FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Today, his name resounds in La Liga stadiums, rivaling world stars like Kylian Mbappe with an impressive tally of 19 goals.
Vedat Muriqi has become a goal-scoring machine and one of the most feared strikers in the Spanish and European football elite. But the Kosovo “Pirate”’s journey to the top has not been paved with gold. To understand the essence of his success, we must go back in time, to the 2012-2013 season, when a tall young man, with many dreams and few words, knocked on the doors of Teuta Durrës.
At the head of the Durrës bench at that time was Gugash Magani. For the Peć technician, the memories of that young man are still fresh, in this exclusive interview for Top Channel given to journalist Endi Tufa, not only for what he showed on the field, but above all for his human dimension and extraordinary sacrifice.
The discovery of talent is often hidden behind difficult circumstances and decisions that go beyond the technical side. Magani recalls the first moments when Muriqi joined the team on trial, emphasizing that his position on the team was dictated not only by his physique, but also by a special sensitivity of the club towards his personal history, which made him a boy with a great weight on his shoulders.
" Vedat Muriqi was a Teuta player in the beginning and we took him on trial at first, to be honest. We kept him because besides football, there was also the human side, as he was the president of the team at the time, because besides being young, he was also an orphan and as far as I remember, his uncle took care of him ," says Magani.
At first glance, the Muriqi of those years was not the refined and fearsome striker we see today. However, what he lacked in finesse, he made up for with an incredible thirst for improvement. For Magani, the Dardanian striker is the personification of hard work, so much so that the coach does not hesitate to compare his mentality to that of Cristiano Ronaldo when it comes to willpower in training.
" Apart from his physical qualities, he didn't have anything special, but today I'm glad he became such a great player, because for the sake of truth, he was a very hardworking player. He asked me with great politeness and courtesy that, even though I was the first coach of the team, I would train him individually even after the training session. And always on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, I would work with him separately. For me, he is the model of Ronaldo. A very hardworking player and only work has made him be at these high levels, I am proud to have trained this player ", says the former Teuta coach.
Murriqi's case also serves as a lesson for coaches, managers and scouts in Albania. Magani uses this success story to send a strong message to his colleagues, emphasizing the importance of honesty in the selection of young players, a principle he considers sacred in his profession in order not to "kill" the dreams of young people.
" I had another suggestion, we coaches should be a little more careful in the selection part, give the other person what he deserves. A good professional, first of all, must be honest. I have made an oath to myself, just as doctors have made the Hippocratic oath, I have made the Hippocratic oath in football. Everything after that is relative, because not everything is absolute, just like football itself ."
Today, when we see Vedat Muriqi win aerial duels with Real Madrid or Barcelona defenders and lift the Spanish fans' spirits with his goals, Gugash Magani's words take on an even deeper meaning.
“The Pirate” wasn’t born that way, he was forged amidst the hardships of life, humility, and those extra afternoon training sessions in Durrës. His journey remains clear proof that physique and luck can open a door, but it’s only relentless work, a desire to learn, and an iron will that keep you on top of the world.
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