Football Club Kamza was a
football club
A football team is a group of players selected to play together in the various team sports known as football. Such teams could be selected to play in a match against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an all- ...
based in
Kamëz
Kamëz ( sq-definite, Kamza) is a municipality in Tirana County, Albania. It was formed at the 2015 local government reform by the merger of the former municipalities Kamëz and Paskuqan, that became municipal units. The seat of the municipality ...
,
Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
. Founded on 10 September, the club has competed in the lower levels of Albanian football for much of its history, except for the
2011–12 season where they were promoted to the
Kategoria Superiore
The Kategoria Superiore, officially known as Abissnet Superiore for sponsorship reasons, is a professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the Albanian football league system, it is the country's primary football compet ...
for the first time but they were relegated in their debut season and have competed in the First Division since.
History
Background
The first game of football to be played in
Kamëz
Kamëz ( sq-definite, Kamza) is a municipality in Tirana County, Albania. It was formed at the 2015 local government reform by the merger of the former municipalities Kamëz and Paskuqan, that became municipal units. The seat of the municipality ...
took place on 26 July 1908, as a celebration of the
Young Turk Revolution
The Young Turk Revolution (July 1908) was a constitutionalist revolution in the Ottoman Empire. The Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), an organization of the Young Turks movement, forced Sultan Abdul Hamid II to restore the Ottoman Consti ...
which was triggered 16 days earlier by
Ahmed Niyazi Bey
Ahmed Niyazi Bey (1873 – 1913) ( tr, Resneli Niyazi Bey, Ahmet Niyazi Bey; sq, Ahmet Njazi Bej Resnja; "Ahmet Niyazi Bey from Resen") was an Ottoman revolutionary, who was the bey of the Resne (now Resen, North Macedonia) area in the late 1 ...
, who was Albanian. The game was organised by Refik Toptani of the noble
Toptani family
The Toptani family was the leading Albanian noble family in central Ottoman Albania at the beginning of the 20th century. The Toptani family belonged to a small number of noble families appointed by the Ottomans who used local chieftains to contr ...
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
The Agricultural University of Tirana ( sq, Universiteti Bujqësor i Tiranës) is a public university located in Tirana, Albania. It offers education in agronomy, veterinary, forestry, ecology, agribusiness, and similar subjects.
History
AUT ...
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.
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
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
Dajti () standing at above sea level, is a mountain and national park on the edge of Tirana, Albania. The Dajti belongs to the Central Mountain Range, Albania#Skanderbeg Mountains, Skanderbeg range. In winter, the mountain is often covered with s ...
. Between 1993 and 2001, the club was called Kamza, before being renamed Dajti Kamëz in 2001. In 2009, the club reverted to Kamza.
Recent history
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
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 of Albanian football. The club finished top of the table in Group B and reached the championship final against
Bylis Ballsh
KF Bylis, also known as Bylis Ballsh, is an Albanian football club based in Ballsh, Mallakastër District. The club's home ground is the Adush Muça Stadium and they currently compete in the Kategoria Superiore.
History
Early history
The club ...
, 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
Kategoria e Parë is the second level of professional football in Albania, behind the Kategoria Superiore and above the Kategoria e Dytë.
Format
Kategoria e Parë was founded in 1930. It is made up of 14 teams. The 2 best ranked teams gain prom ...
for the 2007–08 campaign, where they finished comfortably in mid table with the help of
Julian Malo
Julian Malo (born 2 February 1985 in Tiranë) is an Albanian professional footballer who last played as a striker for Shënkolli in the Albanian First Division.
Career Partizani Tirana
On 30 January 2014, Malo left the club after realizing tha ...
's 14 league goals. The following season proved to be similarly comfortable, as the club finished 6th out of 16 sides. 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
The Kategoria Superiore, officially known as Abissnet Superiore for sponsorship reasons, is a professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the Albanian football league system, it is the country's primary football compet ...
on goal difference, with
KF Elbasani
Klubi i Futbollit Elbasani is an Albanian professional football club based in the city of Elbasan, that last competed in the Kategoria e Dytë, the third tier of football in the country.
History
The club was formed in 1913 as Klubi Futbollit U ...
pipping them to 2nd place. The club faced
Skënderbeu Korçë in the promotion playoff on 26 May at the
Ruzhdi Bizhuta Stadium
Elbasan Arena ( sq, Elbasan Arena, formerly known as Ruzhdi Bizhuta) is a multi-purpose stadium in Elbasan, Albania. The stadium was completed in 1967 and has been the home ground of KF Elbasani ever since. The stadium was under reconstruction a ...
in
Elbasan
Elbasan ( ; sq-definite, Elbasani ) is the fourth most populous city of Albania and seat of Elbasan County and Elbasan Municipality. It lies to the north of the river Shkumbin between the Skanderbeg Mountains and the Myzeqe Plain in central Al ...
, where they lost 1–0 to a 2nd minute
Klodian Asllani goal. 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
The Kategoria Superiore, officially known as Abissnet Superiore for sponsorship reasons, is a professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the Albanian football league system, it is the country's primary football compet ...
for the first time in its 75-year history following a 4–1 victory over local rivals
Partizani Tirana
Futboll Klub Partizani, or FK Partizani for short, is an Albanian professional football club based in Tirana, that competes in the Kategoria Superiore. Founded in 1946, the club was historically affiliated to the Albanian army. Partizani's curren ...
on 4 May 2011.
The following day at the
Kamëz Stadium
The Kamëz Stadium is a sports stadium in Kamëz, Tirana County, Albania. The ground is owned and managed by the Municipality of Kamëz, and it is the home ground of Kamza 05 and Kastrioti
The House of Kastrioti ( sq, Dera e Kastriotëve) w ...
promotion was celebrated, commemorating the history of the club and the historic achievement.
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 Kategoria Superiore, officially known as Abissnet Superiore for sponsorship reasons, is a professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the Albanian football league system, it is the country's primary football compet ...
. 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
Flamurtari FC is a professional football club based in Vlorë, Albania. The club plays in the Kategoria e Parë, which is the second tier of football in the country.
Founded in 1923, the club is one of the oldest in Albania, and it is also one ...
, which ended in a narrow 2–1 loss.
Gledi Mici
Gledi Mici (born 6 February 1991) is an Albanian professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Kosovan club Prishtina.
Club career Kukësi
On 4 January 2015, Mici declared that he had terminated his contract with Flamurtari through mutual ...
scored the club's first top flight goal in the 48th minute to level the score, before
Halim Begaj
Halim Begaj (born 29 November 1985) is an Albanian footballer who most recently played as a defender for Labëria FC in the Kategoria e Dytë.
Honours
;Flamurtari
*Albanian First Division (1): 2005-06
*Albanian Cup (2): 2008-09, 2013–14
;La ...
scored a late winner for Flamurtari. 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.
Expulsion from Kategoria Superiore
On 6 March 2019,
Albanian Football Association
The Albanian Football Association ( sq, Federata Shqiptare e Futbollit; FSHF) is the governing body of football in Albania. The association is based in Tirana, Albania. It organises the national football leagues of the Albanian Superliga, the F ...
expelled Kamza from Kategoria Superiore and relegated them to
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 ...
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. Kamza was banned from playing their remaining league matches of the 2018–19 season and was fined 1 million
Leks
A lek is an aggregation of male animals gathered to engage in competitive displays and courtship rituals, known as lekking, to entice visiting females which are surveying prospective partners with which to mate. A lek can also indicate an avail ...
($9,000).
Three Kamza club officials were banned from all sport activities for up to three years.
2019–20 season
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
The Albanian Cup ( sq, Kupa e Shqipërisë) is the main "knockout" competition in Albanian football. The competition started in 1939 as Kupa e Mbretit (English:"The King's Cup"). Just after a year the cup was suspended as the Second World War st ...
and as a result, they were banned from the competition for two years.
“Na dënojnë edhe kur s’kemi skuadër”, Kamza sulmon FSHF-në: Mirë që e vranë, por se lenë të qetë as në… varr
/ref>
Stadium
The club plays its home games at the Kamëz Stadium
The Kamëz Stadium is a sports stadium in Kamëz, Tirana County, Albania. The ground is owned and managed by the Municipality of Kamëz, and it is the home ground of Kamza 05 and Kastrioti
The House of Kastrioti ( sq, Dera e Kastriotëve) w ...
, 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
Kategoria e Parë is the second level of professional football in Albania, behind the Kategoria Superiore and above the Kategoria e Dytë.
Format
Kategoria e Parë was founded in 1930. It is made up of 14 teams. The 2 best ranked teams gain prom ...
but the country.
Honours
Players
Current squad
Head coaches
* Agustin Kola (2009 - 2010)
* Perlat Musta (2010 - 2011)
* Eduart Zhupa (Jul 2010 – 22 Nov 2010)
* Skerdi Bejzade (22 Nov 2010 – Jun 2011)
* Ernest Gjoka (Jul 2011 – 10 Jan 2012)
* Mauro De Vecchis (10 Jan 2012 – Jun 2012)
* Saimir Malko (Aug 2012 – Oct 2012)
* Skerdi Bejzade (Mar 2013 – May 2013)
* Ardit Beqiri (Aug 2013 – Feb 2014)
* Bledar Devolli
Bledar Devolli (born 15 January 1978) is an Albanian professional football coach and former player.
Club career
He was released by the Flamurtari chairman Shpëtim Gjika on 19 July 2011, along with three other main players, Daniel Xhafaj, Sebin ...
(28 Jan 2016 - 26 Mar 2017)
* Ramadan Ndreu (Mar 2017 - Apr 2018)
* Julian Ahmataj (Apr 2018 - May 2018)
* Bledar Devolli (Jul 2018 - 4 Sep 2018)
* Klodian Duro
Klodian Duro (; born 21 December 1977) is an Albanian retired professional football and current coach of Lushnja of the Kategoria e parë.
He was a versatile midfielder who usually played in an attacking role. His brother Albert Duro was also ...
(4 Sep 2018 – Nov 2018)
* Ernest Gjoka (Nov 2018 – Feb 2019)
* Gentian Stojku (Feb 2019 – Mar 2019)
* Ergys Luga (25 September 2019 – Oct 2019)
* Fatmir Tarja (Oct 2019 – Dec 2019)
* Filip Ferra (Dec 2019 –)
References
External links
FC Kamza
at Soccerway
{{DEFAULTSORT:FC Kamza
FC Kamza
Football Club Kamza was a football club based in Kamëz, Albania. Founded on 10 September, the club has competed in the lower levels of Albanian football for much of its history, except for the 2011–12 season where they were promoted to the ...
1940 establishments in Albania
Association football clubs established in 1940
Kamza
Kategoria e Dytë clubs