FC Flamurtari Vlorë / FK Fljamurtari Valona

FC Flamurtari Valona

One of the oldest football clubs in Albania was founded in 1923 in the port of Valona called the Shoqeria Sportive Valona. The club was founded with the intention of being the best and most popular in the city. Only club financing at that time did not represent a problem. The funds were covered by donations from members and from various activities in the city for the purpose of functioning of the football club. The city of Valona, located on the shores of the Ionian Sea, was the capital of Albania for a very short time. During the 1920s, the club played only friendly matches, mostly against local clubs, but also against clubs from Italy and Montenegro. The club from Valona is one of the founders of the football association of Albania, and it also took part in the first championship of this country in 1930, taking the last place under the name Sportklub Shoperia Valona.

After the founding, the club performed in white jerseys, mainly because of the insistence of the former president of the club, following as an example clubs from England, although the original agreement when the club was formed was that club colors should be red and black, as the colors of the national flag of Albania.

In the mid-1930s, there were major financial problems in the club. One of the first moves of the new club owner was to associate with a local youth club. After this move of the new management, the club changed its name to Shoqat Sportive Ismail Qemali. The club was named after Ismail Qemali, the most respected historical figure in Albania, who proclaimed Albania's independence in Valona on December 28, 1912.

Only in 1937, for the first time, red black striped jerseys were noticed in photographs and based on the articles from local newspapers.

At the beginning of the World War II in Europe in 1939, Italy occupied Albania and this country began to be under its direct protectorate. Football in most Albanian cities continued to play but only unofficial matches. Valona, as the largest Albanian port, was the base of German submarines and the city was bombarded by the British on several occasions. For these reasons, the club from Valona could not function during the war period.

The club continued its work in 1944 under the name Flamurtari, which in translation means standard-bearer. Footballers of this team played in red jerseys. The first post-war championship began in September 1945, and Flamurtari took 4th place from 6 teams. Over the next 40 years, the club failed to achieve the dream of its fans and win the Championship title, although they played on a few occasions in the finals of the Championship. In 1951, the club again changed its name into Pune football club (football club Rad), so that later they would change the name of the club back to Flamurtari, in 1958. During this period, the greatest success of this team was the finals of the National Cup where they were defeated by Dinamo from Tirana. This is the first defeat of Flamurtari in the Cup final of total eight in its history.

Football in Albania progressed slowly in that period, because the people themselves did not have too much access to information, the country was closed, and the only view to the world was through state television and radio channels that did not transmit a realistic picture of the world. The freedom of speech and movement was restricted to the people. At the beginning of the 60’, the Port of Valona lost its significance after the Albanian leader Enver Hoxha turned to cooperation with China. Albania withdrew from the Warsaw Pact and Soviet ships sailed from Valona.

The Golden Period of the Club was in the 80’ of previous century when they finally returned to the top of the Albanian football. The beginning of the golden age of the club coincided with the re-introduction of red black jerseys, which today is a trademark of this club. During that period, Flamurtari had reached the National cup five times, but only on two occasions they managed to reach the trophy, in 1985 and 1988, and on several occasions to achieve, for their conditions, notable results in the European competitions. In the 1985/86 season, Flamurtari was eliminated in the first round of the UEFA Cup from Spanish Barcelona (featuring Mark Hughes, Gary Lineker, Antonio Zubizareta and Viktor Muñoz), without a defeat, due to the goal rule during visit, thanks to Esteban Benitez's goal at the end of the match in Valona (0: 0 1: 1). In the following season, Flamurtari achieved their most significant result in European competitions. In the first round of the UEFA Cup, the red black eliminated the Belgrade Partizan thanks to the Eurogoal of Sokol Kushta at the JNA stadium in Belgrade. This match will become an integral part of the history of both these clubs. In the next round, Flamurtari surprised again by eliminating East German Vizmut Aue (0: 1, 2: 0). In the 1/16 of the finals of UEFA Cup, Flamurtari was again assigned to Barcelona. At the Nou Camp stadium, Barcelona beat them with 4:1 result with two goals from Lineker. In the draw game, in front of a crowded stadium, Flamurtari scored a 1: 0 goal by Sokol Kushta, but that was insufficient to continue the European fairy tale of the Valona players.

1984/85

1986/87

In 1990, Albania left the one-party system. Communism fell, Alija Ramiz came to power, and later Sali Berisha, and Albania slowly became a more open country. In the 1990/1991 season Flamurtari won their first and only Championship title in the history of the club. Football players of this club failed to round up a great season, and win in the Cup final where they were defeated by Partizani from Tirana after the performance of penalty-kick. With this title, Flamurtari gained the right to their first and only participation in the Champions Cup where they were eliminated in the first round by the Swedish Goteborg (1: 1, 0: 0). But only then problems began, because of the new system and openness of Albania towards Europe, many players have left the club and went abroad. In the next season, the club started with a six-point deficit because of financial problems. In the 90’ Flamurtari had very variable results. The Valona players were the closest to win the title 1996/97 season but they failed to do so mostly due to the situation in the country that dominated after the Democratic Party manipulated the election results in 1996. The disorders culminated in 1997 when there were fierce riots in major cities that were controlled by street gangs and armed "citizen groups" at one point. After these events, the club became stable, but there was no success in the Championship. Flamurtari won two more national cups in 2009 and 2014, but without much success in European competitions. In the 2016/17 season, In the last round, the club managed to fight for survival in the first league.

Cup winners / Pobednici kupa

Football Club Flamurtari performs at the city stadium in Valona with a capacity of 16,500 places. Earlier they performed at the stadium on which their training center is today.

(Foto: Flamurtari official)

Flamurtari fans are called "Red Black Fleet". They the matches of their club from the eastern stand. They are considered to be the most faithful fans in the country. But today the stadium in Valona has far less audience than during the Communist.

     

 Flamurtari : Partizan (foto: crno-bela-nostalgija.blogspot.com)

Sokol Kushta vs Barcelona

FK Fljamurtari Valona

Jedan od najstarijih fudbalskih klubova u Albaniji osnovan je 1923. godine u luci Valoni pod nazivom Shoqeria Sportive Valona. Klub je osnovan sa namerom da bude najbolji i najpopularniji u gradu. Samo finansiranje kluba u to vreme nije predstavljao problem. Finansije su bile pokrivene donacijama članova i  od različitih aktivnosti u gradu u svrhu funkcionisanja fudbalskog kluba. Sam grad Valona, koji se nalazi na obali Jonskog mora, na kratko je bila prestonica Albanije. Tokom 20-ih godina prošlog veka klub je igrao samo prijateljske mečeve, uglavnom protiv lokalnih klubova, ali i protiv klubova iz Italije i Crne Gore. Klub iz Valone jedan je od osnivača fudbalskog saveza Albanije, a učestvovao je i u prvom šampionatu ove zemlje 1930. godine. zauzevši poslednje mesto pod imenom Sportklub Shoperia.

Nakon osnivanja, klub je nastupao u belim dresovima, najviše zbog insistiranja tadašnjeg predsednika kluba, a po uzoru na klubove iz Engleske, iako je prvobitni dogovor prilikom stvaranja kluba bio da klubske boje budu crveno crne po ugledu na državnu zastavu Albanije.

Sredinom 30-ih godina došlo je do velikih finansijskih problema u klubu. Jedan od prvih poteza novog vlasnika kluba bilo je udruživanje sa jednim lokalnim omladinskim klubom. Nakon ovakvog poteza novog rukovodstva, klub je promenio ime u Shoqata Sportive Ismail Qemali. Naziv su dobili po Ismailu Qemaliju, najcenjenijoj istorijskoj ličnosti u Albaniji koji je upravo u Valoni proglasio nezavisnost  Albanije 28.12.1912. godine.

Tek 1937. godine  prvi put su primećeni crveno-crni prugasti dresovi na fotografijama i na osnovu članaka iz lokalnih novina.

Početkom Drugog svetskog rata u Evropi 1939. godine Italija je zauzela Albaniju i time je ova zemlja počela da bude pod njenim direktnim protektoratom. Fudbal u većini albanskih gradova je nastavio da se igra ali samo nezvanični mečevi. Valona, kao najveća albanska luka, bila je baza nemačkih podmornica i grad je u više navrata bombardovan od strane Britanaca. Iz tih razloga klub iz Valone nije mogao da funkcioniše tokom ratnog perioda.

Klub nastavlja sa radom 1944. godine pod imenom Fljamurtari, što u bukvalnom prevodu znači barjaktari. Fudbaleri ovog tima nastupali su u crvenim dresovima. Prvi posleratni šampionat počeo je septembra meseca 1945. godine. Fljamurtari je zauzeo 4. mesto od 6 ekipa. U narednih 40-ak godina ovaj klub nije uspeo da ostvari san svojih navijača i osvoji titulu prvaka, iako su u nekoliko navrata igrali u finalu prvenstva. Godine 1951. klub opet menja ime u fudbalski klub Puna (fudbalski klub Rad). Da bi 1958. godine ponovo vratili ime klubu u Fljamurtari. U tom periodu najveći uspeh ovog tima je bilo finale nacionalnog Kupa gde su poraženi od Dinama iz Tirane. Ovo je prvi poraz Fljamurtarija u finalima Kupa od ukupno 8 tokom svoje istorije.

Fudbal u Albaniji je u tom periodu sporo je napredovao, jer i sam narod nije imao preveliki pristup informacijama, zemlja je bila zatvorena, a jedini pogled u svet im je bio preko državnih televizijskih i radio kanala koji nisu prenosili realnu sliku o dešavanjima u svetu. A narodu je bila ograničena sloboda govora i kretanja. Pocetkom 60-ih godina i luka Valona je izgubila na svom značaju nakon što se Albanski vodja Enver Hodža okrenuo više ka saradnji sa Kinom. Albanija je istupila iz Varšavskog pakta i Sovjetski brodovi su otplovili iz Valone.

Zlatni preriod kluba su 80-e godine prošlog veka kada su se konačno vratili u vrh albanskog fudbala. Početkom zlatne ere kluba poklopilo se sa ponovnim uvođenjem crveno crnih dresova, što danas predstavlja zaštitni znak ovog kluba. U tom periodu Fljamurtari je pet puta stigao do završnice nacionalnog Kupa, ali samo u dva navrata su uspeli da dodju do trofeja 1985. i 1988. godine i u više navrata da ostvare, za njihove uslove, zapažene rezultate u Evropskim takmičenjima. U sezoni 1985/86. Fljamurtari je eliminisan u prvom kolu Kupa UEFA od španske Barselone (u kojoj su nastupali: Mark Hjuz, Gari Lineker, Antonio Zubizareta i Viktor Munjoz), bez poraza, zbog pravila gola u gostima, golom Estebana Beniteza u samom finišu meča u Valoni (0:0 1:1). Naredne sezone Fljamurtari je ostvario svoj najzapeženiji rezultat u evropskim takmičenjima. U prvom kolu Kupa UEFA crveno crni su eliminisali beogradski Partizan zahvaljujući evrogolu Sokolja Kušte na stadionu JNA u Beogradu. Ova utakmica postaće sastavni deo istorije oba ova kluba. U narednoj rundi, Fljamurtari je ostvario još jedno iznenađenje eliminisavši istočnonemački Vizmut Aue  (0:1, 2:0). U 1/16 finala Kupa UEFA žreb je Fljamurtariju opet dodelio Barselonu. Na stadionu Nou Kamp, Barselona je pobedila 4:1 uz dva gola Linekera. U revanš utakmici, pred prepunim stadionom, Fljamurtari je ostvario pobedu 1:0 golom Sokolja Kušte, ali nedovoljnim za nastavak evropske bajke fudbalera iz Valone.

Godine 1990. Albanija je napustila jednopartijski sistem. Komunizam je pao, na vlast je dosao Alija Ramiz, nešto kasnije i Sali Beriša, a Albanija je polako postajala otvorenija zemlja. U sezoni 1990/1991. Fljamurtari je osvojio svoju prvu i jedinu šampionsku titulu u istoriji kluba. Sjajnu sezonu fudbaleri ovog kluba nisu uspeli da zaokruže i pobedom u finalu Kupa gde su poraženi od Partizana iz Tirane nakon izvođenja jedanajsteraca. Ovom titulom Fljamurtari je stekao pravo na svoje prvo i jedino učešće u Kupu šampiona gde su eliminisani u prvom kolu od švedskog Geteborga (1:1, 0:0).  Ali tek tada kreću problemi, zbog novog sistema i otvorenosti Albanije prema Evropi, mnogi igrači su napustili klub i uputili se u inostranstvo.

Već naredne sezone klub je krenuo sa minusom od šest bodova zbog finansijskih problema. U nastavku 90-ih godina Fljamurtari je imao veoma promenljive rezultate. Najbliži osvajanju titule fudbaleri iz Valone bili su sezone 1996/97. ali u tome nisu uspeli najviše zbog stanja u državi koje je zavladalo nakon što je demokratska stranka manipulisala izbornim rezultatima 1996. godine. Neredi su kulminirali 1997. godine kada je došlo do žestokih nemira u većim gradovima koje su u jednom momentu kontrolisale ulične bande i naoružane ,,grupe građana”. Nakon ovih događaja klub je postao stabilan, ali uspeha u prvenstvu nije bilo. Fljamurtari je osvojio još dva nacionalna kupa 2009. i 2014. godine, ali bez većih uspeha u evropskim takmičenjima. U sezoni 2016/17. klub je u poslednjem kolu  uspeo da se izbori za opstanak u prvoligaškom društvu.

Fudbalski klub Fljamurtari nastupa na gradskom stadionu u Valoni kapaciteta 16500 mesta. Ranije su nastupali na stadionu na cijem se mestu danas nalazi njihov trening centar.

Navijači Fljamurtarija nazivaju se ,,crveno crna flota”. Utakmice svog kluba prate sa istočne tribine. Smatraju se za najvernije navijače u zemlji. Ali danas na stadionu u Valoni ima daleko manje publike u odnosu na komunističko doba.

Nikola Radulović

translation/ prevod: Tea Besu