Medin Zhega (31 January 1946 – 12 June 2012) was an Albanian professional football manager and player, who played as a forward.

Medin Zhega
Personal information
Date of birth (1946-01-31)31 January 1946
Place of birth Shkodër, Albania
Date of death 12 June 2012(2012-06-12) (aged 66)
Place of death Tirana, Albania
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1962–1964 Vllaznia Shkodër
1964–1970 Dinamo Tirana
1970–1975 Vllaznia Shkodër
1975–1976 Dinamo Tirana
1976–1979 Vllaznia Shkodër
International career
1965–1971 Albania 11 (3)
Managerial career
1980–1982 Vllaznia Shkodër
1982–1984 Albania (assistant)
1984–1986 Albania U23 (assistant)
1988–1991 Albania (technical director)
1994–1996 SV Bad Tölz 1925
1996–1997 KF Albanet Tirana
1999–2001 Albania
2001–2002 Prishtina
2002 Shkëndija
2002 Besëlidhja Lezhë
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career

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Club

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Firstly he played for Vllaznia the football team of Shkodra, then he went to Dinamo Tirana and he concluded his career at the team of Vllaznia. During his career he won several championships in Albania.[1] Medin Zhega quit playing at the age of 32 on 9 September 1979.[2]

International

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He made his debut for Albania at age 19 years and 3 months in a May 1965 FIFA World Cup qualification match away against Switzerland and earned a total of 11 caps, scoring 3 goals. His final international was a June 1971 European Championship qualification match against West Germany.[3]

Managerial career

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Following his playing career, Zhega became a manager and led the Albania during the 1999–2001 period.[4] He won with Albania 2000 Rothmans International Tournament. Zhega became a coach, starting his career with his former club of Vllaznia. Later Albanet Tirana in Albania, Prishtina in Kosovo and Shkëndija in Macedonia. He also coached an amateur club in Germany named SV Bad Tölz 1925.

He got the honor award "Master of Work" given by the president of Albania.[citation needed]

Personal life

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He was born in Shkodra, Albania 31 January 1946. In May 2011, Zhega had an accident in Toronto, Canada, which made him paraplegic[5] and he remained in a coma for a year[6] until he died 12 June 2012 in Tirana.[7]

He was survived by 2 sons. One of them, Kreshnik, has also played football for Besëlidhja and Teuta and was named assistant to coach Peter Pacult at FK Kukësi in 2018.[8]

Honours

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Player

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Vllaznia Shkodër
Dinamo Tirana

Manager

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Vllaznia Shkodër
Albania

Individual

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References

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  1. ^ Hoxha, Florent & Pandovski, Fatjon (20 May 2004). "Albania – Championship Winning Teams". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 6 October 2009.
  2. ^ Medin Zhega, ditëlindja “e munguar” e këtij kollosi të futbollit shkodran – ee Times (in Albanian)
  3. ^ "Player Database". eu-football.info. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
  4. ^ Manaschev, Erlan (2 February 2005). "International Matches 2000 – Europe". RSSSF.
  5. ^ Medin Zhega, mjeshtri i fushës dhe i pankinës – Shkodra Sport (in Albanian)
  6. ^ Ndahet nga jeta Medin Zhega – Respublica (in Albanian)
  7. ^ "Medin Zhega passes away". Top Channel. 12 June 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  8. ^ Kukësi gjen ndihmësin e trajnerit Pakult, prezantohet djali i të ndjerit Medin Zhega – Panorama (in Albanian)
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