"Noah is a very powerful team": Coach from Kosovo wary of Armenian side
Zekirija Ramadani, head coach of Kosovo’s newly crowned champion club Drita, shared his thoughts on his team's prospects in the first qualifying round of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League during a post-title interview.
Speaking on Kosovo's ATV television channel, Ramadani emphasized that even though Drita will be a seeded team in the draw, an easy path is not guaranteed, as a meeting with the Armenian champion Noah is possible:
“We have to work very hard to get through the first qualifying round. There are many strong teams here. Just look at Noah — they are a super powerful team. I saw their match against Shkëndija last year — it was very impressive. Football is developing in every country now, and there are more and more teams like that.”
Last season, Drita competed in the UEFA Conference League qualifiers, reaching the playoff stage before losing to Legia Warsaw. At the same time, Armenia's Noah advanced to the main stage of the tournament. In the 2025/26 season, both teams will begin their campaigns in the Champions League.
Most national champions set to compete in the first qualifying round have already been determined. Drita will be among the seeded teams, while Noah will be unseeded, which creates a possibility of the two clubs facing each other right from the tournament's start.
For Noah, a potential matchup against Drita would be one of the more favorable options among possible opponents — a group that includes such strong clubs as Ludogorets, Malmö, and FCSB. However, for the Kosovan champions, drawing Noah could be one of the most challenging scenarios, considering the presence of several less formidable teams.
The Champions League first qualifying round draw will take place on June 22. The preliminary seeding distribution is already available (see image below), with only the champions of Moldova, Slovenia, and Bosnia yet to be confirmed — though their results are unlikely to significantly alter the pot composition.
As a side note, Armenia and Kosovo will face off in a friendly match on June 6, adding another layer of football rivalry between the two nations at the start of the summer.