Ahmet Shqarri and “From one match to another”, the historic Albanian sports show!

“Nga njera ndeshje ne tjetren” (From one match to another)!

1.
It is October 1, 1986!
A historic date and one that has been recorded in the Albanian media!
For the first time, the broadcast of the international match between the clubs, Barcelona – Flamurtari, starts Live from “Camp Nou” in Barcelona. After an equally historic draw of the Albanian team in Vlora (1-1), this return match takes on a special importance and great curiosity from the Albanian side.

The name of the Albanian journalist who undertook this achievement, entering the history of the Albanian media, was Ahmet Shqarri.

Several sports projects are associated with his name, especially the legendary Sunday radio show “Nga njera ndeshje ne tjetren”!
Ahmet Shqarri is a big name as a journalist in the written press, as a journalist in Radio and Television, analyst, publicist!

Albanian spectator outside the stadium, during the Flamurtari-Barcelona first match played in Vlora (1-1)!

In the archive of Albanian Radio Television, you will find thousands of kilometers, with the voice and image of journalist Shqarri, but none of the employees of this official Albanian public institution takes the trouble to research and transmit them, making them known to today’s generation, as usually happens with every name of the past in sports and art before the 90s. 35 years of his work in this institution, locked somewhere in the dark waiting for light and freedom from the isolation of oblivion!

His first successes would be the almost nightly sports chronicles in the evening radio magazine (Revista radiofonike e mbremjes), in some problematic shows such as “Sport-Kalitje-Shendet” usually on Fridays, “Jehona Sportive” on Mondays. These can be considered the first time for this journalist.

Ahmet Shqarri is the “musketeer” who continued the baton of the three biggest names in radio journalism, Andon Mazreku, Ismet Bellova, and Skifter Kellici although unfortunately Shqarri never managed to meet the “father” of journalism, Mazreku, but Bellova was his teacher or, more precisely, his mentor.
Shqarri managed to create a stability and consistency of the broadcasts, so much so that from day to day his name became a necessity to be heard.

Born in Peqin, Shqarri was raised and educated in this small town. Then he went to Tirana to the “Skenderbej” school but did not manage to finish it. He was sent to perform military service in the tank unit. Then he graduated from University and found himself in Radiotelevision as a journalist.

“Shkumbini” The Peqin Team!

However, right after finishing high school, we find his first article in the then-current magazine “Shqiptarja e re”, in a story titled “The Abandoned Girl”. After completing a special journalism course at University, he wrote regularly in the only most important Albanian newspaper, “Sporti Popullor”.

2.
The birth of the show “From one match to another” came about naturally, becoming the successor to the Italian one “Tutto il calcio minuto per minuto”.
The neighboring country, Italy, for Shqarri will be the first center of sports journalism and not only. The show was conceived by Shqarri and Agron Cobani and was proposed to the general directorate for the realization of a show similar to the Italian one of Enrico Ameri and Sandro Cioti, “Tutto il calcio….”!

The various objections do not demoralize Shqarri, who is told that the project is almost unfeasible, since no one except the leader, the communist leader Enver Hoxha, can speak live and at the congress. It will ultimately be Marash Hajati, the general director, who will approve the project.

It is October 2, 1983, the date of the start of the radio show “From one match to another”. An autumn day that has remained as a historical date in the calendar of Albanian media and Albanian football. Perhaps only two countries in the whole of Europe, Italy of course the first and Albania, have such a show of a contemporary formula of the type of radio broadcast with a central studio that runs the show, a main field that comments on the most important match and other stadiums directly connected with their radio commentators who could intervene in moments when a goal is scored or other important moments, such as 11-meter kicks, red cards, etc.

Of course, technical difficulties are expected, but the emotions of the first day, the protagonists in the central studio and those of others in the cities of Albania where their teams play for the first category, cannot be described.

The show took off and became one of the most beloved for football spectators in Albania who turned on the radio every Sunday around 2:30 p.m. (14;30), it didn’t matter where he was, at home, at the stadium, in a store, at the barber, in a restaurant, taxis, buses, trains while traveling, the matches of the week were there, next to him with all the emotions and developments of them, with the joy and sadness of everything that came from the magic of the radio.

“… Të nderuar dëgjues… linjën në fillim po e kalojmë në Stadiumin Kombëtar “Qemal Stafa” për ndeshjen 17 Nëntori-Labinoti, në mikrofon Ismet Bellova, pastaj në Shkodër linja për Ymer Stërniqin për ndeshjen Vllaznia-Luftëtari, Vlash Pambuku në Berat për takimin Tomori-Partizani. Në Korçë linja për Vladimir Ngjelën për ndeshjen mes Skënderbeut dhe Naftëtarit; më pas, linja në Durrës për Bujar Qesjen për Lokomotiva-Besa dhe në Burrel, Avni Kërtuka, për 31 Korriku-Traktori”.

“… Dear listeners… we are initially passing the line to the National Stadium “Qemal Stafa” for the match 17 Nëntori-Labinoti, Ismet Bellova on the microphone, then in Shkodër the line for Ymer Stërniqi for the match Vllaznia-Luftëtari, Vlash Pambuku in Berat for the Tomori-Partizani match. In Korça the line for Vladimir Ngjela for the match between Skënderbeu – Naftëtari; then, the line in Durrës for Bujar Qesje for Lokomotiva-Besa and in Burrel, Avni Kërtuka, for 31 Korriku-Traktori”!

This is how the first show started on that autumn day of October 2nd..

Oh, where were there so many emotions when the broadcasts came from the voices of greats like Ismet Bellova, Veli Rada, Ymer Kurti in the main matches, whose voices were mixed with the interventions of Shkodra’s Ymer Striniqi and Pjerin Pogu and others in the districts like Frederik Fico (Gjirokaster), Aleko Gjergo (Tirana), Bujar Qesja (Durres), Sefedin Allkja (Elbasan), Aleko Pilika (Korce), Pirro Cici (Gjirokaster), Vlash Pambuku and Agron Kaja (Berat), Nikolin Gjergji, Namik Mehmeti, Fatmir Mneri and Robert Papa (Tirana), Vladimir Ngjela (Korce), Fejzullah Dollia (Kavaje), Avni Kertuka (Burrel), Llukan Cuko (Lushnje), Zef Shtjefni and Andon Vane (Lezhe), Moisi Dalipi (Vlore), Fatmir Thaci (Kruje), Mikel Mbricaj (Fier) and later also the others after the 90s who took up this beautiful commentary baton.

In the central studio, Ahmet Shqarri was not absent in the version of an Albanian Alfredo Provinciali from “Tutto il calico…”. The idea for Albania was this man’s, but the original had been born long ago in the neighboring country…
And so, week after week, with emotions and champion events, spectacular goals from different voices over the years, this show took on grand proportions every Albanian Sunday, making it impossible not to be heard by different fans in every city that had its team in the First Category.

Voices from the past seem to permeate the air:
“The line in Elbasan where Bega scored for the home team Labinoti”…..
Excuse me, colleague Shqarri! The Partizan team has just taken the lead through Tomori here in Gjirokaster; Another goal for the Vllaznia team here in “Vojo Kushi”. It was Rragami with a strong shot outside the area, slamming the ball into the net, and lifting the weight of thousands of Shkodra spectators….; It was a header by Abazi and Dinamo has deepened the score to 3-0 against Traktor, precisely in the 34th minute; The line in Kavaje where a penalty kick is being executed in favor of the home team Besa….!

These were just some of the memories of the beloved show of Albanians, where the recorded voice reels today do not know their fate. That creature and the colossal work of those people to bring sports to the radio audience, is now completely lost or hopefully has remained rotting in the warehouses of the Albanian Radio and Television institution. Too bad but this is the truth of the consequences of democratic changes and abuses in changing systems that are deliberately misinterpreted.

© By Pjerin Bj
New York: February 7, 2026
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Sports Vision + Plus | Champions Hour in activity since 2013

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