Men's Soccer Add European Flavour to their Lineup
The CMU Men's Soccer program is very pleased to announce the commitment of Evaristo Marku for the 2024-25 MCAC season. The European talent will add some length up front for the Blazers as a scoring threat down the wing or at striker, and continues a tradition of Albania-born student-athletes to suit up in the Green and Gold.
Born in Lezhe, Albania, Marku moved to the city of Florence in Italy as a young teenager along with the rest of his family and spent his formative years there. With fellow Albanian Gjok Prendi graduating this past spring and moving off the roster, Marku takes his place as the resident European-based talent on the Blazers, continuing the line of players from the country including Armando Nekaj and Elvis Ndokaj before them. A graduate of Clamandrei in the Tuscan hub of Florence where soccer isn't played at the high school level, Marku sharpened his skills in town pickup games outside of the club soccer season.
Marku played his club soccer from 2017-2019 with A.S.D. Sesto Calcio, a local Italian squad, and in 2019 was loaned to F.C.D. La Querce in nearby Prato. The clubs played other local teams around Tuscany during their season, and Marku refined his skills further in the structured Italian system. Upon graduating high school in 2022, Marku made the transition to Canada, studying at the University of Winnipeg. Although he still was able to get out to play recreationally, he felt he had more to give on the competitive side, and so he followed his brother to CMU where competitive collegiate soccer could be a reality.
Expect a business-like attitude on the pitch and in the classroom from the 6'1" forward, who is planning to carry over his studies from the University of Winnipeg to CMU's Redekop School of Business. Not having had the chance to widely explore his new home, Marku is excited about the prospect of winning a championship here in Manitoba, and the resulting honour of representing Manitoba at a CCAA National Championships. Co-head coaches Anderson Pereira and Gode Katembo are excited about what Marku can bring to their team this season, with Katembo noting "Evaristo is a fantastic addition to our squad this season. His agility and game awareness will be invaluable assets to the team. We look forward to seeing him shine on the wings, utilizing his speed and strategic play to enhance our team's performance."
The winner of the Manitoba Collegiate Athletics Conference earns the right to represent the province at the Canadian Collegiate Athletics Association (CCAA) National Championships at the conclusion of the outdoor season, which the Blazers look to accomplish now entering the fourth year that the MCAC has been fully included in the Canada-wide conference. Blazers Men's Soccer last hoisted the provincial trophy in the fall of 2018 in Pereira's first season at the helm, while their most recent Men's Futsal championship was in the spring of 2020.
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