Muhieddine Itani

Muhieddine Itani was born in Ras Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon, on 6 September 1929. In the winters, he spent time fishing with his father Abdul Razzak and in the summers he went swimming. His father would send him to Sheikh Mohammed Itani to learn to read, write, and memorize the Quran. Itani said that his training sessions with Chance developed him as a footballer and he learned the fundamentals of the sport. == Club career ==

Itani began his senior club career in the early 1950s with Nejmeh under coach Salah Itani. Itani's first game in the Premier League ended in a 3–0 win against Racing Beirut in which he scored a penalty kick. In the 1960s, Itani moved to Tadamon Beirut, == International career ==

at the 1963 Arab Cup Despite playing in the Lebanese Second Division with Nejmeh in the early 1950s, Itani attracted the attention of the Lebanese national team coach and was called up. Itani was part of the team that played in the 1963 Arab Cup, which was held in Lebanon; he played in the opening game of the tournament, a 6–0 win over Kuwait, and scored an own goal for Tunisia in a game that ended in a 1–0 defeat. Itani's most memorable game was a 1–0 win against Libya on 8 March 1964, at the 1964 Tripoli Fair Tournament. He scored the game's only goal through a penalty kick in the final minute. Muhieddine stated he deceived the goalkeeper by "looking at the referee as if [he] was talking to him"; the goalkeeper was "busy looking at the goalposts" and "only noticed that the goal was scored when the crowd started cheering". == Style of play ==

Due to his ambidexterity, Itani played both as a left-back and a right-back. He was a penalty-kick specialist who was noted for his technique and his movements. He controlled the ball in unique ways, stopping it with both feet or with his lower back. Despite his short stature of , Itani had a high elevation, which enabled him to reach higher balls. Although he played in a more defensive role, often Itani used fast offensive breaks. Once he had already dribbled an opponent, he would often go back to dribble him again because "the spectators enjoyed it". He was also known for his shooting skills. == After football ==

After retiring from football, Itani was a long-distance swimmer who was considered to be the only swimmer in Lebanon to participate in every national race, competing symbolically during his old age. In the 2008 annual Christmas race held by the Al Jazeera Sporting Club, at the age of 80, he was the eldest of the 112 participants. == Personal life ==

Itani was nicknamed Tabello () and was known for his humility and eagerness to help. During the 1961 Pan Arab Games, held in Morocco, the national team manager Joseph Nalbandian promised each player he would receive US$3 for every day spent in the tournament. Itani stripped naked in front of a balcony on the third floor of the University of Casablanca, where the national team was residing during the tournament. The Lebanese players were annoyed by the mizmar player and asked Itani to ask him to leave. Itani started dancing next to him and put his hand below the musician's skirt. The mizmar player continued to play while jumping up and down; the players were overwhelmed with laughter. In 1959, as part of his transfer to Racing Beirut, Itani was hired by the Regie Company. In 1970, Itani established a fish shop in the Commodore area of Hamra, Beirut; in the 1990s he moved to the city's Karakas neighborhood and opened a fish shop called "Al Kalaa Fishery" (). Itani's favourite players were Mahmoud Berjawi and Mardek Chabarian in Lebanon, and Pelé globally. His favourite coach was Ion Bogdan during his time at Racing Beirut. Itani, who had eight children, died on 5 August 2015 aged 85. == Honours ==

Nejmeh • Lebanese Second Division: 1950–51 Racing Beirut • Lebanese Premier League: 1964–65 Lebanon • Arab Cup third place: 1963 Individual • Lebanese Premier League top goalscorer: 1968–69 ==References==