Albanian Superliga
| File:KategoriaSuperiore2015.jpg | |
| Country | Albania |
|---|---|
| Confederation | UEFA |
| Founded | 6 June 1930 |
| Number of teams | 10 |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | First Division |
| Domestic cup(s) | Albanian Cup Albanian Supercup |
| International cup(s) | Champions League Europa League |
| Current champions | Skënderbeu Korçë (6th title) (2014–15) |
| Most championships | KF Tirana (24 titles) |
| Top goalscorer | Vioresin Sinani (208 goals) |
| TV partners | TVSH SuperSport |
| Website | Official |
 2015–16 Albanian Superliga |
|
The Albanian Superliga (Albanian: Kategoria Superiore), is a professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the Albanian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Currently contested by 10 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Albanian First Division. Seasons currently run from August to May, with teams playing 36 matches each (playing each team in the league four times, twice at home and twice away).
The competition was originally founded in 1930 as the Albanian National Championship during the reign of King Zog, shortly after the creation of the Albanian Football Association. Since 1930, 43 clubs have competed in officially recognized competitions, while only 8 clubs have won the title: KF Tirana (24), Dinamo Tirana (18), Partizani Tirana (15), Vllaznia Shkodër (9), Skënderbeu Korçë (6), KF Elbasani (1), Flamurtari Vlorë (1) and Teuta Durrës (1). The current champions are Skënderbeu Korçë, who won their 5th consecutive title in 2014–15.
Contents
History
Early history
Football was first introduced to Albania by an English-Maltese priest named Gut Ruter, who visited the Saverian college in Shkodër in 1908. Arguably, the first football club in Albania was Indipendenca, and it was founded in Shkodër in 1912 by Palokë Nika.[1] The first 90-minute game to be played with two 45 minute halves took place in October 1913 Indipendenca Shkodër and the occupying Austro-Hungarian Imperial Navy. The game is considered to be the first international game to be played in Albania, and it ended in a 2–1 loss for Indipendenca, with the captain and founder of the club Palokë Nika scoring the only goal for the Albanians.[1][2]
The First Division in Albanian football was founded in 1930. The league has been dominated by clubs from Albania's capital city, Tirana, with only nineteen titles going elsewhere in the country. Nine of those nineteen titles have gone to Vllaznia Shkodër.[citation needed]
Albania 1st Football Tournament of 1911
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It was claimed in the press in 2012 that a championship was played in 1911.[3]
Championships of World War II
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Albania was among countries that played football during that period, even though in a limited way. Along this period, AFA organized three championships, 1939, 1940 and 1942.[4][5]
The AFA made a decision in February 2013 that the wartime championships are not legitimate and won't be recognized since they weren't organized by the AFA.[6]
Current competition format
There are 10 clubs in the Superior League. During the course of the season (from August to May) each club plays the others 4 times, twice at their home stadium and twice at that of their opponents, for a total of 36 games. Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, then head-to-head record, then goal difference, and then goals scored. At the end of each season, the club with the most points are crowned champions. If points are equal, the head-to head record and then goal difference determine the winner. The two lowest placed teams are relegated to the Albanian First Division and the top two teams from there are promoted in their place.[citation needed]
Qualification for European competitions
As of the start of the 2013–14 Albanian Superliga season, qualification for European competitions is as follows: champions qualify for the 2nd qualifying round of the Champions League, second and third place qualifies for the 1st qualifying round of the Europa League. The Albanian Cup winners qualify for the 1st qualifying round of the Europa League.[citation needed]
- 37
Veikkausliiga (7.400) - 38
Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina (7.125) - 39
(40) 
Albanian Superliga (6.625) - 40 (42)
Macedonian First League (6.000) - 41
(39) 
League of Ireland Premier Division (5.450)[7]
Creation of the Pan-Albanian league
On 4 January 2013 the Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha has called on the creation of a study group to create a Pan-Albanian football league, as well as pan-Albanian leagues in all sports, where teams from both Albania and Kosovo would participate.[8] However Armand Duka, president of the FSHF, thinks that the idea cannot be realized given that the statutes of UEFA and FIFA would not allow such league.[9]
2015–16 Albanian Superliga Clubs
The following 10 clubs will compete in the Superliga during the 2015–16 season.
| Club | City or Town |
Position in 2014–15 season |
|---|---|---|
| KF Tërbuni Pukë | Pukë | 2nd in the First Division |
| KF Bylis Ballsh | Ballsh | 1st in the First Division |
| Flamurtari Vlorë | Vlorë | 6th |
| FK Kukësi | Kukës | 2nd |
| KF Laçi | Laç | 5th |
| Partizani Tirana | Tirana | 3rd |
| Skënderbeu Korçë | Korçë | 1st |
| Teuta Durrës | Durrës | 8th |
| Tirana | Tirana | 4th |
| Vllaznia Shkodër | Shkodër | 7th |
List of seasons
A list of champions, runners-up and top scorers is provided below:[10][11][12]
Notes:
- From 1958 to 1991, KF Tirana and KS Elbasani were named respectively 17 Nëntori Tirana and Labinoti Elbasani.
Performances
Performance by club
A list of clubs in order of most titles won is provided in the following table:[14][10]
| Club | Winners | Runners-up | Winning seasons | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KF Tirana |
|
|
1930, 1931, 1932, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1964–65, 1965–66, 1968, 1969–70, 1981–82, 1984–85, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2006–07, 2008–09 |
|
| Dinamo Tirana |
|
|
1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1960, 1966–67, 1972–73, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1979–80, 1985–86, 1989–90, 2001–02, 2007–08, 2009–10 |
|
| Partizani Tirana |
|
|
1947, 1948, 1949, 1954, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1970–71, 1978–79, 1980–81, 1986–87, 1992–93 |
|
| Vllaznia Shkodër |
|
|
1945, 1946, 1971–72, 1973–74, 1977–78, 1982–83, 1991–92, 1997–98, 2000–01 |
|
| Skënderbeu Korçë |
|
|
1933, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15 |
|
| KF Elbasani |
|
|
1983–84, 2005–06 |
|
| Flamurtari Vlorë |
|
|
1990–91 |
|
| Teuta Durrës |
|
|
1993–94 |
|
| FK Kukësi |
|
|
— |
|
| Besa Kavajë |
|
|
— |
|
| Tomori Berat |
|
|
— |
|
| Luftëtari Gjirokastër |
|
|
— |
|
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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- ↑ Sport Ekspres, 14 February 2012, page 7[dead link]
- ↑ RSSSF
- ↑ http://www.giovanniarmillotta.it/albania/calcio/trekampionate.html
- ↑ AFA's General Assembly: War championships are not legitimate[dead link]
- ↑ UEFA Country Ranking 2013 kassiesa.com, accessed 13 July 2013
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 http://rsssf.com/tablesa/albachamp.html
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- ↑ (Italian)Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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External links
- FSHF website
- Kategoria Superiore at FIFA
- Superliga at soccerway.com
- Albania – List of Champions at RSSSF.com
- Articles with dead external links from December 2015
- Articles with dead external links from January 2015
- Articles with Italian-language external links
- Use dmy dates from May 2013
- Pages with broken file links
- Articles containing Albanian-language text
- Articles with unsourced statements from December 2015
- Articles with unsourced statements from May 2015
- Albanian Superliga
- Football leagues in Albania
- Top level football leagues in Europe
