Loro Boriçi

Lorenco Boriçi (4 August 1922 – 25 April 1984), commonly known as Loro Boriçi was an Albanian footballer who played as a forward. He is regarded as one of Albania's greatest players.

Loro Boriçi
Boriçi on a 2002 stamp of Albania
Personal information
Full name Lorenco Boriçi
Date of birth (1922-08-04)4 August 1922
Place of birth Shkodër, Albania
Date of death 25 April 1984(1984-04-25) (aged 61)
Place of death Tirana, Albania
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1937–1941 Vllaznia Shkodër
1941–1943 Lazio 18 (3)
1945–1949 Vllaznia Shkodër
1949–1956 Partizani Tirana 152 (68)
1957 Spartak Tirana
Total 170 (71)
International career
1945–1957 Albania 24 (6)
Managerial career
1957 Spartak Tirana
1957–1963 Albania
1962–1971 Partizani Tirana
1965–1967 Lokomotiva Durrës
1965–1972 Albania
1972–1975 China (technical director)[2]
1976 Albania
1981 Albania
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

He played mostly for Partizan Tirana (won the 1949 and 1954 Albanian title and scored 68 goals for them[3]) and Vllaznia Shkodër (won the 1945 Albanian title). Boriçi was the reserve of Silvio Piola in Italian Serie A with Lazio. He captained Albania in winning the 1946 Balkan Cup. Today, Loro-Boriçi Stadium in Shkodër is named in his honour.

Club career

Born Lorenco Boriçi on 4 August 1922 in Shkodër, northern Albania to an Albanian Catholic family, Boriçi was pursuing secondary studies in the Xaverian College of his city, and was only 15 when he played as part of the first team of Vllaznia Shkodër in an August 1937 friendly against Dragoi Pogradec. He went to Italy, and registered at La Sapienza University, Rome, to pursue Jurisprudence studies, and in 1941, became part of the SS Lazio team, where he played in the first year with the reserves, and in the second year he was part of the first team, with which he scored 6 goals in 19 matches. Upon his return to Albania he captained Vllaznia Shkodër to two titles, the 1945, and the 1946 ones, after which, in 1949, at the age of 27, he joined Partizani Tirana. With Partizani Boriçi won the 1949 and 1954 titles. He closed his career at Spartak Tirana, but it is believed that he may have played some games also with Flamurtari Vlorë.[1]

International career

Boriçi made his debut for the Albania national team in an August 1946 friendly match against Montenegro and earned a total of 24 caps, scoring 6 goals. His final international was a September 1957 friendly match against China.[4] Boriçi captained Albania in winning the Balkan Cup in 1946.[1]

Managerial career

Boriçi became then manager at KF Partizani, a team which he led to winning the 1962–63, the 1963–64, and the 1970–71 titles, in addition he led also the 1963–64, the 1965–66, the 1967–68, and the 1969–70 Albanian Cups.[1]

Aside Partizani, he managed the Albania national team in five separate stints.

Personal life

Boriçi never married, but it was believed that he had fathered a son with a married woman. KF Tirana fans during the derbies against FK Partizani Tirana, would usually sing the name of his natural son, in order to make him angry, which usually succeeded.[1]

Honours
Albanian Superliga
  • as a player: 3[5]
1945, 1949, 1954
  • as a coach: 3[5]
1963, 1964, 1971

References
  1. Kuka, Bledar. "Loro Borici, kollos i futbollit shqiptar". Shkodra Sport. Shkodra Sport. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
  2. "Loro Boriçi, per sempre nella Storia del calcio albanese" [Loro Boriçi, forever in the history of Albanian football]. mondofutbol.com (in Italian). 9 March 2017. Nel 1972 inizia per Boriçi un altro importante capitolo della sua carriera da allenatore. Dati i buonissimi rapporti diplomatici tra Cina e Albania, si trasferisce proprio nella "Perla d'Oriente" dove diventerà anche allenatore della Nazionale. In molti sostengono che grazie alla sua conoscenza e preparazione tattica, l'ABC del calcio cinese sia proprio un frutto del suo lavoro. Coloro che lavoravano al suo fianco rimanevano impressionati dalla dedizione e dal tempo dedicato a perfezionare ogni dettaglio dentro e fuori dal campo
  3. Gjithë golashënuesit dhe “Këpucët e Arta” të Partizanit - Sot News(in Albanian)
  4. "Player Database". eu-football.info. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  5. Albania - Championship Winning Teams - RSSSF
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