KF Tirana

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

KF Tirana
Logo
Full name KF Tirana
Nickname(s) Tirona
Founded 1920
Ground Selman Stërmasi stadium, Tirana, Albania
(Capacity 12,500)
Chairman Flag of Albania Bamir Topi
Manager Flag of Albania Sulejman Mema
League Albanian Superliga
2007/08 6th
Team colours Team colours Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
 
Home colours
Team colours Team colours Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
 
Away colours

Futbollklub/KF Tirana is an Albanian football team, playing in the capital, Tirana, founded August 16, 1920 under name of "Agimi Sports Association". In 1927 the club was renamed to "Sportklub Tirana", in 1947, to "17 Nëntori Tirana", from 1952 to 1956 renamed to "Puna Tirana", and in 1991 they returned to their original name. The club first participated in a European cup competition in 1965-66.

Contents

[edit] General Information

KF Tirana are regarded as the Albania's top football team having won:

  • Albanian Premier League 23 times (1930, 1931, 1932, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1964-65, 1965-66, 1967-68, 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)

Football Club Tirana was founded on 15 August 1926. This date is specified by reporting No.1 self-collected in assembly of senile of sport club on 3 January 1926. In issue 1 was written: “ As initiators of club of football of Tirana founded on 15 August 1920 decided to reopen it, named Club of football” with center in Tirana.

Tirana won first title of champion in the first Albanian championship of football, which begun on 6 April 1930 and finished on 22 June 1930.

[edit] Current squad

No. Position Player
12 Flag of Albania GK Blendi Nallbani
100 Flag of Albania GK Gerti Sharra
Flag of Albania GK Alfred Osmani
Flag of Albania GK Gledis Tafaj
16 Flag of Albania DF Gentian Hajdari
4 Flag of Albania DF Endrit Vrapi
3 Flag of Albania DF Erion Xhafa
2 Flag of Albania DF Elvis Sina
Flag of Albania DF Alban Muca
Flag of Albania DF Erbim Fagu
Flag of Albania DF Loren Omuri
Flag of Croatia DF Lek Kcira
Flag of the Republic of Macedonia DF Saso Gjoreski
19 Flag of Albania MF Egert Bakalli
13 Flag of Albania MF Florenc Arapi
No. Position Player
30 Flag of Albania MF Jahmir Hyka (On loan from Olympiacos F.C.)
8 Flag of Albania MF Erald Deliallisi
6 Flag of Albania MF Hetlem Capja
18 Flag of Albania MF Klodian Duro
Flag of Albania MF Fatjon Muhameti
21 Flag of Albania MF Jetmir Sefa
10 Flag of Albania MF Devis Mukaj
20 Flag of Albania MF Daniel Xhafaj
Flag of France MF Laurent Mohellebi
Flag of Guadeloupe MF Frédérick Mocka
88 Flag of Albania FW Besian Celiku
14 Flag of Albania FW Oriand Abazaj
11 Flag of Albania FW Eldoraldo Merkoçi
9 Flag of Albania FW Indrit Fortuzi

[edit] SK Tirana in Europe

  • QR = Qualifying Round
  • R1 = 1st Round
  • R2 = 2nd Round
Season Competition Round Country Club Home Away
1965/66 UEFA European Cup R1 Flag of Scotland Kilmarnock 0-0 0-1
1969/70 UEFA European Cup R1 Flag of Belgium Standard Liege 1-1 0-3
1970/71 UEFA European Cup R1 Flag of the Netherlands AFC Ajax 2-2 0-2
1982/83 UEFA European Cup R1 Flag of Northern Ireland Linfield 1-0 1-2
R2 Flag of Ukraine Dynamo Kyiv n.d. n.d.
1983/84 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup R1 Flag of Sweden Hammarby IF 2-1 0-4
1986/87 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup R1 Flag of Romania FC Dinamo Bucureşti 1-0 2-1
R2 Flag of Sweden Malmö FF 0-3 0-0
1988/89 UEFA European Cup R1 Flag of Malta Hamrun Spartans 2-0 1-2
R2 Flag of Sweden IFK Göteborg 0-3 0-1
1989/90 UEFA European Cup R1 Flag of Malta Sliema Wanderers 5-0 0-1
R2 Flag of Germany FC Bayern Munich 0-3 1-3
1994/95 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup QR Flag of Belarus FC Belshyna Babruisk 3-0 1-4
R1 Flag of Denmark Brøndby IF 0-1 0-3
1995/96 UEFA Cup QR Flag of Israel Hapoel Be'er Sheva FC 0-1 0-2
1996/97 UEFA Cup QR1 Flag of Croatia NK Dinamo Zagreb 2-6 0-4
1998/99 UEFA Cup QR1 Flag of Slovakia FK Inter Bratislava 0-2 0-2
1999/00 UEFA Champions League QR1 Flag of Iceland Íþróttabandalag Vestmannaeyja 1-2 0-1
2000/01 UEFA Champions League QR1 Flag of Moldova FC Zimbru Chisinau 2-3 2-3
2001/02 UEFA Cup QR Flag of Cyprus Apollon Limassol 3-2 1-3
2002/03 UEFA Cup QR Flag of Romania FC Naţional Bucureşti 0-1 2-2
2003/04 UEFA Champions League QR1 Flag of Georgia (country) Dinamo Tbilisi 3-0 (4-2 pen.) 0-3
QR2 Flag of Austria Grazer AK 1-5 1-2
2004/05 UEFA Champions League QR1 Flag of Belarus FC Gomel 0-1 2-0
QR2 Flag of Hungary Ferencvárosi TC 2-3 1-0
2005/06 UEFA Champions League QR1 Flag of Slovenia ND Gorica 3-0 0-2
QR2 Flag of Bulgaria CSKA Sofia 0-2 0-2
2006/07 UEFA Cup QR1 Flag of Croatia NK Varteks 2-0 1-1
QR2 Flag of Turkey Kayserispor 0-2 1-3
2007/08 UEFA Champions League QR1 Flag of Slovenia NK Domžale 1-2 0-1

[edit] History

In august the 16th 1920, the patriot P. Nika altogether with gentlemen A. Erebara, P. Jakova, A. Hoxha, A. Koja, P. Berisha, A. Zajmi, H. Fortuzi, B. Pazari, L. Berisha, S. Frasheri, H. Alizoti, A. Gjitomi and V. Fekeci founded "Agimi Sports Association". The association's favourite sport was football and therefore in October of that year its team played the first match against "Juventus" Shkodra. In 1925 the association's governing council was elected and its members were A. Zajmi, S. Stermasi, B. Toptani, I. Gjinali and A. Koja. The team also played its first international match against "Crnagorec" Cetina the same year. In 1927 on the initiative of Mr S. Stermasi, Mr A. Erebara, Mr A. Zajmi and Mr A. Koja, "Agimi" changed its name to Sportklub Tirana (SK Tirana). During the period 1927-1930 SK Tirana played many friendly matches against other Albanian teams. The onset of the Albanian national football championship was on April the 6th, 1930. At the end of the first championship the white-and-blue team finished at the leading position, thus becoming the first Albanian champions. Later on they won the championship six times out of seven during the pre-WW2 period, convincingly dominating the Albanian football scene. SK Tirana were the first Albanian football team to have introduced the permanent role of a regular coach and also the first to have secured the services of a foreign coach, the Hungarian Samo Singer, in 1934.


After the war, SK Tirana made a good start reaching the second spot in 1945, after losing to "Vllaznia" Shkoder in the final. But soon the club would become a victim of the reigning communist regime in Albania. At the beginning of march 1946, at the "Nacional" movie theater in Tirana, as a result of instructions coming from the highest power authorities, SK Tirana would change its name to "17 Nentori", thus denying the club its past tradition. The following decade would unroll in the same suffocating atmosphere, becoming even heavier after the foundation of two system-privileged teams following the experiences of their sisters in the U.S.S.R. and the other eastern European countries: "Partizani", the Defense Ministry team and "Dinamo", the Internal Affairs Ministry team. Tens of Tirana’s talented players were "stolen" all over those years by these two Albanian sports monsters. As a result "17 Nentori" struggled to stay at the top during the years 1947-1957 but managed to gain some of the lost groung during the second part of the decade after replacing in part some of the first choice players of its line up.


From 1958 to 1964 Tirana kept on producing some good football and finishing the championship almost always at the third spot. These years were a prelude to what was about to happen later: Tirana reexperienced its pre-war glory spell under the services of the unforgettable Lym (Myslym) Alla. At the end of the 28th national championship Tirana became champions more than twenty years after their last title. They repeated the success the year after, but this was an obvious challenge to "Partizani"'s generals and "Dinamo" 's secret service bosses. After having practically won the 1966-1967 title three matches in advance, Tirana was banned from the competition and the title was assigned to "Dinamo". Although being a victim of disgusting manipulations and unjustice, Tirana won the championship two years in a row in some style, losing two matches in 1968-1969 and only one during the 1969-1970 season.


During the seventies Tirana struggled hard to stay at the top, the best result being the second spot and the worst the thirteenth. Yet they won the national cup twice. The old players generation reaching its career sunset, this could only mark the end of a highly successful era. But the unsuccessful spell wouldn't last long this time. Tirana won the championship at the end of the 1981-1982 season, and they went on to win the title and the national cup three other times during the eighties. The club was also successful in the European clubs competitions and many of the team players made up the core of the best national team the country has ever had.

During the first half of the nineties Tirana (which in august 1991 regained its old name), likewise the whole Albanian society, went through a period of profound changes. Almost all the best Albanian players left the country and went abroad looking for a richer team who could hire them. But it seems that the club simply can't stand being too long too far from the leading spots. Thus at the end of the 1994-1995 season Tirana once again won the championship five matches in advance, being 12 points ahead of the second placed team. But at this point it's not about history; it's about the present well known to everyone in Albania. During the recent years Tirana has dominated the Albanian football, thus giving a huge joy and satisfaction to all of their fans, to all those who think that white-and-blue it's not a mere passion, but faith and religion.

[edit] External links