1966–67 Albanian National Championship
Football league season
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 1966–67 Albanian National Championship was the 29th season of the Albanian National Championship, the top professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1930.
| Season | 1966–67 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Dinamo Tirana 8th Albanian title |
| Relegated | None |
| European Cup | Dinamo Tirana |
| Cup Winners' Cup | None |
| Matches | 132 |
| Goals | 304 (2.3 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Medin Zhega (19 goals) |
← 1965–66 1968 → | |
Overview
It was contested by 12 teams, and Dinamo Tirana won the championship. This championship is not officially recognized by UEFA.
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GR | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dinamo Tirana (C) | 22 | 17 | 4 | 1 | 59 | 19 | 3.105 | 38 | Qualification for the European Cup first round |
| 2 | 17 Nëntori | 19 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 42 | 14 | 3.000 | 33 | Disqualified[a] |
| 3 | Besa | 22 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 23 | 15 | 1.533 | 26 | |
| 4 | Skënderbeu | 22 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 24 | 13 | 1.846 | 25 | |
| 5 | Partizani | 19 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 36 | 18 | 2.000 | 25 | Disqualified[a] |
| 6 | Vllaznia | 22 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 33 | 29 | 1.138 | 25 | Qualification for the Balkans Cup |
| 7 | Tomori | 22 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 20 | 27 | 0.741 | 19 | |
| 8 | Labinoti | 22 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 18 | 30 | 0.600 | 17 | |
| 9 | Lokomotiva Durrës | 22 | 3 | 10 | 9 | 13 | 24 | 0.542 | 16 | |
| 10 | Traktori | 22 | 4 | 8 | 10 | 19 | 34 | 0.559 | 16 | |
| 11 | Flamurtari | 22 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 19 | 38 | 0.500 | 12 | |
| 12 | Luftëtari | 22 | 2 | 6 | 14 | 13 | 46 | 0.283 | 10 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions
Notes:
- Officially 17 Nëntori had 1 loss and Partizani 3, due both teams were kicked out, points were awarded to teams that should play against them.
After 19th week match 17 Nëntori - Partizani 2:1, both teams were expelled from the tournament, forfeiting the match and the last 3 matches by 0:3.
Title of shame
It was the 24th of June, 1967. Tirana and Partizani faced off in their derby during the 19th round of the 1967 Championship at a sold-out stadium. The match was completed in full and ended with a score of 2:1. Fans were calmly departing the stands, and as the players had already exited the field and were moving toward the locker rooms, two opposing players engaged in a verbal exchange that concluded right away.[1][2]
The next morning's paper headlines were a big shock: "AFA's direct decision results in Tirana and Partizani forfeiting the match 0:3, losing 3 points each, and subsequently defaulting their remaining matches!" Numerous people were wondering: "what happened, the game was held on the field, it generated a lot of feelings and supporters accepted the outcome." What actions did teams take to warrant such severe treatment?[3][4] Nonetheless, it became apparent days later that the choice to expel both teams originated from the Ministry of Affairs and was handed over to AFA for implementation. Because Partizani was out of the title race due to a significant points deficit and Dinamo's only route to the title involved defeating Tirana - the current table leaders, they ultimately used the minor verbal exchange between two players after the match as a justification. The reality is they simply couldn't accept that KF Tirana was on the verge of claiming the 3rd consecutive title, rather than Partizani or Dinamo. On the day the championship trophy was presented, Skënder Jareci, the manager of Dinamo, refused to take it on the customary lap of honor, stating that Dinamo didn't genuinely deserve that title!
By forfeiting that match and losing the subsequent 3 remaining matches, Dinamo would automatically gain enough points to overtake Tirana and win the title. It was a disgrace for Albanian football, such that even UEFA still refrains to recognize the champions Dinamo for that year. The next season, because of the disqualification farce, Dinamo were denied entry to the European Cup by UEFA; their opponents, Braunschweig, received a walkover and eventually reached the quarter-finals.[5]
