| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Niko Bespalla | ||
| Date of birth | (1938-01-01)1 January 1938 | ||
| Place of birth | Shijak,Durrës, Albania | ||
| Date of death | 28 March 2017(2017-03-28) (aged 79) | ||
| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Puna Durrës | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1956–1957 | Puna Durrës | ||
| 1957–1960 | Partizani Tirana | ||
| 1960 | Lokomotiva Durrës | 0 | (0) |
| 1961–1962 | Dinamo Tirana | ||
| 1962–1963 | Erzeni | ||
| 1963–1967 | Lokomotiva Durrës | ||
| 1964 | → Partizani Tirana (loan) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Niko Bespalla (1938 – 28 March 2017) was an Albanianfootballer. Famous for his fierce shooting, he played forLokomotiva Durrës,Partizani Tirana,Dinamo Tirana andErzeni Shijak in his career.
He grew up inDurrës along with parents and his two sisters, which is where he began playing football with the youth team ofPuna Durrës. He captained the Durrës under-19 side to the national championship before being promoted to the senior team by then coachAdem Karapici in 1957 at the age of 19.[1] In 1957, he was summoned to fulfil his military service and subsequently joined army clubPartizani Tirana with whom he won two league titles.[2]
Bespalla was born inDurrës in 1938 into a Russian family who had moved to Albania in the 1920s, first living inTiranë before settling inDurrës. His father, Spiridon Bespalov, married his mother Varvara inPodgorica, and then changed their last name from Bespalov to Bespalla.[1] He was jailed for 7 years by theCommunist regime in 1967 after allegedly stealing tin .[3]
He was married to Flora and his only surviving child Justin Bespalla was also a footballer who played for Teuta Durrës and Erzeni Shijak amongst others. He died on 28 March 2017, aged 79.[2]