to have ended last night at the Warsaw stadium.
The minimal 2–1 loss against Poland not only burned Albania's dream of the 2026 World Cup, but also marked the end of his journey on the red and black bench.
The Brazilian took charge of the national team at the beginning of 2023. His contract was due to end in December 2025, but the Albanian Football Federation extended it by 6 months, after securing qualification for the Play Off matches for the 2026 World Cup, with the sole aim of success in the remaining matches.
However, after yesterday's defeat to Poland, another contract extension seems unlikely. Now his departure is only a matter of time.
Sylvinho will also be on the bench for the next challenge, the one against Ukraine, which will be played this Tuesday, March 31, a match that will not have an impact on the coach's fate.
Officially, his journey will end in July, while the National Team has two more friendly matches scheduled for June.
These will be the Brazilian's last moments in charge of the Rossoneri, as he himself hinted at during the press conference in Warsaw. Only then will the Federation be able to look at the Rossoneri's new project with a coach who will begin preparations for the 2028 European Championship qualifiers.
Despite the bitter end in these qualifiers, Sylvinho's period will be remembered for raising the team's image and qualifying for the second time at the European Championship in Germany in 2024. But the big goal of the World Cup still remains an unfulfilled mission and it seems that it will also be the main challenge of his successor.