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History of Champions | “There are three sevens in the world, Keegan – Hado – Popivoda”!

June 15, 2025

“Three “7” has the world, Keegan – Hado – Popivoda”!
It’s the 80s, more precisely, the late 70s and early 80s, when during this period of time, the fans of the Albanian Partizan team cheered with the slogan: “There are three sevens in the world, Keegan – Hado – Popivoda” (tre shtata ka bota, Keegan – Hado – Popivoda!

During those years, Keegan and Popivoda were of course well-known players in Europe, especially “King Kev”, but for the non-Albanian audience…Hado?

Kevin Keegan or “King Kev” / “Mighty Mouse”, was the great English football champion of the Liverpool school, with a small stature, but very strong physically, and one of the Stars of World Football, winner of the Ballon d’Or in 1980.

He was known for his dribbling and his role was a real striker with the number 7!

Meanwhile, Danilo Popivoda, was a footballer of the former Yugoslav republics, mainly quite well-known in the late 1970s. He played 20 matches, scoring 5 goals for the former Yugoslavia. Popivoda came from the club Olimpia Ljubljana (Slovenia) where he had played there for 10 years, from 1965 – 1975. His role was right wing forward, also with number 7.

The third seven, Bujar Hado!
Born on March 24, 1956, and trained as a player in Delvina, the blond hair guy with the German “Teutonic” or “Nordic” appearance was currently enjoying excellent form as a goal scorer, whom Partizan had taken to the team from “Butrinti” of Saranda in the 1978-1979 season at the age of 22.

Hado scored in almost every field, against every opponent and was the top scorer of Partizan, the military club with which he played for 4 seasons (1978-1979 / 1979-1980 / 1980-1981 / 1981-1982).

He reached his peak and fame as a striker precisely with this team, scoring 36 goals in the Championship, and the Republic Cup. Especially the 1980-1981 season was his highest point, being crowned national champion for the second time. He also won a Republic Cup with Partizan.

With the red jerseys of Partizan, he was activated in the starting lineup in 4 matches that he played in the European Cups during his time. Two matches in each cup, the Champions League and the Cup Winners’ Cup, as well as in the matches for the Balkan Cup with a goal scored against “Rjeka” of the former Yugoslavia.

He made his debut in the Cup Winners’ Cup against Malmoe, in Sweden on September 17, 1980, which Partizani lost 0-1. He played the full return match in Tirana same year on September 30 in a goalless draw 0-0.

Hado also played the full 90 minutes in two matches for the Champions Cup a year later, on September 16, 1981, in Vienna, against Austria Vienna (1-3); and in the unforgettable return match in Tirana same year on September 30, won (1-0), under a torrential rain.

After Partizan, he will be transferred for three seasons to Lokomotiva of Durres from 1982-1983 to 1984-1985. Here too he will score decisive goals and where together with the two well-known Ballgjini brothers they will form a beautiful ensemble of rival teams during these seasons. Hado stood out for his skills as a scorer, being also prepared scoring with header.