Kategoria Superiore (transl. Superior Category), also known as Abissnet Superiore for sponsorship reasons with internet service provider, Abissnet, is a professional league for men's association football clubs in Albania. At the top of the Albanian football league system, it is the country's premier 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 (playing each team in the league four times, twice at home and twice away).
 | |
| Organising body | Albanian Football Federation (FSHF) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1911 (unofficial) 6 June 1930 (current form) |
| Country | Albania |
| Confederation | UEFA |
| Number of teams | 10 (since 2014–15) |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | Kategoria e Parë |
| Domestic cup(s) | Albanian Cup Albanian Supercup |
| International cup(s) | UEFA Champions League UEFA Conference League |
| Current champions | Egnatia (1st title) (2023–24) |
| Most championships | Tirana (26 titles) |
| Top goalscorer | Vioresin Sinani (207 goals)[a] |
| TV partners | RTSH |
| Website | fshf.org/abissnet-superiore |
| Current: 2024–25 Kategoria Superiore | |
The competition was founded in 1911 as the Albanian National Championship before the independence of Albania as a Knockout format. In 1930, it was officially recognised by FSHF during the reign of King Zog. Since 1930, 45 clubs have competed in recognised competitions, while only ten clubs have won the title: Tirana (26), Dinamo Tirana (18), Partizani (17), Vllaznia (9), Skënderbeu (8), Elbasani (2), Teuta (2), Flamurtari (1), Egnatia (1) and Kukësi (1). The current champions are Egnatia, who won their 1st title in 2023–24.
History
editEarly years
editFootball 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.[2] The first 90-minute game with two 45-minute halves was played 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.[2][3]
World War II championships
editAlbania 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.[4][5][6]
Names
edit| Name | Period | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albanian | English | ||
| Kampionati Kombëtar Shqiptar | Albanian National Championship | 1930–2003 | — |
| Kategoria Superiore | Superior Category | 2003–present | The official name, even though from 2021 for sponsorship reasons the name changes. |
| Abissnet Superiore | 2021–present | Sponsored by Abissnet.[7] | |
Records
editMost points in a season 84 points. KF Tirana (2004–05)
Most points without winning the league title 79 points. KF Elbasani (2004–05)
First Albanian team to qualify for a European competition proper stage. KF Skenderbeu (2017–18) Europa League
Competition format
editSince the 2023-24 season, the league consists of 10 clubs, who face each other four times in a season 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. The 4 highest place teams at the end of the season play a knockout tournament with a semi-final and a final. If in the semi-final and the end of 90 minutes the game is tied the winner will be decided by the regular season finish in the table.
Clubs (2024–25)
edit.svg)
Current members
editThe following teams are competing in the Kategoria Superiore during the 2024–25 season.[8]
| Club | Position in 2023–24 |
|---|---|
| Bylis | 2nd (Kategoria e Parë) |
| Dinamo City | 7th |
| Egnatia | 1st |
| Elbasani | 1st (Kategoria e Parë) |
| Laçi | 8th |
| Partizani | 2nd |
| Skënderbeu | 4th |
| Teuta | 6th |
| Tirana | 5th |
| Vllaznia | 3rd |
List of champions
editSince 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
edit| Club | Champions | Runners up | Third places | Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tirana
|
26*
|
14
|
14
|
1930, 1931, 1932, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1939,[b] 1942,[b] 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, 2021–22 |
| Dinamo City
|
18
|
9
|
10
|
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
|
17
|
22
|
11
|
1947, 1948, 1949, 1954, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1970–71, 1978–79, 1980–81, 1986–87, 1992–93, 2018–19, 2022–23 |
| Vllaznia | 9*
|
12
|
13
|
1940,[b] 1945, 1946, 1971–72, 1973–74, 1977–78, 1982–83, 1991–92, 1997–98, 2000–01 |
| Skënderbeu | 8
|
3
|
4
|
1933, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18 |
| Teuta | 2
|
6
|
7
|
1993–94, 2020–21 |
| Elbasani | 2
|
1
|
1
|
1983–84, 2005–06 |
| Flamurtari | 1
|
7
|
4
|
1990–91 |
| Kukësi | 1
|
6
|
1
|
2016–17 |
| Egnatia | 1
|
-
|
1
|
2023–24 |
| Besa | -
|
2
|
12
|
- |
| Laçi | -
|
1
|
2
|
- |
| Luftëtari | -
|
1
|
1
|
- |
| Tomori | -
|
1
|
-
|
- |
| Bylis | -
|
-
|
1
|
- |
All time table
editThe all-time table of football clubs that have participated in the Kategoria Superiore, prior to the 2023–2024 season. The ranking is based on the total accumulated points by each club. Teams in bold are part of the 2024–25 season.[9]
| No. | Club | Apps. | Matches | Wins | Ties | Losses | Goals +/- | GDif. | Points | Titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tirana | 84 | 2132 | 1092 | 554 | 486 | 3494:1922 | +1572 | 3182 | 26 |
| 2 | Partizani | 71 | 1814 | 1104 | 364 | 315 | 3200:1576 | +1624 | 2895 | 17 |
| 3 | Vllaznia | 83 | 2099 | 954 | 508 | 659 | 3308:2162 | +1146 | 2802 | 9 |
| 4 | Teuta | 83 | 2124 | 789 | 603 | 753 | 2128:2366 | -238 | 2460 | 2 |
| 5 | Dinamo City | 63 | 1787 | 871 | 486 | 402 | 2822:1609 | +1223 | 2425 | 18 |
| 6 | Flamurtari | 73 | 1906 | 663 | 516 | 727 | 2150:2320 | -170 | 2060 | 1 |
| 7 | Skënderbeu | 67 | 1601 | 539 | 417 | 635 | 1710:1943 | -233 | 1732 | 8 |
| 8 | Besa | 63 | 1575 | 542 | 444 | 589 | 1790:1908 | -118 | 1670 | — |
| 9 | Elbasani | 65 | 1593 | 513 | 423 | 654 | 1673:2029 | -356 | 1626 | 2 |
| 10 | Lushnja | 41 | 1139 | 299 | 326 | 511 | 1069:1559 | -490 | 1046 | — |
| 11 | Luftëtari | 43 | 1132 | 322 | 270 | 550 | 1047:1616 | -569 | 1014 | — |
| 12 | Laçi | 24 | 783 | 293 | 184 | 306 | 867:948 | -81 | 1005 | — |
| 13 | Tomori | 44 | 1052 | 297 | 321 | 471 | 1026:1487 | -461 | 938 | — |
| 14 | Apolonia | 37 | 989 | 277 | 232 | 465 | 984:1505 | -521 | 879 | — |
| 15 | Shkumbini | 18 | 553 | 211 | 107 | 228 | 660:708 | -48 | 713 | — |
| 16 | Kukësi | 12 | 419 | 192 | 106 | 115 | 567:412 | +155 | 681 | 1 |
| 17 | Bylis | 16 | 484 | 151 | 123 | 211 | 517:638 | -121 | 570 | — |
| 18 | Kastrioti | 15 | 494 | 155 | 107 | 231 | 469:660 | -191 | 527 | — |
| 19 | Besëlidhja | 22 | 575 | 148 | 167 | 260 | 556:721 | -165 | 497 | — |
| 20 | Naftëtari | 16 | 384 | 90 | 109 | 185 | 322:635 | -313 | 289 | — |
| 21 | Shkëndija | 10 | 258 | 68 | 87 | 103 | 217:283 | -66 | 223 | — |
| 22 | Egnatia | 4 | 144 | 47 | 37 | 60 | 153:167 | -14 | 178 | 1 |
| 23 | Erzeni | 8 | 170 | 37 | 47 | 86 | 169:313 | -144 | 155 | — |
| 24 | Albpetrol | 6 | 167 | 49 | 33 | 85 | 158:259 | -101 | 136 | — |
| 25 | Pogradeci | 9 | 210 | 38 | 39 | 133 | 167:466 | -299 | 118 | — |
| 26 | Sopoti | 4 | 112 | 36 | 25 | 51 | 107:150 | -43 | 110 | — |
| 27 | Kamza | 4 | 98 | 23 | 21 | 54 | 72:139 | -67 | 90 | — |
| 28 | Burreli | 5 | 109 | 23 | 23 | 63 | 96:183 | -87 | 77 | — |
| 29 | Luftëtari Tiranë | 5 | 50 | 19 | 7 | 24 | 60:64 | -4 | 45 | — |
| 30 | Spartaku Tiranë | 3 | 66 | 10 | 17 | 39 | 68:132 | -64 | 37 | — |
| 31 | Spartaku Shkodër | 2 | 38 | 12 | 10 | 16 | 45:82 | -37 | 34 | — |
| 32 | Dinamo Shkodër | 1 | 30 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 46:41 | +5 | 33 | — |
| 33 | Dinamo Durrës | 3 | 40 | 8 | 13 | 19 | 30:71 | -41 | 29 | — |
| 34 | Selenica | 1 | 30 | 10 | 7 | 13 | 33:54 | -21 | 27 | — |
| 35 | Gramozi | 1 | 33 | 6 | 8 | 19 | 25:43 | -18 | 26 | — |
| 36 | Kombinati Tiranë | 2 | 30 | 7 | 11 | 12 | 28:39 | -11 | 25 | — |
| 37 | Korabi | 2 | 58 | 3 | 13 | 42 | 21:116 | -95 | 21 | — |
| 38 | Tërbuni | 1 | 36 | 4 | 6 | 26 | 22:81 | -59 | 18 | — |
| 39 | Dinamo Vlorë | 1 | 20 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 19:48 | -29 | 16 | — |
| 40 | Iliria | 1 | 30 | 7 | 2 | 21 | 22:64 | -42 | 16 | — |
| 41 | 24 Maj Përmet | 1 | 26 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 9:44 | -35 | 13 | — |
| 42 | Ylli Shkodër | 1 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 29:15 | +14 | 11 | — |
| 43 | Liria Korçë | 1 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 16:15 | +1 | 8 | — |
| 44 | Studenti | 1 | 26 | 1 | 6 | 19 | 9:43 | -34 | 8 | — |
| 45 | Spartaku Korçë | 1 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 10:45 | -35 | 5 | — |
UEFA rankings
editCurrent rankings (2024–25)
editUEFA Country Ranking for league participation in 2024–25 European football season (Previous year rank in italics).
- 45
(46) 
Maltese Premier League - 46 (47)
Erovnuli Liga - 47
(45) 
Meistriliiga - 48 (52)
Besta deild karla - 49 (43)
Kategoria Superiore - 50
(50) 
Cymru Premier - 51 (51)
Gibraltar Football League - 52 (48)
Macedonian First Football League - 53 (54)
Primera Divisió
See also
editNotes and references
edit- Notes
- ^ 208 goals acccoring to Albanian media.[1]
- ^ a b c Not yet officially recognized from Albanian Football Association.
- References
- ^ Admir Uruçi (12 January 2012). "Vioresin Sinani thotë mjaft: E mbyll si futbollist në fund të këtij edicioni" [Vioresin Sinani says enough: I finish as a player at the end of the season] (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
- ^ a b Gjergj Kola. "Palokë Nika – personazhi historik i sportit Shqiptar" (in Albanian). Shkodra Sport. Retrieved 5 February 2014.
- ^ "Një historik i shkurtër i futbollit në Shkodër" (in Albanian). Vllaznia.al. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 5 February 2014.
- ^ RSSSF
- ^ "Giovanni Armillotta: "Drejt njohjes së tre Kampionate Kombëtare të Luftës: 1939, 1940 dhe 1942"".
- ^ AFA's General Assembly: War championships are not legitimate Archived 20 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Firmoset marrëveshja, Kategoria Superiore do të quhet "Abissnet Superiore" për 3 sezonet e ardhshme" [The agreement is signed, the Kategoria Superiore will be called "Abissnet Superiore" for the next 3 seasons] (in Albanian). Albanian Football Association. 10 September 2021.
- ^ "Kategoria Superiore: Summary". Soccerway. Perform. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
- ^ Shifrat e 79 Kampionateve Archived 24 January 2019 at the Wayback Machine