KF Bylis

KF Bylis
Full name	Klubi i Futbollit Bylis
Founded	14 July 1972; 52 years ago as U.P.TH.N Unaza e Përpunimit të Thellë të Naftës (1972–80) Ballshi i Ri (1980–91) Ballshi (1991–92) Bylis (1992–present)
Ground	Adush Muça Stadium
Capacity	5,200
President	Besnik Kapllanaj
Manager	Nevil Dede
League	Kategoria Superiore
2023–24	Kategoria e Parë, 2nd (promoted)
Home colours	Away colours

KF Bylis is an Albanian professional football club based in Ballsh, part of Mallakastër municipality. They compete in the Abissnet Superiore, the top tier of Albanian football. Their home ground is the Adush Muça Stadium.

History

Early years

The club was formed on 14 July 1972 as Ballshi i Ri, and they played in the Albanian Third Division between 1973 and 1976. But between 1976 and 1981, they were not allowed to participate in Albanian football due to laws restricting a single team from each district. They began playing once again in the Third Division in 1981, which they eventually won in 1986 and were promoted to the Albanian Second Division. The club played in the Second Division for 10 years between 1986 and 1996, where they were promoted following a successful 1995–96 season which saw the club score 124 goals and concede just 21, as the best goal scorer was Agim Metaj, making it a national record which was even noted by the prestigious French magazine France Football. However, despite their record breaking season they only finished as runners-up in the league but still achieved promotion to the Albanian Superliga.^[1]

Golden days

In their debut season in the top flight of Albanian football the club finished in 14th place out of 18 teams.^[2] During the 1998–99 season, the club finished in third place, just 2 points behind the eventual champions KF Tirana^[3] this earned the club a place in the UEFA Cup for the first time. In their first European experience, KF Bylis played Slovakian side Inter Bratislava, whom they lost 5–1 to on aggregate. The following season they would again finish strongly, this time in 5th place, joint on points with 4th-place side Vllaznia Shkodër, who they lost 4–3 to in the play-off for the UEFA Intertoto Cup place.^[4] In the 2000–01 season, they finished 5th once again^[5] and earned a place in the UEFA Intertoto Cup, where they met Romanian side FC Universitatea Craiova the following season. They lost 4–3 on aggregate, after a memorable 3–3 draw away in Romania^[6] and a 1–0 home loss.^[7]

Recent history

KF Bylis then began to struggle, eventually getting relegated after a poor 2002–03 season, which saw them finish second to last with just 26 points and 3 wins from 26 games.^[8] They were relegated once again to the third tier after the 2004–05 season in which they scored just 13 league goals in total. Between 2007 and 2009 the club achieved consecutive promotions back to the Albanian Superliga for the 2008–09 season.^{[citation needed]}

Besnik Kapllanaj was the club's president between 2006 and 2014 and owned a 75% share in the club, with the remaining 25% owned by the Ballsh Municipality.^[9]

On 15 March 2014 in a home tie against KF Laçi,^[10] the club's president was involved in an altercation with the FSHS head of competitions, Besnik Çela. Kapllanaj hit the FSHF delegate Çela in the head with a baton which required him to be rushed to hospital due to the injury. Cela refused to start the game due to overcrowding inside the Adush Muça Stadium. Once some of the fans had left they began to throw rock into the stadium in disapproval of the FSHF's decision to not let them watch the match, which kicked off 20 minutes later than scheduled. Kapllanaj then allegedly caused a power cut so that SuperSport Albania cameras could not transmit the game live as was planned. In the closing stages of the game KF Laçi were awarded a penalty which caused crowd trouble, as they began to throw rocks onto the pitch. KF Laçi's president Pashk Laska instructed captain and penalty taker Erjon Vuçaj to miss the penalty intentionally to avoid further trouble and danger for his teammates. Following the final whistle, Kapllanaj physically abused KF Laçi's players by hitting them with a baton, as well as Besnik Çela, who later filed a police report against Kapllanaj once he left the hospital.^[11] On 19 March, the club's president Besnik Kapllanaj resigned from his post hours before the verdict from the FSHF disciplinary commission, who punished him with a lifetime ban from sporting activities in Albania. The commission also expelled the club from the Albanian Superliga with 9 remaining games of the 2013–14 season, relegating the club to the Albanian First Division for the 2014–15 season as well as handing KF Laçi a 3–0 victory in the game which originally ended 0–0.^[12] The following day, Kapllanaj turned himself in to the Fier police authorities after being charged for assault.^[13]

Recent seasons

Season	Division	Pos.	Pl.	W	D	L	GS	GA	P	Cup	Top Scorer
2010–11	Kategoria Superiore	6th	33	13	4	16	44	48	43	QF	Fjodor Xhafa 10
2011–12	Kategoria Superiore	6th	26	9	8	9	40	37	35	QF	Amarildo Dimo 9
2012–13	Kategoria Superiore	9th	26	9	6	11	32	29	33	RU	Solomonson Izuchukwuka 11
2013–14	Kategoria Superiore	12th	33	5	9	19	20	54	24	QF	Solomonson Izuchukwuka 7
2014–15	Kategoria e Parë	1st	27	17	2	8	46	26	53	SR	Brunild Pepa 10
2015–16	Kategoria Superiore	9th	36	8	8	20	27	53	32	SR	Ardit Hoxhaj 7
2016–17	Kategoria e Parë	2nd	26	17	6	3	40	15	57	SR	Jasmin Raboshta 5 Aldo Mitraj 5
2017–18	Kategoria e Parë	2nd	26	14	7	5	43	24	41	SR	Niko Zisi 9
2018–19	Kategoria e Parë	1st	26	21	3	2	52	10	42	SR	Beji Anthony 6 Dosseh Koffi 6
2019–20	Kategoria Superiore	7th	36	12	15	9	46	38	51	SF	Saliou Guindo 10
2020–21	Kategoria Superiore	9th	36	7	10	19	28	51	31	SR	Beji Anthony 10
2021–22	Kategoria e Parë	1st	30	22	3	5	51	18	69	SR	Eridon Qardaku 20
2022–23	Kategoria Superiore	9th	36	9	11	16	31	42	38	SR	Luis Kaçorri 6
2023–24	Kategoria e Parë	2nd	33	22	5	6	55	31	71	R16	Kibe
2024–25	Kategoria Superiore

KF Bylis in Europe

As of December, 2008.

Season	Competition	Round	Country	Club	Home	Away	Aggregate
1999–00	UEFA Cup	QR		Inter Bratislava	0–2	1–3	1–5
2001	UEFA Intertoto Cup	1R		Universitatea Craiova	0–1	3–3	3–4

QR = Qualifying Round
1R = 1st Round

Players

Current squad

As of 19 September 2024^[14]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
1	GK	ALB	Renato Beqaj
3	DF	BRA	Bruno Nascimento
4	MF	ALB	Federico Zenuni
5	DF	ALB	Christos Mitsis
6	DF	GER	Eduart Mahmuti
8	MF	ALB	Xhoeli Macolli
9	FW	ALB	Mario Gjata
11	FW	ALB	Patrik Treni
13	DF	ALB	Fabjan Përndreca
14	DF	BRA	Igor Almeida
16	MF	BRA	Wendel Nery
17	FW	CIV	Aboubacar Camara
18	MF	ALB	Flamur Ruçi
20	FW	NGA	Malomo Ayodeji
21	MF	ALB	Henri Sulovari
22	MF	ALB	Ervis Kasaj


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
23	DF	GHA	McCarthy Ofori
33	GK	ALB	Klevis Hasanbelli
44	DF	ALB	Aurel Marku
69	FW	ALB	Laert Papa
70	MF	ECU	Alex Peralta
76	MF	ALB	Arli Përgjoni
77	MF	ALB	Marin Abazaj (captain)
98	MF	BRA	Walisson Nem
—	DF	ALB	Paolo Kasmollari
—	MF	GRE	Angelos Toska
—	FW	AZE	Amil Yunanov
—	FW	ALB	Elio Gjoni
—	FW	BRA	Felipe
—	DF	BRA	Gabriel Recife
—	FW	ALB	Serxhio Emini
—	FW	ALB	Endri Çelaj

On Loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
—	MF	BRA	Guilherme Buranelli (at Erzeni Shijak)


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
—	FW	NGA	Ibrahim Akibu (at Erzeni Shijak)

U-19 Squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
1	GK	ALB	Rejdi Jahaj
2	DF	ALB	Kristi Merkaj
3	DF	ALB	Kejdi Kaceli
4	FW	ALB	Pedro Marku
5	DF	BRA	Higor Fellype
6	MF	NGA	Rapheal Olawole
7	MF	NGA	Chidera Nwaneri
8	MF	ALB	Mario Bushi
9	FW	NGA	Ayomide Babajide
11	MF	ALB	Andrea Thanasi


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
12	GK	ALB	Eris Qalliu
13	DF	ALB	Fabjan Përndreca
14	MF	ALB	Aislin Ahmetaj
15	MF	ALB	Eldinjo Alimerkaj
17	FW	ALB	Gjergji Shyti
18	DF	ALB	Flavio Cypi
19	FW	NGA	Victor Ojo
22	MF	ALB	Eriklen Bregasi
23	MF	ALB	Aureljo Marku
44	DF	ALB	Aurel Marku

Notable players

Had international caps for their respective countries. Players whose name is listed in bold represented their countries while playing for Bylis Ballsh.

Past (and present) players who are the subjects of Wikipedia articles can be found