Albania has a very passionate football fan base. Come to think of it, you will unlikely find any country in Europe which does not have passionate football fans. Albanian football fans are as passionate as the German and the British and their football origins go back an entire century.

Albanian fans also love sports betting and they have sites dedicated specifically to their own market, as well as global sites which allow betting on larger leagues. Interestingly enough, gambling and sports betting were banned until 2019 and today, Albanians can gamble offline and online, using bonus codes from kodibonus.al and cheer their favorite teams on even harder.

The Albanian football history is long and full of change but the current state is the most important one, the leagues, notable teams and national cup.

The Superliga – Kategoria Superiore

This is the top league in Albania, formed in 1930 and taking its current name in 1998. It features 10 teams which battle for the spot of champion and the chance of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League. The teams all face one another four times during the season and the lowest two teams on the rankings are relegated to The First Division.

The league is governed by the Albanian Football Association, as is the entirety of football in Albania. The Superliga went through a lot of changes during its period of existence, from being the Albanian National Championship to become what it is today. Notably, out of the 43 various teams which played in the Superliga through the years, only 9 of them fon a title, some of them multiple times.

The First Division – Kategoria e parë

The Albanian First Division is the second tier league. It was founded in 1930, as were the rest of the leagues, alongside the Albanian Football Association. This league also has 20 teams, yet it is divided into two groups of 10, unlike the Superliga. But, like the Superliga, the format stays the same. The two best teams play one another for the title and they also get promoted into the Superliga. The two last teams get relegated into The Second Division.

The Albanian Football Cup

Even though The Second Division has 23 teams playing, the Albanian Football Cup is much more interesting. It is a very important event in Albanian football, the second most important one after the Superliga. It was founded in 1939 but immediately suspended due to World War II. It was reinstated in 1948 and ever since that time, it has been one of the most prestigious football events in Albania.

The winner of the cup gets to attempt to qualify for the Europa League.

The Most Notable Albanian Football Clubs

Albania has many football clubs, as can be expected, but like England and their Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal, so does Albania have KF Dinamo, Dinamo Tirana and Partizani.

KF Dinamo holds the most titles in Albania, 24 in the Superliga and 16 in the Albanian Cup. Behind it is Dinamo Tirana with 18 wins in the Superliga and 13 in the Albanian Cup. The Third team is FK Partizani with 15 wins in the Superliga and 15 in the Albanian Cup. It is interesting that all three teams are from Tirana, the country’s capital.

This is a brief look at football in Albania.