2017–18 Football Superleague of Kosovo

The 2017–18 Football Superleague of Kosovo season, also known as the Vala Superleague of Kosovo for sponsorship reasons, was the 19th^[a] season of top-tier football in Kosovo. The season began on 18 August 2017 and concluded on 20 May 2018. Trepça'89 are the defending champions from the previous season. A total of 12 teams are competing in the league: nine teams from the 2016–17 season and three promoted from the 2016–17 First League.

Football Superleague of Kosovo

Season	2017–18
Dates	18 August 2017 – 20 May 2018
Champions	Drita (2nd title)
Relegated	Vllaznia Pozheran Besa Pejë Vëllaznimi
Champions League	Drita
Europa League	Prishtina
Matches played	209
Goals scored	469 (2.24 per match)
Top goalscorer	Otto John Mirlind Daku (16 goals each)^[1]
Biggest home win	Drenica 6–2 Vllaznia Pozheran (28 April 2018)
Biggest away win	Besa Pejë 1–6 Llapi (22 November 2017)
Highest scoring	Drenica 6–2 Vllaznia Pozheran (28 April 2018)
Longest winning run	28 matches Drita
Longest unbeaten run	18 matches Prishtina
Longest winless run	25 matches Vllaznia Pozheran
Longest losing run	25 matches Vllaznia Pozheran
← 2016–17 2018–19 → All statistics correct as of 20 May 2018.

Teams and stadiums

 

 

Pristina

 

Llapi

 

Gjilan

 

Drenica

 

Vllaznia

 

Besa

 

Vëllaznimi

 

Feronikeli

 

Liria

 

Trepça'89

 

Pristina clubs:

 

Prishtina
Flamurtari

 

Gjilan clubs:

 

Gjilani
Drita

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Locations of the 2017–18 Football Superleague of Kosovo teams

Trepça and Hajvalia were relegated after finishing the previous season in eleventh and twelfth-place respectively. They were replaced by the champions and runners-up of the 2016–17 First League, Flamurtari and Vëllaznimi respectively. Vllaznia Pozheran defeated Ferizaj in a play-off to claim their top-flight spot.

Note: Table lists in alphabetical order.

Club	Town	Stadium	UEFA license
Besa Pejë	Peć	Shahin Haxhiislami Stadium
Drenica	Skenderaj	Bajram Aliu Stadium
Drita	Gjilan	Gjilan City Stadium^[b]
Feronikeli	Glogovac	Rexhep Rexhepi Stadium
Flamurtari	Pristina	Fadil Vokrri Stadium
Gjilani	Gjilan	Gjilan City Stadium^[b]
Liria	Prizren	Përparim Thaçi Stadium
Llapi	Podujevo	Zahir Pajaziti City Stadium
Prishtina	Pristina	Fadil Vokrri Stadium
Trepça'89	Mitrovica	Riza Lushta Stadium
Vëllaznimi	Gjakova	Gjakova City Stadium
Vllaznia Pozheran	Požaranje	Gjilan City Stadium

Source:

League table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Drita (C)	33	18	13	2	53	21	+32	67	Qualification for the Champions League preliminary round
2	Prishtina	33	18	10	5	39	18	+21	64	Qualification for the Europa League preliminary round
3	Llapi	33	16	6	11	51	41	+10	54
4	Trepça'89	33	14	11	8	41	25	+16	53
5	Liria	33	13	9	11	34	30	+4	48
6	Feronikeli	33	10	18	5	32	18	+14	48
7	Drenica	33	13	9	11	34	27	+7	48
8	Gjilani	33	10	16	7	29	21	+8	46
9	Vëllaznimi (R)	33	10	14	9	29	28	+1	44	Qualification for the relegation play-offs
10	Flamurtari (O)	33	6	7	20	28	53	−25	25
11	Besa Pejë (R)	33	6	4	23	28	64	−36	22	Relegation to First Football League of Kosovo
12	Vllaznia Pozheran (R)	33	3	5	25	16	68	−52	14

Source: (in Albanian), Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goal scored; 4) Head-to-head points; 5) Head-to-Head goal difference; 6) Head-to-Head away goal scored; 7) Head-to-Head goal scored; 8) Play-offs (only if needed to decide champion or teams for relegation).
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (R) Relegated

Results

Each team plays three times against every opponent (either twice at home and once away or once at home and twice away) for a total of 33 games played each.

Matches 1–22 Home \ Away BES DRE DRI FRN FLA GJI LIR LLA PRI T89 VËL VLL Besa Pejë — 0–2 2–0 0–5 2–0 0–0 2–0 1–6 1–3 0–1 1–2 3–1 Drenica 2–2 — 0–0 0–0 4–1 1–0 1–0 1–2 1–1 1–0 1–0 1–0 Drita 2–0 3–0 — 1–0 0–0 1–1 4–3 3–1 0–0 1–1 1–1 3–0 Feronikeli 2–1 1–0 1–1 — 1–0 2–1 0–1 0–0 0–0 0–1 3–0 1–0 Flamurtari 3–1 1–2 1–1 2–2 — 0–1 0–0 2–1 0–2 2–2 0–3^[b] 2–1 Gjilani 2–1 2–1 0–0 1–1 1–0 — 1–0 2–0 0–0 0–0 1–1 1–0 Liria 3–0 1–0 2–0 1–0 2–0 0–0 — 3–0 1–0 1–0 2–2 2–1 Llapi 2–0 1–0 0–1 1–1 1–0 1–1 0–2 — 3–0 0–0 2–0 4–1 Prishtina 4–0 0–2 0–1 0–0 3–1 2–1 1–0 2–0 — 2–0 1–0 2–1 Trepça'89 3–0 1–0 1–1 0–0 3–1 1–2 2–0 3–1 0–2 — 1–0 2–0 Vëllaznimi 1–0 1–1 1–1 0–0 2–0 0–0 1–0 0–3 0–0 0–0 — 3–0 Vllaznia Pozheran 1–0 0–0 0–4 0–3 2–0 0–0 0–0 0–1 0–2 2–1 1–2 — Source: (in Albanian) Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Matches 23–33 Home \ Away BES DRE DRI FRN FLA GJI LIR LLA PRI T89 VËL VLL Besa Pejë — 0–1 0–2 — 0–4 1–0 — 3–4 — — — — Drenica — — — 0–0 2–0 — 1–1 — 1–0 — — 6–2 Drita — 3–1 — 3–1 3–1 — 3–0 — — 3–1 — 2–0 Feronikeli 2–1 — — — — — 0–0 2–2 0–0 0–0 1–1 — Flamurtari — — — 0–3 — — 1–2 — 0–2 — 1–0 4–1 Gjilani — 1–1 1–1 0–0 0–0 — — — — 2–0 — 4–0 Liria 2–2 — — — — 3–2 — 1–2 0–1 0–2 1–1 — Llapi — 1–0 1–3 — 3–1 1–0 — — — 3–3 — 2–0 Prishtina 1–0 — 0–0 — — 2–1 — 3–2 — 0–0 2–2 — Trepça'89 2–0 1–0 — — 0–0 — — — — — 3–0 6–1 Vëllaznimi 0–0 1–0 0–1 — — 0–0 — 2–0 — — — — Vllaznia Pozheran 1–4 — — 0–0 — — 0–0 — 0–1 — 0–2 — Source: (in Albanian) Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Relegation play-offs

The ninth and tenth-placed teams, Vëllaznimi and Flamurtari respectively, each paired off against the third and fourth-placed teams from the 2017–18 First Football League of Kosovo season, Vushtrria and Ferizaj respectively; the two winners will play in the top-flight next season. As with previous seasons, both play-offs will be played on neutral ground.

23 May 2018 (2018-05-23)

16:00 (CEST)

Vushtrria	1–1 (a.e.t.)	Flamurtari
J. Topalli   83'		A. Ajzeraj   14'
Penalties
L. Osmani   A. Prishtina   F. Ibrahimi   E. Halimi   D. Maxhuni   D. Dragusha	5–6	A. Azemi   V. Shabani   S. Sahiti   G. Ahmeti   A. Ajzeraj   A. Shillova

Rexhep Rexhepi Stadium, Glogovac

Referee: B. Batalli

Flamurtari retained their spot in 2018–19 Football Superleague of Kosovo; Vushtrria remained in 2018–19 First Football League of Kosovo.

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24 May 2018 (2018-05-24)

16:00 (CEST)

Ferizaj	0–0 (a.e.t.)	Vëllaznimi
Penalties
B. Shabani   E. Hashani   D. Qerkini   F. Berisha   F. Guraziu	3–2	L. Vula   T. Bardhoku   R. Asare   B. Qorri   B. Krasniqi

Rexhep Rexhepi Stadium, Glogovac

Ferizaj were promoted to 2018–19 Football Superleague of Kosovo; Vëllaznimi were relegated to 2018–19 First Football League of Kosovo.

Season statistics

Scoring

Top scorers

As of matches played on 20 May 2018.^[1]

Rank	Player	Club	Goals
1	Otto John	Trepça'89	17
	Mirlind Daku	Llapi
2	Artur Magani	Liria	13
	Kastriot Rexha	Drita
3	Genc Hamiti	Drenica	12
4	Xhevdet Shabani	Drita	10
	Betim Haxhimusa	Gjilani
5	Mark Milicaj	Feronikeli	8
	Albutrint Morina	Feronikeli
	Ahmed Januzi	Prishtina
6	Fetim Kasapi	Besa Pejë	7
	Fidan Gërbeshi	Drita
	Mendurim Hoti	Feronikeli
	Gauthier Mankenda	Prishtina
7	Mentor Zhdrella	Llapi	6
	Florim Bërbatovci	Llapi
	Florent Hasani	Trepça'89
8	Alban Shillova	Flamurtari	5
	Armend Thaqi	Gjilani
	Gëzim Rusi	Gjilani
	Hamdi Namani	Llapi
	Semir Zeneli	Vëllaznimi
	Denis Peposhi	Drenica
9	Ardit Jaupaj	Flamurtari	4
	Zenel Gavazaj	Liria
	Gentrit Begolli	Llapi
	Altin Merlaku	Llapi
	Armend Dallku	Prishtina
	Shpëtim Idrizi	Trepça'89
	Lekë Vula	Vëllaznimi
	Almedin Murati	Vllaznia Pozheran

Notes and references

Notes

1. This season was the 19th season under the name Football Superleague of Kosovo, the 25th season of top-tier football and the 71st season of football in Kosovo overall.
2. The two teams, Drita and Gjilan, which use this stadium together with their fans, have named the stadium with different names. Drita and their fans call the stadium as Selami Osmani-Bezi Stadium, while Gjilan and their fans call the stadium as Agim Ramadani Stadium, but officially the stadium is called Gjilan City Stadium.^[2]
3. Match awarded 3–0 to Vëllaznimi due to crowd violence caused by the Flamurtari fans; the match was abandoned in the 90th minute, with the result being 1–1.^[3]

References

1. "Top golashënuesit" [Top scorers]. Borozani (in Albanian). Retrieved 18 August 2017.
2. "Çfarë emri duhet të ketë stadiumi i qytetit në Gjilan" [What should be the name of the city stadium in Gjilan]. RajoniPress (in Albanian). 31 January 2017. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
3. "Vendimi i KG-së për ndeshjen Flamurtari – Vëllaznimi" [The CC's decision on the Flamurtari – Vëllaznimi game] (in Albanian). Football Federation of Kosovo. 23 October 2017.

External links

• Official website