1996–97 Albanian National Championship

The 1996–97 Albanian National Championship was the 58th season of the Albanian National Championship, the top professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1930.

Albanian National Championship

Season	1996–97
Champions	Tirana 17th Albanian title
Relegated	None
Champions League	None
UEFA Cup	None
Cup Winners' Cup	None
Matches played	193
Goals scored	441 (2.28 per match)
Top goalscorer	Viktor Paço (14 goals)
← 1995–96 1997–98 →

The championship was interrupted after 17th round due to the economic-political crisis in Albania in 1997 and was completed in August. Instead the regular second half, the final play-off phase was played, with the 18 teams were divided into 3 groups of 6 according to standings after the 17 rounds.

Teams

Stadia and last season

Albpetrol

Apolonia

Besa

Bylis

Elbasani

Flamurtari

Laçi

Lushnja

Olimpik

Partizani

Skënderbeu

Sopoti

Shkumbini

Shqiponja

Teuta

Tirana

Tomori

Vllaznia

Locations of the 1996–97 Albanian National Championship teams

Team	Location	Stadium	Capacity	Last season
Albpetrol	Patos	Alush Noga Stadium	2,150	11th
Apolonia	Fier	Loni Papuçiu Stadium	10,000	6th
Besa	Kavajë	Besa Stadium	8,000	7th
Bylis	Ballsh	Adush Muça Stadium	6,000	Second Division
Elbasani	Elbasan	Ruzhdi Bizhuta Stadium	15,000	13th
Flamurtari	Vlorë	Flamurtari Stadium	15,000	4th
Laçi	Laç	Laçi Stadium	5,000	12th
Lushnja	Lushnjë	Abdurrahman Roza Haxhiu Stadium	12,000	Second Division
Olimpik	Tirana	Qemal Stafa Stadium[note 1]	19,700	5th
Partizani	Tirana	Qemal Stafa Stadium	19,700	3rd
Skënderbeu	Korçë	Skënderbeu Stadium	12,000	16th
Sopoti[note 2]	Librazhd	Sopoti Stadium	3,000	8th
Shkumbini	Peqin	Shkumbini Stadium	6,000	9th
Shqiponja	Gjirokastër	Gjirokastër Stadium	9,000	15th
Teuta	Durrës	Niko Dovana Stadium	12,040	2nd
Tirana	Tirana	Qemal Stafa Stadium	19,700	Champions
Tomori	Berat	Tomori Stadium	14,750	14th
Vllaznia	Shkodër	Loro Boriçi Stadium	15,000	10th

Regular season

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Flamurtari	17	12	1	4	34	16	+18	37	Qualification for the Group 1
2	Tirana	17	10	4	3	34	8	+26	34
3	Vllaznia	17	11	0	6	24	16	+8	33
4	Apolonia	17	9	4	4	22	15	+7	31
5	Partizani	17	9	4	4	19	15	+4	31
6	Shkumbini	17	8	2	7	17	17	0	26
7	Laçi	17	7	4	6	19	19	0	25	Qualification for the Group 2
8	Lushnja	17	6	6	5	18	14	+4	24
9	Bylis	17	6	4	7	18	16	+2	22	Qualification for the Group 3[lower-alpha 1]
10	Besa	17	6	4	7	15	14	+1	22	Qualification for the Group 2
11	Teuta	17	6	3	8	14	13	+1	21
12	Albania Tabak[lower-alpha 2]	17	7	0	10	11	19	−8	21
13	Tomori	17	5	5	7	10	18	−8	20
14	Elbasani	17	6	2	9	16	25	−9	20	Qualification for the Group 3
15	Shqiponja	17	5	4	8	13	20	−7	19
16	Olimpik	17	5	1	11	21	24	−3	16
17	Albpetrol	17	4	4	9	12	27	−15	16
18	Skënderbeu	17	4	2	11	12	33	−21	14

Source: RSSSF.com
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Head-to-head goals scored; 5) Goal difference; 6) Goals scored; 7) Draw.
Notes:

1. Bylis were placed in the Group 3 for unknown reasons. Tomori were placed instead in the Group 2.
2. Albania Tabak were changed name back to Sopoti during the interruption.

Final phase

Group 1

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Tirana (C)	22	14	4	4	40	9	+31	46
2	Vllaznia	22	14	1	7	30	20	+10	43
3	Flamurtari[lower-alpha 1]	22	14	3	5	42	23	+19	41
4	Partizani	22	12	4	6	28	20	+8	40
5	Apolonia	22	9	4	9	25	26	−1	31
6	Shkumbini	22	9	3	10	23	27	−4	30

Source: RSSSF.com
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Head-to-head goals scored; 5) Goal difference; 6) Goals scored; 7) Draw.
(C) Champion.
Notes:

1. Flamurtari were deducted four points for the crowd trouble in the last round.

Group 2

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
7	Lushnja	22	10	6	6	32	20	+12	36
8	Teuta	22	10	3	9	23	16	+7	33
9	Sopoti	22	10	1	11	17	23	−6	31
10	Laçi	22	7	6	9	22	29	−7	27
11	Besa	22	7	4	11	18	21	−3	25
12	Tomori	22	6	6	10	15	28	−13	24

Source: RSSSF.com
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Head-to-head goals scored; 5) Goal difference; 6) Goals scored; 7) Draw.

Group 3

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
13	Elbasani	21	9	2	10	27	28	−1	29
14	Bylis	21	7	4	10	23	26	−3	25
15	Skënderbeu	21	7	3	11	21	38	−17	24
16	Olimpik	21	7	2	12	27	28	−1	23
17	Albpetrol	21	4	4	13	15	39	−24	16
18	Shqiponja[lower-alpha 1]	17	5	4	8	13	20	−7	19

Source: RSSSF.com
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Head-to-head goals scored; 5) Goal difference; 6) Goals scored; 7) Draw.
Notes:

1. Shqiponja were withdrew before start of the final phase.

Season statistics

Top scorers

Rank	Player	Club	Goals
1	Viktor Paço	Flamurtari	14
2	Edi Martini	Vllaznia	9
	Alket Zeqo	Apolonia
	Agron Xhafa	Olimpik
	Alban Bushi	Tirana/Flamurtari
6	Indrit Fortuzi	Tirana	8
7	Erion Bogdani	Partizani	7
	Gugash Magani	Shkumbini
9	Shpëtim Kushta	Flamurtari	6
	Saimir Maloku	Laçi

[1]

Notes

1. Olimpik, Partizani and Tirana all shared the Qemal Stafa Stadium as well as the Selman Stërmasi Stadium.
2. Sopoti was played under the name Albania Tabak during the regular season.

References

1. “Këpucët e Arta” të Shqipërisë, nga Refik Resmja te Iir Përnaska

• Albania - List of final tables (RSSSF)