2020–21 Kategoria Superiore

Kategoria Superiore

Season	2020–21
Dates	4 November 2020 – 16 May 2021
Matches played	85
Goals scored	183 (2.15 per match)
Top goalscorer	Agim Ibraimi (9 goals)
Biggest home win	Laçi 6–1 Apolonia (29 November 2020)
Biggest away win	Skënderbeu 0–4 Kukësi (30 January 2021)
Highest scoring	Laçi 6–1 Apolonia (29 November 2020) Skënderbeu 4–3 Bylis (30 December 2020)
Longest winning run	5 matches Kukësi
Longest unbeaten run	12 matches Teuta
Longest winless run	8 matches Skënderbeu
Longest losing run	4 matches Apolonia Bylis Kukësi
← 2019–20 2021–22 → All statistics correct as of 31 January 2021.

The 2020–21 Kategoria Superiore is the 82nd official season, or 85th season of top-tier football in Albania (including three unofficial championships during World War II) and the 21st season under the name Kategoria Superiore. The season will end on 16 May 2021. It was initially planned to begin in 12 September 2020 but it was delayed after all participating clubs decided to boycott the competition, until the government would meet their demands. After 2 months of negotiations, the clubs ended the boycott and agreed to begin the season in 4 November 2020.

The winners of this season's Kategoria Superiore will earn a place in the first qualifying round of the 2021-22 Champions League, with the second and third placed clubs earning a place in the first qualifying round of the 2021-22 Europa Conference League.

Teams

Two clubs have earned promotion from the Kategoria e Parë, Apolonia and Kastrioti. Flamurtari and Luftëtari were relegated to Kategoria e Parë at the conclusion of last season.

Locations

Apolonia

Bylis

Kastrioti

Kukësi

Laçi

Partizani

Skënderbeu

Teuta

Tirana

Vllaznia

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Locations of the 2020–21 Kategoria Superiore teams

Team	Home city	Stadium	Capacity	2019–20 season
Apolonia	Fier	Loni Papuçiu Stadium	6,800	Champion (Kategoria e Parë)
Bylis	Ballsh	Adush Muça Stadium	5,200	7th
Kastrioti	Krujë	Kamëz Stadium	5,500	Runner-up (Kategoria e Parë)
Kukësi	Kukës	Elbasan Arena	12,800	2nd
Laçi	Laç	Laçi Stadium	2,300	3rd
Partizani	Tirana	Elbasan Arena	12,800	6th
Skënderbeu	Korçë	Skënderbeu Stadium	12,343	4th
Teuta	Durrës	Niko Dovana Stadium	12,040	5th
Tirana	Tirana	Selman Stërmasi Stadium	9,500	Champion
Vllaznia	Shkodër	Loro Boriçi Stadium	16,000	8th

Stadiums

Apolonia	Bylis	Kastrioti	Kukësi	Laçi
Loni Papuçiu Stadium	Adush Muça Stadium	Kamëz Stadium	Elbasan Arena UEFA stadium category	Laçi Stadium
Capacity: 6,800	Capacity: 5,200	Capacity: 5,500	Capacity: 12,800	Capacity: 5,300
Partizani	Skënderbeu	Teuta	Tirana	Vllaznia
Elbasan Arena UEFA stadium category	Skënderbeu Stadium	Niko Dovana Stadium	Selman Stërmasi Stadium	Loro Boriçi Stadium UEFA stadium category
Capacity: 12,800	Capacity: 12,343	Capacity: 12,040	Capacity: 9,500	Capacity: 16,000

Personnel and kits

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players and Managers may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Team	President	Manager	Captain	Kit manufacturer	Shirt sponsor
Apolonia	Koço Kokëdhima	Fabrizio Cammarata	Benjamin Agyare	Joma	Abissnet
Bylis	Besnik Kapllanaj	Veljko Dovedan	Franc Ymeralilaj	Uhlsport	−
Kastrioti	Petro Kumi	Ramadan Ndreu	Emiliano Çela	Uhlsport	Qafshtama
Kukësi	Safet Gjici	Mirel Josa	Agim Ibraimi	Joma	Kevin Construction
Laçi	Pashk Laska	Shpëtim Duro	Aleksandar Ignjatović	Uhlsport	Arbëria Palace
Partizani	Gazmend Demi	Ilir Daja	Alban Hoxha	Joma	−
Skënderbeu	Ardian Takaj	Migen Memelli	Jorgo Meksi	Uhlsport	Tona
Teuta	Edmond Hasanbelliu	Edi Martini	Renato Arapi	Macron	Caffè Pascucci
Tirana	Refik Halili	Orges Shehi	Idriz Batha	Uhlsport	−
Vllaznia	Municipality of Shkodër	Thomas Brdarić	Erdenis Gurishta	−	Fujifilm

Managerial changes

Team	Outgoing manager	Manner of departure	Date of vacancy	Position in table	Incoming manager	Date of appointment
Kukësi	Orges Shehi	Mutual consent	30 July 2020	Pre-season	Skënder Gega	30 July 2020
Partizani	Renaldo Kalari	End of caretaker spell	10 August 2020		Ilir Daja	10 August 2020
Vllaznia	Hysen Dedja	End of contract	10 August 2020		Thomas Brdarić	10 August 2020
Skënderbeu	Ilir Daja	Signed for Partizani	10 August 2020		Julian Ahmataj	19 August 2020
Apolonia	Artan Mërgjyshi	Mutual consent	31 August 2020		Giovanni Colella	1 September 2020
Tirana	Emmanuel Egbo	Sacked	12 November 2020	5th	Nevil Dede	13 November 2020
Laçi	Armando Cungu	Mutual consent	26 November 2020	8th	Stavri Nica	26 November 2020
Apolonia	Giovanni Colella	Resigned	30 November 2020	10th	Nikolin Çoçlli	30 November 2020
Laçi	Stavri Nica	Caretaker replaced	5 December 2020	6th	Klevis Hima	5 December 2020
Laçi	Klevis Hima	End of caretaker spell	12 December 2020	7th	Shpëtim Duro	12 December 2020
Apolonia	Nikolin Çoçlli	Sacked	17 December 2020	9th	Bledar Borova	17 December 2020
Kukësi	Skënder Gega	Resigned	27 December 2020	4th	Rrahman Hallaçi	27 December 2020
Apolonia	Bledar Borova	End of caretaker spell	2 January 2021	10th	Fabrizio Cammarata	2 January 2021
Kukësi	Rrahman Hallaçi	End of caretaker spell	25 January 2021	5th	Mirel Josa	25 January 2021
Tirana	Nevil Dede	Mutual consent	25 January 2021	6th	Orges Shehi	27 January 2021
Skënderbeu	Julian Ahmataj	Mutual consent	31 January 2021	9th	Migen Memelli	3 February 2021

League table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Vllaznia	17	11	4	2	24	9	+15	37	Qualification for the Champions League first qualifying round
2	Partizani	17	7	7	3	23	10	+13	28	Qualification for the Europa Conference League first qualifying round
3	Laçi	17	7	6	4	22	14	+8	27
4	Teuta	17	6	9	2	16	8	+8	27
5	Kukësi	17	8	2	7	24	21	+3	26
6	Tirana	17	5	8	4	15	11	+4	23
7	Kastrioti	17	5	6	6	16	20	−4	21
8	Apolonia	17	3	4	10	12	30	−18	13	Qualification for the relegation play-off
9	Skënderbeu	17	2	6	9	18	36	−18	12	Relegation to the 2021–22 Kategoria e Parë
10	Bylis	17	2	6	9	12	23	−11	12

Updated to match(es) played on 31 January 2021. Source: Albanian Football Association
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Head-to-head goals scored; 5) Goal difference; 6) Goals scored; 7) Draw.

Results

Clubs will play each other four times for a total of 36 matches each.

First half of season

Home \ Away	APO	BYL	KAS	KUK	LAÇ	PAR	SKË	TEU	TIR	VLL
Apolonia	—	2–2	2–1	1–3	1–0	0–3	1–0	0–1	0–1	0–1
Bylis	3–1	—	2–1	0–3	1–1	6 Feb	0–2	0–0	0–0	0–1
Kastrioti	1–1	1–0	—	1–0	1–0	2–1	2–2	0–1	1–1	0–3
Kukësi	1–0	2–1	5 Feb	—	1–0	0–2	3–1	0–3	0–0	0–1
Laçi	6–1	2–0	1–1	3–2	—	3–2	1–1	1–0	0–1	1–0
Partizani	1–1	0–0	2–0	4–1	0–0	—	4–0	0–0	1–0	0–0
Skënderbeu	1–1	4–3	1–2	0–4	1–1	1–2	—	1–3	1–1	0–2
Teuta	6 Feb	2–0	1–1	0–0	1–1	1–1	1–1	—	1–1	0–0
Tirana	3–0	0–0	2–1	2–0	0–1	0–0	6 Feb	0–1	—	1–1
Vllaznia	2–0	1–0	0–0	2–4	5 Feb	1–0	5–1	1–0	3–2	—

Updated to match(es) played on 31 January 2021. Source: Albanian Football Federation
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
For upcoming matches, an "a" indicates there is an article about the rivalry between the two participants.

Second half of season

Home \ Away	APO	BYL	KAS	KUK	LAÇ	PAR	SKË	TEU	TIR	VLL
Apolonia	—	17 Feb	18 Apr	2 May	28 Apr	27 Feb	14 Mar	24 Mar	12 May	3 Apr
Bylis	10 Apr	—	20 Mar	14 Mar	13 Feb	16 May	21 Feb	3 Mar	24 Apr	2 May
Kastrioti	21 Feb	12 May	—	24 Mar	10 Apr	13 Feb	24 Apr	2 May	3 Mar	14 Mar
Kukësi	7 Mar	8 May	16 May	—	27 Feb	17 Feb	20 Mar	18 Apr	3 Apr	28 Apr
Laçi	3 Mar	3 Apr	17 Feb	24 Apr	—	18 Apr	2 May	12 May	14 Mar	24 Mar
Partizani	24 Apr	24 Mar	3 Apr	10 Apr	21 Feb	—	3 Mar	14 Mar	2 May	12 May
Skënderbeu	8 May	18 Apr	27 Feb	12 May	7 Mar	28 Apr	—	3 Apr	24 Mar	17 Feb
Teuta	16 May	28 Apr	7 Mar	21 Feb	20 Mar	8 May	13 Feb	—	10 Apr	27 Feb
Tirana	20 Mar	27 Feb	28 Apr	13 Feb	8 May	7 Mar	16 May	17 Feb	—	18 Apr
Vllaznia	13 Feb	7 Mar	8 May	3 Mar	16 May	20 Mar	10 Apr	24 Apr	21 Feb	—

First match(es) will be played: 13 February 2021. Source: Albanian Football Federation
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
For upcoming matches, an "a" indicates there is an article about the rivalry between the two participants.

Season statistics

Scoring

Top scorers

Rank	Player	Club	Goals
1	Agim Ibraimi	Kukësi	9
2	Ardit Hoxhaj	Vllaznia	8
	Patrick Friday Eze	Kukësi
4	Devid	Kastrioti	6
	Kyrian Nwabueze	Laçi
6	Alfred Mensah	Skënderbeu	5
	Ernest Muçi	Tirana
	Lorenco Vila	Teuta
	Mario Gjata	Apolonia
	Redon Xhixha	Laçi

See also

• Kategoria Superiore

External links

• Official website (in Albanian)
• Kategoria Superiore at uefa.com