1946! Balkan Football Championship | Albania is the winner!

#VizionSportivOraKampioneve #BalkaniadaShqiperia1946 #LoroBorici

8th Balkan Games October 6 – 13, 1946.
Albania champion of the Balkans in football!

From October 6 to 13, 1946, the Balkan Games were held in Tirana with the participation of Albania, Romania and Yugoslavia, in Football and Track and Field. The football tournament is of particular interest. The teams of Romania and Yugoslavia have a great international experience. Suffice it to mention that the Yugoslavs are among the few European teams that took part in the First World Football Championship held in 1930 in distant Uruguay.

The Romanians even took part in the Second Championship in Italy, in 1934. In addition to these, we should mention several dozen international matches for the Balkan Cups, or the Central European Cups, which these teams played intensively before the First World War.

Whereas Albania, although a member of FIFA since 1932, had not played any international matches inside or outside the country. Experience was almost absent. However, this does not scare the young footballers of our country. Before the Balkaniade, they have passed a serious test. Although inexperienced, our team has played in Tirana with “Spartak” of Moscow, several times champion of the Soviet Union. The match ended 1-2.

This will be the first international match of the Albanian national team, which dates back to May 1, 1946, even though it was established in May 1936 (photo below).

The National Team of Albania was established in May 1936!

Two weeks ago, Yugoslavia defeated Czechoslovakia, which in 1934 took second place in the World Championship, held in Italy. That’s exactly what our team will face in the new stadium “Qemal Stafa” in Tirana. It is the first meeting of the tournament. During the first half, our team is the master of the field. Already in the sixth minute, Mirashi, receiving an accurate pass from Parapani, scored. 1-0!

Only a few seconds have passed, when Llambi breaks forward and passes the ball to Teliti, who is inside the penalty area, and scores the second goal. 2-0!

The cyclone in the Yugoslav port continues to grow. Bicaku passes the ball to Teliti, who scores the third goal ….3-0? No!

Surprisingly, the Romanian referee Istrati cancels this goal.

The coach of our representative, Ljubisha Borshic, gives the instructions

The second half begins. The terrain is cleared, raindrops pour down from the leaden-colored sky. In the first minutes, the Yugoslavs scored two goals through Matoshic and Rupnik. 2-2! Now the terrain has been restored to mud.

However, the referee orders the match to continue. In the last minutes, Cajkovski, with a strong shot, scores the third goal and the Yugoslavs win 3-2!

Monday, October 7, 1946. “Qemal Stafa” National Stadium, Tirana
Albania – Yugoslavia 2-3 1:0 (6′) Pal Mirashi, 2:0 (8′) Qamil Teliti, 2:1 (49′) Frane Matošić , 2:2 (52′) Stjepan Bobek, 2:3 (57′) Zlatko Čajkovski.

Referee: Radu Istrate (Romania) | Spectators : 20,000

Albania: Dode Tahiri; Muhamet Dibra; Rexhep Spahiu; Xhavit Demneri; Slave Llambi; Bimo Fakja; Aristidh Parapani; Q. Teliti; Loro Borici (captain) – (46` Bahri Kavaja); Paul Mirashi; Vasfi Bicaku
Coach : Ljubisha Brocic`

Yugoslavia: Zvonko Monsider; Miroslav Brozovic (captain) ; Dragutin Game; Zlatko Tchaikovsky; Ivica Horvat; Aleksander Atanackovic`; Prvoslav Mihajlovic`; Frane Matosic; Franja Rubnik; Stjepan Bobek; Kiril Simanovski Coach: Milorad Arsenijevic and Aleksander Tirnanic

The second match between Bulgaria and Romania ended in a 2-2 draw.

Now our team is facing the Bulgarian team.

Tirana, October 9, 1946: Albania – Bulgaria 3-1; (from left to right): Bimo Fakja, Muhamet Dibra, Aristidh Parapani, Pal Mirashi, Bahri Kavaja, Vasif Biçaku, Qamil Teliti, Rexhep Spahiu, Dodë Tahiri, (seated from left): Slave Llambi, Loro Boriçi

The Second goal scored from 11 meters by our captain Borici in the goal of Kostov, Bulgaria!

When in the fifth minute, the Bulgarian center forward Spasov scored the first goal, for a while it seemed that the loss was threatening our players. But slowly the ball began to circulate more and more in the opponent’s half-field. In the 30th minute, Borici, although surrounded by several opposing footballers, scored the equalizing goal with a furious spin. That’s an example of coolness. In the last minutes of the first half, Spahiu, the best in our defense, was injured and had to leave the field. His place was taken by the young footballer Fagu. After a slow start, held back by the opposing defense, our team broke through. In the 20th minute, Parapani was blocked inside the penalty area by defender Radojev. Penalty! Borici shoots accurately and our team leads 2-1. But the victory is still not certain. We need another goal. And Mirashi does this within three minutes. Albania thus reaps a well-deserved victory.

Wednesday, October 9, 1946. “Qemal Stafa” National Stadium, Tirana

Albania – Bulgaria 3-1 0:1 (5′) Vasil Spasov, 1:1 (30′) Loro Boriçi, 2:1 (65′) Loro Boriçi (pen.), 3:1 (68′) Pal Mirashi

Referee : Radu Istrate (Romania) | Spectators : 20,000

Albania: Dode Tahiri; Muhamet Dibra; Rexhep Spahiu; (46 `Besim Fagu); Bimo Fakja; Slavic lamp; Bahri Kavaja (Captain); Aristidh Parapani; Qamil Teliti; Loro Borici; Vasfi Bicaku; Paul Mirashi.
Coach : Ljubisha Broshic

Bulgaria: Simeon Kostov; Stoyan Ormandzhiev; Stoyu Nedialkov; Ivan Radojev; Ljubomir Petrov; Alexander Popov; Stefan Bozhkov; Bozhin Laskov; Vasil Spasov; Krum Milev (Captain) Coach : Todor Konov

The third meeting between Yugoslavia and Romania. The Yugoslavs definitely needed the win. However, the Romanians won 2-1. In their last meeting, the Yugoslavs beat the Bulgarians 2-1. Thus, the fate of the championship title would be determined by the last matches between Albania and Romania.

Albania can become champions only after defeating Romania. Romania needs the same thing. Even a draw is dangerous. It puts us in third place and the Yugoslavs become champions. So Albanians just need a win…

Tirana, October 13, 1946: Albania – Romania 1-0; (from left to right): Rexhep Spahiu, Muhamet Dibra, Aristidh Parapani, Bimo Fakja, Bahri Kavaja, Pal Mirashi, Slave Llambi, Vasif Biçaku, Qamil Teliti, Xhakomo Pozeli, Loro Boriçi. Pozel approached the national as a representative of KS Flamurtari, Vlore.

A safe exit of our goalkeeper Giacomino Poseli, the Italian who came as a representative of KS Flamurtari, Vlore!

Yes, during the first minutes, our footballers have to stop the incessant rush of Romanian footballers. Then the game goes into a smoother flow. Then, they start to attack and ours and the first half ends 0-0. The second half started with a prelude of attacks by our team. The Romanian goalkeeper Lazareanu, to avoid a danger with a frantic exit, is with the ball outside the penalty area.

The referee signs a free kick in favor of our team. The Romanians form a concrete wall, and yet Teliti investigates one more. A calibrated shot and the ball crashes into the net of the Romanian goalkeeper.

It`s the moment when Teliti scored the goal in the 55th minute. Spectacular reaction of the Romanian goalkeeper! Albania becomes the champion of the Balkans!

There are still 35 minutes of the game left. Romanians flock to our area. But they break. On the other hand, our attackers alert the opposing defenders…

Albania is the champion of the Balkans in football. ..

Sunday, October 13, 1946. “Qemal Stafa” National Stadium, Tirana

Albania – Romania 1-0 55` Teliti

Referee : Marijan Matancic (Yugoslavia) | Spectators : 20,000

Albania: Giacomino Poseli; Muhamet Dibra; Rexhep Spahiu; Bimo Fakja; Slave Llambi; Bahri Kavaja; Aristidh Parapani; Qamil Teliti; Loro Borici (Captain); Vasif Bicaku; Pal Mirashi
Coach : Ljubisha Broshic

Romania: George Lazareanu; Joseph Ritter; Aleksandru Negrescu; Nikolae Simatoc; Ferenc Meszarosh; Jozef Perenyi; Basil Marian; Ferenc Sarvari, Nikolae Ruter; Server Karaku Trainer : Virgjil Ekonom

The captain of the Albanian team, Loro Borici, receives the trophy as the winner of the 8th edition of the Balkaniade.

Loro Borici, with the crown of laurels and the trophy in his hands. Albania is the champion of the Balkans! Historical!

“It was something indescribable, — remembers our famous football player, Loro Borici. — When I was on the podium, with the cup in my hands and the crown of laurels on my head, I felt the enthusiastic cheers of thousands of sports fans, who filled the national stadium “Qemal Stafa” of the capital, in a single chorus of explosion: “Albania, Albania! And while our national anthem was being played and the red and black flag of the new Albania was rising and waving, I imagined thousands and thousands of sports fans from all over Albania, who were living with us in such a joyful way. We had a right to be proud. In the second year of Clearing, we were giving the homeland such a great victory in the international arena, leaving behind well-known teams.

Thus, the new generation of our talented footballers, such as Dibra, Llambi, Spahiu, Demneri, Fakja, Fagu, Parapani, Teliti, Borici, Bicaku, Mirashi, etc., testified to the horizons that were opening up for our football.

FINAL CLASSIFICATION:
1 – Albania 4 points (6-4); 2 – Yugoslavia 4 points (6-5); 3 – Romania 3 points (4-4); 4 – Bulgaria 1 point (4-7)

26 Janar 2021

__________

Sports Vision + / The Hour of The Champion

References: “History of Football” from the publishing house “8 Nentori” – 1980 / S. Kellici / p. 71-72-73 and statistics