Independence Cup (Albania)

The Independence Cup^[1] (Albanian: Kupa Pavarësia) is an annual friendly football tournament held in Albania on 28 November to commemorate Albanian Independence Day. The tournament took place in Vlorë between 2009 and 2015, in Tiranë in 2016 and in Korçë in 2017. Clubs from Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Montenegro have taken part in the tournament. Since the 2019 Albania earthquake the tournament has not been held anymore.^[2]

Independence Cup
Kupa Pavarësia

Founded	2009
Region	Balkans
Number of teams	4 (2010–) 3 (2009)
Current champions	Struga (2nd title)
Most successful club(s)	Struga (2 titles)
2018 Independence Cup (Albania)

Winners

Season	Winner	Final Score	Runner-up	Venue	Date	Ref.
2009	Flamurtari	Group format	Shkëndija	Flamurtari Stadium, Vlorë	28 November 2009	[3]
2010	Renova	1–0	Otrant	Flamurtari Stadium, Vlorë	28 November 2010	[4]
2011	Hysi	0–0 (3–0 p.)	Shkëndija	Flamurtari Stadium, Vlorë	28 November 2011	[5]
2012	Shkëndija	0–0 (5–3 p.)	Prishtina	Flamurtari Stadium, Vlorë	28 November 2012	[6]
2013	Prishtina	0–0 (8–7 p.)	Flamurtari	Flamurtari Stadium, Vlorë	28 November 2013	[7]
2014	Feronikeli	1–0	Shkëndija	Flamurtari Stadium, Vlorë	28 November 2014	[8]
2015	Otrant	3–0	Partizani B	Flamurtari Stadium, Vlorë	28 November 2015	[9]
2016	Kukësi	2–0	Prishtina	Selman Stërmasi Stadium, Tiranë	28 November 2016	[10]
2017	Struga	0–0 (4–1 p.)	Otrant	Skënderbeu Stadium, Korçë	28 November 2017	[11]
2018	Struga	1–0	Otrant	Skënderbeu Stadium, Korçë	28 November 2018	[12]

Editions

2009

Matches

Team 1	Score	Team 2
Flamurtari	0–0 (11–10 p.)	Shkëndija
Shkëndija	5–4 (11–10 p.)	Prishtina
Prishtina	0–0 (2–3 p.)	Flamurtari

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Flamurtari	2	2	0	0	0	0	6
2	Shkëndija	2	1	1	0	0	0	3
3	Prishtina	2	0	2	0	0	0	0

Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: ^{[citation needed]}

2010

	Semifinals					Final
		Besa	0 (4)
		Renova (pen.)	0 (5)
							Renova	1
							Otrant	0
		Otrant (pen.)	0 (?)
		Liria	0 (?)

2011

	Semifinals					Final
		Shkëndija (pen.)	0 (3)
		Otrant	0 (1)
							Shkëndija	0 (0)
							Hysi (pen.)	0 (3)
		Flamurtari	0 (3)
		Hysi (pen.)	0 (4)

2012

	Semifinals					Final
		Tirana	0
		Shkëndija	1
							Shkëndija (pen.)	0 (5)
							Prishtina	0 (3)
		Flamurtari	1 (?)
		Prishtina (pen.)	1 (?)

2013

	Semifinals					Final
		Flamurtari	2
		Federal	0
							Flamurtari	0 (7)
							Prishtina (pen.)	0 (8)
		Shkëndija	2 (2)
		Prishtina (pen.)	2 (4)

2014

	Semifinals					Final
		Flamurtari	0
		Shkëndija	1
							Shkëndija	0
							Feronikeli	1
		Llamkos Kosova	0 (1)
		Feronikeli (pen.)	0 (3)

2015

	Semifinals					Final
		Otrant	1
		Shkëndija	0
							Otrant	3
							Partizani B	0
		Partizani B	1
		Feronikeli	0

2016

	Semifinals					Final
		Otrant	0
		Prishtina	1
							Prishtina	0
							Kukësi	2
		Shkëndija	1
		Kukësi	3

2017

	Semifinals					Final
		Liria	1
		Otrant	2
							Otrant	0 (1)
							Struga (pen.)	0 (4)
		Tirana	0
		Struga	1

2018

	Semifinals					Final
		Otrant	0 (6)
		2 Korriku	0 (5)
							Otrant	0
							Struga	1
		Struga	1
		Skënderbeu	0

Statistics

Performance by team

Team	Winner	Runner-up	Tournaments
Besa	—	—	1
Federal	—	—	1
Feronikeli	1	—	2
Flamurtari	1	1	5
Hysi	1	—	1
2 Korriku	—	—	1
Kukësi	1	—	1
Llamkos Kosova	—	—	1
Liria	—	—	2
Otrant	1	3	6
Partizani B	—	1	1
Prishtina	1	2	4
Renova	1	—	1
Skënderbeu	—	—	1
Shkëndija	1	3	7
Tirana	—	—	2
Struga	2	—	2

Performance by country

Team	Winner	Runner-up
Albania	2	2
Kosovo	3	2
North Macedonia	4	3
Montenegro	1	2

See also

• Albanian Declaration of Independence

References

1. "Independence Cup 2018 will be held in Korçë" (Press release). Albanian Football Association (FSHF). 15 November 2018. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
2. "Kupa "Pavarësia", FSHF e shtyn turneun në një datë të re". 26 November 2019.
3. "Flamurtari fiton Kupën e Pavarësisë" [Flamurtari wins Independence Cup] (in Albanian). Arkiva Shqiptare e Lajmeve. 28 November 2009. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
4. "Renova fiton Kupën e Pavarësisë" [Renova wins Independence Cup] (in Albanian). Televizioni Koha Maqedoni. 29 November 2010. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
5. "Hysi mundi Shkëndijën dhe fitoi turnen 'Kupa Pavarësia'" [Hysi defeats Shkëndija and wins the 'Independence Cup' tournament] (in Albanian). Televizioni Koha Maqedoni. 29 November 2011. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
6. "Shkëndija fiton kupën "Pavarësia"" [Shkëndija win the “Independence” Cup] (in Albanian). Gazeta Panorama. 28 November 2012. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
7. "Prishtina fiton kupën "Pavarësia" me penallti" [Prishtina wins “Independence” Cup on penalties] (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. 29 November 2013. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
8. "Kupa "Pavarësia", fiton Ferronikeli" [“Independence” Cup, Ferronikeli wins] (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. 28 November 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
9. "Otrant-Olimpik fitues i Kupës "Pavarsia 2015" (Foto)" [Otrant-Olimpik winner of “Independence” Cup] (in Albanian). tvteuta.me. 29 November 2015. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
10. "Kukësi merr trofeun e tretë në 2016-n, fiton Kupën "Pavarësia"" [Kukësi takes the third trophy of 2016, wins “Independence” Cup] (in Albanian). Panorama Sport. 28 November 2016. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
11. "Struga fituese e Kupës Pavarësia 2017, Otrant thyhet pas penalltive" [Struga winner of Independence Cup 2017, Otrant defeated after penalties] (in Albanian). Koha.net. 28 November 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
12. "Struga fiton Kupën Pavarësia 2018" [Struga wins Independence Cup 2018] (in Albanian). FSHF.org. 28 November 2018. Retrieved 28 November 2018.