Genci Tomorri, the Combative Spirit of the 80-ties Partizan!

Prologue!

The decade of the 1980s was, of course, the “boom” of Albanian football, a huge growth for two fundamental reasons. First, it was passed by law to a professional level, where the player was paid directly to the club and trained twice a day. Second, the specialization of Albanian technicians abroad was important. This movement brought a lot of quality.

Many players of that decade from the Albanian championship could play with the best clubs in Europe. It was not only Partizani, Dinamo, 17 Nentori because in those years, Albania had achieved a developed football even in the other cities. Vllaznia, Flamurtari, Labinoti, Apolonia, Lokomotiva, Besa, Tomorri, Luftetari, Skenderbeu, and even Traktori, Naftetari and Beselidhja produced many talents.

One of the talents that emerged from that golden decade was undoubtedly Genc Tomorri, one of the most combative and tireless midfielders not only of Partizan, but of Albanian football in general.

A player with a broad horizon of the game and in addition to his fighting spirit, he was also characterized by the ability to score goals, and especially distinguished himself in headers, although he did not have a tall physical stature.

His name has been written on at least 4 special occasions in the history of Albanian football.

Tomorri is the player who scored the first goal for the Albanian National Team on German soil in 1983.

Tomorri scored goals against the best goalkeepers in the world at the time, Schummaker and Koncilia.

Tomorri became one of the most special occasions in Albania, (not the only occasion however) when the player returned to the role of goalkeeper, even in two matches.

Tomorri has written his name in the history of Albanian football also when he scored a goal against Bujar Gogunja of the champion Labinot, breaking the record of about 1 thousand and more minutes that he held with the nets untouched.

1.
He was born on January 17, 1960, in Tirana. In fact, Tomorri comes from a family of athletes. His older brother, Ylli Tomorri, was a high-level volleyball player with Partizan as well as with the Albanian Volleyball team. This was perhaps the reason why Genci Tomorri linked his entire career with only one name, Partizan, which he considers as a big family and an honor and privilege to wear the jersey of this team!

He started playing football at the age of 10 in 1970, with Partizan youth teams, with Ziçe Sakic as his first coach. At the time, it was a dream for all children to play for the great Partizan.

He comes from the Partizan club’s junior teams. An officer of the United School, he was one of the elements of the red team that did not give up easily, physically and athletically prepared, he was able to recover the balls from opponents, build actions for his team and even finalize them in his own special way and style.

A midfielder with extra lungs, attacking but also defensive features. The idol of the ardent fans who often called him “Dhelper / The Fox”, (from the way he stole the balls or scored), was everywhere, even in his career, in two matches, and what matches, Tomorri has also covered the role of goalkeeper! In Partizan’s training sessions, he often participated in the goalkeeper’s ones alongside the legend Perlat Musta.

He debuted with the red jerseys in the 1979-1980 season. The last one for him will be the 1988-1989 season.

Always in the role of midfielder as an offensive and defensive one, he has distinguished himself for the goals he has scored. In every age championship, Tomorri has been evaluated among the best.

Without exaggeration, from his features and appearance in many matches, we can compare him as an Albanian Tardelli or De Napoli.

Tomorri played his first representative match with Partizan against Dinamo, in the Republic Cup (in January 1980). Only 19 years old, having arrived as the top scorer of the youth championship, the coach put him directly in the starting line.

After eliminating Dinamo and then defeating “Labinoti” in the final, Tomorri and Partizan would be the winners of the Cup.

While Tomorri scored his first goal against “Besa” that same year (1980), in a match played at the “Dinamo” stadium in Tirana. A goal scored with a “rovesciata” ,a bicycle kick, also known as an overhead kick, in the last minutes of that match.

Alongside Partizan, Tomorri, has been declared twice the champion of Albania in the 1980-1981 seasons as well as 1986-1987. Once runner up (1982-1983), once also the third place (1983-1984), three times the 4th place (1981-1982 / 1984-1985-1986) and once 9th place in the 1987-1988 season.

2.
Tomorri’s peak and best form was in the early 1980s, where he stood out in the two matches for the Champions Cup against Austria Vienna (1981). In the first match on September 16 in Vienna, Tomorri even scored the only goal for Partizan (22′) after a 1-3 defeat, and contributed in the second match with a minimal 1-0 victory, very close to qualification.

The emotions were great for the promising young man who scored a goal against one of the greatest goalkeepers in the world, Friedrich Koncilia of Austria.

Two years later he would experience even greater emotions when he scored a goal against a giant like Harald Schumacher of Germany (1983).

Of the most important matches for Tomorri, we would highlight, of course, beside the derby against Dinamo and “17 Nentori”, the duel against West Germany in 1983, perhaps even the most important goal in his entire career.

The high-level performance led Tomorri to be called up first with the Albanian Under-21 National Team and then with the first National Team, where the match of November 20, 1983 in Saarbrucken against West Germany, captained by Rrummenigge and featuring world-class players such as Voeller, Matthaeus, Littbarski, and Briegel, remains unforgettable.

And Genci Tomorri would be the hero of that match. He scored the advantage goal (1-0) for the Albanian team in the 22nd minute, (again the same minute as against Koncilia two years ago) as a result of a terrifying counterattack. 70 meters covered in 6 seconds and from a technical-tactical point of view it was a perfect action, started by Omuri, Vukatana and after a beautiful cross by Ragami, Tomorri’s finalization arrived, thus becoming the first player to score the first goal for the National Team on German soil.

Although a few minutes later Tomorri will be punished with a red card, it is precisely from that moment that the Albanian National Team’s defense, with 10 players, begins to take shape, which will frighten the world champions until 11 minutes from the end, when center back Strak (79′) will head the goal for the 2-1 advantage and free the Germans from an anxiety they had previously experienced in 1966, when they were eliminated by the Albanians after a goalless 0-0 draw in Tirana.

This is how the German commentator would express himself:
“… und da ist das erste Tor, das Albanien auf deutschem Boden schießt! Unglaublich! … Torschütze: Tomorri…”

„… and there is the first goal Albania scores on German soil! Incredible! … Scorer: Tomorri …”

(Wolfram Esser – ZDF Sports Reporter, who commented on the International Match between West Germany – Albania on November 20, 1983, for the German Television)

It was the national team of the “Partizani” brand, perhaps the strongest until around that year of 1983, since it had 7 of its players (on the field and on the bench).

The truth is that Germany definitely needed a victory to go to the 1984 European Championship in France. They got it just 11 minutes toward the end but trying hard and suffering the tight defense of the Albanians.

It was a special match, since for the first time it was broadcast live by TVSH. The experience was great and all the players, upon returning to Albania, were well received by the people who greeted them, giving them the right to reaction and a clash they had with the German players, where Voeller, known as a provocative player, became the protagonist. (Remember also the 1990 match Germany – Holland, the duel Voeller – F. Rikaard)

Tomorri is also remembered for his excellent performance as a goalkeeper against the rivals of “17 Nentori” in the 1986-1987 season championship in the 12th week, which is dated 23 November.

He will surprise everyone with two or three decisive interventions in the role of goalkeeper, when he replaces Musta, who was sent off with a red card (in the locker room) in the second half of this crazy challenge as events unfolded.

Meanwhile, the second occasion for 40 minutes, Tomorri will be in the role of goalkeeper in the match in Lisbon for the Champions Cup in 1988, against Benfica, on the darkest night of his team where, in addition to the lack of managerial skills of the Spanish referee Pes Peres, which greatly influenced the defeat of the Albanian champions, (4 red cards), several Partizan players upon returning to Tirana were massacred by the harsh and excessive punishments of the Albanian Federation.

The match against Benfica caused a lot of commotion at the time and Partizan suffered a lot from that event. It was an unusual match, where the Portuguese public itself was irritated with their team, because until 15 minutes from the end they had only managed to score once and that was an own goal at the end of the first half. Partizan, even though with 6 players on the field and an invented goalkeeper (midfielder Tomorri) still resisting….

3.

In all his activity as a footballer he played and defended only the colors of his team, Partizan, even when he retired from football, he became a coach (2000-2001) and later the club’s manager.

In 2014, he replaced Partizan’s Brazilian coach Marcio Sampaio precisely in the last match of the championship in Lushnje.

In 2015, he was the coach of Partizan Under 19, Champion of Albania.

In 2016, he was appointed general director of Partizan.

He holds the titles: “Master of Sports” and “Grand Master”.
Career as a player
1971-1974 – Partizan’s chain teams.
1975-1977 – Partizan’s youth team.
1977-1979 – Top scorer of the youth championship (78-79).
1979-1989 – Activated with Partizan’s first team.
1980-1989 – Scored 60 goals for Partizan + 20 goals in other FSHF activities.

Trophies with Partizan
2 championships (1980-81, 1986-87),
1 Republic Cup (1979-80),
1 Balkan title (1981),
1 Albanian Cup as manager of Partizan (2003-2004),
1 title as a member of Partizan (2018-2019), National Champion as coach and as manager with Partizan’s age teams from U-12 to U-19.
Winner of 2 Albanian Cups as coach with Partizan’s U-19 team.

With the National Team 
3 international matches, author of the goal against Germany in 1983.

With Partizan
Participant in 5 European matches (Partizan-Malmo, Malmo-Partizan, Austria Vienna-Partizan, Partizan-Austria Vienna, Benfica-Partizan).

Career as a coach and manager:
1993-2000 – Head of the private Football Academy “DEA 2000”, Tirana.

2001-2020 – Inseparable part of Partizan, starting from deputy coach, head coach, academy director, general director.

Ratings Winner of the “100 Outstanding Figures of Albanian Football of All Time” Survey.

“Medal of Merit” awarded by the Partizan Club on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of its establishment.

“Legend of Albanian Football” Medal awarded by the Albanian Football Federation in 2018.

© Copyright.
Reserved material | Exclusivity is dated August 6, 2025

By: Pjerin Bj

_______________________
Sports Vision +Plus / Champions Hour in activity since 2013

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