KF Tirana

KF Tirana

Full name	Klubi i Futbollit Tirana
Nickname(s)	Tirona Bardheblutë (White and blues)
Short name	Tirana
Founded	August 15, 1920 (1920-08-15), as Shoqata Sportive Agimi[1]
Ground	Selman Stërmasi Stadium
Ground Capacity	9,600[2]
President	Refik Halili
Head coach	Zé Maria
League	Albanian First Division, Group B
2016–17	Albanian Superliga, 9th (relegated)
Website	Club website
Home colours Away colours Third colours

Active branches of KF Tirana
Football (Men's)	Football (Women's)	Football (B team)
Football (Youth)	Futsal	Basketball (Men's)
Basketball (Women's)	Volleyball (Men's)	Volleyball (Women's)

KF Tirana (Albanian: Klubi i Futbollit Tirana) is an Albanian football club based in the country's capital city, Tirana. The men's football club is part of the multi-disciplinary sports club SK Tirana, and is the most successful in Albania, having won 50 recognized major domestic trophies. They play their home games at the Selman Stërmasi Stadium in Tirana and they compete in Albania's second tier of football, the Albanian First Division.

The club was founded on 15 August 1920^[1] as Shoqata Sportive Agimi, which translates to the Agimi Sports Association, and they had since participated in all the top tier national championships ever held in Albania. However the ninth-place finish in the 2016-17 season relegated the club to the Albanian First Division (second-tier) for the first time in their history.

They have competed under the name of SK Tirana between 1927 and 1947, when the communist regime forcibly renamed the club 17 Nëntori Tirana, Puna Tirana and KS 17 Nëntori. In 1991 KF Tirana retook its pre-1947 name and was divided into two branches, the multi disciplinary SK Tirana and the football branch of KF Tirana.

KF Tirana is the most successful Albanian team in European competitions, having progressed from the first rounds on 11 occasions since making their European debut in the 1965–66 European Cup. The club also holds the record of being the highest ever ranking Albanian club according to IFFHS, having been ranked 31st in the world in 1987, as a result of the success in their 1986–87 campaign. In addition, KF Tirana is an ECA member.^[3]

History

1911 tournament

Although still an unofficial event in the official FSHF footballing history, in 2012 historians revealed what is believed to be the first ever competitive football tournament in the country. It took place in Fier between 7 and 14 April 1911. The tournament featured 8 teams and was played in a one-legged format, similar to that of other European competitions at the time. Tirana was represented with what is believed to be the predecessor of KF Tirana, and in their first game on 7 April 1911 against Elbasani they won 9–4 to progress to the semi-finals, where they defeated Kavajë 4–0 to reach the final. The final was held on 14 April and was contested between Tirana and Peqini, and ended 6–1 to Tirana, making them Albania's first ever champions, although this is still not officially recognised by the Albanian Football Association.^[4]

Early years (1920–29)

On 15 August 1920,^[1] shortly after Tirana became the capital city of Albania, patriot and football enthusiast Palokë Nika, who had already formed Vllaznia Shkodër built and trained a new team in Tirana, with A. Erebara, P. Jakova, A. Hoxha, Anastas Koja, P. Berisha, Avni Zajmi, H. Fortuzi, B. Pazari, L. Berisha, S. Frasheri, H. Alizoti, A. Gjitomi, and V. Fekeci. The captain was Erebara, and the name of the team was Gjurmuesit Republikanë, which a few months later was changed into Agimi Sports Association. The name Agimi (in English: Dawn), was taken from the building in the centre of Tirana where they would hold meetings near to. The club was formed as a multi disciplinary one, but the emphasis on football was far greater than that of other sports. In October of the same year the club played its first ever football match at Shallvare in the centre of Tirana against Juventus Shkodër, which was a selection of players from Bashkimi Shkodran, modern day Vllaznia Shkodër, led by Palokë Nika, its captain.^[5]

In 1925 the association's governing council was elected and its members were Avni Zajmi, Selman Stërmasi, B. Toptani, Irfan Gjinali and Anastas Koja. Shortly after in the same year, the club played its first international match against Yugoslav team Crnogorac Cetinje from Montenegro. On 16 August 1927, which was the seventh anniversary of the formation of the Agimi Sports Association, the club's name changed into Sportklub Tirana, which would be commonly referred to as SK Tirana.^[6] On that day the president of the club was Teki Selenica .^[7]

Domestic dominance (1930–37)

With the formation of the Albanian Football Association on 6 June 1930 came the first officially recognised football competition held in Albania, which was the 1930 National Championship, of which SK Tirana had enrolled in. The club reached the championship final after winning 5 games, drawing 4 and losing just one, to finish joint top, along with Skënderbeu Korçë, albeit with a slightly better goal difference. The championship final games against Skënderbeu Korçë were due to be played on 26 June and 6 July respectively, but Skënderbeu Korçë forfeited both games by refusing to play, which was a sign of protest against the bias of the competition and the Albanian Football Association towards the SK Tirana. SK Tirana was awarded both games 2–0, and were thus crowned champions of Albania for the first time. The winning team consisted of Rudolf Gurashi, Abdullah Shehri, Irfan Gjinali, Xhelal Kashari, Vasil Kajano, Gjon Sabati, Llazar Miha, Mark Gurashi, Bexhet Jolldashi, Shefqet Ndroqi, Isuf Dashi, Adem Karapici, Hysen Kusi, Mustafa Begolli, Hilmi Kosova, Emil Hajnali, Rexhep Maçi, and Selman Stërmasi (as player-manager). Maçi and Hainali also won the inaugural golden boot for being the joint top goal scorers with 3 goals each.^[8] As multi-disciplinary club, this was the second national championship that Tirana won, as the athletics team had already won the national championship a year earlier, in 1929. The team was received by Zog of Albania, and is, still to this day the only Albanian team to have been received by a monarch.^[7]

The following season the club introduced former Fenerbahçe goalkeeper Vasfi Samimi into the team, who had represented Sportklub Vlorë the previous season. Other players, such as Sabit Çoku, Muhamet Agolli and Halim Begeja joined as well the club. The Albanian Football Association decided to alter the format of the championship as they divided the teams into two groups, with SK Tirana being placed in Group A along with Sportklub Vlorë and Bashkimi Shkodran. They played four games, winning two, drawing one and losing one, to finish top of the group level on points with Bashkimi Shkodran but still won the group due to a superior goal difference. The club met Group B winners Teuta Durrës in the championship final, who they drew 1–1 to at home at Shallvare in a notable game. SK Tirana had opened the scoring and taken the lead through a Mark Gurashi goal, before Teuta Durrës' goalkeeper Niko Dovana instructed one of the forwards to cover for him in goal as he went to play as a forward, and with a shot on goal he scored and equalised. His goal led to mass media coverage, with many Albanian football fans fascinated by the sight of the goalkeeper playing as a forward and scoring. SK Tirana complained to the Albanian Football Association on the grounds that a registered goalkeeper cannot play as an outfield player,^[9] but these complaints were not heard and the second leg of the tie was played a week later on 5 July 1931 in Durrës, which SK Tirana won comfortably 3–0 to win 4–1 on aggregate and to regain the National Championship.

The Albanian Football Association once again changed the format of the championship and opted for a five team league format, where every club would play each other twice and the winner would be decided by who finished top of the league, and not a championship final. SK Tirana went unbeaten throughout the season, with five wins and three draws to their name, including emphatic 6–0 wins over Urani Elbasan and Teuta Durrës respectively and a 9–2 away win once again against Urani Elbasan. The club were crowned Albanian champions for a third consecutive season, which further cemented their place in history as the first club to dominate football in Albania.

The 1933 National Championship proved to be less fruitful for the club, as they missed out on a fourth consecutive title, finishing in a disappointing third place out of six, behind Bashkimi Shkodran and the winners Skënderbeu Korçë.^[10] However, they bounced back firmly in the 1934 National Championship, finishing five points ahead of runners-up Skënderbeu Korçë in a seven team format. They won a total of ten games out of twelve, which included 9–0 wins over Teuta Durrës and Bashkimi Elbasanas respectively, as well as an 8–0 win over Sportklub Vlorë, with Mark Gurashi being named the top goalscorer with 12 goals.^[11] The following year there was no official competition held by the Albanian Football Association, so only friendly games were played.

In 1936 the National Championship returned and SK Tirana regained their title with a two-point difference between them and runners-up Vllaznia Shkodër.^[12] The ethnic-Albanian forward from Yugoslavia Riza Lushta was the top goalscorer with 11 goals scored in the campaign. The following season the club once again won the National Championship, with Vllaznia Shkodër coming in second place, and Riza Lushta being named the top goalscorer, this time with a record 25 goals.^[13] This was the last pre-World War II competition held by the Albanian Football Association as there was no championship held in 1938 and World War II broke out in 1939.

Interwar period (1939–44)

In 1939, following the Italian invasion of Albania, a national football tournament was held which featured eight of the country's best clubs at the time, of which SK Tirana was part of. Under the fascist rule of Victor Emmanuel III, king of the Albanian Kingdom, sports activities in the country were revamped in order to mirror the systems in place in Italy. Giovanni Giro, a loyal trustee of Foreign Minister Galeazzo Ciano, was in charge of organising the first football competition under Victor Emmanuel III, which was called Turneja Kombëtare E Footbollit Për Ndeshjet E Trofeut Të Liktorit (lang:en|National Tour of Football for the Matches of the Lictor Trophy). In the first round of the tournament, SK Tirana met Dragoj Pogradeci, which they defeated 7–0 in the first leg, with Zyber Lisi opening the scoring in the 7th minute, after which Naim Kryeziu netted 5 goals in the 8th, 35th, 68th, 81st and 89th minutes, with Zyber Lisi finding the net once again in the 85th minute. SK Tirana starting formation in the game consisted of previous championship winners Rudolf Gurashi, Sllave Llambi, Foto Janku, Hasan Maluçi, Hasan Balla, Zyber Lisi, Haki Korça, Naim Kryeziu and Mark Gurashi. Tirana defeated Dragoj Pogradeci in the second leg as well 2–0, winning 9–0 on aggregate and thus reached the semifinals against Skënderbeu Korçë, on a match played on 6 August 1939. Mark Gurashi scored the opening goal of the game within 10 minutes, as SK Tirana went on to win 3–0 and reach the final against Vllaznia Shkodër on 30 September 1939. The final was played at the Shallvare field in Tirana, in the presence of many important figures in the National Fascist Party as well as important Albanian nobleman and figures which included Eqrem Vlora, Aleksandër Xhuvani, Anton Harapi, Dhimitër Beratti and Karl Gurakuqi.

The ruling fascist regime organised a similar competition the following year in 1940, this time in a group format where teams were divided into two groups based on geography location. Two of the club's most important players who had come from Kosovo had left Albania for Italy to join Bari and Roma respectively. They met Vllaznia Shkodër on 17 March in a memorable game which ended in a 2–2 draw, and where the fans left the ground at Shallvare following two stoppages due to players and staff fighting. The game had started positively with Skënder Gjinali opening the scoring in the 10th minute for Vllaznia, following an assist by Frederik Shkjezi. Vasif Biçaku then equalised four minutes later, before Zyber Lisi gave Sportklub Tirana the lead in the 40th minute from a Skënder Begeja cross. However, Vllaznia levelled the scores just 60 seconds later through Met Vasija, following a combination of Muç Koxhja, Loro Boriçi and the goalscorer Vasija. On 31 March they met Elbasani at Shallvare in a thrilling game which saw the home side go 3–0 down through goals by Progri, Shefqet Lamçja and Kasapi in the 30th, 48th and 56th minute respectively. Sportklub Tirana then scored a free kick through Vasif Biçaku in the 60th minute, to begin a comeback which saw three goals in three minutes, before Zyber Lisi scored the winner in the 85th minute. The rest of the campaign did not prove to be fruitful as Vllaznia finished top of the group ahead of Sportklub Tirana and reached the championship finals, where they defeated Skënderbeu Korçë 11–1 on aggregate to win their first national championship, to this day unrecognized by the Albanian Federal Association.

There was no competition held in 1941 but on 21 April of the same year, the foreign ministers of Italy and Germany met in Vienna and concluded that most of Kosovo should join Albania to become what was known as the Kingdom of Albania under Victor Emmanuel III. In 1942 the national championship was held with the inclusion of three clubs from Kosovo, which were Prizreni, Peja and KF Prishtina. These clubs from Kosovo competed in the northern section along with the reigning champions Vllaznia Shkodër and Sportklub Tirana competed in the new middle section group and the southern clubs competed in their own group. In a bizarre ruling, only players born between 1921 and 1925 were allowed to participate in the competition, meaning that only players between the ages of 17 and 22 were allowed to play. However, this rule was not followed by most clubs and senior players did participate in the competition. Another rule was that all participants had to members of one of the youth fascist groups, but this was merely a formality as many players who were anti-fascist competed. Tirana defeated Elbasani 5–1 and drew 1–1 with Teuta Durrës to reach the semi final against Prizreni which was played in Tirana over two legs on 26 and 27 June. During the first leg, Zyber Lisi opened the scoring through a 21st-minute penalty before doubling the lead just 7 minutes later. Former SK Tirana player Skender Gjinali then scored for Prizreni on the 30th minute before Hasani equalised on the 81st minute and sent the game to extra time, but a winner could not be decided while led to a replay the following day. The scoring in the replay was opened by Akil Derani on the 17th minute, with Zyber Lisi scoring a minute later to make it 2–0 to the SK Tirana. Skender Gjinali scored a conciliation goal for Prizreni in the 76th minute but they could not equalise, and SK Tirana reached the final against Shkodra on 29 June. The final was played at the Shallvare and Shyqyri Bylyku opened the scoring for SK Tirana in the 65th minute before Pali equalised in the 90th minute. Italian referee Michele Carone then asked both sides to play extra time of two 15 minute halves but Shkodra refused to continue play without a concrete reason, although it has been suggested that the darkness was one of the reasons. Two days after the final had been played the match was awarded 2–0 to SK Tirana along with the title.^[14][15]

The club won two out of the three National Championships that were held during World War II, with the other championship being won by Vllaznia Shkodër in 1940. The AFA finally made a decision in February 2013 that, according to them, although AFA admits the WWII Championships have indeed been played correctly and rightfully, are not legitimate and won't be recognized since they weren't organized by the AFA, but by the Fascist regime.^[16]

Postwar period (1944–57)

Following the end of World War II, Albania fell in the hands of the socialist dictator Enver Hoxha, and footballing activities resumed as they had done before the war under the guidance of the Albanian Football Association. The first championship held was in 1945 and Tirana were placed in Group B along with a short lived military team under the name of Ylli, Bashkimi Elbasanas, Skënderbeu Korçë, Apolonia Fier and Shqiponja Gjirokastër. Tirana eased through to reach the finals, after finishing top of the group with 16 points, 7 wins, 2 draws and one loss. In the first led of the finals on 23 December Tirana met Vllaznia Shkodër, who they lost 2–1 to, but Vasif Biçaku's late goal gave Tirana some hope for the second leg on 26 December. Vllaznia won the second leg 2–1 once again, with Tirana's only goal coming from a Besim Fagu penalty. Vllaznia won what is officially recognised as their first title, in a season where Loro Boriçi was the top goalscorer.^[17] Despite a relatively successful season which saw the club finish as runners-up, they would quickly become victims of the ruling Communist regime under Enver Hoxha's dictatorship. In early March 1946 at the Nacional movie theatre in Tirana, the ruling Communist Politburo had instructed the club to change its name to 17 Nëntori in honour of the Liberation of Tirana which took place on 17 November 1944. In the following decade, the club was subject to appalling treatment by the Communists, and this was highlighted by the creation of a privilege system for the newly created Communist backed teams Partizani Tirana and Dinamo Tirana.

The following decade would unroll in the same suffocating atmosphere, becoming even heavier after the foundation of two system-privileged teams that would follow the experiences of their sisters in the former USSR, former Yugoslavia, and the other eastern European countries: Partizani, the Defense Ministry team and Dinamo, the Internal Affairs Ministry team. Dozens of Tirana’s talented players were "convinced", against their will, to play for either Partizani or Dinamo. As a result, "17 Nentori" struggled to stay at the top during the years 1947–57, however the team managed to gain some of the lost groung during the second part of the 50's after replacing in part some of the first choice players of its line up.

1958–70

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 coach Myslym Alla. At the end of the 28th national championship Tirana became champions of Albania more than twenty years after their last title.

Championship of 1966–67

The team 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 1966–67 title three matches in advance, Tirana was banned from the competition and the title was assigned to Dinamo.^[18][19]

After this, Tirana won the championship two years in a row in style, losing only two matches in 1968 and only one during the 1969–70 season.^[20]

1970s and 1980s

During the seventies Tirana struggled hard to stay at the top, the best result being the second place and the worst the thirteenth. Yet the club won the national cup twice. The generation of older players came to the end of their careers and this could only mark the end of a highly successful era. However the unsuccessful spell would not last long this time. Tirana won the championship at the end of the 1981–82 season, and they went on to win the title three other times during the eighties, in 1984–85, 1987–88 and 1988–89 and the Albanian Cup in 1982–83, 1983–84 and 1985–86. The club was also successful in the European club competitions and many of the team players made up the core of the Albania national football team, such as Agustin Kola, Arben Minga, Shkelqim Muca and Mirel Josa.

1990s and 2000s

During the first half of the nineties KF 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 could not stand being too long from the leading spots. Thus at the end of the 1994–95 season, KF Tirana once again won the championship five matches in advance with 12 points ahead of the second placed team. During the recent years Tirana has dominated the Albanian football by winning 10 out of the last 18 Albania's championships.^[21]

Recent seasons and the present

Between years 1993–07 Tirana completed another significant feat, still unmatched from any other Albanian club; their end-of-season ranking never dropped from 2nd place within 14 consecutive seasons. 9 championship trophies and 5 runner-ups were achieved during this period, as well as 6 Cups and 7 Supercups were added in club's palmares.

Even though KF Tirana has dominated in nearly last three decades, since 2007 club have displayed instability in management, which has also reflected in the results. Several factors have affected negatively the presentation, not only in the domestic competitions, but also the international appearances. Here is a summary of Tirana's recent years performance:

Past El-Sayed era

Following a successful 2006–07 campaign which saw the club win the Albanian Superliga comfortably, KF Tirana began to struggle and they kicked off the season with two losses in the Champions League against Slovenian side NK Domžale meaning they were knocked out in the second qualifying round. Despite winning the Albanian Supercup in the next game against Besa Kavajë, the club had a difficult start to the season, as they won only one of their opening 8 games. They did regain some form and managed to reach third spot, but they ended the season poorly and ultimately finished 6th, their worst finish since 1993. In the Albanian Cup they defeated Butrinti Sarandë, KF Laçi, Kastrioti Krujë and KF Elbasani to reach the final against Vllaznia Shkodër, which they lost 2–0 as they failed to save their season. Tirana had a successful 2008–09 season, where they managed to win their 24 league title as well reach the final of the Albanian Cup. On 14 October 2008 the faced Italian giants AC Milan in a friendly as part of the first ever Taçi Oil Cup, also known as the Taçi Oil Albania Reads Trophy, which was a UNICEF backed project aimed at raising funds to create 100 new libraries in schools across Albania. Tirana defeated a strong AC Milan side 2–1, following goals from Daniel Xhafa and Gjergji Muzaka before Ronaldinho scored a conciliation goal in injury time.^[22] Despite winning the league the previous season, Tirana struggled during the 2009–10 campaign and the instability in terms of the ownership proved to be detrimental to their season as they went trophy-less, finishing third in the league and being knocked out in the quarter-finals of the Albanian Cup. During the 2010–11 season there were major controversies off the field, as there was an ongoing dispute between the club's chief and president, which led to a delay in paying the players' wages and even some players not receiving their wages. The results on the field were also largely negative, and there were three head coached throughout the campaign, as Sulejman Starova, Nevil Dede and the Croatian Mišo Krstičević all being in charge of the squad at some stage during the 2010–11 campaign which saw the club finish 5th. They did however do well in the cup, as they defeated local rivals Dinamo Tirana on penalties in the final as they won the Albanian Cup and earned a spot in the Europa League qualifiers for the following season. However, due to late preparations that included a delay in signing new players and appointing a head coach, the club failed to reach the second qualifying round as they were knocked out by Slovakian side Spartak Trnava.^[23]

Status change

Despite winning the 2011 Albanian Supercup, KF Tirana had another difficult season, and on 12 October 2011 the Municipality of Tirana city council voted through a unanimous decision to change the status of the club from a municipality owned to a shareholder own one, under the name KF Tirana Sh.A, with the municipality of Tirana initially holding a 100% stake in the club but with the possibility of any future private sponsors and donors to own stocks in the club.^[24]

Julián Rubio era

On the field they won the Supercup and Cup despite major financial setbacks caused by the change in status. Spanish coach Julián Rubio led the side to two out of three trophies during the 2011–12 campaign, and they finished third in the league despite major departures just before the start of the season and players not receiving their wages on time. The club sold their main striker Bekim Balaj to Sparta Prague ahead of the new season, and they failed to bring in quality players in time for their Europa League run, which saw them defeat modest CS Grevenmacher from Luxembourg, before being knocked out by Norwegian side Aalesund. They won the Supercup in their next game, but they lost their Spanish head coach Julián Rubio due to a contract disagreement,^[25] and they appointed former accomplished KF Tirana player Artur Lekbello as head coach, but he struggled in charge and after a poor start to the season he handed in his resignation after just 42 days. The technical director Alban Tafaj took charge as interim coach as he had done previously, before Nevil Dede returned to the club, who guided them to a disappointing 5th spot. Dede, intending to use younger players as the basis for the future, presented a project to the club's board and was eventually offered a two-year contract, but the 2013–14 began in turmoil as players had gone unpaid due to the Tirana city council's failure to sell club assets.^[26]

Refik Halili II and avoided relegation

The situation on the field was heavily disrupted by off field troubles, and the squad was made up only 10 players with little experience just weeks before the start of the season, before three wealthy local businessmen took charge of the club to provide much needed short term investments. Ndriçim Babasi was appointed president, whilst former president Refik Halili and Lulzim Morina were also co-donors during the 2013–14 season, and they were able to bring in some new players ahead of the season. Despite the collective efforts of Babasi, Halili and Morina to build a squad days before the start of the season, the club made a poor start to the campaign which led to the departure of head coach Dede, who was replaced by Alpin Gallo, who himself lasted only 5 games before being fired. The board opted for an experienced head coach and hired Gugash Magani, who was given the task of avoiding relegation, which is something the club had never experienced. Magani succeeded in keeping the club up as they finished 6th in what is considered to be one of the worst seasons in the club's history.

Refik Halili III

On 26 June 2014 the Tirana city council approved a proposal to give private donors a 66% stake in the club's assets for the next 18 years, which at the time fell in the hands of Refik Halili and Lulzim Morina, which enabled such donors to invest in players, facilities and youth teams.^[27] Ahead of the 2014–15, head coach Magani and the rest of the back room staff with the backing of Refik Halili aimed to put together a squad capable of winning the league for the first time since 2009. They were title challengers in a highly competitive season, as Skënderbeu Korçë, FK Kukësi and Partizani Tirana all invested generously in their squads to be able to compete for the title, which eventually went to Skënderbeu Korçë for the fifth time in a row, as KF Tirana failed to carry on their good form in the closing stages of the season and ultimately finished fourth. FK Kukësi lost the final of the Albanian Cup to KF Laçi which meant that KF Tirana also failed to qualify for the Europa League, thus ending the season trophy-less and failing to qualify for Europe. During the winter break major investments were made in the training facilities at the Skënder Halili Complex as well as the Selman Stërmasi Stadium, with the latter being reconstructed as the club sought to return to the stadium permanently the following season. Magani left the club at the end of the season, and former coach Shkëlqim Muça replaced him for 2015-16 season whose only task was to win the Superliga title. But on 17 October 2015, he got sacked by the club as they failed to win against Bylis Ballsh, Skënderbeu, Partizani and Flamurtari which meant their title chances were on the brink of slipping away for yet another season. Just before November 2015, Ilir Daja took over to be the next manager. At the end of that month, the Selman Stërmasi Stadium was reopened for the club to play their games again. Heading into January 2016, they only experienced defeat in just one game, against Skënderbeu in November 2015. However, subsequently Tirana ended the League at the 5th spot, in a neutral position, yet again trophy-less and out of European participation for the 3rd time in a row. Cup campaign saw them only reaching quarter-finals, eliminated from KF Flamurtari, even though having won the first leg away match.

Relegation for the first time in history

The 2016-17 was one of the most strange and contradictory seasons. From title contender half way through season, Tirana fell continuously to dramatically succumb to relegation for the first time in their precious history. Season started well with coach Ilir Daja and by end of first quarter Tirana had lost only one match and was 3 points from head of table. However, suddenly Daja got dismissed after the home draw against Vllaznia. Mirel Josa was straightaway appointed as the new coach. Even though furiously won the next two home matches, Tirana started wasting points home and away (especially home draw against ultimately ranked team was unattainable). To add further to the insult, an unexpected agreement between Tirana's president and red rivals in sharing with them Tirana's home stadium for the season, broke club's relationship with their fans who had always opposed such an agreement. They subsequently abandoned the matches for the entire season as result. Referees played another negative role in Tirana's doom, as further precious points were wasted due to canceled goals, card punishments or favoritism towards opponents. With only few exceptions, club never raised their voice towards this injustice. By end of half season, club dismissed several "unsuitable" players. And as Tirana was preparing to bring new players such as Elis Bakaj, etc in order to withstand the rest of season, they faced UEFA's restrictions due to a pending debt. This caused further shrinkage on the group's quality. By end of third quarter team was struggling at bottom four and 3 matches due to finish Tirana needed at least 5 points to survive relegation, with all possible combinations against. Ultimate round was the away match against Vllaznia who were themselves fighting to stay in the League and needed just one point, whereas Tirana needed only the win. However, after a hard fought match which ended goalless, Tirana ranked 9th and therefore relegated. Contrary to League display, Tirana won the Cup for record 16th time defeating KS Skenderbeu Korce in final after extra time. Tirana did not lose a single match along the campaign. Cup trophy also meaning participation in European cups after 5 years absence.

Grounds

Shallvare (1920–46)

The club's first home ground was the Shallvare, located in the centre of Tirana where today is the existing Shallvare block, acquired by the club prior to their formation in 1920. The also field served as an amusement centre for the youth of Tirana to enjoy, and it was a popular gathering place where various games were played during religious holidays. Before its use as a football ground the site was use by the Ottoman garrison as a playground, and in 1916 it served as a runway for the Austrian-Hungarian Imperial and Royal Aviation Troops. The club played their first game at the Shallvare in 1920 against a team made up of the occupying Austrian-Hungarians. In 1925 there were changing rooms built at the ground, and in the early 1930s there was an athletics track built around the football pitch. The administrator of the ground was the football referee, Besim Hamdiu (Qorri), who only had one assistant in the maintenance of the ground. The ground did not have a main stand or seating area for spectators, but rather a two storied building that was constructed in 1923 by a member of parliament Masar Këlliçi . The building stood 50 metres away from the football pitch and was located in line with the middle of the pitch, with its balcony facing the field and the Dajt mountains. The ground was also used for other sporting events as well as military parades, one of which the president and later king Ahmet Zogu attended in 1927. The ground was destroyed in 1951 and Soviet–style apartment blocks were built onto of it instead.^[28][29]

Qemal Stafa Stadium (1946–2015)

The home ground of KF Tirana is Selman Stërmasi Stadium, which is shared with city rivals Dinamo Tirana and Partizani Tirana. However, most derby and significant matches are played at the national team's Qemal Stafa Stadium; the stadium is also used if the Selman Stërmasi Stadium is unavailable as it is used by three different teams. The club has expressed its desire to rebuild the current Selman Stërmasi Stadium into a modern complex with around 15,000 to 20,000 seats. They want it to be Albania's first modern post-Communism stadium without an athletic track around the field, which they hope will provide more atmosphere and attract more fans. However, it has not yet been decided when this will be built but it is rumoured to be the club's 100th anniversary present in 2020.^[30]

Selman Stërmasi Stadium (1956–present)

KF Tirana plays most of its official and friendly games at the Selman Stërmasi Stadium in Tirana. The Selman Stërmasi Stadium was built in 1956 and was previously named the 'Dinamo' Stadium till 1991 when it was permanently given its new name. The Football Association of Albania and the club decided to name the stadium post mortem after the eminent KF Tirana player, coach and president, Selman Stërmasi.

The stadium has a capacity of 12,500 (6,000 seated). In December 2014, another phase of reconstruction was started, involving a new pitch, central main covered stand, central fans stand including two extra rows extension, broken or missing seats replacements/repairs, interior facilities, general lineaments and a shopping centre just under central seated. The internal facilities include general repairs, a press conference room, journalists' corner and modern showers. The side fans stands will temporary be shut and covered by advertising boards. It is still unclear when will stadium scoreboard be fitted.^[31]

The main parking area is located at the front of the stadium, which leads to the entrance. The whole external part of the stadium is surrounded by a 2.7 M (9 ft) rail fence.^[32]

Skënder Halili Complex

The club's training ground is called the Skënder Halili Complex and it is located off of Rruga e Kavajës, near the Birra Tirana factory. The training complex was posthumously named after Skënder Halili, who was one of the club's most notable associates, both during his playing career and after. The complex features a full sized natural grass football pitch, as well as a smaller astro turf fan along with dressing rooms used by senior team as well as some of the youth teams. In December 2014 work began on both the Skënder Halili Complex and the Selman Stërmasi Stadium in order to fully renovate these grounds to be used by the club, and at the training ground the training facilities were all improved which included the dressing rooms and even the single stand that holds a small number of spectators for those wishing to attend training sessions and even occasional friendlies that are played at the ground.^[33]

Supporters

Tirana is considered to be one of the most supported football clubs in Albania, and its supporters also formed the first Ultras group in the country in 1986 called Ultras Tirona. The group was forced to operate illegally as the communist regime did not allow such organised groups to function. However, despite this, its supporters used games as an outlet to show their dissent against the regime in place and following the fall of communism in Albania they became more organised and attracted more supporters in the late 90s and early 2000s. During the mid 2000s, younger supporters began to emerge on the scene and felt that the older Ultras Tirona did not entirely represent them, which led to the younger supporters forming a new Ultras group called the Tirona Fanatics on 8 January 2006.^{[34][35][36][37]} The group quickly rose in membership and became the most organised supporters group in Albania, following Tirana home and away, including European games. On 20 May 2015 the majority of the founding members of Tirona Fanatics decided to hand over the management of the group to younger supporters.^[38] The group has partnerships with Kosovan group Plisat of FC Prishtina and Macedonian group Shvercerat of FK Shkupi.

Rivalries

The fans have three main rivals. Vllaznia Shkodër, the oldest derby in the country, with the matches between them called the All-time Albanian derby. The other rivalries are the Tirana derbies with Dinamo Tirana and Partizani Tirana. However, since 2010s, they have developed a fierce rivalry with Skënderbeu Korçë since the latter side's rise to prominence.

Players

Current squad

As of 3 July 2017^[39]

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

No. Position Player 1 GK Ilion Lika 2 DF Marlind Nuriu 3 DF Klisman Cake 4 DF Gentian Muça 5 DF Marvin Turtulli 6 DF David Domgjoni 7 MF Elvi Berisha 8 MF Rei Qilimi 9 FW Grent Halili 11 FW Yunus Sentamu 13 MF Erando Karabeci (captain) 14 MF Asion Daja

No. Position Player 17 DF Albi Doka 18 MF Dorian Kërçiku 19 MF Tony Mawejje 21 DF Wellyson 23 MF Flamur Bajrami 25 FW Mateus Levendi 28 DF Erion Hoxhallari 45 MF Reuben Acquah 97 GK Ditmar Shehri — FW Kristjan Prendi — FW Eric Asere — FW Eder Paulista

Out on loan

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

No. Position Player — MF Majkel Peçi (at Sopoti)

No. Position Player — MF Senad Sallaku (at Dinamo)

KF Tirana B

Klubi i Futbollit Tirana B is an Albanian football club based in Tiranë. The club is the B team of Albania's most successful club KF Tirana. It was founded in 1932, but was dissolved before it was refounded on 22 January 2013.

Reserves and academy

The KF Tirana Reserves and Academy (Albanian: Klubi i Futbollit Tirana Rezervat) are the reserve team of KF Tirana, They play in the North section of the Albanian U-19 Superliga and Albanian U-17 Superliga.

Retired numbers

12 – Since the 2014–15 Albanian Superliga season. Tirona Fanatics of the Selman Stermasi Stadium, as a sign of recognition towards the fans who sit in the Tirona Fanatics, considered the 12th man in the pitch.

Honours

Tirana are the most successful and decorated club in Albania, having won a total of 50 trophies, including 24 league titles. The club's first trophy was also the first 1930 Albanian National Championship, which was also the first official football competition in the country. The club holds the record for the most top division titles (24), Albanian Cups (16) and Albanian Supercups (10). The club's most recent trophy was the 2016-17 Albanian Cup in May 2017.

Domestic

League

• Albanian National Championship (until 2003) and Albanian Superliga: 24
  • 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 (record)
    • Runners-up: 13
      • 1945, 1959, 1966–67, 1971–72, 1975–76, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1983–84, 1993–94, 1997–98, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2005–06

Cups

• King's Cup (1938–39), Republic Cup (until 2005) and Albanian Cup: 16
  • 1938–39, 1962–63, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1985–86, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2005–06, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2016-17 (record)
    • Runners-up: 8
      • 1948, 1949, 1952, 1981–82, 1994–95, 2004–05, 2007–08, 2008–09
• Albanian Supercup: 10
  • 1994, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012 (record)
    • Runners-up: 3
      • 1989, 2001, 2004

Regional

• Balkans Cup: 0
  • Runners-up: 1
    • 1981–83

Doubles and Trebles

• Doubles:
  • League and Cup: 2
    • 1995–96, 1998–99

Records

Domestic

• Biggest ever home league victory: KF Tirana 11–0 Flamurtari Vlorë (July 5, 1936)
• Biggest ever home league defeat: KF Tirana 0–6 Vllaznia Shkodër (1947)
• Biggest ever away league victory: Elbasani 2–9 KF Tirana (June 12, 1932)
• Biggest ever away league defeat: KS Besa 7–1 KF Tirana (1991)
• Most league appearances: Elvis Sina (419)
• Most league goals: Indrit Fortuzi (152)
• Most points in a season: 84 (2004–05)
• Least points in a season: 7 (1940)
• Most wins in a season: 26 (2004–05)
• Least wins in a season: 3 (1931, 1933, 1940, 1942)
• Most ties in a season: 15 (1974–75), (2016-17)
• Least ties in a season: 0 (1939, 1946)
• Most losses in a season: 13 (1972–73, 1976–77, 1991–92), (2016-17)
• Least losses in a season: 0 (1932, 1936, 1937, 1939, 1942)
• Best Goal Differential: +66 (1936)
• Worst Goal Differential: -5 (1972–73)

Europe

• Biggest ever European home victory: KF Tirana 5–0 Sliema Wanderers (Sept 27, 1989)
• Biggest ever European home defeat: KF Tirana 2–6 NK Croatia Zagreb (July 24, 1996)
• Biggest ever European away victory: FC Gomel 0–2 KF Tirana (July 14, 2004)
• Biggest ever European away defeat: Aalesund 5–0 KF Tirana (July 26, 2012)
• Most European appearances: Elvis Sina (31)
• Most European goals: Indrit Fortuzi (10)

KF Tirana Statistics in Albanian Superliga

Since the Albanian Superliga began in 1930, KF Tirana have played 1925 Superliga matches, scored 3170 goals and conceded 1729. The club has collected so far 2841 points, won 994 games, drawn 501 and lost 430. The club's goal difference is +1441 and the winning difference is +564.^[40]

Historical	Goals	Wins	Draws	Losses	+/-Goals	+/- Wins	Points	Matches
TOTAL	3170-1729	994	501	430	+1441	+564	2841	1925

Data correct up to the end of the 2016–17 season.

See also: KF Tirana Statistics in Albanian Superliga

Recent seasons

Season	Division	Pos.	Pl.	W	D	L	GS	GA	P	Cup	Albanian Supercup	Europe
2005–06	Superliga	Runners-up	36	17	11	8	54	33	62	Winners	Winners	UCL	2QR
2006–07	Superliga	Champions	33	22	6	5	64	33	72	1/4 Finals	Winners	UCup	2QR
2007–08	Superliga	6	33	14	7	12	46	36	49	Runners-up	–	UCL	1QR
2008–09	Superliga	Champions	33	19	11	3	58	27	68	Runners-up	Winners	—	—
2009–10	Superliga	3	33	15	7	11	38	32	52	1/4 Finals	–	UCL	2QR
2010–11	Superliga	5	33	11	11	11	42	31	44	Winners	Winners	UEL	2QR
2011–12	Superliga	3	26	16	5	5	33	21	53	Winners	Winners	UEL	2QR
2012–13	Superliga	5	26	12	7	7	30	23	43	1/8 Finals	–	UEL	2QR
2013–14	Superliga	6	33	14	8	11	36	31	50	1/8 Finals	–	—	—
2014–15	Superliga	4	36	21	8	7	47	27	71	Semi-final	–	—	—
2015–16	Superliga	5	36	13	14	9	37	25	53	1/8 Finals	–	—	—
2016–17	Superliga	9	36	8	15	13	29	32	39	Winners	—	—	—
2017–18	First Division										—	UEL	1QR

KF Tirana in Europe

In addition to being the best team in all domestic competitions, KF Tirana have also given the best performances in Europe among Albanian teams. Although Tirana have passed 11 times one European round, they have never gone further than that. However, white and blues hold the all-time record for the highest IFFHS ranking of an Albanian football club, being ranked as high as 31st in the World in 1987, as result of success preceded 1986–87.^[41] In their European path, Tirana have played against "big guns" such as: Ajax, Bayern Munich, AC Milan, etc. Drawn against reputable teams such as Dinamo București, Ferencváros, CSKA Sofia, Stabæk IF, Utrecht, Dinamo Zagreb, IFK Göteborg, Malmö FF, Standard Liège, etc. In several occasions, respectable European names such as: Dinamo București, Dinamo Tbilisi, Gorica, NK Varteks, etc. have been eliminated from white and blues.

The best squad to compete in Europe was that of season 2004–05. After having easily passed FC Gomel of Belarus in the first round, Tirana played against Ferencváros in the second round. Having lost the first leg at home 2–3, KF Tirana produced fantastic football in Budapest and was leading 1–0, after which the team missed a penalty and the ball hit woodwork twice, but they just could not score the qualifying goal and therefore were eliminated with a 3–3 on aggregate.^[42]

European performance table

Season	Competition	Round	Country	Club	Home	Away
1965/66	European Champion Clubs' Cup	1R		Kilmarnock F.C.	0–0	0–1
1966/67	European Champion Clubs' Cup	1R		Valerenga IF	n.p	n.p
1969/70	European Champion Clubs' Cup	1R		Standard Liege	1–1	0–3
1970/71	European Champion Clubs' Cup	1R		AFC Ajax	2–2	0–2
1982/83	European Champion Clubs' Cup	1R		Linfield	1–0	1–2
		2R		Dynamo Kyiv	n.p	n.p
1983/84	UEFA Cup Winners' Cup	1R		Hammarby IF	2–1	0–3
1986/87	UEFA Cup Winners' Cup	1R		FC Dinamo Bucureşti	1–0	2–1
		2R		Malmö FF	0–3	0–0
1988/89	European Champion Clubs' Cup	1R		Ħamrun Spartans	2–0	1–2
		2R		IFK Göteborg	0–3	0–1
1989/90	European Champion Clubs' Cup	1R		Sliema Wanderers	5–0	0–1
		2R		FC Bayern Munich	0–3	1–3
1994/95	UEFA Cup Winners' Cup	QR		FC Bobruisk	3–0	1–4
		1R		Brøndby IF	0–1	0–3
1995/96	UEFA Cup	QR		Hapoel Be'er Sheva FC	0–1	0–2
1996/97	UEFA Cup	1QR		NK Croatia Zagreb	2–6	0–4
1998/99	UEFA Cup	1QR		FK Inter Bratislava	0–2	0–2
1999/00	UEFA Champions League	1QR		Íþróttabandalag Vestmannaeyja	1–2	0–1
2000/01	UEFA Champions League	1QR		FC Zimbru Chisinau	2–3	2–3
2001/02	UEFA Cup	QR		Apollon Limassol	3–2	1–3
2002/03	UEFA Cup	QR		National Bucureşti	0–1	2–2
2003/04	UEFA Champions League	1Q		Dinamo Tbilisi	3–0 (4:2 p)	0–3
		2QR		Grazer AK	1–5	1–2
2004/05	UEFA Champions League	1QR		FC Gomel	0–1	2–0
		2QR		Ferencvárosi TC	2–3	1–0
2005/06	UEFA Champions League	1QR		ND Gorica	3–0	0–2
		2QR		PFC CSKA Sofia	0–2	0–2
2006/07	UEFA Cup	1QR		NK Varteks	2–0	1–1
		2QR		Kayserispor	0–2	1–3
2007/08	UEFA Champions League	1QR		NK Domžale	1–2	0–1
2009/10	UEFA Champions League	2QR		Stabæk	1–1	0–4
2010/11	UEFA Europa League	1QR		Zalaegerszegi TE	0–0	1–0 (aet)
		2QR		FC Utrecht	1–1	0–4
2011/12	UEFA Europa League	2QR		FC Spartak Trnava	0–0	1–3
2012/13	UEFA Europa League	1QR		CS Grevenmacher	2–0	0–0
		2QR		Aalesund FK	1–1	0–5
2017/18	UEFA Europa League	1QR		Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C.	0–3	0–2

World & European Rankings

Records

Managers

Managerial record

Coach	from	until	Major Titles
Selman Stërmasi	1930	1933	3	3x National Championships
Samo Singer	1933	1934	1	1 National Championships
Selman Stërmasi	1934	1937	2	2x National Championships
Myslym Alla	1956	1971	5	4x National Championships, Albanian Cup
Zyber Konçi	1971	1975	0
Fatmir Frashëri	1975	1980	2	2x Albanian Cup
Enver Shehu	1980	1987	5	2x National Championships, 3x Albanian Cup
Shyqyri Rreli	1987	1992	2	2x National Championships
Fatmir Frashëri	1992	1993	0
Shkëlqim Muça	July 1, 1994	July 1, 1995	2	Albanian Superliga, Albanian Supercup
Sulejman Mema	July 1, 1995	July 1, 1996	2	Albanian Superliga, Albanian Cup
Enver Shehu	July 1, 1996	May 3, 1997	1	Albanian Superliga
Ramadan Shehu	May 3, 1997	Dec 3, 1998	0
Ardian Mema	Dec 3, 1998	May 3, 1998	0
Millan Baçi	May 3, 1998	July 1, 1998	0
Sulejman Mema	July 1, 1998	July 1, 1999	2	Albanian Superliga, Albanian Cup
Shkëlqim Muça	July 1, 1999	July 1, 2000	1	Albanian Superliga
Miklós Temesvári	July 1, 2000	April 14, 2001	1	Albanian Supercup
Shkëlqim Muça	April 14, 2001	May 1, 2002	1	Albanian Cup
Sulejman Mema	May 1, 2002	July 1, 2002	0
Enver Hadžiabdić	July 1, 2002	Feb 28, 2003	1	Albanian Supercup
Fatmir Frashëri	Feb 28, 2003	July 1, 2003	1	Albanian Superliga
Sulejman Mema	July 1, 2003	Oct 25, 2003	1	Albanian Supercup
Mirel Josa	Nov 2, 2003	Aug 20, 2004	2	Albanian Superliga, Albanian Supercup
Sulejman Starova	Sept 1, 2004	July 1, 2005	2	Albanian Superliga, Albanian Supercup
Leonardo Menichini	July 1, 2005	Nov 11, 2005	0
Krenar Alimehmeti	Nov 13, 2005	Feb 15, 2006	0
Mirel Josa	Feb 17, 2006	Nov 13, 2006	2	Albanian Cup, Albanian Supercup
Shkëlqim Muça	Nov 14, 2006	July 1, 2007	1	Albanian Superliga
Sulejman Starova	July 1, 2007	Sept 19, 2007	1	Albanian Supercup
Krenar Alimehmeti	Sept 22, 2007	Sept 25, 2007	0
Astrit Hafizi	Sept 25, 2007	Feb 3, 2008	0
Sulejman Mema	Feb 3, 2008	July 1, 2008	0
Blaž Slišković	July 1, 2008	Dec 10, 2008	0
Agustin Kola	Dec 11, 2008	May 2, 2009	1
Alban Tafaj	May 2, 2009	June 21, 2009	1	Albanian Superliga
Ilija Lončarević	June 21, 2009	Oct 6, 2009	1	Albanian Supercup
Alban Tafaj	Oct 6, 2009	Jan 26, 2010	0
Sulejman Starova	Jan 26, 2010	Oct 10, 2010	0
Nevil Dede	Oct 11, 2010	Feb 6, 2011	0
Mišo Krstičević	Feb 8, 2011	June 22, 2011	1	Albanian Cup
Julián Rubio	June 22, 2011	Aug 31, 2012	3	Albanian Cup, 2x Albanian Supercup
Alban Tafaj	Sept 1, 2012	Sept 16, 2012	0
Artur Lekbello	Sept 17, 2012	Oct 30, 2012	0
Nevil Dede	Oct 30, 2012	Oct 24, 2013	0
Alpin Gallo	Oct 25, 2013	Nov 28, 2013	0
Gugash Magani	Dec 1, 2013	May 17, 2015	0
Ndubuisi Egbo	May 18, 2015	June 1, 2015	0
Shkëlqim Muça	June 1, 2015	Oct 17, 2015	0
Ivan Gvozdenović	Oct 18, 2015	Oct 28, 2015	0
Ilir Daja	Oct 28, 2015	Oct 29, 2016	0
Mirel Josa	Oct 30, 2016	June 15, 2017	1	Albanian Cup
Zé Maria	June 17, 2017

Current coaching staff

Position	Name
Head Coach	Zé Maria
Assistant Manager	Marco Aurelio
Athletic Trainer	Rafael Costa
Goalkeeping Coach	Ndubuisi Egbo
Physiotherapist	Altin Haxhia
Physiotherapist	Arzen Voci
Administrative Director	Gerti Dajci
Academy Director	Sulejman Mema
U-19 Head Coach	Sokol Bulku
U-17 Head Coach	Sulejman Mema
U-15 Head Coach	Kadri Pengili
U-12 Head Coach	Irfan Bujari
U-10 Head Coach	Bujar Lubani

Kit suppliers

Kit provider	Period	Shirt sponsor
Umbro	1988–91	Ariston
	1993–97	Parmalat
Adidas	1998–99	Kent
	1999–00	Hawaii
Joma	2000–01
	2001–02	Volkswagen
Jako	2002–04
Puma	2004–06
Adidas	2006–08
Puma	2008–09
Lotto	2009–10	none
Adidas	2010–11
Macron	2011–12
Errea	2012–13	none
Legea	2013–15
	2015–16	Birra Tirana
Macron	2016–19	none

KF Tirana Sponsorship

Sponsor Type	Name
Main Sponsors	Halili Constructions, Municipality of Tirana
Secondary Sponsors	Birra Tirana, Lani ltd, BHI-Tirana, Lajthiza Water, Boga ltd, IVECO Bus
Official clothing provider	Macron

Presidential history

Tirana have had numerous presidents over the course of their history, some of which have been the owners of the club, others have been administrators and honorary presidents such as Bamir Topi and Fatmir Frashëri. The president has historically taken sole charge of the club, except for the period between 2007 and 2008, when was the presidency was formally vacant and numerous donors managed the club. The club have had a total of 13 president and 15 presidencies since 1920, with only Bamir Topi and Refik Halili having held the position on two occasions. The longest serving president is Selman Stërmasi who took charge of the club for 24 years between 1936 and 1960, whilst the shortest presidency belongs to Fatmir Frashëri, who took charge for one year between 2004 and 2005. Here is a complete list of club president from when Bahri Toptani took over at the club in 1920, until the present day. ^[44][45]

KF Tirana's champions

(4 times or more)

#	Champion	Times	Seasons
1	Nevil Dede	8	1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2007
	Blendi Nallbani	8	1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2005, 2007, 2009
3	Krenar Alimehmeti	7	1985, 1988, 1989, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000
	Eldorado Merkoçi	7	1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005
5	Adem Karapici	6	1930, 1931, 1932, 1934, 1936, 1937
	Arben Minga	6	1982, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1995, 1996
	Agustin Kola	6	1982, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1995, 1997
	Ardian Mema	6	1989, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000
	Sokol Bulku	6	1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2004
	Elvis Sina	6	1997, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005
	Devi Muka	6	1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009
	Rezart Dabulla	6	1999, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009
	Ervin Bulku	6	1999, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007
	Isli Hidi	6	1999, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007
15	Mark Gurashi	5	1930, 1931, 1934, 1936, 1937
	Rudolf Gurashi	5	1930, 1931, 1934, 1936, 1937
	Emil Hajnali	5	1930, 1931, 1932, 1936, 1937
	Florian Riza	5	1988, 1989, 1996, 1997, 2000
	Indrit Fortuzi	5	1995, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2004
	Alpin Gallo	5	1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000
	Alban Tafaj	5	1999, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005
	Saimir Patushi	5	2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009
23	Selman Stërmasi	4	1930, 1931, 1932, 1934
	Hysen Kusi	4	1930, 1931, 1932, 1936
	Pavllo Bukoviku	4	1965, 1966, 1968, 1970
	Luigj Bytyçi	4	1965, 1966, 1968, 1970
	Fatmir Frashëri	4	1965, 1966, 1968, 1970
	Skënder Hyka	4	1965, 1966, 1968, 1970
	Bahri Ishka	4	1965, 1966, 1968, 1970
	Ali Mema	4	1965, 1966, 1968, 1970
	Osman Mema	4	1965, 1966, 1968, 1970
	Niko Xhaçka	4	1965, 1966, 1968, 1970
	Shkëlqim Muça	4	1982, 1985, 1988, 1989
	Mirel Josa	4	1982, 1985, 1988, 1989
	Leonard Liti	4	1982, 1985, 1988, 1989
	Bedri Omuri	4	1982, 1985, 1988, 1989
	Bujar Sharra	4	1982, 1985, 1988, 1989
	Anesti Stoja	4	1985, 1988, 1989, 1995
	Ansi Agolli	4	2003, 2004, 2005, 2009
	Gentjan Hajdari	4	2003, 2004, 2005, 2007

See also

• Albanian football clubs in European competitions
• Tirana Rugby Club

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to KF Tirana.

• Official website
• KF Tirana at UEFA.COM