KF Elbasani

Klubi i Futbollit Elbasani is an Albanian football club based in the city of Elbasan, who currently compete in the Kategoria e Parë.

KF Elbasani
Full nameKlubi i Futbollit Elbasani
Founded1923[1]
GroundElbasan Arena,
Elbasan, Albania
Capacity12,500[2]
ChairmanArben Laze
ManagerShkëlqim Lleshanaku
LeagueKategoria e Parë, Group B
2019–20Kategoria e Parë, Group B, 7th

History

The club was formed in 1923 as Klubi Futbollit Urani Elbasan, the result of the fusion between two clubs, Afërdita Elbasan and Përparimi Elbasan. Urani translates to uranium in Albanian, and the club was named this due to the city's association with the metal. The club changed its name to KS Skampa Elbasan briefly before 1930. They first participated in a nationally recognised competition in the first top flight football league in Albania, the 1930 Kategoria e Parë, where the club finished in 5th place, second from bottom, with a record of 3 wins, 1 draw and 6 losses.[3] The following season they again finished in penultimate place, this time in 7 team league format.[4] In the 1932 champion, they finished bottom of the league, gaining no points after 8 straight losses, which meant that Elbasani were relegated for the first time.[5]

The club changed its name to Bashkimi Elbasanas in 1933, when they were playing in the second division, which they won and earned promotion back to the top flight, winning their first trophy in the process.[6] In their first season back in the Kategoria e Parë, they once again finished second form bottom with 2 wins, 2 draws and 8 losses.[7] No competition was held during 1935 and when the league restarted in 1936 Bashkimi finished once again second from bottom, with 3 wins, 2 draws and 9 losses, but the team below them Ismail Qemali Vlorë played 2 fewer games and finished on the same points tally.[8] The 1937 championship proved to be more successful as the club finished in 5th place out of 10 teams, with a record of 7 wins, 3 draws and 8 losses.[9]

The league officially restarted following World War II in 1945, where Bashkimi finished 3rd in Group B of the new league format, out of 6 teams.[10] The following season they finished 2nd in Group B, just one point behind runners-up Flamurtari Vlorë.[11] For the 1947 season, the league changed to a single 9 team competition, where Bashkimi finished in 8th place.[12] The following season the league returned to the 2 group format, where the club again finished second by one point to Flamurtari Vlorë. The club changed names again to KS Elbasani in 1949 and KF Puna Elbasan in 1950.

Labinoti Elbasan

Between 1958 and 1991, the club was forcibly named KS Labinoti Elbasan, after a nearby village which had been the center of the first nationwide conference of the Party of Labour of Albania during World War II.[13] In 1984, they won their first and only league title, featuring players like Roland Agalliu, Vladimir Tafani and Muharrem Dosti.[14]

The club's first participation in a European competition came in 1984, where they met Danish side Lyngby Boldklub in the first round of the Champions League qualification stage. The first leg was played at the Ruzhdi Bizhuta Stadium and KF Elbasani were beaten 3–0 at home,[15] and along with another 3–0 loss in Denmark the aggregate result was 6–0 to Lyngby Boldklub.[16][17]

KF Elbasani

Following the fall of communism, the club changed its name again to KF Elbasani, which they have not changed ever since. During the 2005–06 season, the team of Elbasani dominated the Albanian Superliga and won the second title in their history, finishing the competition with 11 points more than their rivals in SK Tirana.

In 2006–07, 1st qualifying round for the Champions League they were eliminated by FK Ekranas from Lithuania (1–3 aggregate). On 24 December 2006, coach Luan Deliu was fired and replaced by Edmond Gezdari.

Stadium
Main article: Elbasan Arena
Elbasan Arena Stadium 2014

The club plays its home games at the Elbasan Arena, which was originally built in 1967 and named the Labinot Stadium after the club's name at the time, which was Labinot Elbasan. The stadium was previously called Ruzhdi Bizhuta, after one of the club's most famous players. In January 2014 it was announced that the stadium would take over from the Qemal Stafa Stadium as the home of the Albania national team until Qemal Stafa is reconstructed. Prime minister Edi Rama visited the stadium on 28 January 2014 and he confirmed that work on the stadium would begin shortly, in order for Albania to be able to play their home games in the country as no other stadiums met the minimum requirements for Euro 2016 qualifiers.[18][19][20] Works on the stadium began in February, and they were completed in time for Albania's opening qualifying fixture against Denmark in October 2014.[21] The overall reconstruction costs amounted to €5.5 million, which included works being completed on everything from the parking lot to the installation of new floodlights, and the stadium now has an official seated capacity of 12,800.[2][22][23]

Honours

European competitions record
Competition Played Won Drawn Lost GF GA GD
UEFA competitions9123210−8
Season Competition Round Country Club Home Away Aggregate
1984–85 European Cup 1R Lyngby BK 0–3 0–3 0–6
2005–06 UEFA Cup 1QR FK Vardar 1–1 0–0 1–1
2006–07 UEFA Champions League 1QR FK Ekranas 1–0 0–3 1–3
  • 1QR = 1st Qualifying Round
  • 1R = 1st Round

Balkans Cup
Competition Played Won Drawn Lost GF GA GD
Balkans Cup7313810−2
Season Competition Group Country Club Home Away Aggregate
1973 Balkans Cup A Sutjeska Nikšić 1–0 0–1 1–1
Târgu Mureș 2–0 1–5 3–5
1988–89 Balkans Cup A Malatyaspor 3–0 –[lower-alpha 1] 3–0
OFI Crete 1–1 0–3 1–4
  1. Malatyaspor withdrew during the first leg which was awarded 3–0 to Elbasan

Current squad
As of 8 December 2019

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  ALB Ergys Dosti
2 MF  ALB Bektash Vasha
3 DF  ALB Enis Dishani
4 DF  ALB Arlind Ballgjini
5 DF  ALB Geri Selimaj
7 DF  ALB Ilirian Dushaj
8 FW  ALB Mateo Allkja
9 FW  ALB Arsen Lleshi
10 MF  ALB Klodian Nuri
11 MF  ALB Ergys Peposhi
12 GK  ALB Ferit Moli
14 FW  ALB Valentino Baro
15 DF  ALB Klaudio Çema
16 FW  ALB Iris Bushi
No. Pos. Nation Player
18 DF  ALB Serxhjo Bajrami
19 FW  ALB Kejdi Balla
21 MF  ALB Mikel Ferhati
23 DF  ALB Alberto Nikehasani
24 DF  ALB Kejsi Skënderi
25 MF  ALB Kristian Mataj
26 DF  ALB Flavio Xhakerri
29 MF  ALB Renato Hyshmeri
99 MF  ALB Endri Duka
— DF  ALB Jurgen Lleshi
— GK  ALB Fatjon Çollari
— GK  ALB Igli Harja
— MF  BRA Abner
— FW  ALB Kejvin Gica

Staff
Role Name
President Arben Laze
Manager Shkëlqim Lleshanaku
Athletic Director Blendi Hoxholli
Club Doctor Mehmet Berzoxhuni

Historical list of coaches

Recent seasons
Season Division Pos. Pl. W D L GS GA P Cup Europe Notes
1999–00 Superliga ↓13/14 278514 203429 Second Round —— Lost 2–1 to Besa Kavajë in relegation playoff.
2000–01 First Division 1/11 211713 571352 Second Round —— Finished third of six teams in promotion playoff.
2001–02 First Division ↑1/12 221732 531351 Semi Finals —— Defeated Besa Kavajë 3–0 in championship final.
2002–03 Superliga 8/14 2610610 333536 Second Round ——
2003–04 Superliga 8/10 36101016 475540 Quarter Finals ——
2004–05 Superliga 2/10 362475 592779 Quarter Finals —— Finished runners–up in the Albanian Superliga.
2005–06 Superliga 1/10 3621105 502273 Semi Finals UC1st Qualifier Won their second Albanian Superliga title.
2006–07 Superliga 7/12 33101013 343940 Play-off UCL1st Qualifier
2007–08 Superliga 4/12 3313137 402452 Semi Finals ——
2008–09 Superliga ↓12/12 3371412 283935 Quarter Finals ——
2008–09 First Division ↑2/16 245712 193222 1st Preliminary ——
2010–11 Superliga ↓12/12 301956 562562 Second Round ——
2011–12 First Division 6/16 3011613 444839 Second Round ——
2012–13 First Division 12/16 3012414 424640 First Round ——
2013–14 First Division ↑1/16 301866 463260 First Round ——
2014–15 Superliga ↓10/10 364230 197414 Second Round ——
2015–16 First Division 6/10 278514 274529 First Round ——
2016–17 First Division ↓10/10 265813 264515 First Round ——
2017–18 Second Division ↑1/14 262150 611468 First Round ——
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gollark: `w [quantity] <item>` to withdraw, `d [slot]` to deposit, `c` to craft from internal grid.

References
  1. "Elbasani". www.panorama-sport.com. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  2. Inagurohet ‘Elbasan Arena’, Rama: Ky vetëm fillimi Archived 2014-10-10 at the Wayback Machine
  3. "Unofficial Site of Albanian Football since 1913: Season 1930". www.giovanniarmillotta.it. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  4. "Unofficial Site of Albanian Football since 1913: Season 1931". www.giovanniarmillotta.it. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  5. "Unofficial Site of Albanian Football since 1913: Season 1932". www.giovanniarmillotta.it. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  6. "Unofficial Site of Albanian Football since 1913: Season 1933". www.giovanniarmillotta.it. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  7. "Unofficial Site of Albanian Football since 1913: Season 1934". www.giovanniarmillotta.it. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  8. "Unofficial Site of Albanian Football since 1913: Season 1936". www.giovanniarmillotta.it. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  9. "Unofficial Site of Albanian Football since 1913: Season 1937". www.giovanniarmillotta.it. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  10. "Unofficial Site of Albanian Football since 1913: Season 1945". www.giovanniarmillotta.it. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  11. "Unofficial Site of Albanian Football since 1913: Season 1946". www.giovanniarmillotta.it. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  12. "Unofficial Site of Albanian Football since 1913: Season 1947". www.giovanniarmillotta.it. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  13. Labinoti i Elbasanit 1984 dhe Bujar Gogunja “1037” - Panorama (in Albanian)
  14. Albania - Championship Winning Teams - RSSSF
  15. "Elbasan 0–3 Lyngby". uefa.com. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  16. "Lyngby 3–0 Elbasan". uefa.com. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  17. "UEFA Champions League 1984–85". uefa.com. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  18. Rama: Elbasani pret kombëtaren Archived 2014-02-20 at the Wayback Machine
  19. "- Bota Sot". botasot.info. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  20. "Lajmet e fundit - KOHA.net". KOHA.net. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  21. "Sot përballja I në Elbasan Arena Shqipëri-Danimarkë, në 20:45". shqiptarja.com. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  22. ""Ruzhdi Bizhuta", plani për ta kthyer stadium ndërkombëtar". ikub.al. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  23. Stadiumi ne Elbasan: Rama, per te mos i mbetur hatri Vlores dhe Shkodres Archived 2014-10-11 at the Wayback Machine
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