(EXCLUSIVE) The dark night of Lisbone | September 16, 1987!

Champions Cup September 16, 1987 !!

It is the start date of the edition of the European Cups for the 1987-1988 season, or more precisely, it is the date of a match for the Champions Cup, which has not been talked about it at all or even as much as it has been talked about and maybe …. .

all from the lack of information, or from an agreed silence?

In front of me is a picture of the team of the time, Partizani, Champion of Albania for the 1986-1987 season. (photo as below).

A lot of time has passed since the posing of this photo, from the moment to remember the triumph and until this moment that I have in my hand, a full 37 years have passed!!! September 16, 1987, would be the date of a match based on the draw, as usual with the others, as one of those matches that was scheduled for the start of the next edition of the Champions Cup, but would it really be like that? The draw was against our Partizani team, Benfica of Lisbon, champions of Portugal and one of the strongest and loudest in the international arena. In the last stage of this season, Benfica will be the finalist in this edition only losing thanks to the series of penalties against the other champion team “PSV Endhoven” from Holland. But to get to the final, Benfica had to overcome our best team in the history of Albanian football, Partizan, in the first round after a match full of controversy and “irritated nerves”, in a meeting between to those who contain a story with themselves for the first 90 minutes played in the “Estadio de Luz” stadium of Benfica on September 16, 1987, the official date of a dark, unlucky night for the red partisans, but also for the leaders of the time of the elite of Albanian Football. However, this match would not be won so easily by the Portuguese, even though it is 4 – 0, a team which had an average age of 25.7 years and in its formation were names known in the elite of world football such as Pacheko, Rui Aguash , Mozer or Antonio Veloso.

Partizan was also “armed” starting with the legendary goalkeeper Perlat Musta, the defenders who had shown invincibility until then in our championships, Arjan Hametaj, Nand Ocelli or even Skender Gega, alongside whom they were new confirmed, the young Niko Frasheri, Lorenc Leskaj or even Besnik Bilali from Shkodran. In the midfield, strength was mixed with technique and fantasy. Ilir Lame and Lefter Millo, almost identical in terms of “physical structure”, were related to the “born fighter” and the footman Genc Tomorri with a fighting spirit. Next, he was the son of the greatest Albanian footballer Panajot Panos, the fantasist Ledio Pano who was distinguished by free kicks. In the attack, he was left alone in front, thanks to his technique and intuition from a “fox” Ylli Shehu! This formation, which had an average age of 23.7 years, was built with care and was led by trainer Neptun Bajko.

Precisely Professor Bajko and the management staff with their work had made Partizan return to the championship title after 6-7 years, thanks to a beautiful exchange between the players of the golden generation of experience and the young ones who were discovered during these years and who were approached the base formation. The results and the level of Partizan’s game had paid off so much that at the end of the season, Partizan was deservedly declared the champion of the country. From the “boys” of B. Birce’s great training, there were only 4 protagonists left, from that generation that won the title for the last time (1980-1981), from that generation that had defeated Austria Vienna (1-0 in 1981 ) on a day of torrential rain and completely in contrast to the bad weather and the rough terrain, they played an excellent football against a strong opponent of the time. From the protagonists of that challenge, from Partizan to K. Hysi, S. Starova, K. Eksarkos, F. Breca, F. Rragami, H. Ballxhin, M. Fagu, A. Murat or the “lake” Bujar Hados, (the blonde with number 7, with the appearance of a German striker, and even the fans at that time even said “there are three 7s in the world, Kigan, Hado and Popivoda”), only Musta, Hametaj, Lame and Tomorri remained, and they will it was precisely these who would go down to the field against Benfica for another equally important challenge, enriching the history of this team.

In one of his interviews, captain Musta will remember like this: “I remember when they told us that we would play against Benfica in the Champions Cup and everyone was happy. Benfica was a great team in the history of European football, – The trip to In Portugal, we waited for four hours at the Lisbon airport, like never before. We stopped the hotel before the game. Finally, we went to the field, to a full stadium, with 70 thousand fans supporting Benfica. .” Even the midfielder of Partizan and our national team, Ilir Lame, will say that: “As soon as I heard the draw, we were happy and we started the preparations. We had a very good team and we were all motivated without burdens or negative emotions”

The match

The Lisbon stadium “Estadio da Luz” was under restoration and had even added a floor and became one of the largest stadiums in Europe with a capacity of up to 120,000 seats!!! Looking at the opponent, in front of Partizan was a goal that was perhaps too difficult to achieve but not impossible. The Reds, until then, had faced the famous teams of the European elite and had even defeated them several times, although in Tirana, the Partizan players had played as equals with the opponent, Matches against: IFK Norrköping (1-1, 1962 /63); Spartak Plovdiv (1-0, 1963/64); FC Koln (0-0, 1964/65); Torino FC (1-0 1968/69); Advidaber (2-0, 1970/71); Celtic (1-0, 1979/80); Malmoe FF (0-0, 1980/81) until the last Austria of Vienna, had felt the strength of Partizan and even the “bitter taste” of defeat. But now it was a little different, the first match was played outside and the opponent was the team ranked as the best in Europe in terms of history and trophies won, it is enough to remember that the “Black Pearl” Eusebio, the best footballer, once played here Portuguese for all time, the one who would amaze everyone in the 1966 World Cup!!

Referee Pes Peres signals the start of the challenge. A little behind are Y. Shehu and Tomori

It was a first part that will be remembered for the heroic attitude of ours. From the beginning, the Portuguese virtuosos of Benfica had attacked, but they had encountered the red barricade, the tight defense of Partizan, where it was aligned with the 4-5-1 / 5-4-1 scheme!! At all costs, the relentless Portuguese attack had to be stopped and through a counter-attack, a promising result was achieved for the return match in Tirana, something that was happening until that moment. The Portuguese attack but do not have the right clarity, Partizan not only defends well but is a first half that marks a good game from the reds. Ylli Shehu even has two clean chances to go ahead of his team, here is another chance that bears the signature of Lame, it was lost. The Portuguese are irritated there in front of the attack, they can’t do what they thought and even predicted that everything will be “easy” against an Albanian team. Their attacks break one after the other, minutes pass, they lose their composure.

Fase from the match. Millo broke a Portuguese action.

Maybe the Portuguese have these thoughts: “Who the hell is this team that dares to raise its head and face the professional European football of the time??? Bo, bo, what a goalkeeper!! Look, he is a goalkeeper who without fear to play with any European team. But these Albanian footballers are not allowed by their country to play abroad!! nothing is allowed!!! What a paradox…however, this stubborn goalkeeper is the main obstacle that we can’t score. Something must be done” This will continue until the 43rd minute when Frasher scores an own goal. somewhat Portuguese, whose referee Jose’ Pes Peres from Spain will undoubtedly come to his aid, especially in the second half

Frasher’s own goal and Benfica take the lead

A first half that ends only 1-0. Musta will remember

– “We were playing very well. We did not get demoralized. Even the Benfica fans were supporting us…” The second half begins and ends with the referee as the protagonist, who seemed to be “ordered” to turn the match into a “slaughterhouse”, letting the situation get out of control in many moments and even to the point where there was one-sidedness in his provocative decisions.

As if for “irony”, he seems to say: “There is no sense that a team like this Partizani of Albania, to remove from the scene a worthy representative of European football, the great Benfica….no, no, it will never happen.”

But, this is what happens and has happened in many cases when the football played by some “small” teams is seen differently, unfortunately also by UEFA people, who have not seen and judged things from the sports side in the first place , not appreciating as it should be, precisely the sports qualities of these teams labeled “small and unimportant”.

The match comes in the 53rd minute and from this minute onward to go to the “western” version with Pes Peres as the protagonist. The referee has signaled a foul near Partizan’s penalty area, while the latter has caught the ball surprised and turn towards him to protest. The game has stopped, maybe one of us passes the “goal”, protests harshly and falls into the “set trap” just to lose his cool, concentration and such. provocations

Rui Aguash exaggerates in the collision with goalkeeper Musta, lying down as if “dead”. A little further is Arjan Hametaj

Here comes a red card after a yellow one precisely for the goalkeeper Musta, the one who had been the main obstacle had now turned into a protagonist for better or worse for his team .

Musta tries in vain to explain the episode to the judge.

But what had really happened? From that little bit of valuable information, we can continue our story like this: Perlat Musta, comes out of the gate and grabs the ball, but in the meantime, the Portuguese attacker, Rui Aguash, collides with the Partisan captain and falls to the ground as “dead”.

The referee, who claims to have seen everything, gives a foul for Partizan but issues a yellow card for Musta!!! Surprised, Musta tries with distinct gestures to explain to the referee and opposing players that he had the ball in front and it was the opponent who collided with him. The captain of Partizan at that time, asks him to account for the card and perhaps performs an action that will turn out to be quite harmful, both for the team and especially for his career in the defense of Partizan’s colors. “I told him with a sign if he got paid” – and the referee immediately took me out with a red card” – Musta would affirm.

Unfortunately, coach Bajko had made all the changes and is obliged to be directed by him, ” the impromptu goalkeeper, Genc Tomori, enters the goal!!

Yes, it was exactly Tomori who would defend the goal in the remaining minutes, the fighting and sacrificial spirit of Partizan, the one who had once again performed this task and who had even received positive grades, against November 17, only one year before, in November 1986. He was the one who stopped Mingen, Kole, Muce and Meme. Tomori, after that rival challenge, had “filled his mind” to S. Meme even to leave football. Even that night, Tomori will resist with some interventions that will surprise even the departed Musta… (according to some data, Tomori did masterpieces in porte so that Musta would be envious)

“They defended the result for another 15 minutes, with 10 players and an emergency goalkeeper. Then Benfica scored three more goals in the last minutes, when Hametaj, Frasheri and Lame also got red cards for our team,” Musta said. Even the referee Pes Peres issues the 5th card for Nand Ocelli, but then he is reminded by the winger that the match cannot continue if five players are sent off, and withdraws it. After Muste (53`), Hametaj (54`) leaves with a red card. The nerves have betrayed the legendary defender of Partizan, one of the most “loyal” of goalkeeper Musta, even his best friend. He (the now deceased) hitting the judge with a piece of ice will commit an unforgivable mistake.

The game will continue with the unchanged result (1-0 in favor of the Portuguese (even that goal donated by us), even though with an improvised goalkeeper and with two less players. And in the 75th minute, Frasheri left with a card red !!!!

Not at all, it’s not enough for the referee “- Hell, even with only 1-0 players left.” Goal 81 “Moser and 2-0. Here’s another goal 86” Rui Aguash makes it 3-0. Lame argues with the referee for a foul but the latter responds with a red card (89′) adding to the number of those who left in 4 players, all of Partizan !!! case of the superiority of a big team like Benfica against a “small” opponent who played a dignified football but lost because he didn’t know how to be calm, cool and experienced in such meetings.

According to information from the Albanian media (those after the 90s who have tried to reconstruct the event) it is said that it was a shame for this representative judge of the European rank of UEFA and FIFA regarding the way of management and judgment of this match and which was defended with the greatest impudence by UEFA, which on the contrary condemned Partizan not to play the second match in Tirana!!!!

The “butcher” of the match, the Spanish referee, Pes Peres!

“He ended the match with 7 players” – Musta will say. “Rare. Partizan didn’t even fill out the match form, as we were late and they should return in the morning with the airliner” The referee and Benfica unilaterally fill out the match form. Journalist Gezim Sinemati, who was sent to chronicle the match for the “Sporti Popullor” newspaper, strangely, it is still silent today!

Immediately after the arrival of the team, the FSHF will impose two sentences, for Musten and Hametaj, with one year of inactivity for each one!!! were the most difficult years of his career. He is responsible for the incident and leaves football for a year. But Musta will return to defend the colors of the same team other seasons becoming part of the legendary names of the team. But what did these guys who represented Partizan really do? Why should the event be clarified and the fact be analyzed in a realistic manner to protect the dignity, not only of Partizan, but of Albanian football in general?

The punishments are also followed by those of UEFA; Lame and Frasheri with 4 years, while Musta and Ahmetaj with 5. With a later decision, she gives Benfica a 3-0 victory in the return match and imposes severe measures on Partizan, excluding them from the international arena for five years. The Albanian Football Federation is fined 25 thousand francs at that time!!! This is what is said from different sources. The information in circulation is contradictory. Searching tirelessly to learn the truth, it is extremely difficult if not impossible to find facts or sources in the clarification of this event.

The foreign visual media of the time, those of Yugoslavia, have expressed themselves in favor of our Partizan, defending the Albanian team, in the most popular show of the time, “Eurogol”, dedicated to European cups. Whose fault was it really? Was it really the referee who turned the match into a farce? Did they provoke the Portuguese fans by throwing hard objects on the field? Questions like these and others do not find correct answers even today, to help the sports opinion, especially the ardent supporters of Partizan, and shed light on this event that dates back to September 16, 1987!!

TABLE:
September 16, 1987. Stadium: “Da Luz” Lisbon

BENFICA – PARTIZANI 4 – 0 (1-0)
Scorers: Frasheri 43`og, Mozer 81`, Rui Águas 86`, 90` Partizani faces 4 red cards: Musta, Ahmetaj, Lame, Frasheri all in the second part.

Benfica Silvino Louro – Edmundo, António Veloso, Carlos Mozer, Carlos Pereira (46` Antonio Pacheko), António Fonseca – Redouane Hajry, Diamantino Miranda, Adelino Nunes – Rui Águas, Wando (70`Tueba) Coach: Svan Goran Eriksson

Partizani Perlat Musta – Skender Gega, Arjan Hametaj, Lorenc Leskaj, Adnan Ocelli (59`B. Bilali) – Niko Frasheri, Ilir Lame, Lefter Millo, Ledio Pano, Genc Tomori – Ylli Shehu Coach: Neptun Bajko