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FC Kamza

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FC Kamza
Full nameFootball Club Kamza
Nickname(s)Kamzalinjt
Blutë
Founded10 September 1936; 88 years ago (1936-09-10)
Dissolved2019 (2019)
GroundKamëz Stadium
Capacity5,500
2019–20Kategoria e Dytë (withdrew)

Football Club Kamza was a football club based in Kamëz, Albania. Founded on 10 September 1936, the club competed in the lower levels of Albanian football for much of their history, except for the 2011–12 season where they were promoted to the Kategoria Superiore for the first time.

History

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Background

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The first game of football to be played in Kamëz took place on 26 July 1908, as a celebration of the Young Turk Revolution which was triggered 16 days earlier by Ahmed Niyazi Bey, who was Albanian. The game was organised by Refik Toptani of the noble Toptani family and it featured two groups of youths from Kamëz and Tiranë, named Tërkuzaj and Agimi respectively. The game took place on a field near Toptani's home, which is the current location of the Sevasti & Parashqevi Qirjazi University, near the Agricultural University of Tirana in Kodër Kamez. Around 1,200 people gathered from across Tiranë area in order to celebrate as well as watch the game, which started at 17:00 and ended in a 3–3 draw. Although the game was not played according to the rules, as there were no field markings or cross bars, it is still considered to be the first game of football to be played in Kamëz, as well as the first ever Tirana derby. The two sides met each other five times in friendlies held between 1908 and 1916, with Terkuzaj Kamëz winning once and Agimi Tiranë winning three times, with the two sides having drawn the first game.[1] Terkuzaj is considered to be the current FC Kamza's preceding club, as it is the first recorded side to have represented Kamëz in a football match, over 28 years before the establishment of Kamza.

Early history

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The club was founded on 10 September 1936 and was named Kamza until 1949, when the club's name was changed to Ndërmarrja Bujqësore e Shtetit Ylli Kuq Kamëz, before being reverted to Kamza in 1950. Between 1953 and 1993, the club was called Dajti Kamëz, after Mount Dajt. Between 1993 and 2001, the club was called Kamza, before being renamed Dajti Kamëz in 2001. In 2009, the club reverted to Kamza.[2]

Recent history

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In November 2006, local businessman Naim Qarri became the president and primary investor of the club, while they were competing in the Albanian Second Division, the third tier of Albanian football. The club finished top of the table in Group B and reached the championship final against Bylis Ballsh, which ended in a 5–3 loss in a penalty shootout following a 1–1 draw over 120 minutes. They were promoted to the Kategoria e Parë for the 2007–08 campaign, where they finished comfortably in mid table with the help of Julian Malo's 14 league goals.[3] The following season proved to be similarly comfortable, as the club finished 6th out of 16 sides.[4] The 2009–10 season proved to be their best to date, as they finished 3rd and qualified for the promotion playoff, but they narrowly missed out on automatic promotion to the Kategoria Superiore on goal difference, with KF Elbasani pipping them to 2nd place. The club faced Skënderbeu Korçë in the promotion playoff on 26 May at the Ruzhdi Bizhuta Stadium in Elbasan, where they lost 1–0 to a 2nd minute Klodian Asllani goal.[5] Kamza continued their good run of form into the following campaign and once again finished 3rd, but due to a change of format they achieved automatic promotion. They sealed promotion to the Kategoria Superiore for the first time in its 75-year history following a 4–1 victory over local rivals Partizani Tirana on 4 May 2011.[6] The following day at the Kamëz Stadium promotion was celebrated, commemorating the history of the club and the historic achievement.[2]

The club hired Ernest Gjoka as head coach and he began putting together a squad in the aim of avoiding relegation in the Kategoria Superiore. The majority of the previous squad was disbanded and several new players were signed in the summer before the club made its top flight debut on 11 September 2011 against Flamurtari Vlorë, which ended in a narrow 2–1 loss. Gledi Mici scored the club's first top flight goal in the 48th minute to level the score, before Halim Begaj scored a late winner for Flamurtari.[7] The club's first win came in the following game against Vllaznia Shkodër, as Eleandro Pema's 47th-minute goal was enough to secure the club's first win in its first top flight home game.[8]

Expulsion from Kategoria Superiore

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On 6 March 2019, Albanian Football Association expelled Kamza from Kategoria Superiore and relegated them to Albanian Second Division after the incidents that occurred during the league match against Laçi three days earlier, when its president Naim Qarri and several fans assaulted match referee Eldorjan Hamiti for giving a 95th-minute penalty in favour of Laçi.[9][10] Kamza was banned from playing their remaining league matches of the 2018–19 season and was fined 1 million Leks ($9,000).[11] Three Kamza club officials were banned from all sport activities for up to three years.[11]

2019–20 season

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Following the club's expulsion from the top tier of Albanian football and subsequent relegation to the third tier, Kamza lost the majority of its funding as well as both playing and backroom staff. They failed to field a team in their season opener against Apolonia in the Albanian Cup and as a result, they were banned from the competition for two years.[12]

Stadium

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Main article: Kamëz Stadium
Kamëz Stadium in May 2016.

The club plays its home games at the Kamëz Stadium, which is owned and operated by the Municipality of Kamëz and has a capacity of around 5,500. The stadium was completed in 2008 and it initially had one main stand with a small amount of VIP seating and concrete steps on either side of the main stand for fans to watch games from. The Municipality regularly invested in the stadium to improve the conditions, and in 2012 work began on the construction of a new 1,300 seater stand on the east side of the stadium, opposite the main stand. Stand B was officially completed in February 2014 as 1,300 plastic seats were installed on 9 concrete steps. During the summer of 2016, the playing field was replaced, making it one of the best playing surfaces in not only the Kategoria e Parë but the country.

Honours

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FC Kamza honours
Type Competition Titles Seasons/Years
Domestic Kategoria e Dytë 2 1986–87, 1997–98
Kategoria e Parë 1 2016–17

Players

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For a list of all former and current FC Kamza players with a Wikipedia article, see Category:FC Kamza players.

Current squad

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As of 1 January 2020

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Albania ALB Kristi Sulenji
2 DF Albania ALB Robert Halilaj
3 DF Albania ALB Erion Shima
4 DF Albania ALB Florjan Biba
5 DF Albania ALB Andi Likaj
5 DF Albania ALB Hergi Xhaja
6 DF Albania ALB Aldail Gjocaj
7 FW Albania ALB Edvin Domi
9 FW Albania ALB Franci Bode
9 FW Albania ALB Ermal Rizvani
No. Pos. Nation Player
11 MF Albania ALB Frenkli Gazheli
11 MF Albania ALB Kristi Qepuri
14 MF Albania ALB Kadri Mema
15 MF Albania ALB Eduart Ferraj
16 MF Albania ALB Klevan Kendella
17 MF Albania ALB Stefano Llalla
18 DF Albania ALB Mariglen Ademi
18 DF Albania ALB Albi Balliu
89 MF Albania ALB Elson Gjoka
89 MF Albania ALB Elid Balla

List of managers

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References

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  1. ^ "Derbi i parë i vërtetë historik i Tiranës" (in Albanian). Municipality of Kamëz. 1 March 2012. Archived from the original on 21 August 2016. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  2. ^ a b Ilir Cara (6 May 2011). "Kamza feston ngjitjen në kategorinë superiore". Sporti Shqiptar (in Albanian). Retrieved 9 June 2011.[permanent dead link‍]
  3. ^ "Albania 2007/08". Archived from the original on 2022-12-07. Retrieved 2023-02-02.
  4. ^ "Albania 2008/09". Archived from the original on 2023-03-25. Retrieved 2023-02-02.
  5. ^ "Albania 2009/10". Archived from the original on 2022-12-10. Retrieved 2023-02-02.
  6. ^ Ilir Cara (5 May 2011). "Kamza hyn në histori, për herë të parë në superligë". Sporti Shqiptar (in Albanian). Retrieved 9 June 2011.[permanent dead link‍]
  7. ^ "Flamurtari 2–1 Kamza". Archived from the original on 2018-08-26. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
  8. ^ "Kamza 1–0 Vllaznia". Archived from the original on 2017-10-22. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
  9. ^ "Albanian soccer club expelled after referee attacked". Washington Post. Associated Press. 6 March 2019. Retrieved 6 March 2019.[dead link‍]
  10. ^ "BC-SOC--Albania-Violence". Bristol Herald Courier. 6 March 2019. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  11. ^ a b "Albanian soccer club expelled after referee attacked". Tirana: AP News. 6 March 2019. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  12. ^ ""Na dënojnë edhe kur s'kemi skuadër", Kamza sulmon FSHF-në: Mirë që e vranë, por se lenë të qetë as në… varr". Archived from the original on 2024-05-20. Retrieved 2020-05-28.
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