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| Full name | Football Club Drita (Albanian:Klubi Futbollistik Drita) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname | Intelektualët (Intellectuals) | |||
| Short name | DFC or DRI | |||
| Founded | 1947; 78 years ago (1947) | |||
| Ground | Gjilan City Stadium | |||
| Capacity | 9,000 | |||
| President | Valon Murseli | |||
| Manager | Zekirija Ramadani | |||
| League | Kosovo Superleague | |||
| 2024–25 | Kosovo Superleague, 1st of 10 (champions) | |||
| Website | www | |||
| Active departments ofFC Drita | ||||||||
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Football Club Drita (Albanian:Klubi Futbollistik Drita), commonly known asDrita, is a professionalfootball club based inGjilan,Kosovo. The club competes in theKosovo Superleague.
The club's home ground is theGjilan City Stadium. It was built in 1947 when the club played within theYugoslav league system. However, from 1990 until the end of theKosovo War, the club split in two different clubs with one team staying as the official club, playing in the home stadium and league system.
In 1947, Drita was founded by Gjilan citizens, the name Drita meaning 'light' inAlbanian and the name was taken from other sports clubs from the city. In the beginning, conditions were difficult, even more so because the team rivaled the other team of the city,Crvena zvezda Gnjilane. Contrary to them, Drita founders and footballers were exclusivelyAlbanians. This insistence in nationalistic differentiation meant that, in 1952 the team was abolished by the regime. Former footballers went to the already multi-ethnic team of Zvezda, but the team didn't get erased completely. They competed in theKosovo Province League where they were declared champions in the 1962–63 season.[1]
In 1991. At the time of the dissolution ofYugoslavia. the football of Kosovo was in its zenith and consistently had 4-5 clubs in both federal leagues. But the deterioration of the political situation was also reflected in sports. In 1991, Albanian separatist complaining about the situation, formed theFootball Federation of Kosovo with all its organs. Drita then joined the new league system inKosovo, where they played in the fields of the mountains around the city ofGjilan.[2]
After the 90s, Drita was taken into management by Selami Osmani - Bezi with whom for 15 years reached the tops of Kosovan football, thanks to the players that brought in Gjilan, he who for 15 years contributed to Drita. Under his management Drita managed to adorn the title of theKosovo championship in 2002–03, win the cup in 2000–01 and be a runner-up in 1999–2000 and 2001–02. Drita also reached the semifinals in 1999–00, 2001–02 and 2002–03, breaking a Kosovo record that for four consecutive years did not descend below the third position and for four years at least until the semifinals of theKosovar Cup.[3]
On 21 July 2016, Valon Murseli and Flamur Bunjaku took over the club, the two businessmen promised big things to the club, where in2017–18 they relied on them, by winning the title for the second time in their history.[4]
After starting working in the club as assistant coach ofShpëtim Duro in 2018,Ardian Nuhiu was named first team manager in 2019. On 22 July 2020, he won the2019-20 Football Superleague of Kosovo.[5]
In the semi-final of preliminary round of the2020-21 UEFA Champions League qualifying, Drita won againstInter Club d'Escaldes. But they were not allowed to play the final againstLinfield FC three days later. The Northern Irish team was awarded a 3–0 win after the match was cancelled due to Drita players testing positive forSARS-CoV-2.[6]
After finishing as runner-up in the2020-21 Football Superleague of Kosovo, two points under championsFC Prishtina, Drita entered the2021-22 UEFA Conference League. After defeatingFK Dečić from Montenegro in the first qualifying round, Nuhiu's team facedFeyenoord in the second round. The first leg ended with a 0-0 draw inPristina. In the return leg, Drita lost 3-2, withGuus Til scoring the winner for the Dutch side in the added time.[7]
Drita was again the runner-up in the2021-22 Football Superleague of Kosovo and also lost the final of the2021-22 Kosovar Cup againstFC Llapi.[8] In the2022-23 UEFA Conference League, they defeatedInter Turku from Finland in the first qualifiying round but were knocked out by Belgian sideAntwerp in the second round.
Nuhiu left the club on 24 November 2022 after the defeat in the2022-23 Kosovar Cup againstLiria Prizren.[9]
Zekirija Ramadani became the head coach of Drita on 30 November 2023.[10]
Drita won the2024-25 Football Superleague of Kosovo under Ramadani on 4 May 2025.[11]
During the2025–26 season, Drita became the first club from Kosovo to reach the second qualifying round of theUEFA Champions League by defeatingDifferdange 03 4–2 on aggregate.[12] They also became the second club from Kosovo to reach the final stage of an European competition by defeating Differdange 03 again during the2025–26 UEFA Conference League play-off round.[13]
On 6 November 2025, Drita won in theTallaght Stadium inDublin againstShelbourne FC its first ever game in a final stage of an European competition.[14]
| Intelektualët | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 23 December 1998; 26 years ago (1998-12-23) |
| Type | Ultras group |
| Team | All clubs with nameDrita fromGjilan |
| Motto | No one likes us, we don't care |
| Location | Gjilan, Kosovo |
| Arena | Gjilan City Stadium |
| Colors | |
| Affiliations | Blue City Defenders, Blue Section Crew, Blue King Hooligans, Bojanina Blue Boys, Brigada 138, DH-B Hools, E7 Hools, Hienat, PM Mahalla, Q.Q Hools and GC Hools |
In the 1997–98 season, Drita had a great support in Kosovo, but their fans group had not a name. After a game against Ballkani in which the supporters travelled toSuva Reka and just before a game against their biggest rival Gjilani, a meeting was held and the nameIntelektualët (Intellectuals) was assigned because most of the players were also writers, poets and politicians.[15]
The Intellectuals are the biggestultras group in Kosovo, with many travels to watch games outside of Gjilan. They also have the record of audience in football of Kosovo: in a derby against Gjilani in 2011, 13,000 fans attended the game. In 2002, 30,000 fans travelled to the final of theKosovar Cup in theFadil Vokrri Stadium.[15]
Also atIntelektualët (Intellectuals) there are groups of hooligans who do incidents especially during the derby towardsGjilani.[16]
But there are also other incidents with other groups, The incident withPlisat ofPrishtina was where during the last game of the championship there was attack on the fans of Prishtina, the worst incident was the violation of the fans of Prishtina by the hooligans from Gjilan where 13 fans were injured.[17][18]
There is often a fierce rivalry between one of the two strongest teams in a national league and this is particularly the case in the Football Superleague of Kosovo, where the game between Drita andGjilani is known as theAnamorava Derby. According to the tradition of the city of Gjilan, the party starts with fans organization, who try to give the maximum support for the respective clubs, there is also some surprise for the other opponent camp, to say that we were better and is appreciated more than what is presented to you with great curiosity about the whole city, what a presentation will be on the weekend fromSkifterat (Falcons) andIntelektualët (Intellectuals).
Three days before the match the derby gives the atmosphere a night life, everywhere in the cafe bars is an atmosphere that occurs only during national holidays, where fans are seen by both theSkifterat (Falcons) andIntelektualët (Intellectuals) to live all that week under the fever of the much-anticipated derby.
One hour before the match, the two camps are organized in groups and always avoid eventual incidents between the two ultras groups. They divide the streets from where they will go to the stadium, which is good, because theKosovo Police organised themselves in a way to avoid the breakdown of this holiday and the much anticipated confrontation in Gjilan.
For a brief few moments, everything apart from the dozens of flares that littered the pitch, that'd had disappeared from view. Gone were the two white minarets that usually overlook the stadium in eastern Kosovo. Gone too were the lines of riot police patrolling the front of the main stand along with the 10,000 strong crowd, all enveloped in a monstrous blue cloud of smoke. On the other side of the pitch, a similar scene was being played out, but the consuming cloud was red. The only evidence of a football match being played was the thunderous noise of drums and chants rising ethereally from the fog.[19]
Drita in the2017–18 season has not suffered any losses, so it has broken its record since 2002–03 season with 30 undefeated games.[20][21]
| Accomplishment | Record | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| Players | ||
| Most matches | Artan Latifi with 241 match | [22] |
| Most goals | Xhevdet Shabani with 63 goals | |
| Team records | ||
| Biggest ever European victory | 4–1 away against Lincoln Red Imps, 29 June 2018 | [23] |
| Biggest ever European defeat | 0–3 home against Malmö, 10 July 2018 | [24] |
0–3w/o neutral against Linfield, 2020 | ||
| Longest unbeaten run at all competitions | 31 games in2017–18 season | [20][21] |
| Longest unbeaten run atKosovo Superleague | 29 games in2017–18 season | |
| 30 games in Kosovo Superleague between 2 seasons | ||
After the war, the financial condition of clubs did not allow them to look after their kits, it happened that within a season the club's shirts have changed. But since joiningUEFA andFIFA, this problem has disappeared. During the presentation of Betim Haxhimusa, they also unveiled the new kits that would be worn in the 2018–19 season, while the traditional colors are interwoven in a design inspired by the famous sportswear brandGivova.[25] While in the UEFA Champions League match againstMalmö inSweden, Drita played with their third kits making the presentation in public for the first time.
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The club has played its home games at theGjilan City Stadium (Albanian:Stadiumi i Qytetit të Gjilanit) is amulti-purpose stadium inGjilan,Kosovo. The stadium has a capacity of 10,000 people all seater. Since 2017, the stadium is under renovation as it does not meet any level required by UEFA and the goal is to get the stadium to become afourth-tier UEFA stadium.[26]
| Type | Competition | Titles | Seasons/Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | Kosovo Superleague | 4 | 2002–03,2017–18,2019–20,2024–25 |
| Kosovar Supercup | 1 | 2017–18 | |
| Kosovar Cup | 1 | 2000–01 | |
| Kosovo Province League | 1 | 1962–63 |
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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| Current technical staff | |
|---|---|
| Position | Name |
| Head coach |  Zekirija Ramadani |
| Assistant coach | Sadat Saini |
| Assistant coach | Visar Sermaxhaj |
| General manager | Jetmir Salihu |
| Goalkeeping coach | Afrim Shahini |
| Physiotherapist | Fatlum Vranja |
| Physiotherapist | Valbon Hoxha |
| Doctor | Bujar Fazliu |
| Conditioning Coach |  Abdullah Biricik |
| Board members | |
| Office | Name |
| President | Valon Murseli |
| President | Flamur Bunjaku |
| General director | Feti Murseli |
| Sporting director | Valon Zymeri |
Below is a list of Drita managers from 1999, until the present day.[27]
Reshat Osmani (1999–2000)Kemajl Halimi (1999–2000)Bylbyl Sokoli (2000–01)Kemajl Halimi (2001–02)Fadil Muriqi (2001–02)Hysni Maxhuni (2002 ascaretaker)[28]Ramadan Cimili (2002–03)[28]Kemajl Halimi (2003 ascaretaker)Muharrem Sahiti (2003–04)Reshat Osmani (2007 ascaretaker)Milaim Zuzaku (2007–08)Refik Rexhepaj (2008 ascaretaker)Milaim Zuzaku (2008–09)Bekim Isufi (2011–12)Arbnor Morina (2012–13)[29]Musa Selimi (2013)[30]Arbnor Morina (2013)[31]Bekim Isufi (2013–14)Agron Selmani (2014)[32]Afrim Shahini (2014–15)Sadat Pajaziti (2015)[33]Bekim Isufi (2015–16)
Amir Alagić (2016)[34]Ismet Munishi (2016)[35]Milaim Zuzaku (2016–17)[36]Bekim Isufi (2017–18)[37]
Shpëtim Duro (2018–19)[38]Ardian Nuhiu (2019–2022)[39]Arsim Thaqi (2022–2023)[40]
Akis Vavalis (2023)Zekirija Ramadani (2023–)Drita competed in theUEFA Champions League for the first time in the2018–19 season, entering at thepreliminary round. On 12 June 2018, inNyon, the draw was held and Drita were drawn against the Andorran sideFC Santa Coloma.[41][42] On 26 June 2018, Drita beat Santa Coloma atVictoria Stadium inGibraltar and became the first Kosovar side to win aUEFA Champions League match.[43]
After being eliminated fromMalmö, Drita continued to play in thesecond qualifying round ofUEFA Europa League. On 17 July 2018, Drita learns the upcoming rival which was the champion of2017–18 Luxembourg National Division,F91 Dudelange.[44][45]
| Competition | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UEFA Champions League | 10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 14 | −2 | 050.00 |
| UEFA Europa League | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 025.00 |
| UEFA Europa Conference League | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 9 | +0 | 030.00 |
| Total | 24 | 9 | 4 | 11 | 25 | 28 | −3 | 037.50 |
| Season | Competition | Round | Opponent | Home | Away | Agg. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–19 | UEFA Champions League | PR |  FC Santa Coloma | 2–0 (a.e.t.) | ||
| Lincoln Red Imps | 4–1 (a.e.t.) | |||||
| 1Q | Malmö | 0–3 | 0–2 | 0–5 | ||
| UEFA Europa League | 2Q |  F91 Dudelange | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2–3 | |
| 2020–21 | UEFA Champions League | PR | Inter d'Escaldes | 2–1 | ||
| Linfield | 0–3 (awarded) | |||||
| UEFA Europa League | 2Q | Sileks | 2–0 | |||
| 3Q |  Legia Warsaw | 0–2 | ||||
| 2021–22 | UEFA Europa Conference League | 1Q |  Dečić | 2–1 | 1–0 | 3–1 |
| 2Q |  Feyenoord | 0–0 | 2–3 | 2–3 | ||
| 2022–23 | UEFA Europa Conference League | 1Q |  Inter Turku | 3–0 | 0–1 | 3–1 |
| 2Q |  Antwerp | 0–2 | 0–0 | 0–2 | ||
| 2023–24 | UEFA Europa Conference League | 2Q |  Viktoria Plzeň | 1–2 | 0–0 | 1–2 |
| 2024–25 | UEFA Conference League | 2Q |  Breiðablik | 1–0 | 2–1 | 3–1 |
| 3Q |  Auda | 3–1 (a.e.t.) | 0–1 | 3–2 | ||
| PO | Legia Warsaw | 0–1 | 0–2 | 0–3 | ||
| 2025–26 | UEFA Champions League | 1Q | Differdange 03 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 4–2 |
| 2Q |  Copenhagen | 0–1 | 0–2 | 0–3 | ||
| UEFA Europa League | 3Q |  FCSB | 1–3 | 2–3 | 3–6 | |
| UEFA Conference League | PO | Differdange 03 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 3–1 | |
| LP | KuPS | 1–1 | — | |||
 Omonia | 1–1 | |||||
 Shelbourne | 1–0 | |||||
| Shkëndija | — | |||||
| AZ Alkmaar | — | |||||
 Rayo Vallecano | — | |||||
| Rank | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 181 |  Aberdeen F.C. | 7.500 |
| 182 | BK Häcken FF | 7.000 |
| 183 | Drita | 7.000 |
| 184 | Larne F.C. | 7.000 |
| 185 | Brøndby IF | 7.000 |
Në atë edicion, Dritën e kishte udhëhequr trajneri, Hysni Maxhuni, i cili kishte kryer gjithë punën. Mirëpo, në momentin final, pak javë para se të përfundonte kampionati, ai u shkarkua, derisa drejtimin e skuadës e mori Ramadan Cimili, i cili u shpall kampion
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{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - Rajoni Press(in Albanian)Kampioni i Kosovës, Drita e ka mësuar kundërshtarin për rundin preliminar në Ligën e Kampionëve. Drita do të përballet me kampionin e Andorrës, FC Santa Coloma (AND), raporton Gazeta Express
Skuadra kampione e Kosovës, Drita ka mësuar kundërshtarin e saj në Ligën e Kampionëve, turni paraeleminator. Në total ishin 4 skuadra që merrnin pjese. Shorti i ka vendosur përballë skuadrën nga Andorra, Santa Coloma
Kjo është fitorja e parë e një ekipi kosovar në Ligën e Kampionëve
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