The first task for Maran looks straightforward on paper and demanding in practice: keep Albania moving forward without losing the identity that made them awkward opponents for bigger nations. The report says federation president Armand Duka wants the new coach to guide the team through the next competitive cycle, rather than simply act as a short-term fixer.
That matters. International football often punishes drift, and Albania now seem to be trying to avoid it by making the next hire part of a wider plan.
Maran is widely associated with the hard-edged, organised culture of Italian coaching. His background in club football, including spells with sides such as Cagliari, Genoa, Bari and Brescia, suggests a manager used to building structure first and momentum second.
For a national side like Albania, that may be the sensible route:
The report says Euro 2028 is the central objective, with the Nations League serving as both proving ground and pressure point. That feels realistic. Albania have shown in recent cycles that they can compete when the system is clear and the squad buys in.
Now the question is whether Maran can turn belief into progress quickly enough. The next competitive window will offer the first clues - and, for Albania, the first real test of whether this new cycle can become a successful one.