Kategoria Superiore


The Kategoria Superiore is a professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the Albanian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 10 clubs, and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Kategoria e Parë. Seasons run from August to May, with teams playing 36 matches each.
The competition was founded in 1930 as the Albanian National Championship during the reign of King Zog, shortly after the creation of the Albanian Football Association. Since 1930, 43 clubs have competed in recognized competitions, while only nine clubs have won the title: KF Tirana, Dinamo Tirana, FK Partizani, Vllaznia, Skënderbeu, KF Elbasani, Flamurtari, Teuta and FK Kukësi. The current champions are KF Tirana, who won their 25th title in 2019–20.

History

Early history

Football was first introduced to Albania by an English-Maltese priest named Gut Ruter, who visited the Saverian college in Shkodër in 1908. The first football club in Albania was Indipendenca, founded in Shkodër in 1912 by Palokë Nika. The first 90-minute game to be played with two 45 minute halves took place in October 1913 between Indipendenca Shkodër and the occupying Austro-Hungarian Imperial Navy. The game is considered to be the first international game to be played in Albania, and it ended in a 2–1 loss for Indipendenca, with the captain and founder of the club Palokë Nika scoring the only goal for the Albanians.

1911 Fier Fair Football Tournament

In 2012 historians discovered that a football tournament had taken place in Albania in 1911, some 19 years before the establishment of the Albanian National Championship and the Albanian Football Association. The Fier Fair Football Tournament took place in Rahije, Fier while Albania was still under the administration of the Ottoman Empire and it consisted of 8 teams which were Tirana, Elbasani, Kavaja, Berati, Peqini, Vlora, Fieri and Lushnja. Tirana won the tournament after defeating Peqini 6–1 in the final. The tournament is not officially recognised by the Albanian Football Association or UEFA. The Albanian Football Association did not organise the tournament as the organisation was not formed until 1930.

World War II championships

Albania was invaded by Italy in April 1939 and World War II soon broke out, meaning the Albanian Football Association, much like the other organisations in the country, ceased operating. Despite the war, three championships were held between 1939 and 1942, with Tirana winning the championships in 1939 and 1942 and Shkodra winning in 1940. Despite calls to recognise these championships, the Albanian Football Association maintains the position that the championships were not organised by them and cannot be formally recognised.

Competition format

Since the 2019–20 Kategoria Superiore, the league consists of 10 clubs, who face each other four times in a conventional round-robin tournament for a total of 36 matches. At the end of the season, the two lowest-placed teams are relegated to the Kategoria e Parë, while two highest-placed teams of the Kategoria e Parë are promoted in their place. The 8th ranked team qualifies to the play-off round, which they play against the Kategoria e Parë play-off winner. Teams are ranked by total points, then head-to-head record, then goal difference, and then goals scored.

Clubs (2019–2020)

Current members

The following teams are competing in the Kategoria Superiore during the 2019–20 season.
ClubPosition
in 2018–19		First season in
top division		Seasons
in
top division		First season of
current spell in
top division		Top
division
titles		Last top
division title
Bylis1996–97142019–200—
Flamurtaria1930732006–0711990–91
Kukësib2012–1382012–1312016–17
Laçi1991–92202009–100—
Luftëtari1945432016–170—
Partizani1947672013–14162018–19
Skënderbeua1930642009–1082017–18
Teutaa1930791962–6311993–94
Tiranaa1930802018–19242008–09
Vllazniaa1930792019–2092000–01

a Founding member of the league

b Never been relegated from the league

List of champions

Since 1930, the competition has not been played a total of 9 times: 1935, 1938–44, 1949, 1962. Furthermore, the champion award was not given during the 1968–69 season.

Performance by club

ClubChampionsRunners upSeasons
Tirana
25*
13
1911**, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1939, 1942, 1964-65, 1965-66, 1968, 1969-70, 1981-82, 1984-85, 1987-88, 1988-89, 1994-95, 1995-96, 1996-97, 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2006-07, 2008-09, 2019-20
Dinamo
18
9
1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1960, 1966–67, 1972–73, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1979–80, 1985–86, 1989–90, 2001–02, 2007–08, 2009–10
Partizani
16
21
1947, 1948, 1949, 1954, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1970–71, 1978–79, 1980–81, 1986–87, 1992-93, 2018-19
Vllaznia
9*
11
1940, 1945, 1946, 1971-72, 1973-74, 1977-78, 1982-83, 1991-92, 1997-98, 2000-01
Skënderbeu
8
3
1933, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18
Elbasani
2
1
1983–84, 2005–06
Flamurtari
1
7
1990–91
Teuta
1
6
1993–94
Kukësi
1
6
2016-17
Besa
-
2
-
Luftëtari
-
1
-
Tomori
-
1
-

The all-time list of football clubs that have participated in the Kategoria Superiore, prior to the 2019–2020 season. The ranking is based on the total accumulated points by each club.
No.ClubApps.MatchesWinsTiesLossesGoals +/-PointsTitles----------
No.ClubApps.MatchesWinsTiesLossesGoals +/-PointsTitles1Tirana79194810055064373190:1736286424
2Partizani66163410203102732936:1417258915----------
3Vllaznia7819198804515903101:199025269----------
4Dinamo6117158524673962769:1520234918----------
5Teuta7819447185427041937:219721891----------
6Flamurtari7218706615077022118:224820451----------
7Besa6315755424445891790:19081670—----------
8Elbasani6515935134236541673:202916262----------
9Skënderbeu6314574943805731575:176315608----------
10Lushnja4111392993265111069:15591046—----------
11Luftëtari4210963202625241028:15301000—----------
12Tomori4410522973214711026:1487938—----------
13Apolonia36953273223442962:1438858—----------
14Laçi19603216133254631:779723—----------
15Shkumbini18553211107228660:708713—----------
16Besëlidhja22575148167260556:721497—----------
17Bylis1337612387166412:507453—----------
18Kukësi72391276349349:1984431----------
19Kastrioti1238612681178387:523414—----------
20Naftëtari1638490109185322:635289—----------
21Shkëndija Tiranë102586887103217:283223—----------
22Albpetrol6167493385158:259136—----------
23Pogradeci92103839133167:466118—----------
24Sopoti4112362551107:150110—----------
25Kamza49823215472:13990—----------
26Erzeni698222056104:20883—----------
2731 Korriku510923236396:18377—----------
28Luftëtari Tiranë5501972460:6445—----------
29Spartaku Shkodër23812101645:8234—----------
30Dinamo Shkodër1301371046:4133—----------
31Dinamo Durrës3408131930:7129—----------
32Egnatia136772226:4828—----------
33Selenica1301071333:5427—----------
34Gramozi1133681925:4326—----------
35Kombinati Tiranë2307111228:3925—----------
36Korabi2583134221:11621—----------
37Tërbuni136462622:8118—----------
38Dinamo Vlorë120641019:4816—----------
39Iliria130722122:6416—----------
40Spartaku Tiranë322451326:5213—----------
4124 Maj Përmet1264519:4413—----------
42Ylli Shkodër11051429:1511—----------
43Liria Korçë11032516:158—----------
44Studenti12616199:438—----------
45Spartaku Korçë11221910:455—----------

UEFA Rankings

Current rankings (2018–19)

UEFA Country Ranking for league participation in 2018–19 European football season.