The aviator goalkeeper, Mikel Janku!

Mikel Janku (1941-2019)

Epilogue
Janku is the Albanian “warrior of the skies”, who traded propellers of helicopter for gloves of a goalkeeper. Once commanding the might of the Albanian Air Force, he found a new battlefield in the goalmouth. His aerial prowess translated seamlessly, as he soared and dived to defend his net.

Like a fighter jet intercepting a missile, Janku intercepted crosses, his reflexes lightning-fast. Where others saw danger, he saw opportunity – to punch clear, to tip the ball to safety. His saves were legendary, a testament to a man who’d faced down greater threats. In the 60s, Janku’s gloves were the Albanian goal’s last line of defense. His legacy lives on – a true hero, in the air and between the posts.

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Janku was born in Tirana on October 25, 1941.
While looking at photos of him from his time, one immediately gets the impression that Janku was an extremely flexible, acrobatic, modern goalkeeper for his time, bringing a new philosophy to the game of goalkeepers in daring exits from the gate to aerial balls. He played with his left hand and kicked with his right foot, on which he placed a white bandage that he wore after an injury some time ago.

Janku graduated from the renowned military school “Skenderbej” in the aviation course. In 1958, at the age of 17, he was sent to the Soviet Union to specialize as a helicopter pilot, something he had never thought of. On the contrary, he was in love with football and was known as a Partizan fan. In Rostock, he was active in school as a goalkeeper, but also played several sports. At the “Skenderbej” school, his physical education teacher, the well-known commentator and journalist Ismet Bellova, trained him as a goalkeeper, paving the way for him to later become a prominent goalkeeper with the red Partizan jerseys and those of the Albanian National Team.

In 1962, after the closing of the Military Spartakiad in Tirana, a meeting was organized at the “Dinamo” stadium between Partizan, where Pano, Resmja and a selection of the teams of this Spartakiad were playing. Janku had to receive an order from the senior officers of that time, B. Balluku and P. Dume, the main figures of the Political Bureau and the PPSH. After being allowed, he immediately began to play with the first team, the legendary Partizan, when the famous goalkeeper MaliqatI was in goal, but also big names like Resmja, Deliallisi, Papadhopulli, Ndini, Merja, Shllaku, Jashari, Pano, Dingu, Frashëri, while he was active with the reserve team with coach Sllave Llambi.

He made his debut with the Partizan jersey in April 1962 for the 60th Anniversary of Liberation Cup, at the “Dinamo” stadium, when he suddenly replaced Maliqati who was injured during the warm-up shortly before the match started.

In September 1964, when Maliqati finally left Partizan, the goal will have another protagonist: Mikel Janku.
With Partizan, Janku will stand out for his decisive interventions in deciding the fate of key matches both in the Championship and in the Republic Cup.

He is a two-time National Champion in 1963 and 1964.

Mikel Janku made his debut for “Kombetare” in a May 1964, FIFA World Cup qualification match away against the Netherlands and earned a total of 9 caps, scoring no goals. His final international was a May 1967 European Championship qualification match against Yugoslavia.

Against Switzerland, we can mention the case of a non-existent penalty awarded by the referee, after a deflection of the ball for the corner. While the footballers remembered it for a corner kick, his whistle ordered for an 11-meter penalty. Also unforgettable remains his performance against Northern Ireland, in Tirana in a historic 90-minute match after a 1-1 draw.

Meanwhile, for the match marked in history, on December 17, 1967 against West Germany, coach Boriçi will unveil Koço Dinella, while Janku will be his reserve.

In Europe, goalkeeper Janku made his club debut in the Champions Cup, first in Sweden against Norrkoping, at the age of 21, then against Spartak Moscow and in Germany against Cologne with Overath and Scheffer, the latter the 1954 world champion. The 0-0 draw in Tirana against the Germans marks a dignified performance not only for Janku in this challenge but for the Partizan team as a whole.

In 1965, coach Alla of “17 Nentori” specifically called up Janku of Partizan as reinforcement for the matches against the Scottish champions of “Kilmarnock”.
Three years later, another performance by Janku in September 1968 against FC Torino with a 1-0 victory in Tirana in the Cup Winners’ Cup as the first challenge against an Italian football club of coach Fabri, where Vieri, Puia, Agropi, Mondonico the frenchman Komben, the author of the third goal (in the return match in Italy) played, will not be forgotten.

Boric is a common denominator for a considerable number of big names in Albanian football. This is also the case for Janku, who will have the great Boric as his first coach but also at the end of his career.

Mikel Janku, the aviator goalkeeper, had an intense 7-year career from 1962 to 1969 as a goalkeeper for Partizan and the national team. He retired from football when he was still young, only 28 years old. His place at Partizan was already held as the starting goalkeeper by another tall goalkeeper, Bashkim Muhedini, who also came from “Skenderbej” Military School and whose profile was basketball player. Janku stayed for some time as Muhedini’s reserve and in June 1972, when the team gathered to start the season, Janku was not included in the list, being “forced” in some way to leave football.

Without forgetting a special case, regarding the four brothers of the Janku`s family, where all have been part of the ranks of Partizan over the years, Mikel, Virgjil, Agim and Vladimir Janku!

Later Mikel Janku will practice the profession of sports analyst and commentator.

Passed away on January 10, 2019

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