FK Partizani
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Futboll Klub Partizani is an Albanian professional
football club In association football, a football club (or association football club, alternatively soccer club) is a sports club that acts as an entity through which association football teams organise their sporting activities. The club can exist either as ...
based in
Tirana Tirana ( , ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in Albania, largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills, with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest ov ...
, that competes in the
Kategoria Superiore Kategoria Superiore (), 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 syste ...
. Founded in 1946, the club was historically affiliated to the Albanian army. Partizani's home ground is the newly built stadium at Partizani Complex. The club also uses
Arena Kombëtare Arena Kombëtare () is an All-seater stadium, all-seater, multi-purpose stadium, multi-purpose Association football, football stadium located in the Albanian capital city of Tirana which was built on the ground of the former Qemal Stafa Stadium. ...
also known as Air Albania stadium for matches in European competitions and major domestic football derbies in Albania. The club first competed in an official competition in 1947 where they won the Albania National Championship, thus being crowned the champions of Albania in their debut season as well as the following two seasons. In total the club have been
national champions National champions are corporations which are technically private businesses but due to governmental policy are ceded a dominant position in a national economy. In this system, these large organizations are expected not only to seek profit but als ...
on 17 occasions between 1947 and 2023, which is the last time the club won the
Kategoria Superiore Kategoria Superiore (), 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 syste ...
. They have won 18 other officially recognised domestic honours, including 15
Albanian Cup The Albanian Cup () is the main "knockout" competition in Albanian football. The competition started in 1939 as Kupa e Mbretit ( English:"The King's Cup"). The cup was suspended for the next eight years as the Second World War started. It start ...
s as well as Second Division. They are also the only Albanian club side to have won an international football competition through their 1970 Balkans Cup campaign in which they beat Bulgarian side Beroe Stara Zagora in the final.


History


Foundation (1945–1946)

FK Partizani Tirana was officially founded on 4 February 1946 soon after the end of
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
and the liberation of Albania. However, one year earlier in 1945, there had been two military division teams competing in the first
National Championship A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or competition, contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the be ...
following the end of World War II. The teams were called Ylli Shkodër and Liria Korçë, and they were both dissolved as clubs at the end of the season, with their best players moving to
Tirana Tirana ( , ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in Albania, largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills, with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest ov ...
to join Ushtria, which literally translates to The Army. Ushtria played their first friendly game on 13 January 1946 against the reigning champions of Albania Vllaznia Shkodër, in a game that ended in a goalless draw in Tirana that was played during heavy rainfall. The team played their first ever match in distinctive red shirts with each player's initials on their chests. The club's first ever lineup was Alfred Bonati, Luga, Tepelia, Xhavit Shyqyri Demneri, Besim Fagu, Rexhepi, Lutfi Hoxha, Qamil Teliti, Kavaja, Hamdi Bakalli and Bylyku. The following month, on 4 February, Ushtria was developed into an organised sports club which was to be named in honour of the Albanian Partisans who had fought for the liberation of the country. In the early history of the club they recruited players from the Scanderbeg Military High School and Albanian Military Academy, as well as players from other clubs who were ordered by the ruling Communists to play for Partizani. On 7 April the club played their first official match under the name Partizani, which was against another team from the same city 17 Nëntori Tirana. Partizani won the match 2–0 through the goals of Osman Pengili and Qamil Teliti, with a lineup consisting of Çobani, Tepeli, Muhamet Dibra, Besim Fagu, Kavaja, Osman Pengili, Lutfi Hoxha, Hivzi Sakiqi, Bylyku and Xhavit Shyqyri Demneri. As the club did not participate in the 1946 National Championship, they instead took a tour of Albania playing friendly games against some of the biggest clubs in the country at the time, and ended their 9 match tour with 26 goals scored and 9 against, and Qamil Teliti scoring 11 goals to make him the tour's top goalscorer.


Early dominance (1947–1964)

Partizani first competed in a national competition in
1947 It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Events January * January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country i ...
, where they were enrolled into the top flight of Albanian football in their debut season and played 16 games, winning 14, drawing 1 and losing 1 as they went on to win the National Championship in their first competitive campaign. They finished on 29 points, just 1 ahead of Vllaznia Shkodër, who had won the previous 2 National Championships, and they had a goal difference of 41, after scoring 56 goals and conceding 16. The championship winning team was managed by Sllave Llambi, and was made up of Abdulla Stërmasi, Kamberi, Ramazan Njala, Besim Fagu, Medo Cuciqi, Sulejman Vathi, Xhavit Shyqyri Demneri, Hivzi Sakiqi, Isuf Pelingu, Tafil Baci, Lutfi Hoxha, Osman Pengili, Hamdi Tafmizi, Zihni Gjinali, Zef Gavoci, Eqrem Dauti, Zyber Lisi, Alush Merhori and Hamdi Bakalli, who was also the league's top goalscorer with 7 goals. The following season the
Albanian Football Association The Albanian Football Federation (; FSHF) is the governing body of football in Albania. Headquartered in Tirana, it organises the national football leagues of Kategoria Superiore, Kategoria e Parë, Kategoria e Dytë, Kategoria e Tretë, Alba ...
decided to change the format of the championship and divided teams into two groups based on geographical location, with Group A being a northern conference and Group B being a southern conference. Partizani were placed in Group A where they finished top of the group level on points with Vllaznia Shkodër, and due to possessing a better goal difference Partizani were the group winners and reached the championship final on 25 August 1947 against
Flamurtari Vlorë Flamurtari Football Club is an Albanian professional football club based in Vlorë, Albania. The club plays in the Kategoria Superiore, which is the first tier of football in the country. Founded in 1923, the club is one of the oldest in Alba ...
. The final was played in
Tirana Tirana ( , ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in Albania, largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills, with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest ov ...
and Partizani won with an emphatic 6–2 scoreline, following goals from Vasif Biçaku, Xhevdet Shaqiri and four goals from Zihni Gjinali to give Partizani their second consecutive title. Gjinali was also the league's top goalscorer for the campaign, after finishing level on 11 goals with Flamurtari Vlorë forward Tish Daija, who also scored in the championship final. The Republic Cup also returned in 1948 and Partizani competed in the competition for the first time, and they also went on to win it following a 5–2 victory over local rivals 17 Nentori Tirana in the final which secured the first
double Double, The Double or Dubble may refer to: Mathematics and computing * Multiplication by 2 * Double precision, a floating-point representation of numbers that is typically 64 bits in length * A double number of the form x+yj, where j^2=+1 * A ...
in Albanian football. They retained the league title the following season following an undefeated campaign, and they also retained the cup as they defeated 17 Nentori Tirana 1–0 in the final. Partizani finished the 1950 National Championship level on points with newly formed
Interior Ministry An interior ministry or ministry of the interior (also called ministry of home affairs or ministry of internal affairs) is a government department that is responsible for domestic policy, public security and law enforcement. In some states, the ...
team Dinamo Tirana, and despite having a superior goal difference the
Albanian Football Association The Albanian Football Federation (; FSHF) is the governing body of football in Albania. Headquartered in Tirana, it organises the national football leagues of Kategoria Superiore, Kategoria e Parë, Kategoria e Dytë, Kategoria e Tretë, Alba ...
decided to award the title to Dinamo after using a strange mathematical calculation using goal statistics, which were 77:10 = 7.7 for Partizani and 60:6 = 10.0 for Dinamo. After losing out on the title to new local rivals Dinamo, Partizani also came runners up to them in the Republic Cup, which began a long period of football in Albania dominated by the two sides. The following season, the club finished as runners up to Dinamo in both the league and the cup, but 19 year old striker
Refik Resmja Refik Shaban Resmja (1 January 1931 – 6 September 1997) was an Albanian professional footballer. He started his career with Tirana, but shortly after signed with Partizani Tirana where he established himself as one of the greatest players of ...
managed to score 59 goals in 23 games for Partizani which gave him a 2.57 goalscoring average, a record that is considered to be the best ever in top flight football. Despite finishing level on points and with a greater goal difference than Dinamo during the
1952 Events January–February * January 26 – Cairo Fire, Black Saturday in Kingdom of Egypt, Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. * February 6 ** Princess Elizabeth, ...
campaign, the same strange mathematical calculation as in 1950 was used and the title was once again awarded to Dinamo. The following season they finished runners up in both the league and the cup to Dinamo, before winning the league title in
1954 Events January * January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting. * January 7 – Georgetown–IBM experiment: The first public demonstration of a machine translation system is held in New York, at the head ...
which was their first trophy since 1949. The club also finished as runners up in the cup to Dinamo in the 1954 Republic Cup, before going off to compete in the third unofficial Championship of Communist Countries' Army Clubs held in
Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
, where they only managed to win 1 game and lose 3. They then finished as runners up again to Dinamo Tirana for the next 2 seasons, meaning Partizani won just 1 league title in the previous 7 years. 1957 marked the return of Partizani as the most dominant club in Albania, as they won the league and cup double, a feat they repeated once again in 1958 before competing in the first official Spartakiada, the Championship of Communist Countries' Army Clubs in
East Germany East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...
. They defeated The Cong Hanoi of
Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
, CCA București of
Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
,
Dukla Prague Dukla Prague () was a Czech football club from the city of Prague. Established in 1948 as ATK Praha, the club won a total of 11 Czechoslovak league titles and eight Czechoslovak Cups, and in the 1966–67 season, reached the semi-finals of the ...
of
Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...
and
Vorwärts Berlin 1. Fußballclub Frankfurt (Oder) E. V. e. V., commonly known as 1. FC Frankfurt, is a German football club based in Frankfurt (Oder), Brandenburg. The club was founded as the army club SV VP Vorwärts Leipzig in Leipzig in East Germany in 1951. ...
of
East Germany East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...
to reach the final against CDNA Sofia of
Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
, who narrowly defeated Partizani 1–0 at the Leipzig Zentralstadion in front of 100,000 spectators. They returned to Albania with silver medals and used the experience to retain both the league and cup to complete consecutive doubles, and in 1959 they won just the league as the cup was not held that year. However, Dinamo won the double in 1960 as Partizani finished runners up in the league, but they completed the double themselves the following season and they became the first Albanian club to participate in a European competition in 1962, which occurred due to Albania's Communist leader
Enver Hoxha Enver Halil Hoxha ( , ; ; 16 October 190811 April 1985) was an Albanian communist revolutionary and politician who was the leader of People's Socialist Republic of Albania, Albania from 1944 until his death in 1985. He was the Secretary (titl ...
falling out with the Soviet Union in 1960, meaning the domestic league formats were changed in line with Europe's and Albania no longer excluded themselves from competing in European competitions. Partizani faced Swedish champions
IFK Norrköping Idrottsföreningen Kamraterna Norrköping, more commonly known as IFK Norrköping or simply Norrköping, is a Swedish professional association football, football club based in Norrköping. The club is affiliated to Östergötlands Fotbollför ...
in the first round of the
UEFA European Cup The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by top-division European clubs. The competition begins with a round robin ...
and they lost the first leg 2–0 in
Norrköping Norrköping ( , ) is a city in the province of Östergötland in eastern Sweden and the seat of Norrköping Municipality, Östergötland County, about 160 km southwest of the national capital Stockholm, 40 km east of county seat Lin ...
before earning a 1–1 draw in Tirana, where rocks were thrown onto the pitch at the end of the match which ended in a 3–1 aggregate loss for Partizani. During the 1962–63 campaign Partizani once again won the league title and they were then drawn against
Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
n Spartak Plovdiv side in the European Cup, and they won their first European game in the first leg as they defeated Spartak Plovdiv 1–0 in Tirana, but they were eliminated after losing 3–1 in
Plovdiv Plovdiv (, ) is the List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, second-largest city in Bulgaria, 144 km (93 miles) southeast of the capital Sofia. It had a population of 490,983 and 675,000 in the greater metropolitan area. Plovdiv is a cultural hub ...
. The following season they completed the double, which would be their last of the communist era, and in December 1963, halfway through the season, Partizani competed in the third official Spartakiada, the second of which included football, held in
Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
, and they defeated CDNA Sofia in a rematch of the previous final, as well as Budapest Honvéd of
Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
, and Vorwärts Berlin to reach the semi-finals where they defeated Budapest Honvéd once again to reach the final against a team from the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
consisting of players from
CSKA Moscow CSKA Moscow () is a Russian sports club based in Moscow. It was created in 1911 in the Russian Empire on base of OLLS (Skiing Society, founded 1901). Later, during the Soviet Union, Soviet era, it was the central part of the Armed Forces (sports ...
and SKA Rostov-on-Don, where they lost 2–0 after extra time to finish as runners up in consecutive Spartakiads. They faced
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
side
1. FC Köln 1. Fußball-Club Köln 01/07 e. V., better known as simply 1. FC Köln () or FC Cologne in English language, English, is a German professional association football, football club based in Cologne in North Rhine-Westphalia. It was formed in 1948 ...
in the European Cup at the start of the following season, and they drew 0–0 in the first leg in Tirana, but lost 2–0 away in
Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...
to lose the tie on aggregate. As Albania was a
Stalinist Stalinism (, ) is the totalitarian means of governing and Marxist–Leninist policies implemented in the Soviet Union (USSR) from 1927 to 1953 by dictator Joseph Stalin and in Soviet satellite states between 1944 and 1953. Stalinism in ...
state at the time, during the first leg the 1. FC Köln team was involved in a minor diplomatic incident arose when it was evident that the West Germans had brought their own food and a chef to cook it. 1. Köln's administrator Julius Ukrainczyk eventually negotiated a compromise that saw the food allowed in but the chef sent home.


Rise in opposition (1965–1993)

After winning their 10th league title in 17 years, Partizani struggled to maintain their dominance at the top of Albanian football, as they finished as runners up in 4 of the next 5 seasons, but they did win 3 consecutive Republic Cups between 1965 and 1970, as the cup was not held for 2 years during this period. They competed in the
1968–69 European Cup Winners' Cup The 1968–69 European Cup Winners' Cup was the ninth season of the European Cup Winners' Cup, a club football competition organised by UEFA for the cup winners from each of its member associations. The tournament was won by Czechoslovakian side ...
where they were drawn against
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
side
Torino Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...
, whom they defeated 1–0 in Tirana before losing 3–1 in
Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...
to lose 3–2 on aggregate. In 1970 they became the first and only Albanian club to win an international competition, as they defeated Beroe Stara Zagora to win the regional 1970 Balkans Cup, following a 1–1 draw in Tirana and a 3–0 awarded win for the second leg, as Beroe withdrew. Partizani participated in the Cup Winners' Cup in 1970, and they faced Swedish side
Åtvidabergs FF Åtvidabergs Fotbollförening, also known simply as Åtvidabergs FF, Åtvidaberg, Åtvid or (especially locally) ÅFF, is a Swedish professional association football, football club based in Åtvidaberg. The club is affiliated with Östergötlands ...
in the preliminary round where the drew 1–1 in
Åtvidaberg Åtvidaberg is a locality and the seat of Åtvidaberg Municipality, Östergötland County, Sweden with 6,859 inhabitants in 2010. History Copper was mined in the area from the 14th century, and the name "Åtvidaberg" was originally the name o ...
before winning 2–0 in Tirana to earn the club its first European tie victory as they moved into the last 16 where they faced
Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
n side
Wacker Innsbruck FC Wacker Innsbruck was an Austrian association football club from Innsbruck, Tyrol. History The ''Fußball-Club Wacker'' ("Valiant") ''Innsbruck'' was established in 1915 by Jakob Hanspeter, Benedikt Hosp, Josef Leitner, Josef Albrecht and o ...
. Partizani lost 3–2 in the first leg in
Innsbruck Innsbruck (; ) is the capital of Tyrol (federal state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the Wipptal, Wipp Valley, which provides access to the ...
despite being ahead 2–1 at half time, and they lost 2–1 in the return leg at home, which was their first European home loss in 6 games. They won the 1970–71 National Championship which was their first title since 1964, and they qualified for the first round of the European Cup where they lost 4–0 on aggregate to
Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
n side
CSKA Sofia CSKA Sofia () is a Bulgarian professional association football club based in Sofia and currently competing in the country's premier football competition, the First League. ''CSKA'' is an abbreviation for ''Central Sports Club of the Army'' ...
. They once again failed to retain their title and struggled the following season, finishing 4th in the league and being knocked out of the cup in the semi-finals, before going on to win the cup during the 1972–73 season as well as finishing as runners up in the league. They finished as runners up the following season in both the league and cup, before failing to reach the final of the cup or finish in the top 2 of the league until 1979 which is when they managed to win their 11th league title ahead of local rivals
KF Tirana Klubi i Futbollit Tirana is an Albanian professional football club based in the country's capital city, Tirana, that competes in the Kategoria Superiore, the top tier of Albanian football. The men's football club is part of the multi-discipli ...
. They then faced
Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...
champions
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foot ...
in the European Cup whom they defeated 1–0 in Tirana. Once again Albania's communist regime made it difficult for foreign clubs to enter and play in Albania, and it took Celtic over 2 months to acquire visas for their players and staff and they were unable to acquire visas for press and a small number of supporters. The return leg ended in disappointment for Partizani as despite opening the scoring they lost 4–1, meaning they lost the tie 4–2 on aggregate. Partizani once again failed to challenge for the title the following season, as they could only manage a 4th-place finish, but they won the cup after beating Labinoti Elbasan 2–1 on aggregate in the final. They qualified for the Cup Winners' Cup and faced Swedish side
Malmö FF Malmö Fotbollförening (), commonly known simply as Malmö FF or MFF, is a Swedish professional football club based in Malmö, Scania. They compete in the Allsvenskan, the top division of Swedish football, and play home matches at the Eleda S ...
whom they narrowly lost 1–0 on aggregate following a 1–0 loss in
Malmö Malmö is the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, third-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, sixth-largest city in Nordic countries, the Nordic region. Located on ...
and a goalless draw in Tirana. The club won the 1980–81 National Championship ahead of Dinamo and KF Tirana, meaning they qualified for the European Cup where they faced Austrian side
Austria Wien Fußballklub Austria Wien AG (), known in English as Austria Vienna, and Austria Wien in German-speaking countries, is an Austrian professional association football club from the capital city of Vienna. It has won the most trophies of any Aust ...
whom they lost 3–2 on aggregate to following a disappointing 3–1 first leg away loss and a 1–0 home win. The club had to wait until 1987 for their next trophy, which came in the shape of the National Championship which they won ahead of
Flamurtari Vlorë Flamurtari Football Club is an Albanian professional football club based in Vlorë, Albania. The club plays in the Kategoria Superiore, which is the first tier of football in the country. Founded in 1923, the club is one of the oldest in Alba ...
. They faced Portuguese champions Benfica in an infamous first leg in
Lisbon Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...
that saw Partizani lose 4–0 and end the game with 7 men as 4 players were sent off including goalkeeper and captain Perlat Musta. Partizani were punished by
UEFA The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; ; ) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs football, futsal and beach soccer, beach football in Europe and the List of transcontinental countries#A ...
for the incidents, and they were knocked out of the competition following a walkover victory for Benfica in what would have been the second leg, and they were also banned from Europe for 4 years. Partizani finished 9th in the 1987–88 campaign, which was their lowest ever finish in the league and they also missed out on the cup as they lost in the final to
Flamurtari Vlorë Flamurtari Football Club is an Albanian professional football club based in Vlorë, Albania. The club plays in the Kategoria Superiore, which is the first tier of football in the country. Founded in 1923, the club is one of the oldest in Alba ...
. They somewhat bounced back the following season as they finished as runners up in the league, a feat that was repeated for 4 seasons in a row. They competed in the
UEFA Cup The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a Typography, typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star (heraldry), heraldic star. Computer scientists and Mathematici ...
in 1990, where they lost to
Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
n side Universitatea Craiova, and they also won the cup in 1991 after beating Flamurtari in the final. In the Cup Winners' Cup the following season, they narrowly lost 1–0 to Dutch side
Feyenoord Feyenoord Rotterdam () is a Netherlands, Dutch professional association football, football club based in Rotterdam, which plays in the Eredivisie, the top tier in Dutch football league system, Dutch football. Founded as Wilhelmina in 1908, the ...
, whom they held to a 0–0 draw in Tirana before losing the tie to a late goal in
Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , ; ; ) is the second-largest List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city in the Netherlands after the national capital of Amsterdam. It is in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of South Holland, part of the North S ...
. The 1992–93 campaign proved to be last truly successful one for the club, as they managed to win their 7th double in their history. They won the
Kategoria Superiore Kategoria Superiore (), 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 syste ...
in a season where Edmond Dosti became Partizani's first league top goalscorer since Agim Murati in 1979, and they won the
Albanian Cup The Albanian Cup () is the main "knockout" competition in Albanian football. The competition started in 1939 as Kupa e Mbretit ( English:"The King's Cup"). The cup was suspended for the next eight years as the Second World War started. It start ...
after defeating Albpetrol Patos in the final. After winning the double Partizani faced
Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...
ic side ÍA Akranes in the preliminary round of the European Cup. They earned a goalless draw in the first leg in Tirana before losing 3–0 in
Akranes Akranes () is a port town and municipality on the west coast of Iceland, around north of the capital Reykjavík. The area where Akranes is located was settled in the 9th century; however, it did not receive a municipal charter until 1942. His ...
, where all 3 goals came in the second half. Following the
fall of communism in Albania The fall of communism in Albania, the last such event in Europe outside the Soviet Union, started in December 1990 with student demonstrations in the capital, Tirana, although protests started in January that year in other cities like Shkod ...
clubs struggled to support themselves financially and Partizani was also heavily reliant on the
Albanian Army The Albanian Land Force () is the land force branch of the Albanian Armed Forces. Mission The Albanian Land Force's main mission is the defense of the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Albania, participation ...
's support along with the communist regime. The fall of communism made it difficult for Partizani to be sustainable as a club, which in turn caused the club problems for the next 20 years.


Post-communist era (1993–2008)

After winning the double in 1993 Partizani began to decline in terms of power, and the club was taken over by businessman Albert Xhani in 1994. Because Teuta Durrës had finished 2nd in the league and won the cup, Partizani were given a place in the UEFA Cup as the third-placed team, and they faced Turkish side Fenerbahçe in 1995, whom they lost 6–0 to on aggregate as they struggled against far superior opposition. Partizani continued to struggle to compete domestically with their only success coming in 1997 as they won the
Albanian Cup The Albanian Cup () is the main "knockout" competition in Albanian football. The competition started in 1939 as Kupa e Mbretit ( English:"The King's Cup"). The cup was suspended for the next eight years as the Second World War started. It start ...
. The club's fortunes continued to worsen and they found themselves in bottom spot in the league and the club eventually experienced relegation for the first time in its history at the end of the 1999–00 season. The spent one season in the Albanian First Division, as they won the division title and earned promotion at the first attempt. During their first season back in the top flight they managed a respectable third-place finish which qualified them for the UEFA Cup, where they were drawn against
Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
i side Hapoel Tel Aviv, whom they lost 5–1 to on aggregate as they failed to progress to the next round. The following season they once again finished third and they also reached the quarter-finals of the Albanian Cup, as they qualified for the
Intertoto Cup The UEFA Intertoto Cup (from , "between" and , " betting pool"),Most precisely, from (football pool); cf. originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition between European clubs. The competition was discon ...
where they were once again drawn against Israeli opposition in Maccabi Netanya, to whom they lost 3–1 to in
Netanya Netanya () () or Natanya (), is a city in the "Planet Bekasi" Central District (Israel), Setanyahu of Israel, Israel BAB ih, and is the capital of the surrounding Sharon plain. It is north of Tel Aviv, and south of Haifa, between the Poleg stre ...
before winning the return leg in Tirana 2–0 against the odds to qualify for the next round of a European competition for only the second time. In the next round they faced
Moldova Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe, with an area of and population of 2.42 million. Moldova is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. ...
n side Dacia Chișinău to whom they lost 5–0 on aggregate to, putting an end to their Intertoto Cup run. Domestically they managed a fourth-place finish, just one point behind Vllaznia Shkodër in third place, and they also won the Albanian Cup, which was the first major trophy by the club in 11 years, aside from the Albanian First Division. In the UEFA Cup the following season Partizani was drawn against
Maltese Maltese may refer to: * Someone or something of, from, or related to Malta * Maltese alphabet * Maltese cuisine * Maltese culture * Maltese language, the Semitic language spoken by Maltese people * Maltese people, people from Malta or of Maltese ...
side
Birkirkara Birkirkara (abbreviated as B'Kara or BKR) is a city in the Eastern Region, Malta, Eastern Region of Malta. It is the second most populous on the Malta (island), island, with 24,356 inhabitants as of 2020. The town consists of five autonomous pari ...
, whom they beat 4–2 in the first leg in Tirana, and despite losing 2–1 in the away leg they managed to qualify for the next round where they faced Israeli side Hapoel Bnei Sakhnin who defeated Partizani 6–1 on aggregate to eliminate them, following 3–0 and 3–1 away and home losses, respectively. During the 2004–05 campaign Partizani struggled in the league and they finished third from bottom, although they were not in real danger of being relegated as they finished 22 points away from the relegation zone. In the cup they narrowly lost out to eventual winners Teuta Durrës in the semi-finals, as they lost out on the away goal rule following a 2–2 aggregate draw. The following season performances improved and they finished fourth, just 2 points behind local rivals
KF Tirana Klubi i Futbollit Tirana is an Albanian professional football club based in the country's capital city, Tirana, that competes in the Kategoria Superiore, the top tier of Albanian football. The men's football club is part of the multi-discipli ...
in second place, as they also reached the quarter-finals of the cup. They qualified for the Intertoto Cup once again, where they faced Cypriot side
Ethnikos Achna Ethnikos Achna Football Club (), commonly known as Ethnikos Achna, or simply Ethnikos, is a Cyprus, Cypriot professional Association football, football club based in the village of Dasaki Achnas. Founded in 1968, the club currently plays in the ...
who Partizani defeated 2–1 in Tirana but lost 4–2 to in Achnas to lose 5–4 on aggregate. The 2006–07 campaign saw the club finish fourth once again, and they also missed out on reaching the final of the Albanian Cup on the away goal rule after a 1–1 aggregate draw with Teuta Durrës. The following season Partizani challenged for the title with local rivals Dinamo Tirana, but they were unable to win the league and they eventually finished 5 points away from Dinamo as they finished as runners up for the 19th time.


Downfall and revival (2008–present)

After a strong season, Partizani qualified the UEFA Cup and faced
Bosnia Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
n side
Široki Brijeg Široki Brijeg () is a city and the regional capital of West Herzegovina Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. the town itself had a population of 6,149 and the municipality of 28,929. Name ...
in the first qualifying round, but they eventually lost 3–1 on aggregate which was the start to what would prove to be a very difficult season, as they struggled in the league and avoided the automatic relegation zone by a single goal on goal difference. They did however face Kastrioti Krujë in a relegation play-out that led to Partizani's relegation once again, in a game that was marred by poor refereeing decisions as well as violence. Partizani began the 2009–10 campaign in the Albanian First Division and the club's president Albert Xhani began to withdraw from backing the club financially, which meant that the majority of wages were not paid for the season and during the winter break Paro Laci and Lulëzim Sallaku bought out 40% and 10% of the club's shares, respectively, with Xhani retaining the remaining 50%. Laci took control of the majority of the club's finances, and wages were paid to the staff and the players, but despite push for promotion they were unable to reach the play off places and finished the league in 4th place. The 2010–11 season would prove to be the worst in the club's history as they experienced relegation to the
Albanian Second Division Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...
, the third tier, for the first time, as they were relegated for the 2nd time in 2 years. The club finished bottom of the First Division table, with a record of 4 wins, 5 draws and 21 losses, scoring a total of just 16 goals in 30 games. During the first and only season in the Second Division, Partizani managed to finish top of Group B by a single point, which guaranteed their promotion and their qualification to the championship final against Tërbuni Pukë on 17 May 2012, which ended in a 3–1 loss for Partizani. The club's return to the First Division would prove to be a successful one as they finished as runners up behind
KF Lushnja Klubi Sportiv Lushnja is an Albanian football club based in the city of Lushnjë in the County of Fier. Their home ground is the Abdurrahman Roza Haxhiu Stadium and they currently compete in the Kategoria e Parë. History Early years Th ...
to achieve back to back promotion, in a season that saw the club change ownership as Gazment Demi bought out 50% of the club's shares in January 2013, making him and Lulëzim Sallaku co-owners and co-financiers of the club. The club achieved promotion back into the
Kategoria Superiore Kategoria Superiore (), 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 syste ...
following a four-year absence and Demi took over as president following the departure of Sallaku from the post. After 5 seasons of winning nothing in the Kategoria Superiore, Partizani won its first title in 26 years, under coach Skënder Gega, and return to
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...
after 3 years of absence.


Stadium

During the club's early history they played their home games at Albania's main stadium, the Qemal Stafa Stadium which was shared with local rivals
KF Tirana Klubi i Futbollit Tirana is an Albanian professional football club based in the country's capital city, Tirana, that competes in the Kategoria Superiore, the top tier of Albanian football. The men's football club is part of the multi-discipli ...
and then also Dinamo Tirana. A second stadium was built in
Tirana Tirana ( , ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in Albania, largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills, with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest ov ...
in 1956, which was the
Selman Stërmasi Stadium The Selman Stërmasi Stadium () is a multi-purpose stadium in Tirana, Albania. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of KF Tirana. The stadium holds 9,500 people (all seated). It is named after Selman Stërma ...
, and this stadium was also shared by the three main Tirana clubs. The club stopped sharing the Selman Stërmasi Stadium in 2014 when they were promoted back to the
Kategoria Superiore Kategoria Superiore (), 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 syste ...
, and in the summer of 2016 the process of demolishing the Qemal Stafa Stadium will begin, in order to facilitate the proposed 22,500-seater
Arena Kombëtare Arena Kombëtare () is an All-seater stadium, all-seater, multi-purpose stadium, multi-purpose Association football, football stadium located in the Albanian capital city of Tirana which was built on the ground of the former Qemal Stafa Stadium. ...
. On 9 March 2016, the Albanian government agreed to a 99-year, €1 lease of the Military Base 4030, located on Myslym Keta Road on the outskirts of Tirana, which is where Partizani will build their new training complex as well as their proposed 4,500 seater stadium. Tirana's mayor, in a meeting with FK Partizani and FK Tirana, granted Partizani the right to play in Tirana's stadium until "Qemal Stafa Stadium" is finished building. In 2019, Partizani moved to the newly built
Arena Kombëtare Arena Kombëtare () is an All-seater stadium, all-seater, multi-purpose stadium, multi-purpose Association football, football stadium located in the Albanian capital city of Tirana which was built on the ground of the former Qemal Stafa Stadium. ...
. On 13 December 2019, they played first match at the new stadium against rivals
KF Tirana Klubi i Futbollit Tirana is an Albanian professional football club based in the country's capital city, Tirana, that competes in the Kategoria Superiore, the top tier of Albanian football. The men's football club is part of the multi-discipli ...
, which also plays some matches at the stadium. They lost the match 2–1 with a Winful Cobbinah goal at the last minute of the match, which was the first loss for the club in the derbies after 5 years and 8 months and after 18 games.


Supporters


Ultras Guerrils

Partizani Tirana's current supporters group and hooligans firm is called Ultras Guerrils 08–09, who were founded following the merger of two other supports groups, Brigada e Kuqe 08 and Komandos Ultras. They are one of the most numerous and consistent supporters in Albania, attending the team's
Albanian Second Division Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...
matches. Despite their history, name and colours they aren't affiliated with any political party. Partizani has a lot of supporter abroad Albania, such as Kosovo-Albanians and also a lot of Macedonian Albanians


Rivalries

The club's biggest rivalry is with
KF Tirana Klubi i Futbollit Tirana is an Albanian professional football club based in the country's capital city, Tirana, that competes in the Kategoria Superiore, the top tier of Albanian football. The men's football club is part of the multi-discipli ...
. The Tirana derby is the name given to any football match contested between Partizani Tirana and KF Tirana football clubs, the two biggest rivals in Tirana in Albania. Partizani Tirana have a historical advantage of 25 wins ahead of KF Tirana in the League with 67 wins. Also the team recorded the best ever result in the match which still remains as 8-0 from 1947. The other main rivalry in the city is with Dinamo Tirana.


Recent seasons


Divisional movements


Honours


Partizani in Europe

;Notes * QR: Qualifying round * 1R: First round * 2R: Second round * 3QR: Third round * PO: Play-off round *Note 1:Partizani was transferred to 2016–17 UEFA Champions League second qualifying round following the exclusion of
Skënderbeu Gjergj Kastrioti (17 January 1468), commonly known as Skanderbeg, was an Albanian feudal lord and military commander who led a rebellion against the Ottoman Empire in what is today Albania, North Macedonia, Greece, Kosovo, Montenegro, and Serb ...
by UEFA for match-fixing. *Note 2:
Skënderbeu Gjergj Kastrioti (17 January 1468), commonly known as Skanderbeg, was an Albanian feudal lord and military commander who led a rebellion against the Ottoman Empire in what is today Albania, North Macedonia, Greece, Kosovo, Montenegro, and Serb ...
would have qualified for the Champions League second qualifying round as the champions of the 2015–16 Kategoria Superiore, but were excluded from participating in the 2016–17 European competitions by UEFA for match-fixing. They appealed the decision to the
Court of Arbitration for Sport The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS; , TAS) is an international body established in 1984 to settle disputes related to sport through arbitration. Its headquarters are in Lausanne, Switzerland, and its courts are located in New York City, Sy ...
, and UEFA agreed to suspend the exclusion and Skënderbeu were included in the second qualifying round draw. The final decision to exclude Skënderbeu was made by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on 6 July 2016, before the second qualifying round was played. As a result, the berth was given to the runners-up Partizani.


Players


Current squad


On Loan


Current staff


List of managers

* Sllave Llambi (1946–1949) * Myslym Alla (1954–1956) * Nikolay Lyukshinov (1956–1957)NikolayLyukshinov
at footballfacts.ru
* Rexhep Spahiu (1956–1962) *
Loro Boriçi Lorenco Boriçi (4 August 1922 – 25 April 1984), commonly known as Loro Boriçi was an Albanian association football, footballer who played as a forward (association football), forward. He is regarded as one of Albania's greatest players. He p ...
(1962–1971) * Bejkush Birçe (1971–1973) * Ilia Shuke (1974–1977) * Bejkush Birçe (1978–1984) * Neptun Bajko (1986–1988) * Sulejman Starova (1990–1994) * Hasan Lika (1994–1995) * Ramadan Shehu (1995–1996) * Perlat Musta (1997–1998) * Edmond Gëzdari (1998–1999) * Genc Tomorri (2000–2001) * Neptun Bajko (2001) * Nikolay Arabov (2001) * Shpëtim Duro (2001–2002) * Tiziano Gori (2002) * Neptun Bajko (2002–2003) * Ilir Spahiu (2003) *
Sulejman Mema Sulejman Haxhi Mema (born 17 November 1955) is an Albanian former football player and manager of KF Tirana, Tirana Youth. He has also been head of refereeing at the Football Association of Albania. International career He made his debut for Alb ...
(2003–2004) * Ilir Shulku (2004) * Ramadan Shehu (5 Oct 2004 – 20 October 2004) *
Sulejman Mema Sulejman Haxhi Mema (born 17 November 1955) is an Albanian former football player and manager of KF Tirana, Tirana Youth. He has also been head of refereeing at the Football Association of Albania. International career He made his debut for Alb ...
(2004–2005) * Neptun Bajko (Jul 2005 – 17 September 2005) *
Sulejman Mema Sulejman Haxhi Mema (born 17 November 1955) is an Albanian former football player and manager of KF Tirana, Tirana Youth. He has also been head of refereeing at the Football Association of Albania. International career He made his debut for Alb ...
(17 Sep 2005 – 16 November 2005) * Sulejman Starova (16 Nov 2005 – Jun 2006) * Neptun Bajko (Jul 2006 – 2 November 2007) * Hasan Lika (2 Nov 2006 – 26 October 2008) * Shpëtim Duro (26 Oct 2008 – May 2009) * Skerdi Bejzade (2009–2010) * Gerd Haxhiu (2010) * Neptun Bajko (2010–2011) * Ylli Shehu (2011) * Perlat Musta (2012) * Nikolin Coçlli (Jul 2012 – 25 November 2012) * Shpëtim Duro (25 Nov 2012 – 4 March 2013) * Hasan Lika (4 Mar 2013 – 10 February 2014) * Márcio Sampaio (10 Feb 2014 – 6 May 2014) * Genc Tomorri (6 May 2014 – Jun 2014) * Shpëtim Duro (2014–2015) * Sulejman Starova (Jul 2015 – 4 January 2016) *
Andrea Agostinelli Andrea Agostinelli (born 20 April 1957) is an Italian football coach and former professional footballer. He played as midfielder. Coaching career In April 2013, he was hired by Varese Varese ( , ; or ; ; ; archaic ) is a city and ''co ...
(4 Jan 2016 – Jun 2016) * Klevis Dalipi (Jun 2016 – Jul 2016) * Adolfo Sormani (Jul 2016 – Oct 2016) * Sulejman Starova (Oct 2016 – Jul 2017) * Mark Iuliano (Jul 2017 – Nov 2017) * Sulejman Starova (Nov 2017 – Mar 2018) * Klevis Dalipi (Mar 2018 – Jun 2018) * Skënder Gega (Jul 2018 – May 2019) * Franco Lerda (Jun 2019 – Dec 2019) * Renaldo Kalari (Dec 2019 – Jan 2020) * Adolfo Sormani (Jan 2020 – Jun 2020) * Ilir Daja (Jun 2020 – Dec 2021) * Dritan Mehmeti (Dec 2021 – Aug 2022) * Giovanni Colella (Aug 2022 – Jun 2023) * Zoran Zekić (Jun 2023 – Oct 2023) * Arbër Abilaliaj (Oct 2023 – Dec 2023) * Orges Shehi (Dec 2023 – Aug 2024) * Arbër Abilaliaj (Aug 2024 – Aug 2024) * Aleksandar Veselinović (Aug 2024 – Feb 2025) * Arbër Abilaliaj (Feb 2025 – Mar 2025) * Skënder Gega (Mar 2025 –)


Title winning managers


Sponsorship


External links


UEFA profile


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Partizani Association football clubs established in 1946 Football clubs in Albania Military association football clubs Football clubs in Tirana 1946 establishments in Albania