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46-622: The stadium is owned by the governing body of Albanian football, the Albanian Football Association (FSHF) and the Albanian State through Shoqëria Sportive Kuq e Zi Sh.A, a subsidiary established for the purpose of building, managing and maintaining the structure. Designed by Marco Casamonti of Archea Associati, the structure of the stadium is a peculiar multi-faceted form (an 8-faceted rectangle) so that each side allows access to distinct functions. At one corner of

92-534: A European competition proper stage. KF Skenderbeu (2017–18) Europa League Since the 2023-24 season , the league consists of 10 clubs, who face each other four times in a season for a total of 36 matches. At the end of the season, the two lowest-placed teams are relegated to the Kategoria e Parë , while two highest-placed teams of the Kategoria e Parë are promoted in their place. The 8th ranked team qualifies to

138-541: A Tirana Marriott Hotel . The stadium includes a history museum, changing rooms, and other facilities such as cafeterias, lavatories including access for the disabled, a press area, a convention centre, a trophy room, etc. There is no room for a running track as capacity will grow to over 22,000 seats, all covered. The overall project is part of the Arena Shopping Centre together with the 112-metre tower, 80-room hotel and 256 underground parking spaces. All of

184-427: A curved line. Such a form of the stadium was associated with the symbolism of the map of Albania which has a similar rectangular shape from north to south with some curved incisions at the northeast, northwest, southeast and southwestern extremes of the country. The external facade is covered with black and red metal panels combining them with the use of glass on the whole facade, including the tower. The metal panels have

230-403: A curved triangular form, stylised with some shapes reminiscent of traditional Albanian carpets. The tower itself is 112 metres high and it fits the curved line of the structure on that side. The sports spaces inside the stadium consists of 3 uniform two-ring grandstands, and the main grandstand of one level which serves only for VIP stands. On 21 April 2016, the project was officially presented by

276-538: A friendly against Poland . The current president of FSHF, Armand Duka, has been at this position since 2002 and won the elections for a third term in 2010. During the 2009 controversy between FSHF and the Albanian government as to the property of the Qemal Stafa Stadium . UEFA insisted in lobbying that the stadium be given to FSHF ownership so that investments on it can be made. In February 2011 it

322-633: A meeting with the President of UEFA Michel Platini , declared that the government is seriously considering the construction of a new stadium. Soon after, at a meeting of the Council of Ministers on 2 February 2011, a decision was taken that for the 100th Anniversary of the Independence of Albania , which will occur in 2012, a new national stadium will be built in Tirana. Fenwick Iribarren Architects

368-560: Is a professional league for men's association football clubs in Albania. At the top of the Albanian football league system , it is the country's premier football competition. It is contested by 10 clubs, and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Kategoria e Parë . Seasons run from August to May, with teams playing 36 matches each (playing each team in the league four times, twice at home and twice away). The competition

414-534: The Albanian Women's Cup . The federation also coordinates and oversees the activities of the Albania national football team , Albania women's national football team and the Albania national youth football teams such as Under-21 , Under-20 , Under-19 , Under-18 , Under-17 , Under-16 and Under-15 . On June 6, 1930, the government of King Zog I issued a royal decree recognizing the establishment of

460-575: The Champions League , UEFA Europa League and other international leagues to be played at Qemal Stafa Stadium or any other stadium in Albania because neither of them does not meet UEFA standards. Consequently, the Albania national team and the Albanian Superliga teams participating in international competitions risked playing their matches abroad. Soon after, FSHF in cooperation with the new government elected, took steps to finance

506-402: The invitation to tender , with AlbStar Sh.p.k presenting a concrete offer. Compared to previous projects, AlbStar presented a new project with a reduced capacity of 22.500 all-seated stadium which also envisioned a tower in one corner of the stadium structure. The project was designed by Florentine architect Marco Casamonti of Archea Associati, who envisioned a faceted rectangular stadium bound by

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552-460: The Air Albania being announced as the winner with the most favourable bid. The deal stipulates that within the next five years starting from the date of signing, the new stadium name will be "Air Albania Stadium". It was also decided that each tribune would have its own name. The stadium is located near the centre of the capital Tirana . The building built on the side of the stadium includes

598-689: The Albanian Sports Federation. The newly formed sports entity would join the world governing body, FIFA , during the June Congress of 1932, officially marking Albania’s participation in international football. A revised order was issued in March of 1934, to dissolve the Federation, transferring its authority to the heads of the national entity "Vllaznija Shqiptare" (est.1928), which was in charge of various sports activities at

644-515: The Communist Party, which was in power after the war. The old stadium held this name until 9 June 2016, the day on which its demolition officially began. During a ceremony held to present the winning project and the conclusion of the agreement for the construction of the new stadium, Albania's PM Edi Rama referred to the new stadium with the name of Arena Kombëtare . This made the stadium widely known and referred to as "Arena Kombëtare" from

690-645: The FSHF came to an agreement to create a joint venture that would handle the tendering, construction and then management of the new stadium, with the condition that the destination of the sports facility would not be changed. Thus, on 26 March 2011, was established Qëndra Sportive Kuq e Zi Sh.A with 70% of shareholding belonging to the FSHF and 25% to the Albanian Government through the Ministry of Sports . On 19 October 2010, Albania's PM Sali Berisha after

736-799: The Italia Square which itself is alongside one of the two main squares of the city, the Mother Teresa Square , named after the Albanian-born Saint Teresa of Calcutta . Both squares are located at the southern end of the Dëshmorët e Kombit Boulevard , which on that side is confined to the University of Tirana building and the Grand Park of the city. The whole area, including the old Qemal Stafa Stadium,

782-542: The President of FSHF Armand Duka, accompanied by the PM Edi Rama . At the design stage and during its presentation, the project was named "Arena Kombëtare" (English: National Arena ) , becoming the common name and widely used throughout its construction. The preliminary cost of the construction was initially said to be around € 50 million but later was increased to 60m, and according to comments from FSHF officials,

828-704: The TUMO Tirana is the Pyramid of Tirana which is planned to be reconstructed and returned to the headquarters of this teaching center. Albanian Football Association The Albanian Football Federation ( Albanian : Federata Shqiptare e Futbollit ; FSHF ) is the governing body of football in Albania . Headquartered in Tirana , it organizes the national football leagues of Kategoria Superiore , Kategoria e Parë , Kategoria e Dytë , Kategoria e Tretë , Albanian Cup , Supercup , Kategoria Superiore Femra and

874-440: The championships in 1939 and 1942 and Shkodra winning in 1940 . Despite calls to recognise these championships, the Albanian Football Association maintains the position that the championships were not organised by them and cannot be formally recognised. Most points in a season 84 points. KF Tirana (2004–05) Most points without winning the league title 79 points. KF Elbasani (2004–05) First Albanian team to qualify for

920-541: The company would obtain during construction. On 22 May 2016 after the stadium was previously excluded from UEFA due to non-compliance with the standards, the last match between FK Kukësi and KF Laçi valid for the Albanian Cup Final was played in the Qemal Stafa Stadium before its final closure until the new stadium begins to build. A final attempt was made the following month by reopening

966-517: The competition has not been played a total of 9 times: 1935, 1938–44, 1949, 1962. Furthermore, the champion award was not given during the 1968–69 season. [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The all-time table of football clubs that have participated in the Kategoria Superiore, prior to the 2023–2024 season . The ranking is based on the total accumulated points by each club. Teams in bold are part of

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1012-417: The day the works began until a few weeks before the completion of the work. However, much controversy arose during the construction of whether the stadium should retain its old name "Qemal Stafa", the new one "Arena Kombëtare" or should be renamed in honor of a prominent Albanian football player to honor him as well as the history of this sport in the country. The most discussed figure was that of Panajot Pano ,

1058-415: The final cost exceeded 75 million euros. The signed contract stipulates that most of the cost of construction will be carried out by the private company itself, somewhere around € 40 million, and the difference of € 10 million would be covered by UEFA’s HatTrick assistance programme. Also, any cost increases during construction would also be carried by the company. While the company would be rewarded with

1104-590: The first international game to be played in Albania, and it ended in a 2–1 loss for Indipendenca, with the captain and founder of the club Palokë Nika scoring the only goal for the Albanians. Albania was invaded by Italy in April 1939 and World War II soon broke out, meaning the Albanian Football Association , much like the other organisations in the country, ceased operating. Despite the war, three championships were held between 1939 and 1942, with Tirana winning

1150-535: The former striker of KF Partizani , one of the capital's teams, as well as the national football team player. His name is widely respected and is considered one of the greatest footballers the country has ever known. Towards the end of the works, however, the FSHF hinted that the stadium could be named after a private company for sponsorship reasons. According to the federation, such a stadium will require ongoing funding due to maintenance and this necessitates taking advantage of any sponsorship opportunities. This led to

1196-483: The host team lost 0–2. A crowd of more 21,000 was in attendance. Many celebrities of sport, politics and art were invited to the ceremony, with the UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin and Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama were among them. Since 1946, the time at which the stadium was finished, was named Qemal Stafa Stadium in honor of Qemal Stafa, a hero of the second world war and founder of

1242-682: The interior design of the sports spaces, such as the changing rooms, conference rooms, etc. Also for the natural grass for the pitch , all the seats, the LED floodlights , as well as a large screen also in LED to be installed on the roof of the main grandstand. On 9 June 2016, the demolition of the National Stadium Qemal Stafa officially began. A new stadium, the Arena Kombëtare, will be built in its place, which will serve as

1288-407: The main stadium in Albania, the home of the Albania national team, as well as the home of several athletic competitions and other events. After its degradation over the years, around 2010s the Albanian Football Association (FSHF) and the Albanian government began to discuss the possibility of renovating the facility or, if not possible, building a new stadium in the same location. The government and

1334-429: The new home of the Albania national football team. The stadium will have 21,690 seats, but the facility is projected to be multi-functional. Simultaneously with the demolition began the disassembling stone by stone of the monumental staircase built by Gherardo Bosio in 1939, which is considered Monument of Culture and part of the cultural heritage of the capital. It will be conserved and then integrated by reassembled in

1380-410: The opening of the tender on 8 August 2019, just months before the inauguration, for the new stadium name. Some domestic and foreign companies were interested in the competition, including oil, telecommunications, insurance, and airline companies. On 15 November 2019, Kuq e Zi Sh.A issued a press release announcing that two companies, Bolv Oil and Air Albania , went in the final phase of negotiations. With

1426-406: The ownership of all non-sporting parts and the tower which will be built simultaneously on one corner of the structure, as well as exempting the company from VAT payments for any work done related to the project. On the other hand, any other cost for everything sports spaces or game-related spaces will be carried out by the federation itself in cooperation with the government. The FSHF will pay for

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1472-433: The play-off round, which they play against the Kategoria e Parë play-off winner. The 4 highest place teams at the end of the season play a knockout tournament with a semi-final and a final. If in the semi-final and the end of 90 minutes the game is tied the winner will be decided by the regular season finish in the table. The following teams are competing in the Kategoria Superiore during the 2024–25 season. Since 1930,

1518-470: The reconstruction of the Elbasan Arena stadium to avoid UEFA's penalties, thus giving time for the construction of a new national stadium in Tirana. Efforts were made again in 2015, but this time trying new forms of financing without burdening the state budget. The Italian company Serenissima Costruzioni in collaboration with MANICA Architecture and Progetto CMR as designer, presented its project for

1564-401: The same location into the new stadium, where it will serve the same function as the main entrance to the stadium as it has had since its construction. Initially it was said that at least the sports areas of the stadium would be completed within two years of the start of construction, otherwise there would be penalties for the company. But since the beginning of the works there were problems with

1610-486: The sewage system of the capital which passed just under the old stadium, which caused the work to be delayed until the solution was found in cooperation with the Municipality. Then there were some other postponements making the stadium finally wrap up on 10 November 2019, waiting for the first time a test match between women's football teams of Vllaznia Shkodër and Apolonia Fier . The FSHF initially announced that

1656-694: The stadium facilities will be hidden behind a unique set of blinders in national colours of Albania. In October 2020, the Municipality of Tirana alongside the Albanian-American Development Fund (AADF) decided to temporarily open the TUMO Center on the Arena Kombëtare internal spaces. The center offers for adolescents aged 12–18, extracurricular educational programs, innovative in design and technology, providing adolescents with space and equipment to advance their education while developing technical skills. The original location of

1702-424: The stadium structure is an 112-metre tall tower (24 floors). Each facet accommodates different streams, thus identifying users of private areas, such as the hotel tower, shopping areas and stadium spectators. In May 2022, the stadium hosted the first ever Europa Conference League final between AS Roma and Feyenoord Rotterdam . The stadium is located in the city-centre of the capital city of Tirana. Precisely on

1748-446: The stadium would most likely be inaugurated on 11 June 2019 but had to be tested and inspected by UEFA officials beforehand. However, the plan for the inauguration was postponed due to the delay in work and the pitch just being installed. The first test match was originally set to be played on 3 November, but was delayed by a week due to heavy rains. The first match, a women's fixture between KF Vllaznia and KF Apollonia held on 10 November,

1794-413: The stadium. The project envisioned the transfer of ownership of all non-sporting and commercial spaces in favour of the company, as well as the construction of a tower on one side of the stadium which would also be owned by the company. This attempt also failed during negotiations between the government and the investor because the company requested the government to provide bank guarantees for the loans that

1840-458: The time. The federation was one of the founding members of UEFA in 1954. On 14 March 2008, FSHF were suspended by FIFA for "heavy political interference." This meant that their national teams were banned from playing official matches, representatives banned from official events, and referees unable to officiate FIFA-sanctioned matches. The ban was subsequently lifted as the political interferences were clarified, and on 27 May 2008, Albania played

1886-496: Was attended by many fans and won by Vllaznia 2–0, with the first-ever goal at the stadium scored by Arbiona Bajraktari . Arena Kombëtare, now under the new official name of Air Albania Stadium, was officially inaugurated with a ceremony on 17 November 2019, 1274 days after the final game at the old stadium. The first match, was valid for the Euro 2020 qualifiers played at 20:45 between the national teams of Albania and France , which

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1932-490: Was commissioned to design the new stadium. The project envisioned the construction of a 33,000 all-seated stadium with an exterior facade representing Albanian state borders and its flag colours. But it never went ahead with the implementation of the project, considering it too expensive for the state budget which would cover most of the construction costs. In November 2013 the President of the FSHF, Armand Duka stated that UEFA will no longer allow European competitions such as

1978-816: Was conceived and built during the Kingdom of Albania and later during the Italian occupation by architects and urban planners Gherardo Bosio , Armando Brasini and Florestano Di Fausto . The stadium is surrounded by other public buildings such as the University of Tirana, the Palace of Congress, the Archaeological Museum, University of Arts, the Presidential palace, etc. For more than 60 years since its construction, Qemal Stafa Stadium served as

2024-432: Was decided that the new stadium, which will replace the current one and will cost 60M Euro, will be 75% of FSHF and 25% of the Albanian government. General Sponsor Technical Sponsor Premium Sponsor Official Sponsors Albanian Superliga Kategoria Superiore ( transl.  Superior Category ), also known as Abissnet Superiore for sponsorship reasons with internet service provider, Abissnet,

2070-637: Was first introduced to Albania by an English-Maltese priest named Gut Ruter, who visited the Saverian college in Shkodër in 1908. The first football club in Albania was Indipendenca, founded in Shkodër in 1912 by Palokë Nika. The first 90-minute game with two 45-minute halves was played in October 1913 between Indipendenca Shkodër and the occupying Austro-Hungarian Imperial Navy . The game is considered to be

2116-637: Was founded in 1911 as the Albanian National Championship before the independence of Albania as a Knockout format. In 1930, it was officially recognised by FSHF during the reign of King Zog . Since 1930, 45 clubs have competed in recognised competitions, while only ten clubs have won the title: Tirana (26), Dinamo Tirana (18), Partizani (17), Vllaznia (9), Skënderbeu (8), Elbasani (2), Teuta (2), Flamurtari (1), Egnatia (1) and Kukësi (1). The current champions are Egnatia , who won their 1st title in 2023–24. Football

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