FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Shkodra and Albanian football are in mourning. This evening, Paulin Ndoja, the former goalkeeper of Vllaznia and the Albanian National Team, a name that left an indelible mark on the history of this sport, passed away.
Born on December 19, 1945 in Shkodër, Ndoja quickly rose to the top of the sport, winning the Albanian Cup with Vllaznia in 1965, at just 20 years old. After a break for military service in Skrapar, he returned to the team to help win the championship and Cup titles in the 1971-72 season. But a year later, for biographical reasons, his career was painfully cut short.
Ndoja also experienced political interference in his personal life. In 1971, the Party asked him to divorce his fiancée because of her family background. “I didn’t divorce her. My father and uncle told me: hand over the clothes, but don’t leave your wife,” he later recalled. However, this refusal directly affected the end of his career.
In 1973, he was finally expelled from football. “Biography followed me everywhere,” he recalled. In order to continue playing, he was even asked to find a communist in his tribe or have family ties to one – an absurdity of the time.
Although called up to the national team several times, Ndoja played only one official match, against China, which Albania won 2-1. “I was called up often, but they wouldn't let me play abroad,” he said with bitter irony.
After the 1980s, Ndoja returned as a goalkeeper coach, a profession he practiced until a few years ago. He will be remembered not only for his talent and successes, but also for his unwavering character in the face of the injustices of the time.
Lini një Përgjigje