Foto Strakosha

Foto Strakosha
Personal information
Full name Fotaq Strakosha[1]
Date of birth (1965-03-29) 29 March 1965
Place of birth Memaliaj, PR Albania
Height 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Position Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
 Lazio Youth (goalkeeping coach)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1985–1988 Minatori Tepelenë
1988–1990 Dinamo Tirana 38 (0)
1991 PAS Giannina 3 (0)
1991–1993 Ethnikos Piraeus 33 (0)
1993–1997 Olympiacos 39 (0)
1997–1999 Panionios 56 (0)
1999–2002 Ionikos 75 (0)
2002–2003 Kallithea 14 (0)
2003 Kalamata 18 (0)
2003–2004 Ethnikos Asteras 13 (0)
2004 Proodeftiki 13 (0)
2004–2005 Panionios 5 (0)
Total 307 (0)
International career
1990–2005 Albania 73 (0)
Managerial career
2011–2014 Albania U19
2014–2017 Olympiacos (goalkeeping coach)
2017– Lazio Youth (goalkeeping coach)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Fotaq "Foto" Strakosha (Albanian pronunciation: [fɔˈtac stɾaˈkɔʃa]; born 29 March 1965) is an Albanian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper and is currently a goalkeeping coach with Lazio Youth.[2]

Strakosha is regarded as one of Albania's most popular goalkeepers. During his 20-year playing career, he represented 11 different clubs, starting in Albania before moving to Greece in 1991, where he spent the majority of his career until his retirement in 2005.

Strakosha began his senior career with Minatori (now KF Memaliaj) in 1985 before moving to Albanian giants Dinamo Tirana.[3] In his first season with Dinamo, he won the Albanian Cup and the Albanian Supercup. The following season proved even more successful, as he won all three domestic competitions: the Albanian Superliga, the Albanian Cup, and the Albanian Supercup. After spending another half-season at Dinamo, Strakosha moved to Greece, joining PAS Giannina for the remainder of the 1990–91 season. He later played in Piraeus for Ethnikos Piraeus for two years before joining Olympiacos, where he spent four seasons. During his time at Olympiacos, the club consistently finished among the top teams in the Greek top-flight, winning the league title in the 1996–97 season. He then signed for Panionios, where he played for two seasons, becoming the club’s first-choice goalkeeper and winning the Greek Cup in his first season. Strakosha later joined Ionikos, spending three and a half seasons there, before moving to Kallithea for the first half of the 2002–03 season. He continued in the Greek second division with Kalamata and later Ethnikos Asteras. He returned to the top flight with Proodeftiki for the remainder of the 2003–04 season, before rejoining Panionios for the 2004–05 season, which marked the end of his playing career.[4]

At international level, Strakosha captained the Albania national team for several years. He earned 73 caps between 1990 and 2005, becoming Albania’s most capped player at the time of his retirement.

Early life

Fotaq Strakosha was born on 29 March 1965 in Memaliaj, to Lefter Strakosha and his wife Theano Jerasimo Duni. He spent his childhood and completed his early education in his hometown Memaliaj, near Tepelenë, an area known for its coal mines, where he also worked for a short period.[5] In his hometown, he began playing football at a young age, initially through school and local sporting activities. From the age of nine, he showed an early interest in the sport, playing regularly with his peers in local fields and developing the foundations of his goalkeeping skills. Strakosha later joined the youth teams of local club Minatori, progressing through the club’s youth system before being promoted to the senior team, which competed in the lower levels of the Albanian league system. During this period, he was identified as a promising young goalkeeper and earned a regular place in the first team at an early age.[3][6]

Club career

Early career

Strakosha played for Minatori Tepelenë between 1985 and 1988, initially progressing from the club’s youth system to the senior team. During this period, he established himself as the team’s first-choice goalkeeper, attracting attention from several clubs competing in the Albanian top division, including Flamurtari, Luftëtari and Apollonia. Despite this interest, potential transfers were delayed due to political and biographical restrictions in place during the communist period in Albania.[6]

In 1986, discussions regarding a move to Dinamo Tirana were initiated following contacts between Minatori head coach Skënder Ibrahimi and Dinamo coach Bejkush Birçe.[7] The transfer was eventually completed after assurances were given by state authorities that Strakosha would not face restrictions related to his background, allowing him to continue his career at a higher competitive level. His move to Dinamo marked a significant step, transitioning from a non-elite club in the lower divisions to one of Albania’s most successful teams of the era.[3]

Dinamo Tirana

Strakosha joined Dinamo Tirana in 1988, where he competed for the goalkeeper position alongside Ilir Bozhiqi. He established himself as a regular member of the squad during his first season, adapting quickly to the demands of playing for one of Albania’s most successful clubs. Through consistent performances, he became the club’s first-choice goalkeeper during the following campaigns.[6] Strakosha made 38 league appearances for Dinamo in the Albanian National Championship.[4] During his time at the club, Dinamo won the Albanian Cup in the 1988–89 and 1989–90 seasons, the Albanian Supercup in 1989, and secured the Albanian National Championship title in the 1989–90 season. His performances during this period contributed to Dinamo’s domestic success before his departure from the club in 1991.[7]

Strakosha also made his debut in European competition during the 1989–90 European Cup Winners' Cup Preliminary round, featuring in the second leg against Chernomorets. He kept a clean sheet in a 4–0 home victory, which allowed Dinamo to overturn a 3–1 first-leg defeat and advance to the regular rounds of the competition.[8] In the first round of the competition, Strakosha featured against Dinamo București in September 1989. He kept a clean sheet in the first leg, a 1–0 home victory for Dinamo Tirana, but conceded two goals in the return leg, a 2–0 away defeat, which resulted in Dinamo's elimination from the tournament on aggregate.[9][10]

PAS Giannina

Following the collapse of the communist regime in Albania and the opening of the country’s borders,[7] in December 1990, Strakosha arrived in Greece and applied for political asylum; he underwent a trial with PAS Giannina and subsequently signed a contract, marking the beginning of his professional career in Greek football.[11]

He made his debut for the club during the latter part of the 1990–91 season, marking his first experience outside Albania. In one of his early appearances, Strakosha featured in a match against Panathinaikos, during which he saved a penalty, despite PAS Giannina’s defeat.[6] During his brief spell at the club, he made three league appearances in total.[4]

His performances at PAS Giannina contributed to his continued progression in Greek football, leading to further opportunities within the country’s top divisions later in his career.[6]

Ethnikos Piraeus

After a six-month spell at PAS Giannina, during which he made three official appearances, Strakosha left the club due to administrative and documentation issues. He subsequently joined Greek side Ethnikos Piraeus in 1991, marking the beginning of a longer and more stable period in his career in Greece.[6] Between 1991 and 1993, Strakosha established himself as the club’s first-choice goalkeeper, making 33 league appearances for Ethnikos.[4] His regular involvement at the club contributed to his growing experience in Greek football and helped consolidate his position as a reliable goalkeeper at senior level.[6]

Olympiacos

Strakosha attracted the interest of Olympiacos. In 1993, he joined the club, signing a long-term contract and becoming part of the squad alongside experienced goalkeeper Alekos Rantos. His move represented a step up to one of the most competitive teams in Greek football at the time. During his spell at Olympiacos, Strakosha competed regularly for the goalkeeper position and contributed to the team’s consistent presence near the top of the Greek top division.[6]

Strakosha made his debut early in the start of the 1993–94 Alpha Ethniki season on 29 August 1993 in a 1–1 draw away to Aris Thessaloniki, appearing .[12] In his first league stages, Strakosha established himself as a regular starter, keeping four clean sheets in his first nine league appearances and conceding only five goals.[13] Olympiacos finished in third place in the final league standings.[14]

Strakosha also featured in European competition during the season, making three appearances in the 1993–94 UEFA Cup. The club recorded two wins against Botev Plovdiv and one loss against Tenerife across two rounds of the tournament.[15]

In the 1994–95 Alpha Ethniki, Strakosha began the campaign with a clean sheet in a 1–0 victory against Doxa Drama and made three early league appearances. He did not feature again until February 1995, after which he played in all remaining league matches, bringing his total to 17 appearances for the season and recorded five clean sheets and conceded 17 goals, while Olympiacos suffered only one defeat in games in which he appeared.[13] Olympiacos finished in second place in the Greek top division, behind Panathinaikos in the final league standings.[16]

In the 1995–96 Alpha Ethniki season, Strakosha played 12 matches, Olympiacos finished in third place in the final league standings.[17] Strakosha featured also in the 1995–96 Greek Cup.[18]

At the start of the 1996–97 season, Strakosha featured in the opening two 1996–97 Alpha Ethniki matches, keeping clean sheets in both fixtures as Olympiacos recorded two victories.[19] He also appeared in both legs of the first round of the 1996–97 UEFA Cup against Ferencváros, with Olympiacos being eliminated 5–3 on aggregate.[20][21]

Despite his involvement at the beginning of the season, these proved to be his only appearances during the 1996–97 campaign. For a variety of reasons, he was unable to establish himself further in the team, and upon the completion of the fourth year of his contract, Strakosha requested to leave the club, despite the management’s desire for him to stay. A mutual agreement was reached, and he subsequently joined Panionios.[6]

Panionios

Strakosha made his debut for Panionios on 31 August 1997 in a 3–0 home defeat against Panathinaikos in the Greek top division.[22]

Following his debut, he went on to establish himself as the team’s first-choice goalkeeper, recording two clean sheets in the matches that followed. He played a key role for the club as a regular starter during his time in Athens, contributing to a successful period that included the winning of domestic silverware with Panionios.[6] During the 1997–98 Alpha Ethniki season, Strakosha made 30 league appearances for Panionios, keeping eight clean sheets in total.[23] Panionios however ended 11th in ranking table.[4]

During the 1997–98 Greek Cup, Strakosha made five appearances for Panionios, featuring in both quarter-final and semi-final legs, as well as the final, as the club went on to win the competition,[18] defeating Panathinaikos 1–0 in the final played on 29 April 1998 at the Karaiskakis Stadium, with Strakosha starting and being decisive throughout the match.[24]

In the following season, Strakosha made 24 appearances, keeping five clean sheets in the 1998–99 Alpha Ethniki, as the club finished 15th in the league.[25][4] He also made one appearance in the 1998–99 Greek Cup.[18]

During the 1998–99 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, Strakosha featured in all of Panionios' matches as the club reached the quarter-finals of the competition, before being eliminated by eventual champions Lazio in the quarter-finals, finishing among the last eight teams in the tournament.[26]

Ionikos

In the summer of 1999, Strakosha moved to Ionikos.[6]

He made his competitive debut for the club in mid-September 1999 in the 1999–2000 UEFA Cup, featuring in both legs against Nantes, as Ionikos were eliminated 4–1 on aggregate.[27]

Later the same month, Strakosha made his league debut in the 1999–2000 Alpha Ethniki in a 1–1 away draw against Panachaiki.[28]

He subsequently established himself as Ionikos’ first-choice goalkeeper during the season, providing stability at the back as the club enjoyed a solid campaign in the Greek top division.[6] In total, Strakosha made 32 league appearances, while Ionikos finished 10th in the standings.[29][4]

Ionikos also reached the final of the 1999–2000 Greek Cup, with Strakosha starting in goal in the final, where the team were defeated 3–0 by AEK Athens.[30]

In the following 2000–01 Alpha Ethniki season, Strakosha made 25 league appearances, keeping five clean sheets during the campaign.[31] Ionikos finished the season in sixth place in the league standings, achieving one of the club’s strongest league performances at the time.[4]

During the 2001–02 Alpha Ethniki season, Strakosha made 18 league appearances for Ionikos, recording three clean sheets.[32]

Kallithea

In the 2002–03 season, Strakosha joined Kallithea and in the 2002–03 Alpha Ethniki he made 13 appearances.[33][4] Kallithea finished 13th in the league, narrowly avoiding relegation from the top division.[34]

Ethnikos Asteras

In Summer 2003 Strakosha moved to second-division side Ethnikos Asteras remaining in the second‑division, making 13 league appearances.[4]

Proodeftiki

Strakosha mutually terminated his contract with Ethnikos Asteras in January 2004 and moved to Proodeftiki in the Greek top division at the age of 38.[35] In the second-half of the 2003–04 season he made 12 appearances in the 2003–04 Alpha Ethniki, keeping two clean sheets.[36]

Proodeftiki nevertheless finished last in the league table and were relegated.[4]

Return to Panionios

In the summer of 2004 Strakosha returned to Panionios. During the 2004–05 season, he made five league appearances in the 2004–05 Alpha Ethniki in the final part of the season (April–May 2005).[37]

International career

Strakosha represented the Albania national team from 1990 to 2005. He made his debut for the Albania national team on 30 May 1990 in a UEFA Euro 1992 qualifying match against Iceland. He was 25 years old at the time of his first international appearance. Albania lost the match 2–0 in Reykjavík.

Following his debut, Strakosha did not feature again for the national team for over a year. He returned to the squad after a change in management, earning his second cap in a friendly match against Greece, which Albania won 2–0, with both goals scored by Sokol Kushta.

Strakosha continued to be selected for the national team throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. He remained an active international player until his final appearance on 13 October 2005.[38]

Personal life

Strakosha was born in Memaliaj, southern Albania. His son Thomas plays as a goalkeeper for AEK Athens FC and the Albania national football team.[39] His son Dhimitri played as a striker in the lower leagues of Albania and Greece.

Managerial career

After his retirement, he became a goalkeeping coach. Until 2007 he was the Olympiakos goalkeeping coach, when he signed for the Cypriot champions APOEL FC. In 2011, he became the coach of Albania national under-19 football team.[40] He left Albania U19 on 12 August 2014 to work for Olympiacos[41] as goalkeeping coach.[42] He left Olympiacos and moved at Lazio Youth to work again as goalkeeping coach; he rejoined his son Thomas who was part of Lazio's senior team.[43]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[4]
Club Season League Cup Europe[a] Other[b] Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Minatori Tepelenë 1985–86 — —
1986–87 — —
1987–88 Albanian First Division — —
Total — —
Dinamo Tirana 1988–89 Albanian Superliga — —
1989–90 31 0 — 1[44] 0 32 0
1990–91 7 0 2[45][46] 0 — 9 0
Total 38 0 2 0 1 0 41 0
PAS Giannina 1990–91 Alpha Ethniki 3 0 — — — 3 0
Ethnikos Piraeus 1991–92 Alpha Ethniki 17 0 — — — 17 0
1992–93 Beta Ethniki 16 0 — — — 16 0
Total 33 0 — — — 33 0
Olympiacos 1993–94 Alpha Ethniki 8 0 — 3[47][48][49] 0 — 11 0
1994–95 17 0 — — — 17 0
1995–96 12 0 — — — 12 0
1996–97 2 0 — 2[50][51] 0 — 4 0
Total 39 0 — 5 0 — 44 0
Panionios 1997–98 Alpha Ethniki 32 0 — — — 32 0
1998–99 24 0 — 6 0 — 30 0
Total 56 0 — 6 0 — 62 0
Ionikos 1999–2000 Alpha Ethniki 32 0 — 2 0 — 34 0
2000–01 25 0 — — — 25 0
2001–02 18 0 — — — 18 0
Total 75 0 — 2 0 — 77 0
Kallithea 2002–03 Alpha Ethniki 14 0 — — — 14 0
Kalamata 2002–03 Beta Ethniki 18 0 — — — 18 0
Ethnikos Asteras 2003–04 Beta Ethniki 13 0 — — — 13 0
Proodeftiki 2003–04 Alpha Ethniki 13 0 — — — 13 0
Panionios 2004–05 Alpha Ethniki 5 0 — — — 5 0
Career total 307 0 15 0 1 0 323 0

International

As of 9 February 2005[4][38]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Albania 1990 1 0
1991 2 0
1992 4 0
1993 2 0
1994 4 0
1995 6 0
1996 2 0
1997 6 0
1998 6 0
1999 7 0
2000 5 0
2001 6 0
2002 2 0
2003 11 0
2004 8 0
2005 1 0
Total 73 0

Honours

Dinamo Tirana

Olympiacos

Panionios

References

  1. ^ "Fotaq "Foto" Strakosha – International Appearances". RSSSF. 23 February 2005. Retrieved 11 June 2008.
  2. ^ Always Next Year. WSC Books Limited. 2001. p. 31. ISBN 978-0-9540134-2-4. Still , in this depressing state of affairs , the example of Foto Strakosha offers a ray of hope. An Albanian of ethnic Greek origin, Strakosha was among the first to cross the border in 1991, where he soon emerged as one of the best goalkeepers in the Greek league.
  3. ^ a b c "SPECIALE NGA UVIL ZAJMI/ Nga Kategoria e Dytë në Kombëtare, kur Strakosha e Sadiku thyenin një… tabu" (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. 27 October 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Foto Strakosha". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  5. ^ "Φώτος Στρακόσια: Από το Τεπελένι στην ελληνική ποδοσφαιρική ελίτ" (in Greek). Geopolitico.gr. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
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  11. ^ "Αθλητική Ηχώ, σαν σήμερα: Όταν ο Στρακόσια ζήτησε άσυλο στην Ελλάδα" (in Greek). Gazzetta.gr. 21 December 2024. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
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  30. ^ "AEK–Ionikos 3–0: Greek Cup Final 2000". Onsports.gr. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
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  32. ^ "Fota Strakosha – Ionikos league matches 2001–02". WorldFootball.net. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  33. ^ "Foto Strakosha – Kallithea match logs 2002–03". WorldFootball.net. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  34. ^ "2002–03 Kallithea squad and league record". FBref. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  35. ^ "Σύντομα: Sports" (in Greek). Τα Νέα. 7 January 2004. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
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  38. ^ a b Foto Strakosha at EU-Football.info
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  42. ^ "Strakosha në stafin e Olimpiakos, Lala bëhët trajner i kombëtares U19" [Strakosha in Olympiakos staff, Lala named coach of the national U19 team] (in Albanian). Gazeta Shekulli. 12 August 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  43. ^ "Foto Strakosha largohet nga Olimpiakos, tani do të stërvit djalin te Lazio" [Foto Strakosha leaves Olympiacos, now will train his son at Lazio] (in Albanian). Albeu.com. 18 March 2017. Archived from the original on 12 April 2020. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
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