Ilir Lame, The Iron Midfielder of “F.K Partizani”!

Ilir Lame
The great champion of Albanian Football who played for “24 Maji” of Permet and most of all for “F. K Partizani”!
Midfielder, physically strong so that few of the opponent could take the ball off his feet when he was in control of it, but also quite technically prepared, which he showed best in the match against Austria Vienna in Tirana ( 1-0), in 1981, where the fans who attended that meeting remember very well the performance he and his teammates made against the great Austrians champions, in despite of the rough terrain and the pouring rain.

The famous former Partizan and National Albanian Team “Kombetarja” football player, Ilir Lame, was born on October 11, 1956, and spent his childhood in the small town of Përmet, where he would stand out as a football talent, from the teams’ chains of pioneers, of young people and then with the first team of Përmet, which at that time was called
“24 Maji”.

After playing successfully as a left striker in the ranks of that team for three consecutive seasons in the second category (scoring 23 goals), in 1975, in the “Bashkimi” Newspaper Cup held in the city of Pogradec, he caught the eye of football specialists, not only for his game, but also for the two goals scored in the final match.

One of them, upon returning to Tirana, suggested it to the famous Loro Boriçi, who had just returned from China. Ilir Lame remembers that it was August 14, 1975 when he appeared at the “Partizani” club. And in the first meeting, after seeing his physique, the famous Loro Boriçi told him: “Come on, boy, go now, get your clothes and go to training.”
When one of the bosses told the greatest Loro that he could not be supplied with a material basis, since he had not been tested in training, Boriçi replied: “I have see him myself and I don’t ask for anyone.”!

The news that the talented footballer of “24 Maji”, Ilir Lame, had started training with the Partizan team, was not well received in the small town of Përmet, and there was even a big commotion there. The first secretary of Përmet himself, Simon Stefani, intervened “above” and made it possible for Lame to return to Përmet after two weeks.

After playing the first stage with “24 Maji”, as a result of numerous interventions from Tirana, Lame found himself again with the Partizan team.

It was March 6, 1976, when he would play the first official match with the red team, for the Cup of the Republic.

From this moment on, he will never be separated from Partizan, with whom he will win three times the championship title (1978-1979 / 1980-1981 / 1987-1988) and just once The Republic Cup (1979-1980). Among other things, he will be called with the Albanian representative team.

Together with F. Rragami and “Gjike” Ballgjin, he will form one of the most prominent midfields of Albanian football, where the physical strength and technique of these three distinguished players were connected and interwoven quite well.

He will play with Partizan, 10 seasons, from 1978-1979 to 1987-1988 where he was able to score several times.

Lame attended higher studies and in 1979 and graduated from the Institute of Physical Culture “Vojo Kushi”, coming out with excellent results, which made the newspaper “Sporti Popullor” of that time dedicate a long article to him.

After graduation, Ilir Lame was appointed a physical education lecturer at the “Enver Hoxha” United Officers’ School in Tirana, where he served until 1993.

Lame ended his career as a Partizani football player in 1988, recording a total of 49 goals and 12 international matches.

While with the national team, he has recorded 11 official matches, being one of the main pillars of our representative. His first match, the debut with National Albanian Team was on April 1-st, 1981, against West Germany in Tirana (0-2), while the last match holds the date October 31, 1984, at “Stali Mielec” stadium, against Poland (2-2)

April 1, 1981 Tirana: Bernd Schuster of West Germany together with Ilir Lame

For these and his contribution to sports, in 1988 he was awarded the high title “Master of Sports” and the Presidium of the People’s Assembly of that time awarded him the first class “Naim Frashëri” medal.

Ilir Lame was also activated in an Albanian Kinostudio film, “Chronicle of a night” in the role of a German officer (photo below)!