Altin Lala

Altin Dodë Lala ( Albanian pronunciation: [aɫˈtin laɫa]; born 18 November 1975) is an Albanian former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder and later worked as a football manager. He spent his entire professional club career in Germany, most notably with Hannover 96, and represented the Albania national team at international level.

Born and raised in Tirana, Lala began his football development with the youth academy of Dinamo Tirana before defecting to Germany in 1991 while on international duty with the Albania under-16 team. After adapting to life in Germany and playing for SpVgg Hosenfeld, he joined Borussia Fulda in 1994, where he became one of the club's standout players in the Regionalliga Süd. His consistent performances attracted interest from higher-division sides and ultimately led to his transfer to Hannover 96 in 1998.