(1983-1997) | We and Germany!

Return to the scene of the crime!

It is often used as a phrase in criminalistics and qualifies that the murderer returns to the scene of the crime. If we approach it with football history, in fact, the victim also returned! After 14 years, West Germany and Albania.

Again there, in Dortmund. This time a few meters further from the old pitch of April 1967, at the “Westfalenstadion”. Then it was a heavy loss, 6-0. Eight months later, in revenge for that heavy defeat, we inflicted a greater blow than a defeat on the Germans. A disqualification which, to be honest, will always weigh you down. This time, it’s the opposite. We lost without claims in April in Tirana and on November 18 we find ourselves in Dortmund knowing very well what awaits us. We are also fully aware that it cannot be claimed except as a dignified loss. It is a slightly different national team from the Tirana match. Përnaska, Çoçoli, Minga, Kaçi, Shyqyri Ballgjini are missing, but Loro Boriçi is omnipotent in his work and acts exactly as he thinks. It is also one of the most… national teams! In addition to the players from the clubs from Tirana and Shkodra, who traditionally made up the trunk of the national team, the formation also includes Popa and Lleshi from Labinot from Elbasan and Sefedin Braho from Luftëtari from Gjirokastra. New trends are Perlat Musta, Agustin Kola, Roland Luçi and Haxhi Ballgjini. The national anthem warms the hearts of the players on the field. Loro Boriçi and Jupp Derwall greet each other cordially. The storm has not yet burst…

Transfiguration!

Germany knows only victory in the first qualifying group for the World Cup – Spain 1982. However, except for Bernd Schuster, who has already left the German national team forever, only Eike Immel was in goal instead of Harald Schumacher. The other ten are the best possible German lineup. it is, say, the same team that advanced to the World Cup final against Italy a year later, one of the best teams in the history of German football. Albania again had the misfortune of being in a group with a German historical generation. This was immediately apparent on the field. Karl Heinz Rummenigge, without committing too much, clearly proved why he is the best striker in the world. With three goals from him and one from Fisher and one from Kaltz, the first half ends 5-0! The shame is great when you think that only 45 minutes were played!

Germans change sides and places freely, do not get caught up in the rhythm, often use finde, often play with a date. From the wings Manfred Kaltz and Hans Peter Briegel are as irresistible as ever, it is not clear who plays in attack for them! In air combat they are completely superior. Physically, there are big differences. In general, they are in the field and we are not! At first glance, it seems that Albania has never played so poorly!

In the second half, the Germans did not slow down. Now they score goals even with the help of luck! Litbarski takes a free kick. The ball hits Berisha’s body and switches sides towards the net, leaving Perlat Musta helpless. It was perhaps the best evening in Perlat’s career! With or without his fault, six goals were a lot for his level and in general for a goalkeeper who had just taken his place in the national team. Leave the field upside down. He is seriously injured, in selfishness! It wasn’t his night! All in all, it was neither defense with him nor luck. Any goalkeeper in his place would pray to God for another opportunity, maybe payback, maybe to show that he is not really the one of that evening in Dortmund. In football, who wouldn’t want a second chance? God or fate, not long after, would put Perlat again in front of the German team. This time things would be much different…

Luarasi enters the field, with number 12 and as the twelfth Albanian. If the sixth goal was scored by fate, the seventh one comes from… the referee. If this in Dortmund was a penalty for Litbarski, then what should have been the case of Pernaska in Tirana? It often happens that an indisputable penalty is not awarded and a controversial one is awarded by the referee, who leaves no room for discussion! In reality, there is no question that penalties are a separate chapter in the German-Albanian clashes.

Anyway, in Dortmund, the result is 7-0 and the Germans still rank everywhere mercilessly over the fatigue of the Albanians! You understand this when four minutes later, you see Fisher scoring the eighth goal to finally throw the corpse of that evening into the pit! In fact, the beast was not dead yet!

Epilogue

Everyone leaves the field with their heads down. Most exhausted. Roland Luçi with problems in his right leg after an intervention from behind Shtilike. Safet Berisha feels that the time has come to hand over the captain’s armband. Muhedin Tarkaj next to him may not think the same, but he is the only one who can keep the ribbon in the coming years. In the dressing room, Rumenige took Agustin Kola by the hand and led him to the Germans’ room, giving him a few pairs of “adidas” soccer shoes. Others, have benefited from a jersey of the Germans. Loro Boriçi, leaves the room of the Albanian National Team and walks thoughtfully in the corridor. He doesn’t need to arrive in Tirana to understand what will happen… The boys are also clear but, silently, inside themselves, they seek a revenge… It is the evening of November 18, 1981. Like 14 years before, West Germany won as if mocking Albania. On the other hand, the badly wounded beast, Albania, could not help but fixate well on what caused that wound, Germany. Only after twenty years or more precisely, after seven “battles”, Germany would be able to win again without conceding and, with more than a goal difference.

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Again in the same group

It is no longer surprising that the draw of the eliminators in football often makes children capricious. In the case of the National Football Team, an invisible hand often ranks the opponents according to crazy wishes!

The 8-0 defeat by West Germany in Dortmund, of course, was deeply rooted in the thoughts of every Albanian football fan. It was a historical point that made you feel bad, reflect, seek revenge but…for the latter, in fact, everyone thought again and agreed to avoid it! While in the 1971 match West Germany had just been on the way to the titles of European Champion 1972 and World Champion 1974, this Germany of 1983 had consolidated as the European Champion and World Runner-up team in just two years.

Who did you mention before from its players? Harald Shumaker was the best goalkeeper in the world but also the “beast” of the “Night of Seville” where he almost killed Patrick Batiston during the semi-final drama against France!

Then, the German “Tanks” Hans Peter Briegel! Stielike, Hansi Müller, the two Foester brothers, the “artist” Pierre Litbarski and above all the best striker in the world, Karl Heinz Rumenigge! Even the two later German stars Rudi Voeller and Lottar Matthaus would also be on the field against Albania. This team, one of the most famous in the history of German football, not without right, from the appearance and physical data, is personified as a “cast suitable for movies with Chuck Norris”! It’s not like we didn’t know them. Two games against them, two years ago.

Ten goals conceded and none scored!

It was the bitter end in football of the great Loro Boriçi, but also of the players of the generation of the 70s, Ilir Përnaska, Safet Berisha, Kastriot Hysi, Kujtim Çoçoli, Sefedin Braho, Shyqyri Ballgjini, etc. Albania, as the hour demanded, was being renewed. There were enough younger players of a very good level. Later, the generation of Shpresa teams was bringing another wave which after a year would raise the level of club football like never before. Coaches Shyqyri Rreli and Ramazan Rragami were taking responsibility to create a national team with a level for the decade of the 80s. This was not impossible, and it was felt that something good was coming.

The big turn in international presence and this, let it start from the most difficult possible opponent in Europe. West Germany! And why not? Judging today, it is easy to conclude that the consequences of a ten-year absence in international matches, coupled with the classification of football at the semi-amateur level and the disallowance of the sale of players, all three together, would prevent Albania from having hopes for great things. It was the misfortune of a generation which, even though it gave us many emotions of great success, even though it could have changed the entire history of Albanian football, through no fault of its own, could not do it.

Climate before the match They say that the biggest surprise lasts three days. So, after the Dortmund match, the irritation shortly after, took the place of the roars. Also, after the draw was announced, the surprise soon turned into humor. In that beautiful world of football fans, as always, humor had its place of honor. A few days after the announcement of the draw, which put us back in the group with West Germany, the epic comment of the Shkodrans began to spread everywhere – “The Germans have taken it upon themselves to teach us football”! Well, football and the whole beautiful world of that decade, without the Shkodër factor, would simply be a gloomy poverty! In fact, the truth was that we had nothing to lose. After all, playing against Germany, you never lose – only win! The pressure was on them. This fact alone is enough to give you wings and play football to enjoy it.

Perlat Musta

Two games, three goalkeepers, ten goals conceded!

At the end of it all, no one is more injured than Perlati!

The Vlonjat phenomenon, eternal symbol of Partizan’s goal, although he was a big name since the end of the 70s, in fact, he was still young. On that fateful evening in Dortmund in 1981, Perlat Musta was only 23 years old. Even today, it is fast for a goalkeeper to be the goalkeeper of the national team at this age and technically, a goalkeeper is still not considered fully mature at this age. Perlati was simply a phenomenon and as such, very quickly won his place in Partizan, the National team “Shpresa” as well as in the National team, leaving behind names like Jani Kaçi, Ilir Luarasi or Artur Lekbello. Precisely for all these, it was completely unfair what Dortmund’s night had in store for them. Well, if anyone wanted a rematch, Perlat Musta was the first! Partizan’s Vlonjati was not just that good goalkeeper of a champion team of a small country. On the contrary! Perlati was a “fuori class” of the same level as the biggest! He would tell this soon…

March 29. It’s sunny but not exactly spring time. Spring was a little late that year. Even though it’s sunny, people still walk around in winter clothes. Franz Beckenbauer enjoys the beautiful weather. He no longer has the obligations of a German national team player, this is easily noticeable in his clothing. So, with jeans, sneakers and a winter jacket, a walk along the boulevard of Tirana goes. It’s almost empty! It seems that the entire boulevard is his! In fact, people work. In socialist Albania, unemployment is punished by the constitution! A little later, it is located at the Qemal Stafa stadium.

Now, it is bigger as a stadium than the one of 12 years ago, but completely deaf compared to then. He talks a little with trainer Jup Derwall, there is also time for a joke with Rumenigen.

It is so quiet that their voices can be clearly heard all the way from the stairs! There are no “curios” in the stadium and precisely because of this, the Qemal Stafa stadium resembles a giant sports facility! In Tirana, everywhere, between work centers and schools, the order from “above” was cut off. No one in the stadium to follow the training of the Germans. It is the socialist Albania of 1983 .

Just before the match, the clock shows 12.30 Pm.

The wide sidewalk in front of the ticket office of the north stand, what you see in front of the radio and television is full of people. A minority of them try to buy a ticket, but it’s in vain. Most, aware of this, ask aloud if someone is selling. Of course, “that” someone is always there, sometimes on a bicycle, sometimes a little further, or in front of the other sidewalk, or near the entrance, and it is understood that it is not “him” but “they”. Other fans try to bribe everyone connected with today’s match, the policemen guarding the entrances, the ticket inspector and even the bike keeper. A little later, just like two years ago, someone gives the watch, someone ten times the price of the ticket. In total, ten thousand people, more than the capacity, will enter the stadium in any way.. Among them many children who begged the adults to let them into the stadium justifying them as their children! The Albanian temple of football, “Qemal Stafa”, showed again that inside it, there was room for all!

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Run my friend, run!

It’s cold even though spring has officially arrived. Between the stairs, no one is sitting. The stadium is inflated so much that people are suffocating shoulder to shoulder! At one point, someone, from the top step of the stadium, starts rolling over the heads of the fans towards the front steps, like a stone rolling down a hill. Then another. After a few minutes it happens again. In fact, it was not an unknown phenomenon during matches when the “Cemal Stafa” was more than full. S

omething like the Rolling Stones…or rolling men? This attracts the attention of foreign photographers and they come closer so as not to miss this rare phenomenon. On the field, in front of the covered tribune, the Germans are warming up. All eyes are on the “known” Rumenigge, Brieegel, Litbarski and the Foester brothers. Harald Schumaker warms up in goal away from them. Without waiting, a man in a dark gray suit (common in the fashion of the time) runs like a madman and addresses the stands, the group of German players. It is something that has never happened before.

People, police, insurance get confused. Rumenige is leaning towards the stands, wearing the blue adidas jacket of the German national team, and is doing the classic warm-up. Touch the tip of the right foot with the left hand and vice versa. He hears the noise of the fans but he can’t raise his head. The young man reaches him and jumps on his body from behind! Rumenige, confused, seeks to remove him from himself. The fan throws his hand on his shoulders, hugs him, kisses him in a hurry and immediately runs back across the field, this time, to enter and get lost among the people in the big central stand, or “20” as it used to be called.

All the organs of the People’s Power have passed the bewilderment and are following him. Police and civilians. Thirty thousand people in the stadium shout at the top of their lungs encouraging the daredevil, “runapoo, run, run run robo, run, run miko”. The young man reaches the railings and with the speed of light, grabs onto them with one hand and overcomes them, getting lost in the crowd of fans. The whole stadium roared with applause! A large number of policemen and agents go among the fans to find him. At the same time word spreads that the stranger is a Shkodran, of course, a die-hard fan of Germany. Meanwhile, the enthusiasm continues in the stadium. It seemed as if thirty thousand people were happy that the unknown reached the finish line before the law enforcement! Of course, even today such things are not allowed but, that afternoon, football gave the opportunity to so many people, to feel once victorious against the order! If nothing else, that match will be remembered for that at least.

Before the battle,

Jup Derwall, that wise man on the bench, like a rare German coach, does not expect any resistance from the Albanians. In other words, in two matches against Albania not long ago, he got a victory without suffering in Tirana 0-2 and another with a mammoth score of 8-0 in Dortmund. He deems it reasonable to give a chance to players without much of a name. Jonny Otten, Stephan Engels, Gerd Strach and…Rudi Fëler. Even for Rudi Fëler, it is his first match with “Die Nationalmanschaft”.

Shyqyri Rreli, this quiet and very noble man, started the reconstruction of the National Team without much noise. He mainly trusted the players from Tirana’s teams. Without question, the team captain was Mujo (Muhedin) Targaj of Dinamo and with him in defense, Arjan Bimo – Tirana, Arjan Ahmetaj – Partizani and Petro Ruci of Flamurtari. The three-man midfield does not contain capital players, but strength and technique are sufficient. Two powerful players such as Haxhi Ballgjini of Lokomotiva, Ferit Rragami, who connected power with technique very well, and Luan Vukatana of Vllaznia, full of technical quality, especially in accurate close and distance passes. In attack, the well-known duo Kola-Minga from Tirana and Dashnor Bajaziti from Besa e Kavaja. At the gate…who else but Musta?!

“Perlat`s Day”

All those passionate people who secretly followed the Italian championship regularly knew the referee Menegali very well. On the other hand, West Germany, like any big team, favored over the smaller one, one way or another, would get the referee’s help when it needed it. These are not just the words of someone who supports his team but an undeniable part of the match on March 30, 1983! The Germans immediately jump into the attack to secure the goal which would give them peace in the future. It’s just that, the Albania they faced had nothing to do with what they had known in the past two games. Very quickly, Agustin Kola, in a duel of speed and strength, passes Karl Heinz Fërster on the left, enters the area and shoots hard with his left but the ball hits the outside net. The stadium is lit up. In other words, it was on, after the incident with the fan before the start of the match. The Germans circulate the ball densely in the midfield, but there Rragami and Haxhi Ballgjin have put their soul on the field.

The German pressing and attacks from the wings are increasing. It is easier this way than to break Albania in the center, but also because the most powerful weapon of the Germans is the game in the air. It is now played in our half-field. It is an endless number of duels for the ball. Shyq Rreli is not afraid of the match. On the contrary, he performs a masterful move that perhaps no other trainer would do. In the thirtieth minute, remove the attacker Bajaziti and place reinforcements in the midfield “Tractor” Ilir Lame. is a checkmate move. The Germans have to play only with crosses from the wings. It is the only way to reach the gate, but here too, Albania has its answer. Musta !

It’s his afternoon! For many people, his big game is the return game on November 20 in Saarbryken, for many others that game against Spain in Tirana. Only Perlati knows the most accurate answer…

From the middle and until the end of the first half, the game is a furious “rain” of crosses from the wings towards the goal of Albania. Littbarski, Engel, Müller, Otten cross and Rumenigge, Voeller, Briegel and the tall centre-back Strack are always there. It is a game of chess between the trainers because, for the Germans, the defenders also attack and for Albania, the attackers also defend. For them, the tall and strong are in front, for us it is important to protect the results. Kola is often in the defense, who always stood out in the defensive game in addition to being an excellent striker. In any case, Musta always has the last word. Sometimes he rises above the whole by stopping a ball in the air, sometimes he flies in corner kicks taking the ball off the heads of the German players, sometimes he stretches out to divert a shot and sometimes he calmly controls the ball, slightly delaying the game.

Overall, it’s the king of the area!

The first half ends with a chance for the Germans. Brigel, discovered, just a few meters in front of Musta, hits hard with his head. The ball hits the ground and goes to the triangle. It’s a sure goal…but, no! Musta flies into the triangle and punches the ball. The Germans and the whole stadium could not believe their eyes. A minute later, the whole stadium explodes as if we had scored a goal! Musta just made another incredible intervention! There was no one to be found and there was no way for the Perlat to be broken!

The second half starts with horns for the Germans. Once again, Musta comes out of the gate and cuts the ball with his characteristic plonzhon. The stadium explodes once again! Next, the case for ours. Ferit Rragami, stops Otten in midfield, takes the ball and advances to the right. Enters the area and shoots hard diagonally at half-height but, Shumaker punches, the ball ends up on the left to Agustin Kola.

His left is killer, Kola is in a favorable position for him, the whole stadium rises to their feet to celebrate the goal, Kola shoots hard and…surprisingly his foot misses sending the ball wide. Agustin falls to his knees and puts his hands on his head! He can’t even believe it himself! Albania is not afraid. We are still at 0-0 and the game is open. It is the 54th minute. That’s where the bad happens! Bernd Foester in midfield, starts a ball for Littbarski on the right. This one crosses a ball that doesn’t look like a problem. While Musta leaves the goal to stop the ball in the air, (the late) Arjan Ahmetaj, puts his head in and changes the direction of the ball, sending it towards the net. Musta tries to go back to the goal and it seems impossible.

However, at the last moment, Perlati jumps back with his body and manages to get the ball out of the gate at the last moment. There, the “fox” Rudi Fëler, with the smell of a great striker, arrives before Petro Ruci and simply pushes the ball into the net, 0-1. It is Füler’s first goal with Germany and they are finally breathing. We are struck in psychology. After a quiet pause of ten minutes, Engels (Albanians were very familiar with this surname), enters the area from the right, tries to pass Targaj, a body-to-body collision follows. Stephan Engels falls easily and, right there, referee Menegali “presents himself best”! Penalty for West Germany.

Rumenigge will execute correctly and the Germans lead 0-2. The game immediately loses its rhythm. The Germans got where they wanted. Albania has nothing to lose and starts pushing towards the attack. In the 80th minute, Lame starts a cross with the left. Strach, inside his own area, cannot reach with his chest and uses his hand to collect the ball. Menegali cannot help awarding a penalty…

After one minute, Muhedin Targaj enters history as the first Albanian to score against Germany. In the stadium, the first goal in history against the Germans is celebrated with unstoppable ovations for about five minutes.

The match ends with this image, 1-2. The Germans will win by luck, by referee, rightly, wrongly… and what does it matter? For them in football, the end always justifies the means! Perlat Musta is the man of the match, but although practically unbeaten by the Germans in “open play”, he officially conceded two goals!

What mixed feelings! And how strange football is! It was not the first time that Albania left the field defeated by Germany, but it was the first game that ended with a goal difference after that heavy loss in Dortmund!

The chapter of great football battles between Albanians and Germans had just begun…

March 2021

by Arian Muraj (C) Alright Reserved

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