Gabriel Markaj

Gabriel Markaj (born 24 March 1995), is an Italo/Albanian professional football coach. He is one of the youngest coaches around Italy and Australia.
He started is coaching career at the age of 16, making him the youngest semi-professional coach in the F.I.G.C.. At the moment he lives in Adelaide with his family and he is regarded by a number of players, coaches, and commentators as one of the best and most successful coach at the youth team level in Italy. In 2013 Markaj was named the best upcoming coach by Associazione Italiana Allenatori Calcio. He studied sports science and attended many coaching courses around Europe and Australia.
Markaj impressed with brief but successful coaching periods at Internazionale F.C.. Because of his tactical and technical knowledge, charismatic (but also very controversial) personality as emphasis of beautiful football, he is often seen, by both admirers and critics, as the next successor of Marcelo Bielsa.
Early life
Born in Lezhe, Albania, Gabriel Markaj was the second child of Vida Isufaj (born 21 September 1967) and Cesk Markaj (born 2 July 1963), which he was a famous Albanian football player and politician. He is also the brother of Aleksander, Prele and Emanuele Markaj. Gabriel Markaj has spoken fluent Italian and Albanian since childhood, as his grandfather was an important teacher.
Career
At the age of 16, Gabriel Markaj decided to give up is dream to be a professional players after suffering two main injures in his right and left knee, so he started to be involved as youth team coach of Internazionale F.C.
Gabriel Markaj found himself living in the same village of a famous manager Roberto Salvalaio, who was a famous assistant coach of Unione Calcio Sampdoria, Venezia Calcio, Modena Football Club and Novara Calcio under Gianfranco Bellotto. Following a debate between the two, Roberto Salvalaio decided to instruct him and be his mentor until he left for Australia.
Internazionale F.C. arranged for Gabriel Markaj to obtain the UEFA coaching qualification, the UEFA C coaching licence in Spain and for him to study the training methods of Real Madrid Academy. He obtained his C licence at the age of 16, and his B licence at 18 in Cyprus. At the moment he is undertaking the A licence in Canberra at the AIS. Gabriel Markaj he had a short stint as assistant coach of the Under 15 of San Marino National Team at the age of 18. Once he permanently moved to Australia he coached at the junior level at various clubs in South Australia. At the age of 18, he was coaching the Under 17's of Adelaide Cobras FC, he also coached at West Adelaide SC and at Vipers Football Club in the National Premier Leagues State League 2.
Markaj has decided to step down from his role at Vipers Football Club for the season 2017, to pursue new coaching opportunity interstate or somewhere else.
November, 2016, Markaj signed a one-year deal with Kingborough Lions United FC as a head coach of the PS4 NPL side, which, competes on the National Premier Leagues Tasmania. Markaj's Kingborough team suffered a tough start to his first season in charge.That tenure has now been ended by the committee at the Lions following an abusive tirade at a referee during a post match press conference.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu