Klubi i Futbollit Laçi is an
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
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the ...
n professional
football club based in
Laç
Laç (; sq-definite, Laçi) is a town and a former municipality in Lezhë County, northwestern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision and the seat of the municipality Kurbin. It was the administrative center of the f ...
that competes 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 top flight of
Albanian football. Founded in 1960 as Industriali Laç, it became KS Laçi in 1991 and KF Laçi in 1997. The club's home ground is the
Laçi Stadium which has a seated capacity of 2,300
Under the ownership of local businessman and club president
Pashk Laska
Pashk Laska is the majority shareholder and president of Albanian football club KF Laçi.
KF Laçi
Laska has been the president of KF Laçi since 2002. Under his guidance, the club has won the Albanian Cup and Albanian First Division twice ea ...
Laçi has established itself as a top-half
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 ...
side since being promoted back to the division in 2009, with their highest-ever finish coming in the
2013–14 Kategoria Superiore season where they finished third. The club have also won 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 s ...
on two occasions during this period, in
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment ...
and
2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the April ...
, they have qualified for the
Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. ...
seven times, reaching the second qualifying round on three occasions, and they have qualified for the
Europa Conference League
The UEFA Europa Conference League (abbreviated as UECL) is an annual football club competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. Clubs qualify for the competition based on thei ...
one times, reaching the third qualifying round in 2021.
History
Early years
The club was founded in 1960 under the name ''Industriali Laç'', and they competed in the
Albanian Second Division, the third tier, for the majority of their early years. They reached the championship final of the 1974–75 Second Division, but lost to
Vetëtima Himarë and were subsequently not promoted to the
First Division. The name was changed to ''KS Laçi'' in 1991 when the club first participated 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 name was changed for the last time to ''KF Laçi'' in 1997. The first trophy won by the club was the 2008–09
Albanian First 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 countr ...
.
Altin Cuko is the only Laçi player to have won 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 ...
Golden Boot whilst still playing for the club. This was achieved in the 1995–96 season where KF Laçi finished in 12th place, out of 18. Cuko had already scored 5 goals for
Tomori Berat before moving to KF Laçi in January 1996, where he netted another 16 times to give him the Golden boot with a total of 21 goals throughout the entire season with both Tomori and Laçi.
Kategoria Superiore era
The club played their first season at the top tier, 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 ...
, in the 2004-05 season. They relegated back to the First Division after just
one season, setting many records along the way. They returned to the Kategoria Superiore in 2009 and brought in new players such as
Erjon Vucaj,
Arlind Nora,
Julian Brahja,
Emiliano Çela,
Emiliano Veliaj
Emiliano Veliaj (born 9 February 1985) is a retired Albanian footballer who played as a midfielder. He was a member of the Albania national Team between 2010 and 2012, earning 2 full caps.
Club career Korabi Peshkopi
On 1 July 2016, Veliaj ag ...
and
Ervin Llani. They narrowly lost their first game of the campaign to
Skënderbeu Korçë
, reign = 28 November 1443 – 17 January 1468
, predecessor = Gjon Kastrioti
, successor = Gjon Kastrioti II
, spouse = Donika Arianiti
, issue = Gjon Kastrioti II
, royal house = Kastrioti
, father ...
4–3 and they only won one of their first seven games, which was win against
Apolonia Fier
KF Apolonia is an Albanian football club based in Fier. The club was founded on 17 June 1925 and took its name from the nearby ruins of the ancient city of Apollonia. The club currently compete in the Kategoria e Parë and they play their hom ...
. After spending the early stages of the season in the relegation zone, the club hit form and finished in fourth place head of more established clubs such as
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 ...
and
Vllaznia Shkodër, which also meant they qualified for Europe for the first time in the club's history.
Ahead of the 2010–11 season the club brought in new players in order to build upon their fourth-place finish the previous season as well attempt to go through to the next round of the
UEFA Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. ...
. They were drawn against Belarusian side
Dnepr Mogilev
FC Dnepr Mogilev ( be, ФК Дняпро Магілёў, ''FK Dniapro Mahilyow''; russian: ФК Днепр Могилёв) is a Belarusian football team, playing in the city of Mogilev. Their home stadium is Spartak Stadium.
History
Dnepr M ...
in the first qualifying round of the
2010–11 Europa League
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length  ...
, and they played their first ever European game on 1 July 2010 at the
Niko Dovana Stadium due to the
Laçi Stadium not meeting the UEFA criteria to host European games.
Bledar Marashi opened the scoring just before half time, scoring the club's first ever goal in a European competition, but his goal was cancelled out in added time as the game ended in a 1–1 draw. However, the second leg proved to be a failure as the club was sent crashing out of the competition following a 7–1 loss, with
Valdan Nimani scoring the only goal for the club. Following their exit from Europe, the club brought in players such as
Elton Doku,
Vangjel Mile and
Stipe Buljan
Stipe Buljan (born 21 September 1983 in Našice) is a former Croatian football player who last played for KF Laçi in the Albanian Superliga.
Club career
In six years at Laçi, Buljan has made 167 league appearances and won two Albanian Cup tro ...
ahead of 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 ...
campaign in order to build upon their fourth-place finish the previous season.
The club defeated
FK Kukësi
Futboll Klub Kukësi is an Albanian professional football club based in the city of Kukës. The club plays its home games at the Zeqir Ymeri Stadium and they currently compete in the Kategoria Superiore, the highest tier of Albanian football. Th ...
2–1 in the
2015 Albanian Cup Final to win 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 s ...
for a second time, meaning they qualified for the
2015–16 UEFA Europa League
The 2015–16 UEFA Europa League was the 45th season of Europe's secondary club association football, football tournament organised by UEFA, and the seventh season since it was renamed from the UEFA Cup to the UEFA Europa League.
The 2016 UEFA E ...
.
KF Laçi statistics in Kategoria Superiore
Since 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 ...
began in 1930, KF Laçi have played 675 Superliga matches, scored 733 goals and conceded 839. The club has collected so far 848 points, won 251 games, drawn 153 and lost 271. The club's goal difference is -106 and the winning difference is -106.
Recent seasons
Management
The club appointed current manager
Stavri Nica on 7 July 2006, ahead of the 2006–07 season in the
Albanian First 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 countr ...
. The owner of the club Pashk Laska revealed the new manager at the club's
Stadiumi Laçi in front of a considerable number of fans. Nica has guided the club to promotion to the top tier of Albanian football and won the
Albanian First 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 countr ...
title in the 2008–09 season. Laçi made their best finish in the Kategoria Superiore in the 2009–10 season; where they finished 4th and qualified for the
UEFA Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. ...
.
Stadium
The club plays its home games at the purpose built
Laçi Stadium located in the centre of
Laç
Laç (; sq-definite, Laçi) is a town and a former municipality in Lezhë County, northwestern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision and the seat of the municipality Kurbin. It was the administrative center of the f ...
, which has an official seated capacity of 2,300, but attendances have reached 4,000 in recent years. The stadium was renovated following the club's 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 ...
and further work was carried out when in the summer of 2010 as they qualified for Europe for the first time in their history. Laçi had hoped that they would be able to host their home
Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. ...
at their own stadium, but they were not able to complete the reconstruction in time, meaning their first home European tie against
Dnepr Mogilev
FC Dnepr Mogilev ( be, ФК Дняпро Магілёў, ''FK Dniapro Mahilyow''; russian: ФК Днепр Могилёв) is a Belarusian football team, playing in the city of Mogilev. Their home stadium is Spartak Stadium.
History
Dnepr M ...
of
Belarus
Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by ...
was held at the
Niko Dovana Stadium in
Durrës
Durrës ( , ; sq-definite, Durrësi) is the second most populous city of the Republic of Albania and seat of Durrës County and Durrës Municipality. It is located on a flat plain along the Albanian Adriatic Sea Coast between the mouths of the ...
. During the reconstruction, the three stands surrounding the playing field were renovated and around 2,300 blue plastic seats were installed to turn the stadium into an all seater. The newly renovated stadium was inaugurated in a home league game against
Shkumbini Peqin
KF Shkumbini is an Albanian football club based in the city of Peqin. The club's home ground is the Shkumbini Stadium and they compete in the Kategoria e Dytë.
History
Football was first introduced to the city of Peqin in the early 1920s af ...
on 30 August 2010 in front of 1,500 spectators, where Laçi won 2–0. During the summer of 2015 the stadium's turf was replaced for the first time since 2006, and minor cosmetic renovation was carried out throughout the rest of the stadium.
European competitions record
Laçi first qualified for European play after a very good 2009–10 domestic campaign in which they finished 4th to earn a place in the
Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. ...
. The club's first ever European game was played on 1 July 2010 at the
Stadiumi Niko Dovana in
Durrës
Durrës ( , ; sq-definite, Durrësi) is the second most populous city of the Republic of Albania and seat of Durrës County and Durrës Municipality. It is located on a flat plain along the Albanian Adriatic Sea Coast between the mouths of the ...
. They played
Dnepr Mogilev
FC Dnepr Mogilev ( be, ФК Дняпро Магілёў, ''FK Dniapro Mahilyow''; russian: ФК Днепр Могилёв) is a Belarusian football team, playing in the city of Mogilev. Their home stadium is Spartak Stadium.
History
Dnepr M ...
of
Belarus
Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by ...
in the Europa League 1st qualifying round and their first ever match finished 1–1. Although Laçi had the lesser of the chances and only had 2 goal attempts in the match, they still led for much of the second half through a goal by youngster Bledar Marashi in injury time in the first half. However Dnepro equalised in the 92nd minute through
Dmitri Turlin
Dzmitry Turlin ( be, Дзмітрый Турлін; russian: Дмитрий Турлин; born 8 September 1985) is a Belarusian former professional footballer.
Career
Turlin appeared in eight matches in the preliminary rounds of the 2010–11 ...
which ruined a dream European debut for Laçi.
;Notes
* 1Q: First qualifying round
* 2Q: Second qualifying round
* 3Q: Third qualifying round
Honours
*
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 s ...
**Winners (2):
2012–13
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...
,
2014–15
**''Runners-up (3):''
2015–16,
2017–18,
2021–22
*
Albanian Supercup
The Albanian Supercup is a single match usually at the beginning of the season between the winners of the Kategoria Superiore and Albanian Cup.
Supercup final was not played in the occasions when the champion team won the Double. However, after y ...
**Winners (1):
2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the April ...
**''Runners-up(1):''
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment ...
*
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 ...
**''Runners-up (1):''
2021–22
*
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 pr ...
**Winners (2):
2003–04,
2008–09
*
Kategoria e Dytë
**''Runners-up (1):'' 1974–75
Records
*Biggest ever home league victory: KF Laçi 7–0
Albpetrol Patos – Sept 27, 1997
*Biggest ever home league defeat: KF Laçi 1–7
Vllaznia Shkodër – Dec 18, 2004
*Biggest ever away league victory:
Shkumbini Peqin
KF Shkumbini is an Albanian football club based in the city of Peqin. The club's home ground is the Shkumbini Stadium and they compete in the Kategoria e Dytë.
History
Football was first introduced to the city of Peqin in the early 1920s af ...
2–5 KF Laçi – March 11, 2011
*Biggest ever away league defeat:
KF Skënderbeu Korçë 6–1 KF Laçi – March 4, 2016
*Biggest ever European away defeat:
Dnepr Mogilev
FC Dnepr Mogilev ( be, ФК Дняпро Магілёў, ''FK Dniapro Mahilyow''; russian: ФК Днепр Могилёв) is a Belarusian football team, playing in the city of Mogilev. Their home stadium is Spartak Stadium.
History
Dnepr M ...
7–1 KF Laçi – July 8, 2010
''Albanian records from September 1997''
Players
Current squad
Records
Below is the list with top ten players with most appearances in all competitions for KF Laçi.
Historical list of coaches
*
Astrit Maçi
Astrit is an Albanian masculine given name and may refer to:
*Astrit Ajdarević (born 1990), Albanian footballer
*Astrit Bushati (born 1962), Albanian footballer
*Astrit Fazliu (born 1987), Kosovar-Albanian footballer
*Astrit Hafizi (born 1953), A ...
(1990-1991)
*
Mikel Janku
Mikel Janku (25 December 1941 – 10 January 2019) was an Albanian retired association football, football player, who was a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper for Partizani Tiranë and the Albania national football team, Albania nationa ...
(1992-1993)
*
Luigj Dodaj (1993-1994)
*
Arben Feshti (1994-1995)
*
Kujtim Ceka (1996-1997)
*
Luigj Dodaj (1997-1999)
*
Luigj Dodaj (2003-2004)
*
Ritvan Kulli ( – 10 Sep 2004)
*
Hysen Dedja
Hysen Dedja (born 16 October 1960) is an Albanian association football, football manager and former player.
Playing career
A former defender and captain of his hometown club KF Vllaznia Shkodër, Vllaznia Shkodër, he made his debut for them on ...
(10 Sep 2004 – 6 Nov 2004)
*
Luan Metani (6 Nov 2004 – 3 Apr 2005)
*
Sinan Bardhi (3 Apr 2005 -)
*
Stavri Nica (7 Jul 2006 -)
*
Përparim Daiu (2007-2008)
*
Ilir Gjyla ( – 21 Sep 2008)
*
Edi Martini (21 Sep 2008 – Jun 2009)
*
Stavri Nica (Jul 2009 – Jun 2011)
*
Nevil Dede
Nevil Thanas Dede (born 10 January 1975) is an Albanian professional football coach and former player.
A centre-back, Dede spent most of his club career with his hometown club Tirana, winning a string of trophies, including 8 championships, bein ...
(Jul 2011 – 20 Dec 2011)
*
Përparim Daiu (20 Dec 2011 – 28 Aug 2012)
*
Stavri Nica (28 Aug 2012 – 26 Sep 2012)
*
Ylber Zani (26 Sep 2012 – 22 Oct 2012) (caretaker)
*
Ramadan Shehu (22 Oct 2012 – 1 Jan 2013)
*
Stavri Nica (1 Jan 2013 – 3 Aug 2014)
*
Armando Cungu (3 Aug 2014 - 31 Dec 2015)
*
Stavri Nica (1 Jan 2016 – 27 Mar 2016)
*
Eugent Zeka
Eugent Zeka (born 21 February 1974) is an Italian football coach who was the Sporting Director of KF Vllaznia in the Albanian Superliga.
Playing career Early life
Zeka was born in Shkodër in 1974 where he attended Jordan Misja High School. He m ...
(27 Mar 2016 - 13 Apr 2016)
*
Ramadan Ndreu
, type = islam
, longtype = Religious
, image = Ramadan montage.jpg
, caption=From top, left to right: A crescent moon over Sarıçam, Turkey, marking the beginning of the Islamic month of Ramadan. Ramadan Quran reading in Bandar Torkaman, Iran. C ...
(13 Apr 2016 - Dec 2016)
*
Marcello Troisi (Jul 2016 - Oct 2016)
*
Bledar Sinella
Bledar Sinella (born 10 August 1976) is a retired Albanian footballer and most recently manager of Egnatia football club in the Albanian Second Division.
Managerial career
A successful coach with Besa's youth teams, Sinella was appointed to the ...
(Jan 2017 - Apr 2017)
*
Stavri Nica (Apr 2017 – Sep 2017)
*
Gentian Mezani (Sep 2017 - 6 Jun 2018)
*
Besnik Prenga (6 Jun 2018 - 7 Aug 2018)
*
Artan Mërgjyshi (7 Aug 2018 - Oct 2018)
*
Migen Memelli (Nov 2018 - Dec 2018)
*
Besnik Prenga (Dec 2018 - Mar 2019)
*
Sulejman Starova (Mar 2019 - Oct 2019)
Ndryshime te Laçi, ikën Prenga dhe vjen Starova
- Gazeta Si
* Armando Cungu (Oct 2019 - Nov 2020 )
* Stavri Nica (Nov 2020 – Dec 2020)
* Klevis Hima (Dec 2020 – Dec 2020) (caretaker)
* Shpëtim Duro (Dec 2020 – Aug 2021)
* Dejan Vukićević
Dejan Vukićević (; born 27 April 1968) is a Montenegrin football manager and former player.
Playing career
Vukićević started out at his hometown side Budućnost Titograd, making his senior debut in the 1987–88 season. He spent five years ...
(Aug 2021 – 16 Oct 2021)
* Sero Noka (17 Oct 2021 – 24 Oct 2021) (caretaker)
* Mirel Josa (25 Oct 2021 – 5 Apr 2022)
* Shpëtim Duro (7 Apr 2022 – 31 July 2022)
* Dejan Vukićević
Dejan Vukićević (; born 27 April 1968) is a Montenegrin football manager and former player.
Playing career
Vukićević started out at his hometown side Budućnost Titograd, making his senior debut in the 1987–88 season. He spent five years ...
(4 Aug 2022 – 17 November 2022)
* Gentian Mezani (19 Nov 2022 – )
References
External links
Official website
Laçi at Soccerway
Laçi at Betstudy
Laçi at IMscouting
Laçi at Football.co.uk
{{DEFAULTSORT:Laci, KF
Association football clubs established in 1960
Football clubs in Albania
1960 establishments in Albania
Kurbin
Albanian Third Division clubs