Xhulio Zeneli
Senior Journalist
With more than a decade of experience in football, Xhulio Zeneli has built a reputation for securing exclusive interviews and uncovering compelling stories. Based in Albania and fluent in English and Italian, Xhulio combines his work as a journalist with experience as a youth coach. His growing catalogue of interviews for Football Presse includes respected figures such as George Boateng, Alberico Evani and Marco Sanna.
Articles by Xhulio Zeneli
→Jamie Day exclusive: Coaching abroad gives you a strong mentality
Jamie Day has spent much of his coaching career learning what happens when a manager steps outside the familiar.
9 August 2026
→Bruno Baltazar exclusive: Mbappé’s Caen project impressed me
Bruno Baltazar arrived at Caen believing he was joining a club with an ambitious future.
8 August 2026
→Exclusive - From Midtjylland to Brentford to Cercle: Lars Friis on developing winners
Lars Friis has spent much of his coaching career arguing that developing young footballers and winning football matches should not be treated as competing objectives.
8 August 2026
→Jamie Day exclusive: There is so much football potential in Bangladesh
Jamie Day arrived in Bangladesh at a time when the national team had hit a low point.
6 August 2026
→Exclusive: Evani reveals how Sacchi's AC Milan learned to stop Maradona
Alberico Evani faced Diego Maradona during one of the most extraordinary periods in Italian football, when the Argentine could seemingly decide matches by himself.
5 August 2026
→Jamie Day exclusive: My Bournemouth teammate Eddie Howe always had the qualities to be a top manager
Jamie Day believes Eddie Howe's qualities as a player gave early clues that he could become an outstanding manager.
4 August 2026
→Exclusive: Jamie Day reveals how Arsène Wenger transformed Arsenal forever
Former Arsenal academy midfielder and Bangladesh head coach Jamie Day has told Football Presse how Arsène Wenger revolutionised Arsenal's culture, changing everything from diet and discipline to the mentality that fuelled the club's greatest successes.
3 August 2026
→Exclusive: Gavin Rae relives Cardiff City adventure alongside Fowler, Bellamy and FA Cup dream
For Gavin Rae, a move to Cardiff City represented more than a fresh start.
27 July 2026
→Exclusive: Gavin Rae explains what makes Rangers unique as Derek McInnes begins new era
A new manager. Fresh investment. Renewed optimism.
22 July 2026
→Exclusive: Roel Coumans warns Saudi Pro League must protect local talent as he assesses Cristiano Ronaldo's legacy
Few European coaches have witnessed the transformation of Saudi Arabian football as closely as Roel Coumans.
22 July 2026
→Exclusive: Roel Coumans reflects on Bundesliga journey and why Tah and Çalhanoğlu were destined for the top
Few coaches have had the opportunity to work alongside future stars before the rest of football recognised their potential. Fewer still have done it at one of Germany's biggest clubs.
20 July 2026
→Italy’s crisis - exclusive: A football nation searching for its lost identity
Italian football has reached a defining moment.
20 July 2026
→Italy's crisis - exclusive: Marco Negri says Azzurri’s striker shortage a symptom of deeper problems
Part five of Football Presse's exclusive series: Italy's Crisis
17 July 2026
→Dave Jones exclusive: Promotion is only the beginning for Ipswich, Coventry and Hull
For three clubs preparing to step back into the Premier League spotlight, the celebrations are over and the real work begins.
16 July 2026
→Italy's crisis - exclusive: Incocciati fears Italy creating players without imagination
Part four of Football Presse's exclusive series: Italy's Crisis
16 July 2026
→Dave Jones exclusive: England built gradually this World Cup – now they must finish the job against Argentina
England may not have convinced everybody during the opening week of the World Cup, but former Southampton, Wolves and Cardiff City manager Dave Jones believed that never mattered.
15 July 2026
→Italy's crisis - exclusive: Sanna insists "we must trust our young players again"
Part three of Football Presse's exclusive series: Italy's Crisis
15 July 2026
→Italy's crisis - exclusive: Milan legend Evani "we've forgotten how to create great players"
Former AC Milan star and Italy assistant coach Alberico Evani believes the country's third consecutive failure to reach the World Cup was years in the making.
14 July 2026
→Italy's crisis - exclusive: Ex-Napoli chief Meluso pinpoints the biggest problem
Former Napoli sporting director Mario Meluso believes Italy's failure to qualify for three consecutive World Cups is not an accident.
13 July 2026
→Giuseppe Incocciati exclusive: After Ederson return, Maurizio Sarri can take Atalanta to another level
Former Serie A striker Giuseppe Incocciati believes Atalanta have made the right decision by turning to Maurizio Sarri, insisting the experienced coach has the qualities to continue the club's evolution after the end of Gian Piero Gasperini's era.
12 July 2026
→Todd Hoffard exclusive: US goalkeepers can rival Europe's best by mastering the basics
American goalkeeping coach Todd Hoffard believes the United States has every chance of producing goalkeepers capable of matching Europe's elite.
7 July 2026
→Dave Jones exclusive: Everton have everything (except strikers) to succeed under Moyes
Few people understand Everton quite like Dave Jones.
7 July 2026
→Exclusive: Giuseppe Incocciati fears Rafael Leão's AC Milan career now over as he questions club structure
Former AC Milan forward Giuseppe Incocciati believes Rafael Leão's future lies away from San Siro, while also delivering a stinging assessment of the Rossoneri's wider problems, insisting the club's structure has failed the team in recent seasons.
5 July 2026
→John van Loen exclusive: Liverpool wrong to sack Arne Slot
Former Netherlands international John van Loen believes Liverpool made a mistake by dismissing Arne Slot, insisting the Dutch coach deserved more time after delivering Premier League success before enduring an extraordinarily difficult campaign.
5 July 2026
→Exclusive: Dave Jones brands Southampton promotion collapse "stupidity" and references Spygate in explosive critique
Former Southampton manager Dave Jones has launched a fierce criticism of the club’s failed promotion push, describing their collapse as “stupidity” and questioning how a potential £200 million Premier League windfall was allowed to slip away.
5 July 2026
→Mario Meluso exclusive: Kvaratskhelia defined Napoli - I wish he'd stayed longer
Mario Meluso believes Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will remain one of the defining figures of Napoli’s modern golden era.
27 June 2026
→Todd Hoffard exclusive: How David Beckham and Thierry Henry transformed MLS
David Beckham’s arrival in Major League Soccer was not just a transfer — it was, as goalkeeper coach Todd Hoffard describes it, a cultural detonation.
27 June 2026
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Alberico Evani exclusive: Maldini still represents what AC Milan is missing
Alberico Evani believes AC Milan's biggest challenge is not finding another star player or another big-name coach.
24 June 2026
→Exclusive: Mario Meluso explains Napoli's lingering problems as Allegri begins new era
Former Napoli sporting director Mario Meluso believes the issues that derailed the club after their historic Scudetto triumph ran far deeper than a change of manager.
24 June 2026
→Todd Hoffard exclusive: New US World Cup generation built from MLS icons' legacy
The United States may be writing a new chapter at the 2026 World Cup, but goalkeeper coach Todd Hoffard believes the foundations were laid years ago by the stars who helped transform MLS into a respected global competition.
20 June 2026
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Marco Negri exclusive: Why Italy must find our next great striker
Marco Negri knows what it means to live by goals.
20 June 2026
→Marco Motta exclusive: Why Roma is home - and Zaniolo can write new career chapter
Marco Motta's playing career took him across some of the biggest clubs in Italian football.
20 June 2026
→Marco Motta exclusive: The coaches who shaped me – from Ranieri's man-management to Conte's relentless drive
Few former Italian internationals can claim to have learned from a coaching cast quite like Marco Motta.
19 June 2026
→Marco Negri exclusive: Scotland's Serie A revolution can inspire for Morocco test
Former Rangers and Italy striker Marco Negri believes Scotland's growing influence in Serie A is no coincidence.
19 June 2026
→Marco Negri exclusive: McTominay’s Napoli rise fuelling Scotland’s World Cup dream
Former Rangers striker Marco Negri believes Scott McTominay has become the symbol of a new era for Scottish football.
18 June 2026
→Todd Hoffard exclusive: Why the US can dream bigger at their home World Cup
Former MLS and U.S. Soccer goalkeeper coach Todd Hoffard believes the United States are beginning to reap the rewards of years of growth across the American game after an emphatic start to the 2026 World Cup.
18 June 2026
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Exclusive - Marco Sanna: The Cagliari legend still fighting for Italian football's future
Few players are more closely associated with Cagliari than Marco Sanna.
9 June 2026
→Marcello Muratore exclusive: Francesco Pio Esposito - Why Inter's next great striker ready for biggest stage
For years, Inter Milan have searched for the next homegrown player capable of making a lasting impact in the first team.
9 June 2026
→Exclusive: Marco Sanna tips Marco Palestra for the top - "Best young player in Italy"
Marco Sanna has seen enough talented footballers during a career spanning Cagliari, Torino and Sampdoria to know when a special player emerges.
8 June 2026
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Marcello Muratore exclusive: The Inter Milan fitness coach who rose from the Academy to the top
For every star player lifting trophies under the lights of San Siro, there is an army of specialists working behind the scenes to ensure those moments are possible.
8 June 2026
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Alberico Evani exclusive: The quiet architect behind AC Milan’s greatest era
There are some players whose careers become intertwined with football history itself. Alberico Evani is one of them.
25 May 2026
→George Boateng exclusive: Aston Villa and Emery have built something real
Drag There are certain former Premier League players whose opinions carry weight because they have lived every side of the game. George Boateng is one of them.
17 May 2026
→Gordon Hill exclusive: Carrick has Manchester United returning to best traditions
There are some voices in football that immediately command attention. Gordon Hill is one of them.
13 May 2026
→Exclusive: Chris Turner admits surprise at Sunderland’s Premier League rise
Former Sunderland goalkeeper Chris Turner has admitted he did not expect the Black Cats to enjoy such a successful return to the Premier League.
29 April 2026
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Exclusive: Chris Turner reflects on Manchester United move, modern football and Sunderland surprise success
Former Manchester United and Sunderland goalkeeper Chris Turner has reflected on the biggest moments of his career, the challenges facing his old clubs and how football has changed dramatically since his playing days.
28 April 2026
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Roberto Breda: Salerno Is in My Blood — Those Moments Can’t Be Erased
If Sampdoria was the dream, Salernitana was the love story.
11 March 2026
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Achterberg: 15 years at Liverpool was a dream
John Achterberg has opened up on his 15-year rollercoaster at Liverpool — and says building top goalkeepers meant more to him than lifting trophies.
11 March 2026