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The 2021–22 Kategoria Superiore was the 83rd official season, or 86th season of top-tier football in Albania (including three unofficial championships during World War II) and the 22nd season under the name Kategoria Superiore. The season began in 10 September 2021 and ended on 26 May 2022. Tirana won the league title on 7 May 2022, with 3 matches to spare.[1]
| Season | 2021–22 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 10 September 2021 – 26 May 2022 |
| Champions | Tirana 26th title |
| Relegated | Dinamo Tirana Skënderbeu |
| Champions League | Tirana |
| Europa Conference League | Laçi Partizani Vllaznia |
| Matches played | 180 |
| Goals scored | 408 (2.27 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Saliou Guindo Taulant Seferi (19 goals each) |
| Biggest home win | Laçi 5–0 Dinamo (3 December 2021) Partizani 5–0 Kukësi (2 March 2022) |
| Biggest away win | Kastrioti 1–6 Kukësi (4 December 2021) |
| Highest scoring | Vllaznia 6–3 Dinamo (18 October 2021) |
| Longest winning run | 7 matches Kastrioti |
| Longest unbeaten run | 11 matches Laçi Vllaznia |
| Longest winless run | 17 matches Skënderbeu |
| Longest losing run | 7 matches Dinamo |
← 2020–21 2022–23 →
All statistics correct as of 26 May 2022. | |
The winners of this season's Kategoria Superiore earned a place in the first qualifying round of the 2022–23 Champions League, with the second and third placed clubs earning a place in the first qualifying round of the 2022–23 Europa Conference League.
Two clubs have earned promotion from the Kategoria e Parë, Dinamo Tirana (promoted after a nine-year absence)[2] and Egnatia (promoted after a sixteen-year absence).[3] Apolonia (relegated after only one year in the top flight) and Bylis (relegated after two-years in the top flight) were relegated to Kategoria e Parë at the conclusion of last season.
Locations
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| Team | Home city | Stadium | Capacity | 2020–21 season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dinamo Tirana | Tirana | Arena Kombëtare | 22,500 | Runner-up (Kategoria e Parë) |
| Egnatia | Rrogozhinë | Arena Egnatia | 4,000 | Champion (Kategoria e Parë) |
| Kastrioti | Krujë | Kamëz Stadium[a] | 5,500[a] | 8th |
| Kukësi | Kukës | Kukës Arena | 6,322 | 6th |
| Laçi | Laç | Laçi Stadium | 2,300 | 4th |
| Partizani | Tirana | Arena Kombëtare | 22,500 | 3rd |
| Skënderbeu | Korçë | Skënderbeu Stadium | 12,343 | 7th |
| Teuta | Durrës | Niko Dovana Stadium | 12,040 | Champion |
| Tirana | Tirana | Selman Stërmasi Stadium | 9,500 | 5th |
| Vllaznia | Shkodër | Loro Boriçi Stadium | 16,000 | 2nd |
Stadiums
| Dinamo Tirana | Egnatia | Kastrioti | Kukësi | Laçi |
| Arena Kombëtare UEFA stadium category  |
Arena Egnatia | Kamëz Stadium | Kukës Arena UEFA stadium category |
Laçi Stadium |
| Capacity: 22,500 | Capacity: 4,000 | Capacity: 5,500 | Capacity: 6,322 | Capacity: 2,300 |
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.jpg) | ||
| Partizani | Skënderbeu | Teuta | Tirana | Vllaznia |
| Arena Kombëtare UEFA stadium category |
Skënderbeu Stadium | Niko Dovana Stadium | Selman Stërmasi Stadium | Loro Boriçi Stadium UEFA stadium category |
| Capacity: 22,500 | Capacity: 12,343 | Capacity: 12,040 | Capacity: 9,500 | Capacity: 16,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dinamo Tirana |  Ardian Bardhi |
 Rodolfo Vanoli |
 Agim Ibraimi |
Claw | Caffè Pascucci, Palma |
| Egnatia | Agim Demrozi |
Zekirija Ramadani |
Gëzim Krasniqi |
Uhlsport | − |
| Kastrioti | Petro Kumi |
Emiliano Çela |
Sokol Neziri |
Uhlsport | Qafshtama |
| Kukësi | Safet Gjici |
Diego Longo |
 Gjelbrim Taipi |
Joma | Kevin Construction |
| Laçi | Pashk Laska |
Shpëtim Duro |
 Aleksandar Ignjatović |
Uhlsport | Caffè Vergnano |
| Partizani | Gazmend Demi |
Dritan Mehmeti |
Alban Hoxha |
Joma | Emi Trans |
| Skënderbeu | Ardian Takaj |
Gentian Liçi |
Vangjel Zguro |
Joma | − |
| Teuta | Edmond Hasanbelliu |
Renato Arapi |
Emiljano Vila |
Macron | Kastrati, Selita |
| Tirana | Refik Halili |
Orges Shehi |
Erion Hoxhallari |
Uhlsport | − |
| Vllaznia | Alban Xhaferi |
Mirel Josa |
Erdenis Gurishta |
Suzmar | Bavaria, Intersig |
Managerial changes
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure |
Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kukësi | Mirel Josa |
Mutual consent | 6 June 2021 | Pre-season | Diego Longo |
16 July 2021 |
| Laçi | Shpëtim Duro |
Mutual consent | 16 August 2021 |  Dejan Vukićević |
17 August 2021 | |
| Laçi | Dejan Vukićević |
Mutual consent | 16 October 2021 | 10th | Sero Noka |
19 October 2021 |
| Laçi | Sero Noka |
End of caretaker spell | 24 October 2021 | 7th | Mirel Josa |
24 October 2021 |
| Teuta | Edi Martini |
Resigned | 26 November 2021 | 3rd | Renato Arapi |
26 November 2021 |
| Egnatia | Gugash Magani |
Sacked | 29 November 2021 | 8th | Përparim Daiu |
29 November 2021 |
| Egnatia | Përparim Daiu |
End of caretaker spell | 6 December 2021 | 8th | Zekirija Ramadani |
6 December 2021 |
| Teuta | Renato Arapi |
End of caretaker spell | 14 December 2021 | 5th | Edi Martini |
14 December 2021 |
| Kastrioti | Ramadan Ndreu |
Mutual consent | 23 December 2021 | 10th | Emiliano Çela |
23 December 2021 |
| Partizani | Ilir Daja |
Mutual consent | 28 December 2021 | 6th | Dritan Mehmeti |
28 December 2021 |
| Teuta | Edi Martini |
Mutual consent | 24 January 2022 | 6th | Renato Arapi |
24 January 2022 |
| Dinamo Tirana | Bledi Shkëmbi |
Mutual consent | 7 February 2022 | 7th | Bledar Devolli |
7 February 2022 |
| Skënderbeu | Migen Memelli |
Mutual consent | 9 March 2022 | 10th | Skënder Gega |
9 March 2022 |
| Vllaznia |  Thomas Brdarić |
Sacked | 14 March 2022 | 4th | Elvis Plori |
14 March 2022 |
| Dinamo Tirana | Bledar Devolli |
Mutual consent | 14 March 2022 | 9th | Rodolfo Vanoli |
16 March 2022 |
| Laçi | Mirel Josa |
Sacked | 5 April 2022 | 2nd | Shpëtim Duro |
7 April 2022 |
| Skënderbeu | Skënder Gega |
Resigned | 12 May 2022 | 10th | Gentian Liçi |
12 May 2022 |
| Vllaznia | Elvis Plori |
Mutual consent | 15 May 2022 | 5th | Mirel Josa |
15 May 2022 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tirana (C) | 36 | 22 | 7 | 7 | 64 | 27 | +37 | 73 | Qualification for the Champions League first qualifying round |
| 2 | Laçi | 36 | 18 | 9 | 9 | 52 | 33 | +19 | 63 | Qualification for the Europa Conference League first qualifying round |
| 3 | Partizani | 36 | 15 | 13 | 8 | 52 | 30 | +22 | 58 | |
| 4 | Kukësi | 36 | 15 | 10 | 11 | 50 | 44 | +6 | 55[lower-alpha 1] | |
| 5 | Vllaznia | 36 | 13 | 16 | 7 | 47 | 38 | +9 | 55[lower-alpha 1] | Qualification for the Europa Conference League second qualifying round[lower-alpha 2] |
| 6 | Teuta | 36 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 39 | 44 | −5 | 50 | |
| 7 | Kastrioti | 36 | 13 | 4 | 19 | 30 | 54 | −24 | 43 | |
| 8 | Egnatia (O) | 36 | 8 | 11 | 17 | 30 | 49 | −19 | 35 | Qualification for the relegation play-off |
| 9 | Dinamo Tirana (R) | 36 | 6 | 11 | 19 | 21 | 46 | −25 | 29 | Relegation to the 2022–23 Kategoria e Parë |
| 10 | Skënderbeu (R) | 36 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 23 | 43 | −20 | 26 |
Source: Albanian Football Association, Soccerway
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.
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (R) Relegated
Notes:
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.
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- Kukësi is ahead of Vllaznia on head-to-head goal difference: Kukësi 4, Vllaznia 3[clarification needed]
- Vllaznia qualified for the Europa Conference League second qualifying round as the 2021–22 Albanian Cup winners.
Clubs will play each other four times for a total of 36 matches each.
First half of season |
Second half of season
|
Positions by round
The table lists the positions of teams after each week of matches.
| Team ╲ Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dinamo | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Egnatia | 9 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Kastrioti | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Kukësi | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Laçi | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Partizani | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Skënderbeu | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Teuta | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Tirana | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Vllaznia | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Leader and UEFA Champions League first qualifying round | |
| UEFA Europa Conference League first qualifying round | |
| Relegation play-off | |
| 2022–23 Kategoria e Parë |
Relegation play-off
Referee: Eldorjan Hamiti
Both clubs remained in their respective leagues.
Scoring
Top scorers
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals[4] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Saliou Guindo |
Laçi | 19 |
| Taulant Seferi |
Tirana | ||
| 3 | Redon Xhixha |
Tirana | 14 |
| 4 | Liridon Latifi |
Vllaznia | 12 |
 Stênio Júnior |
Partizani | ||
| 6 |  Ante Aralica |
Vllaznia | 10 |
| Edi Baša |
Kukësi | ||
| Pedro |
Egnatia | ||
| Rubin Hebaj |
Teuta | ||
| Tedi Cara |
Partizani | ||
| Xhuliano Skuka |
Dinamo/Partizani |
Discipline
Player
- Most yellow cards: 14
Erdenis Gurishta (Vllaznia)
Goran Siljanovski (Dinamo Tirana)
- Most red cards: 2
- Albion Marku (Partizani)
- Asion Daja (Teuta)
- Bekim Dida (Kastrioti)
- Mevlan Adili (Vllaznia)
- Vangjel Zguro (Skënderbeu)
Annual awards
| Award | Winner | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Manager of the Season | Orges Shehi |
Tirana |
| Player of the Season | Redon Xhixha |
Tirana |
| Young Player of the Season | Simon Simoni |
Dinamo Tirana |
| Team of the Year | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Visar Bekaj (Tirana) | |||||||||||
| Defenders | Erdenis Gurishta (Vllaznia) |
Eneo Bitri (Partizani) |
Filip Najdovski (Tirana) |
Esin Hakaj (Vllaznia) | ||||||||
| Midfielders | Arinaldo Rrapaj (Partizani) |
 Chandrel Massanga (Partizani) |
Mentor Mazrekaj (Laçi) | |||||||||
| Forwards | Taulant Seferi (Tirana) |
Xhuliano Skuka (Dinamo/Partizani) |
Redon Xhixha (Tirana) | |||||||||
Source:[5]
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