KF Egnatia Rrogozhinë

Egnatia
Full nameKlubi i Futbollit Egnatia Rrogozhinë
Founded15 September 1934 (1934-09-15)
GroundEgnatia Arena
Rrogozhinë
Capacity4,000
OwnerDemrozi Costruzioni S.r.l. (37.5%)
Foglia Engineering S.r.l. (37.5%)
Rrogozhinë Municipality (25%)[1]
PresidentAgim Demrozi
ManagerEdlir Tetova
LeagueKategoria Superiore
2024–25Kategoria Superiore, 1st of 10 (champions)

KF Egnatia Rrogozhinë (Albanian: Klubi i Futbollit Egnatia Rrogozhinë), commonly referred to as Egnatia, is an Albanian professional football club based in Rrogozhinë. The club competes in the Kategoria Superiore, the top tier of Albanian football. Their home ground is the Egnatia Arena, which has a capacity of 4,000 spectators.

The club was founded on 15 September 1934 under the name 22 Shtatori Rrogozhinë. In 1991 the name of the club was changed to Vullneti Rrogozhinë, before being renamed to its current title of KF Egnatia 1998. The club secured its first championship title in 2024.

History

The passion and desire for the game of football was integrated into the hearts of local citizens and patriots since the early years of World War I. Rrogozhinë, being neighbours to Kavajë, a city with a long tradition in football on a national level, knew how to use this experience to its own advantage by forming initially an amateur level team which would later go on to compete in the second division of Albanian football. The very first match in club history was a friendly between Besa in 1934 which ended in a 1–7 loss. Mustafa Cara, a student of agronomy in Bari, Italy who had returned home for vacation (he was a player for Fidelis Andria, a Serie B club in Italy at the time), scored 5 goals for Besa.

Following the liberation of the country after World War II, the league structure changed by allowing only district level teams to compete in the top two divisions. This made it difficult for Rrogozhinë, a locality at the time, to compete on a national level.[2]

Egnatia had one season in the top tier of Albanian football after winning promotion in summer 2004.[3] They were only relegated on the first attempt,[4] with Alfred Ferko succeeding Hysen Dedja and Petrit Haxhia as first team coach during the season.

Recent years

Egnatia were promoted back to the top flight of Albanian football, the Kategoria Superiore, for the second time in their history on 2 May 2021, following a 1–0 victory over local rivals Besa Kavajë in the Promotion Round of the 2020–21 Kategoria e Parë.[5] Under head coach Gugash Magani, they finished top of Group B during the regular season and qualified for the Promotion Round, where they also finished top, securing their place in the championship final held on 21 May 2021 against the winners of Group A, Dinamo Tirana, where they won 1–0 through a stoppage-time winner from Ndriçim Shtubina.[6][7][8] In 26 May 2024, Egnatia won their first title of the Kategoria Superiore, after beating Partizani in the final.[9][10][11]

Stadium

The club has played at the existing site of Egnatia Arena, since the team's foundation, the capacity of which was around 1,200, with one small main stand locate to the south. The stadium was originally name Rrogozhina Stadium and was also later known as the Egnatia Stadium as well as the Hasan Zyla Stadium.

The club broke ground on the newly named Arena Egnatia on the existing site of the stadium on 17 February 2021, with the club in pole position to achieve promotion to the Kategoria Superiore, the top tier of Albanian football.[12][13]

In May 2024, it was announced that the club had started working on building the new stand opposite the main Demrozi Stadium stand, to be named posthumously after former player Raphael Dwamena who died playing for the club the previous season. The club was also looking to secure land near the city of Rrogozhinë to build a new training complex in order to move from their existing ground in Lekaj.[14]

Honours

European record

As of match played 1 August 2024

Season Competition Round Club Home Away Agg.
2023–24 UEFA Europa Conference League 1QR Ararat-Armenia 4–4 (aet) 1–1 5–5 (2–4 p)
2024–25 UEFA Champions League 1QR Borac Banja Luka 2–1 (aet) 0–1 2–2 (1–4 p)
UEFA Conference League 2QR Víkingur Reykjavík 0–2 1–0 1–2
2025–26 UEFA Champions League 1QR Breiðablik
Notes
  • QR: Qualifying round

Egnatia statistics in Kategoria Superiore

Since the Kategoria Superiore began in 2004, KF Egnatia have played 146 Superliga matches, scored 154 goals and conceded 167. The club has collected so far 178 points, won 48 games, drawn 38 and lost 60. The club's goal difference is -13.

Data correct up to 29th May 2024.[15]

Recent seasons

Season League Cup Supercup European competitions Top goalscorer
Division P W D L F A Pts Pos Player Goals
2004–05 Superiore 36 7 7 22 26 48 28 9th R1 Elton Çeno 6
2021–22 Superiore 36 8 11 17 30 49 35 8th QF Pedro 10
2022–23 Superiore 36 14 10 12 46 32 52 3rd W Raphael Dwamena 9
2023–24 Superiore 36 18 9 9 51 38 63 1st W RU Conference League QR1 Raphael Dwamena 9
2024–25 Superiore 36 16 11 9 47 30 59 1st RU W Champions League
Conference League
QR1
QR2
Regi Lushkja 16
2025–26 Superiore Champions League
Key
League: P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; Pts = Points won; Pos = Final position;
Cup / Europe: PR = Preliminary round; QR = Qualifying round; R1 = First round; R2 = Second round; Group = Group stage; QF = Quarter-final; SF = Semi-final; RU = Runner-up; W = Competition won;

Record transfers

Rank Player To Fee Year
1. Jackson Istanbulspor €400k 2023
2. Melih İbrahimoğlu Konyaspor €350k 2024
3. Alen Sherri Cagliari €300k 2024
4. Gytis Paulauskas Kolos Kovalivka €200k 2024
5. Vusal Isgandarli Boluspor €150k 2024
6. Michael Agbekpornu Slaven Belupo €150k 2024

Players

First-team squad

As of 1 July 2025

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  ALB Klajdi Kuka
2 DF  ALB Amër Duka
4 DF  AZE Zamiq Əliyev
6 MF  ALB Albano Aleksi
7 MF  BRA Fernando Medeiros (captain)
8 FW  NGA Daniel Wotlai
9 FW  CIV Soumaila Bakayoko
10 MF  ALB Regi Lushkja
11 MF  BRA Léo Melo
12 GK  ALB Taulant Troshku
16 DF  ALB Edison Ndreca
18 FW  GHA Mohammed Yahaya
19 DF  KOS Arbenit Xhemajli
No. Pos. Nation Player
22 MF  KSA Yazan Madani
29 DF  ALB Eljon Sota
36 MF  ALB Serxho Ujka
44 DF  ALB Abdurraman Fangaj
70 MF  ALB Regi Lushkja
98 GK  ALB Mario Dajsinani
99 FW  MLI Saliou Guindo
DF  ALB Anio Poçi
MF  ALB Flamur Ruçi
FW  ALB Ildi Gruda
FW  ALB Irdi Morina
FW  KOS Kastriot Selmani
FW  ALB Redi Kasa

Retired numbers

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
7 FW  GHA Raphael Dwamena (2022–2023) – posthumous honour)

Personnel

Current technical staff

Position Name
Head coach Edlir Tetova
Assistant coach Julian Brahja
Goalkeeping coach Taulant Guma
Athletic Coach Andri Babaj
Physiotherapist Edmond Cikalleshi
Doctor Ilir Kapllani
Doctor Emiljano Bizhdili

Management

Position Name
President Agim Demrozi
Board member Agron Kalaja
Board member Idajet Roçi
Board member Gentian Gjuzi
Accountant Muhamed Kullolli
Shareholder Demrozi Costruzioni S.r.l. (37.5%)
Shareholder Foglia Engineering S.r.l. (37.5%)
Shareholder Rrogozhinë Municipality (25%)

Title winning managers

Name Period Trophies
Edlir Tetova 2023– Kategoria Superiore (2) 2023–24,2024–25 Albanian Cup:(2) 2022–23, 2023–24 Albanian Supercup:(1) 2024

List of managers

See also

References

  1. ^ "EKSTRAKT HISTORIK I REGJISTRIT TË PRONARIT PËRFITUES" (PDF). Ministria e Financave dhe Ekonomisë e Shqipërisë (in Albanian). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 May 2024. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  2. ^ "Historiku". Archived from the original on 2021-07-11. Retrieved 2014-05-03.
  3. ^ Albania 2003/04 Archived 2023-03-25 at the Wayback Machine - RSSSF
  4. ^ Albania 2004/05 Archived 2023-03-06 at the Wayback Machine - RSSSF
  5. ^ "EGNATIA RROGOZHINË VS. BESA KAVAJË 1 - 0". Archived from the original on 2024-05-09. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
  6. ^ "Fund dramatik, gafë e Bakajt, Shtubina ndëshkon Dinamon, EGNATIA fiton trofeun e Kategorisë së Parë". 22 May 2021. Archived from the original on 2024-05-09. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
  7. ^ "Egnatia ngjitet në Superiore, Tomori nxjerr nga gara Pogradecin". 2 May 2021. Archived from the original on 2024-05-09. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
  8. ^ "Gol në frymën e fundit! Shtubina "ndriçon" Rrogozhinën, Egnatia triumfon ndaj Dinamos në finale". Archived from the original on 2024-05-09. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
  9. ^ "Mrekulli e Egnatias, kampione e Shqipërisë për herë të parë. Të dy trofetë shkojnë në Rrogozhinë". top-channel.tv. Retrieved 2025-02-23.
  10. ^ "Historike/ Egnatia mposht 0-1 Partizanin në finale dhe fiton për herë të parë trofeun e Superligës shqiptare! 'Demat' zbresin nga froni - Shqiptarja.com". shqiptarja.com (in Albanian). Retrieved 2025-02-23.
  11. ^ "Egnatia, kampione e Shqipërisë për herë të parë". KOHA.net (in Albanian). 2024-05-26. Retrieved 2025-02-23.
  12. ^ "Merr jetë investimi 2 milionë dollarësh/ Rrogozhina në festë, nisin zyrtarisht punimet në "Arena Egnatia"". Panorama Sport (in Albanian). 18 February 2021. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  13. ^ "Stadiumi i ri, nisin punimet për "Arena Egnatia"". ABC News (in Albanian). 17 February 2021. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  14. ^ ""Arena Egnatia", nis puna për ndërtimin e tribunës "Rafael Duamena"". Panorama Sport (in Albanian). 31 May 2024. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  15. ^ "ALBANIA: Superliga". www.flashscore.com. Retrieved 2023-12-17.