ALBANIA

Football is the most popular sport in Albania, both at a participatory and spectator level. The sport is governed by the Football Association of Albania (FSHF) known as the Federata Shqiptare e Futbollit.

FIFA Ranking 66. (highest 22 in August 2015 lowest 124)

Football arrived in Albania at the beginning of the 20th century. The first recorded match was between students at a Christian mission in Shkoder. The game increased in popularity and by 1919 the first club, KS Vlasnia Shkoder, had been founded. In 1920 SK Tirana was founded. Other towns and cities followed suit and on 6 June 1930 the Football Association of Albania (FSHF) was established. The association became a member of football's governing body FIFA in 1932, and joined the European governing body UEFA in 1954 as a founding member. 

Below: Albania squad that won the 1946 Balkan Cup.

Albania's domestic championship began in 1930 with 6 teams. KF Tirana were the inaugural winners. They, together with such sides are KS Dinamo Tirana, Vllaznia Shkoder and FK Partizana have continued to dominate the Albanian scene until the present day. The years following World War 2 saw a new political order, with the introduction of a communist system which had a positive impact as far as the game's appeal was concerned. Football was used as popular entertainment. Its infrastructure grew stronger as the game was organized and developed in state enterprises, schools, villages and towns. New institutional clubs were founded such as Partizani Tirani (1946) and Dinamo Tirana (1950) (governed respectively by the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Internal Affairs). Until 1990 they were privileged in relation to the other clubs as they were able to get players from other teams.

From 1991, there were crucial political and economic changes that had a tremendous effect on the nation, as the centralized economy and political system came to an end. The result for the country's footballers was an opportunity to play their trade on foreign fields. Neighbouring Greece and the Balkan states were popular destinations for players who were good enough to go abroad.

League and Cup system

The Albanian league is split into 4 divisions. The Albanian Superliga (Kategoria Superiore) was formed in 1930. In 1998 it took its current name and is the highest level of Albanian Football. It currently comprises 10 teams. The Superliga displaced the First Division (Kategoria e Parë) as the top division, and this is now Albanian Football's second tier. Below this is Second Division (Kategoria e Dytë), which is divided geographically into A & B.

The winners of the league are entitled to compete in the UEFA Champions League at the First qualifying round stage. The runners-up are entitled to compete in the UEFA Conference League, also at the First qualifying round stage. KF Tirana hold the record for Albanian league titles, with 26.

Kategoria Superiore 10 clubs and K E Pare 12 clubs and K Edyte 23 clubs  and e Trete 15 clubs and below these = Sunday League Tirani, Sunday League Korce, Kategoria Amatore 1, Kategoria Amatore II and Kategoria Amatore III

The Albania Super Cup, known as the Kupa e Shqipërisë, is the country's main knockout cup competition, and was established in 1939. The winners are entitled to compete in the UEFA Europa League, at the First qualifying round stage. The most successful team in this competition, KF Partiozani Tirana, has won the cup 15 times. 

The Albanian Super Cup, which started in 1989, is a single match played at the beginning of the season between the winners of the Superliga and the Albanian Cup. The most successful team in this competition, KF Tirana, has won 9 times.