Zamir Shpuza

Zamir Shpuza (26 June 1968 – 10 January 2014) was an Albanian international football player and coach.

Club career Born and raised in a traditional family from Shkodër, Shpuza was noticed on the U19 team of KF Vllaznia Shkodër, debuting for the senior squad in the season 1988–89. At that time Albania was still ruled by a communist regime, and in a secret meeting of the local communist party committee, Zamir was playing for Vllaznia U17 team, were expelled from the team as party enemies because their uncles were considered undesired by the party. Their uncle was caught illegally crossing the border and then labeled as "traitor". Nicknamed Tutoja, Zamir and his brother didn't give up football, and joined Veleçiku from Koplik. and became known as "Albanian Belodedici". In 1994, he moved to Speyer, Germany, asking for asylum, where is a large Albanian community. In 1996 he joined Viktoria Griesheim. Between 2000 and 2007 he was a player-coach of FV Speyer.

International career He played for Albanian national U21 and Olympic teams before debuting for the main team in 1991.

Personal life Shpuza died in Germany in January 2014 from sudden brain hemorrhage.