Current season, competition or edition: 2024–25 Albanian Basketball League | |
| Sport | Basketball |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1946 |
| No. of teams | 6 |
| Country |  Albania |
| Continent |  FIBA Europe (Europe) |
| Most recent champion | Besëlidhja (2nd title) (2024–25) |
| Most titles | Partizani (33 titles) |
| Broadcaster | RTSH |
| Level on pyramid | 1st |
| Relegation to | First League |
| Related competitions | Albanian Cup Albanian Supercup |
| Official website | fshb |
TheAlbanian Basketball League (Albanian:Liga Shqiptare e Basketbollit), officially known asSuperliga, is the top-tier men’s professionalbasketball competition inAlbania. Established in 1946 by theAlbanian Basketball Federation (FSHB), it is one of the oldest basketball leagues in theBalkans.
Partizani is the most successful club in league history, having won a record 33 titles. The league currently features 6 professional teams.[1]
Basketball saw rapid growth in Albania during the post-war period and by the 1970s, almost every city had its own court or arena. However, after thefall of communism, the sport experienced a decline. Many clubs were downsized or dissolved, as players migrated to pursue careers abroad. Fan attendance dropped significantly and basketball lost much of its previous popularity.
A revival began in the mid-1990s, when several cities reestablished their teams and invested in rebuilding the sport. Today, alongside the 12 professional teams, there are numerous amateur clubs across the country looking to advance into the professional leagues.[2]
In both the Superliga andLiga e Parë, each of the six teams play a 20-game regular season, facing their opponent four times — twice at home and twice away — divided into two separate phases. This structure ensures balanced competition and consistent match activity throughout the season.
At the conclusion of the regular season, the top four teams advance to the playoffs. In the semifinals, the 1st place team plays against the 4th place team, while the 2nd place team faces the 3rd. Each series is played in a best-of-three format, with matches held both home and away until one team wins two games and qualifies for the final.
The final is played over multiple legs, with games alternating between the home courts of the two finalists depending on the draw. The first team to win three games is crowned champion.
Each win awards 2 points and each loss earns 1 point.
At the bottom of the table, the teams that finish in 5th and 6th place respectively are excluded from the playoff stage. The 6th place team is relegated to Liga e Parë, while the 5th place team plays a promotion/relegation playoff against the second-place team from Liga B. The winner secures a spot in the Superliga for the next season.
| Team | Location | Colours | Arena | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apolonia | Fier | Fier Sports Hall | 680 | |
| Besëlidhja | Lezhë | Asllan Rusi Sports Palace | 4,000 | |
| Kamza | Kamëz | Bathore Sports Hall | 500 | |
| Teuta | Durrës | Ramazan Njala Sports Palace | 1,663 | |
| Tirana | Tirana | Farie Hoti Sports Palace | 1,200 | |
| Vllaznia | Shkodër | Qazim Dervishi Sports Palace | 1,200 |
| Season | Champion |
|---|---|
| 1945–46 | 17 Nëntori |
| 1946–47 | Ylli Kuq |
| 1947–48 | 17 Nëntori |
| 1948–49 | 17 Nëntori |
| 1949–50 | 17 Nëntori |
| 1950–51 | Partizani |
| 1951–52 | Partizani |
| 1952–53 | Partizani |
| 1953–54 | Partizani |
| 1954–55 | Teuta |
| 1955–56 | Partizani |
| 1956–57 | Tirana |
| 1957–58 | Partizani |
| 1958–59 | Partizani |
| 1959–60 | Partizani |
| 1960–61 | 17 Nëntori |
| 1961–62 | 17 Nëntori |
| 1962–63 | 17 Nëntori |
| 1963–64 | Partizani |
| 1964–65 | 17 Nëntori |
| Season | Champion |
|---|---|
| 1966–67 | Vllaznia |
| 1967–68 | Partizani |
| 1968–69 | Partizani |
| 1969–70 | Partizani |
| 1970–71 | 17 Nëntori |
| 1971–72 | Partizani |
| 1972–73 | Partizani |
| 1973–74 | Partizani |
| 1974–75 | Partizani |
| 1975–76 | Partizani |
| 1976–77 | Partizani |
| 1977–78 | Partizani |
| 1978–79 | Partizani |
| 1979–80 | Partizani |
| 1980–81 | Partizani |
| 1981–82 | Partizani |
| 1982–83 | Partizani |
| 1983–84 | Partizani |
| 1984–85 | Partizani |
| 1985–86 | Partizani |
| Season | Champion |
|---|---|
| 1986–87 | Partizani |
| 1987–88 | Partizani |
| 1988–89 | Partizani |
| 1989–90 | Vllaznia |
| 1990–91 | Partizani |
| 1991–92 | Partizani |
| 1992–93 | Vllaznia |
| 1993–94 | Adelin |
| 1994–95 | Dinamo |
| 1995–96 | Partizani |
| 1996–97 | Vllaznia |
| 1997–98 | Vllaznia |
| 1998–99 | Tirana |
| 1999–00 | Vllaznia |
| 2000–01 | Tirana |
| 2001–02 | Tirana |
| 2002–03 | Valbona |
| 2003–04 | Valbona |
| 2004–05 | Valbona |
| 2005–06 | Valbona |
| Season | Champion |
|---|---|
| 2006–07 | Valbona |
| 2007–08 | Tirana |
| 2008–09 | Tirana |
| 2009–10 | Tirana |
| 2010–11 | Tirana |
| 2011–12 | Tirana |
| 2012–13 | Kamza |
| 2013–14 | Vllaznia |
| 2014–15 | Vllaznia |
| 2015–16 | Vllaznia |
| 2016–17 | Tirana |
| 2017–18 | Tirana |
| 2018–19 | Goga |
| 2019–20 | Abandoned due to theCOVID-19 pandemic |
| 2020–21 | Teuta |
| 2021–22 | Teuta |
| 2022–23 | Tirana |
| 2023–24 | Besëlidhja |
| 2024–25 | Besëlidhja |
| Team | Titles | Years won |
|---|---|---|
Partizani | 33 | 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1964, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1995–96 |
| Tirana | 21 | 1946, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1957, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1970–71, 1998–99, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2022–23 |
| Vllaznia | 9 | 1966–67, 1989–90, 1992–93, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1999–00, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16 |
| Kamza* (Valbona) | 6 | 2002–03, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2012–13 |
| Teuta | 4 | 1947, 1955, 2020–21, 2021–22 |
| Besëlidhja | 2 | 2023–24, 2024-25 |
| Adelin Pogradec | 1 | 1993–94 |
| Dinamo | 1 | 1994–95 |
| Goga | 1 | 2018–19 |
