KF Elbasani

KF Elbasani
Full name Klubi i Futbollit Elbasani
Founded 1913
Ground Elbasan Arena,
Elbasan, Albania
Capacity 12,800[1]
Chairman Arben Laze
Manager Ilirjan File
League Albanian Superliga
2013–14 Albanian Superliga, 10th

Klubi i Futbollit Elbasani is an Albanian football club based in the city of Elbasan, who currently compete in the Albanian Superliga, the top tier of Albanian football.

History

The club was formed in 1913 as Klubi Futbollit Urani Elbasan, the result of the fusion between two club, Aferdita Elbasan and Perparimi 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.[2] The following season they again finished in penultimate place, this time in 7 team league format.[3] 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.[4]

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.[5] 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.[6] 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 bellow them Ismail Qemali Vlorë played 2 fewer games and finished on the same points tally.[7] 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.[8]

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.[9] The following season they finished 2nd in Group B, just one point behind runners-up Flamurtari Vlorë.[10] For the 1947 season, the league changed to a single 9 team competition, where Bashkimi finished in 8th place.[11] The following season the league returned to the 2 group format, where the club again finished second by one point to Flamurtari Vlorë

KS Elbasani in 1949 and KF Puna Elbasan in 1950. Between 1958 and 1991 the club was called KS Labinoti Elbasan, before once again changing its name to KF Elbasani, which they have not changed ever since.

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,[12] and along with another 3-0 loss in Denmark the aggregate result was 6-0 to Lyngby Boldklub.[13][14]

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 the 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
Ruzhdi Bizhuta Stadium
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.[15][16][17] Works on the stadium began in February, and they were completed in time for Albania's opening qualifying fixture against Denmark in October 2014.[18] 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.[1][19][20]

Honours

European competitions record

Competition Played Won Drawn Lost GF GA GD
UEFA competitions 9 1 2 3 2 10 -8
Season Competition Round Country Club Home Away Aggregate
1984–85 European Cup 1R Denmark Lyngby BK 0–3 0–3 0–6
2005–06 UEFA Cup 1QR Republic of Macedonia FK Vardar 1–1 0–0 1–1
2006–07 UEFA Champions League 1QR Lithuania FK Ekranas 1–0 0–3 1–3

Balkans Cup

Competition Played Won Drawn Lost GF GA GD
Balkans Cup 7 3 1 3 8 10 -2
Season Competition Group Country Club Home Away Aggregate
1973 Balkans Cup A Montenegro Sutjeska Nikšići 1–0 0–1 1–1
Romania Târgu Mureș 2–0 1–5 3–5
1988–89 Balkans Cup A Turkey Malatyaspor 3–0 [lower-alpha 1] 3–0
Greece OFI Crete 1–1 0–3 1–4
  1. Malatyaspor withdrew during the first leg which was awarded 3-0 to Elbasan

Current squad

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

No. Position Player
1 Albania GK Shkëlzen Ruçi
3 Albania DF Klaus Gjorga
4 Albania MF Jurgen Dosti
5 Albania DF Jurgen Lleshi
6 Albania DF Xhulio Jaupi
6 Albania MF Endri Duka
7 Albania DF Ganiol Kaçuli
8 Albania MF Orgest Gava
9 Cameroon FW Jean Paul Yontcha
10 Albania FW Enco Malindi
11 Albania FW Shamet Luta
12 Albania GK Eduart Myftarago
12 Albania GK Ted Laço
14 Kosovo MF Besart Veseli
No. Position Player
14 Albania FW Arbër Çyrbja
15 Albania MF Mateos Toçi
16 Albania FW Eri Lamçja
17 Albania DF Arjan Pisha (Captain)
18 Albania FW Rei Ujkashi
18 Albania FW Kristi Shyti
19 Nigeria MF Ovbokha Agboyi (on loan from Skënderbeu)
23 Republic of Macedonia FW Brilant Syla
27 Albania MF Ardit Hila
29 Albania MF Emiljano Musta
33 Albania MF John Grabova
77 Albania GK Daniel Kalemani

Staff

Role Name
President Albania Arben Laze
Manager Albania Ilirjan File
Athletic Director Albania Blendi Hoxholli
Club Doctor Albania Mehmet Buzmerxhani

Managers

Recent seasons

Season Division Pos. Pl. W D L GS GA P Cup Europe Notes
1999–00 Superliga style="text-align:right; bgcolor="#FFCCCC" |↓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 style="text-align:right; bgcolor="#FFCCCC" |↓12/12 3371412 283935 Quarter Finals
2008–09 First Division ↑2/16 245712 193222 1st Preliminary
2010–11 Superliga style="text-align:right; bgcolor="#FFCCCC" |↓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 391866 463260 First Round
2014–15 Superliga

References

External links