Naim Kryeziu

Who was Naim Kryeziu?

Naim Kryeziu was an Albanian football player famous in Italy in 1940s and 1950s.

Born in Đakovica, Kingdom of Serbia, Kryeziu was a particularly quick right wing able to run a time of 11 seconds in the 100 m. He left his town in Kosovo as a youngster to join his brother in Tirana, and making his footballing debut in the domestic top flight at the age of 15, and entering the national team only one year later. Following the 1939 Italian invasion of Albania, he was noted by an Italian sports professor who suggested him to AS Roma. As he was considered an Italian following the annexion of Albania, he was allowed to enroll the Rome ISEF and contemporarily play for AS Roma, where he won an Italian title in 1941–42. He played for the giallorossi until 1948, when he joined A.C. Napoli; he finally retired in 1953.

He later started an unimpressive coaching career, serving also as AS Roma head coach for a short time during the 1964–65 season as a replacement for Juan Carlos Lorenzo. He then became a scout for AS Roma, for which he discovered a young Giuseppe Giannini when played in loca club Frattocchie Marino.