South American coaches lead Albania to Euro 2024 spot.

TIRANA, Albania: Albania qualified for just their second European Championship in style, atop a group that included the Czech Republic and Poland.

It’s a dream come true for the team’s South American coaches.

“It’s unbelievable,” Brazilian head coach Sylvinho said Wednesday. “We’ve got everything around a moment. We did a great job. Everyone, together.”

Sylvinho brought in countryman Doriva and Argentinian Pablo Zabaleta as his assistants when he was hired in January.

They formed a 24-member squad from among 60 Albanian players in Italian, Spanish, French, English leagues and beyond, not to mention local ones.

Zabaleta will never forget the call from Sylvinho, his former Manchester City teammate with whom he has also established close family ties. They determined Albania had “a good generation of players.”

“We want to build a team that we’re able to play good football. I mean, in the way we see football,” Zabaleta said.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama awarded the Golden Eagle medal to Sylvinho during a meeting of the Albanian diaspora on Wednesday.

“You are the first non-Albanian receiving the Golden Eagle not for what you have done but because you are an Albanian being born,” Rama told the Brazilian. “After the Golden Eagle very soon you should accept the Albanian citizenship too.”

Albania have made it to the European Championship only once before — in 2016 under Italian coach Giovanni de Biasi.

Sylvinho has drawn on his experiences under Pep Guardiola, whom he played for at Barcelona, and former Brazil coach Tite to create an Albanian team spirit that stresses a “complex” and “collective” game of soccer.

“Talent can win a game of football,” Zabaleta said. “But the squad, the spirit of a team, can achieve