Football in Albania

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League System

The Albanian league is split into 4 divisions. The Albanian Superliga ( _sq. Kategoria superiore) was formed in 1998 and is the highest level of Albanian football. It currently comprises 12 teams. The Superliga displaced the First Division ( _sq. Kategoria e Parë) as the top division, and this is now Albanian football's second tier. Below this is 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 Cup, also at the First qualifying round stage. SK Tirana hold the record for Albanian league titles, with 23.

Cup competitions

The Albanian Football Cup ( _sq. Kupa e Shqipërisë) is the country's main knockout cup competition. It was established in 1939. The winners are entitled to compete in the UEFA Cup, at the First qualifying round stage. The most successful team in this competition are KF Partizani Tirana, who have won 16 times.

The Albanian Supercup of Football has been played since 1989. It is a single match at the beginning of the season between the winners of the Superliga and the Albanian Cup. The most successful team in this competition are SK Tirana, who have won 8 times.

The Albania National Team

Founded on 6 June 1930, Albania had to wait 16 years to play the first international match, debuting against Yugoslavia in 1946. In 1932 Albania had already joined FIFA (during the congress 12 June - 16 June) and in 1954 it was one of the founding members of UEFA. Albania had been invited to play in World Cup 1934, but owing to organizing difficulties it didn't take part.

In spite of the senior football team, the national association also places great importance on youth development work. There are championships at various age levels, including U-18,U-16, U-14, U-12 and U-10, while each club in the top two divisions is obliged to have a structured youth development programme in place. Moreover, there are regional select teams for all age levels. Albanian football celebrated its greatest day on 29 March 2003, when the national team defeated Russia 3-1 in a EURO 2004 qualifying match in Tirana. Albanian teams have also recorded impressive results in the past, but major success has not yet come Albania's way. Albanian footballers are in great demand abroad. Approximately 200 Albanian players ply their trade in a number of top leagues in Europe.

The most famous player at the moment is Altin Lala, captain of Hannover 96 in Germany.

History of football in Albania

Football arrived in Albania at the start of the 20th century. The earliest recorded match occurred when students at a Christian mission in Shkodër started playing a game. The game increased in popularity and by 1920 the first club, KS Vllaznia Shkodër had been founded. Other towns and cities formed clubs also, and on 6 June 1930 the Football Association of Albania (FSF) was established. The association became a member of world football's governing body FIFA in 1932, and joined the UEFA in 1954 as one of the founding members.

A domestic championship had got under way in 1930 and featured six teams. SK Tirana were the inaugural winners. They, together with such sides are KS Dinamo Tirana, KS Vllaznia and FK Partizani, have continued to dominate the Albanian scene until the present day. The years following the second world war 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 became popularised. Its infrastructure grew stronger as the game was organised and developed in state enterprises, schools, villages and towns.

From 1991, there were crucial political and economic changes that had a tremendous effect on the nation, as the centralised economy and political system came to an end. The result for the country's footballers was an opportunity to ply their trade on foreign fields. Sulejman Demollari moved to FC Dinamo Bucuresti in Romania, Rudi Vata to Enosis Neon Paralimni FC in Cyprus. Neighbouring Greece and the Balkan states were other popular destinations for players who were good enough to go abroad.

External links

* [http://www.uefa.com/uefa/history/AssociationWeeks/Association=2/newsid=133392.html Missionaries convert a country]