Besian Idrizaj: Ex-LASK kicker and his star moment in Liverpool

When LASK visits the great Liverpool FC at Anfield Road in the Europa League this Thursday, special feelings arise for Qerim Idrizaj: his little brother Besian once played for both the athletes and later for the top English club. “I think about my brother every day, regardless of these games,” says Qerim, who is currently active in the Upper Austrian lower house for regional league team Donau Linz.

Unfortunately, his then 22-year-old brother died far too early 13 years ago – the scenes are still omnipresent for the Danube midfielder. Qerim tried to save his life on the night of May 14, 2010: “I thought he was having a nightmare.” In the autopsy report, which Qerim still has at home, the cause of death was determined to be cardiac arrest.

Now the former clubs of the former striker hope from Linz are facing each other in international competitions – and for Qerim it is also a special way of coming to terms with his personal past: “Of course it is something special. Both clubs have helped him a lot in his development.” The 37-year-old still remembers exactly how the hype surrounding his brother started: “At the U17 World Cup in France in 2004, Besian finally attracted the interest of many clubs after the game against England. It wasn’t back then It’s usual for such a big striker to also be so good with the ball.” Liverpool, Inter Milan and Borussia Dortmund were interested in the LASK youngster – the “Reds” ultimately got the contract.

Meeting Gerrard

A personal football fairytale began for Besian: “During the preparation after Liverpool won the Champions League, Besian was often allowed to train with the professionals. It was completely surreal for him to be on the training pitch with world stars like Milan Baros, Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard to stand.” Qerim also made the acquaintance of the latter during one of his many visits to the northwest of England. “The then Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse was a wild bird, he created his own fashion brand and therefore invited the first and second teams to a club. Suddenly Steven Gerrard came up to us from his lounge, greeted Besian and joined us “I introduced myself as Steven. I just thought: You don’t need to introduce yourself, everyone in the world knows you.” It was an encounter that describes the whole of Liverpool for Qerim: “Everyone is very down-to-earth and polite. Liverpool FC and the Beatles are the pride and joy.”

Three goals for eternity

His brother also had a real star moment during his time in Liverpool: In a friendly with the professionals in the summer of 2007, he scored a hat-trick within 26 minutes against the then Welsh fourth division club Wrexham. “That was his star moment, he really drew attention to himself.” He had also made a name for himself with then coach Rafa Benitez. “Idrizaj is a player with great talent, we know that. He could be a regular player in the future, it’s up to him,” said the Spaniard.

But in the end it didn’t work out for the offensive player: six months before the home Euro, he moved back to Austria to Wacker Innsbruck in order to get back into the limelight for the finals. Things turned out differently: he collapsed in his first game for Tirol; something similar happened to him in 2009 when he was keeping fit at LASK. “Everything was tested, but nothing was found. The doctors said a virus had caused it. He just wanted to play football,” says his older brother, who is still sure: “If he wasn’t from us at the age of 22 If he had had to leave, he would have made it to a world career via a detour.”

So he will forever remain as a promising footballer, whose star moment at the great Liverpool FC will not only be remembered by his brother Qerim forever.