Ferid Rragami – ” The Wolf” | Legends of Albanian Football!

Ferid Rragami
Albanian midfielder with steely lungs!
Besides the nickname “Wolf” he holds the title “Merited Master of Sports
One of the most prominent midfielders in Albanian football!

“All roads lead to Rome”, it`s a phrase that began to make sense during the reign of Augustus in Empire of Rome. The idiom means there are multiple ways to achieve the same result. It also means that all paths or activities lead to the center of things.
This expression of two meanings finds a place in this indisputable player who managed to become a star of Albanian football following different ways but who finally reached his destination, in the podium of the champions. And the second, Shkodra, the cradle of football, arts and cultures, quite a few sports champions and different artists come out of this city, that may not be Caesar’s Rome, but in Albania it is the center of everything. And even further, without wanting to be exaggerated or euphoric, if we imply “the roads” , with champions or artists, they all lead to Shkoder! Yes, their roots are in Shkoder!

Even our champion Ferid Rragami is connected to this city. Although he was born in Tropoje on June 1, 1957, from a family originating from Tropoje, his father, being an officer in the armed forces, moved with his family to Shkoder together with his newborn son Rragami (2 months old).

When he was 6 years old, near his home in Shkoder, he started playing football in a nearby field. Later, Rragami wins the competition for the Sports Mastery” school in Tirana…. and an absurdity, he wanted to pursue the school back then, but he did not qualify because, he had 7 grades in Marxism, below the qualifying grade needed to continue the high studies.
However, he began his football career in 1972 with Shkëndija, the club of the “Sports Mastery” school, at first with the youth, then with the adults in the second category and later in the first category.

From here he goes to Vllaznia of Shkoder, where he plays until he reaches the mandatory age of military service. Then he returns to Tirana with the army’s representative team, that is, Partizani, where he will be active for 3 seasons. Ferid was helped and support not only from Maliq Salushi, but also directly from Enver Hoxha’s son, Ilir Hoxha.

He was one of the most prominent midfielders in Albanian football, perhaps the best in terms of physical strength, sometimes combined with long-range “bomb” shots.
Although he played in the positions of the defender, but more as a midfielder, he still scored many goals.

Ferdi Rragami and Kujtim Majaci of Apolonia

The fans can remember an excellent goal of his in the final of the Republic`s Cup, played in Vlora against “Flamurtari”, while from afar he scored several goals and the one that is remembered would be the goal against Rijeka for the Balkan Cup, where in fact Rragami played as a reinforcement with Skenderbeu team. A “bomb” shot about 35 meters in the distance that crashes into the net.

At Partizani team, Rragami – Lame – H. Ballgjini form a trio in the midfield that would be the envy of every European club! Maybe here at Partizani he reaches the peak of his form so much that the ardent fans of Partizani gave him the nickname “The Wolf”. He became the red champion of Partizan in 1978-79 and 1980-81.

For a football player, losing the opportunity to participate in a World Cup is like kicking away his life. Even bad, when you learn that this opportunity has been sold, it is so painful and absurd.

This happened to Rragami and the other stars of the National Albanian team in 1985. This is what he said in an interview given in “Tirana Observer”, his suspicions that someone from the political bureau with the orders he created the possibility that Albania lost two of the matches where the fate of the world was decided!!

To achieve a 2-2 draw against Boniek’s Poland in Warsaw, to win 2-0 in Tirana, against the “red devils” of Belgium a team with the legendary goalkeeper Pfaff, Schifo and Coulemans, and then after suddenly we lose in Greece against a mediocre team (0- 2), a hypothesis that makes you think….

Among other things, Rragami shows why he suspects that the matches, for one reason or another, were trading . The order to refresh the National Team and the tactical changes that were imposed from above….

Duel for the ball: Scifo and Rragami . Albania vs Belgium 2-0

With the Red &-Black Representative Team, there will be the first debut match since 1980, against Finland (2-0). Of course, he will not be missing in the golden National Team formation of period 1985-1986.
He was present in the tie (2-2) in Poland in 1984, when the Albanians were leading 2-1 until 7 minutes before the end. In fact, there was a group of very good players, starting with goalkeeper Perlat Musta,

File written by Adobe Photoshop¨ 4.0

Here is what Rragami himself remembers in the meeting with Poland: “This was the moment when our National Team enjoyed a good form and hope for the World Cup qualification, I even remember that there we also met the coach of Belgium, who had come to see the condition of the two opponents.

There was an episode with the Mr. Guy Thys , after he came to the lobby of the hotel where we were and to provoke us he said: “Are you Albanian footballers ? There is no way, tomorrow you lose 7 to 0.. because you are a very weak team”
I remember that I, Musta and Ahmetaj, tried for about an hour to convince him that we were football players. In the end we said: “Look, we are the football players of Albania and tomorrow we will not only play very good, but we will also win the match”.
Actually we led throughout the match and the great Boniek’s Poland equalized only at the end of the match”!!!

Rragami will express his doubts regarding the two losses of our National Team in Greece (0-2) and against Poland in Tirana (0-1), in the refreshing of the team based on the orders that came from above and the names of the players, who should and who should not play, in the strange change of tactical schemes, during that eliminatory phase where the National Team was playing well and the results were fruitful. He said with conviction that Albania could win those two matches (Greece and Poland in Tirana), but the order was that they should not go to the World Cup!!!

Rragami has won 2 “Republic`s Cup” (with Partizan in 1980 and with Vllaznia in 1987) and three Championships, as well as the title of Balkan Youth Champion.
Ferid Rragami has been a gentleman, he did not like shopping and trading for matches, the spies who came around, and the fact that Albanian footballers often brought contraband goods from abroad.

The best teams for Rragami (admirer of Brazilian football) were in Albania Dinamo, Partizan, 17 Nentori and obviously Vllaznia. Andrea Marko of Dinamo has always been rated as the best opponent from him

Back at his time, it is not surprising that Ferid Rragami had offers from “Bruges” in Belgium, which was highly valued at the time. But, it was another time! However, his only wish that remained unrealizable dream, just e unfulfilled one, would be to play with the Dutch trio (Gullit, Van Basten , Rijkaard) at AC Milan .

There have been many great coaches such as: Shyqyri Rreli, Loro Boriçi and others, but Bejkush Birçe remained his idol. He was the only coach who argued with the members of the Bureau about the problems of the footballers. Of the Albanian goalkeepers, Ferid Rragami will always appreciate Musta in particular. “Albania has not had a better goalkeeper than Perlat Musta”.

The number, with the shoes he wears now, is 45, the foot of the midfielder who scored many goals, especially those from distance. The sports shoes he wore in his time were 42 !!
Of course, if for someone else it would seem very strange, for those who know Ragami this is normal. The man who scored goals from 40 meters could not have a small foot.

FILE:
1972 – 1976 “SHKENDIA”
1976 – 1978 “VLLAZNIA”
1978 – 1982 “PARTIZANI”
1982 – 1988 “VLLAZNIA”
3 times National Champion:
1978-79 “Partizani” / 1980-81 “Partizani” / 1982-83 “Vllaznia”
2-time winner of the Republic Cup:
Partizan in 1980 and Vllaznia in 1987.

Albanian National Team, “Kombetaren Kuq e zi”:
1980 – 1985 / 14 Matches
The debut match against Finland (3-09-1980 in Tirana)
Last match against Turkey (28-03-1985)

Published for the first time on 06-11-2020 in the Facebook Page with the same name
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Some of the photos are credits on Google!