page_title: KF Tirana
section_title: 2007–present: Refik Halili era
hierarchical_section_title: KF Tirana / History / 2007–present: Refik Halili era
caption_attribution_description: English: Selman Stërmasi Stadium Shqip: Stadiumi Selman Stërmasi
context_page_description: Klubi i Futbollit Tirana is an Albanian football club based in the country's capital city, Tirana. The men's football club is part of the multi-disciplinary sports club SK Tirana, and is the most successful in Albania, having won 52 recognized major domestic trophies. They play their home games at the Selman Stërmasi Stadium in Tirana and they play in the Kategoria Superiore.
  The club was founded on 15 August 1920 as Shoqata Sportive Agimi and they had since participated in all the top tier national championships ever held in Albania. However, the ninth-place finish in the 2016-17 season relegated the club to the Albanian First Division for the first time in their history.
  They have competed under the name of SK Tirana between 1927 and 1947, when the communist regime forcibly renamed the club 17 Nëntori Tirana, Puna Tirana and KS 17 Nëntori. In 1991 KF Tirana retook its pre-1947 name and was divided into two branches, the multi disciplinary SK Tirana and the football branch of KF Tirana.
  KF Tirana is the most successful Albanian team in European competitions, having progressed from the first rounds on 11 occasions since making their European debut in the 1965–66 European Cup.
context_section_description: Following a successful 2006–07 campaign which saw the club win the Albanian Superliga comfortably, the team begun to struggle for results. They begun the season by getting eliminated from the UEFA Champions League by NK Domžale. Despite winning the Albanian Supercup versus Besa Kavajë, Tirana managed only a 6th-place finish their worst finish since 1993. In cup, the team lost the final to Vllaznia Shkodër.
  In the following season, Tirana bounced back; inspired by striker Migen Memelli, who went on to score 30 goals, Tirana managed to win the championship for the 24th time in history. In cup they reached another final, only to be defeated again, this time by Flamurtari Vlorë. In the next years, Tirana experiences mixed fortunes, being unable to win the championship but remaining on top in domestic cups, winning the Albanian Cup in 2010–11 and 2011–12, and three other Albanian Supercups in 2009, 2011 and 2012. There was also major controversies off the field between club's chief and president in the 2010–11 season, which led to a delay in paying the players' wages and even some players not receiving their wages.
  On 12 October 2011, Municipality of Tirana city council voted through a unanimous decision to change the status of the club from a municipality owned to a shareholder own one, under the name KF Tirana Sh.A, with the municipality of Tirana initially holding a 100% stake in the club but with the possibility of any future private sponsors and donors to own stocks in the club.
  Starting from 2013, Tirana entered in a period of disappointments. In the 2013–14 season, the team was seriously in risk of getting relegated for the first time in history. By the end of December 2013 the team was ranked in the last position with only 10 points from 13 matches, 7 points away from the safe zone. However, with Gugash Magani as manager and a strong transfer market, the team bounced back and eventually finished in 6th position, escaping the relegation only in the penultimate match. On 26 June 2014, the Tirana city council approved a proposal to give private donors a 66% stake in the club's assets for the next 18 years, which at the time fell in the hands of Refik Halili and Lulzim Morina, which enabled such donors to invest in players, facilities and youth teams.
  Tirana begun the 2014–15 season with high expectations, challenging for the title in the first part of the season. In the second part, however, the team declined and ultimately finished in 5th position. In cup, Tirana was controversially eliminated from Laçi in the semi-final 1–0 on aggregate. Laçi eventually won the final against Kukësi, leaving Tirana without Europa League football once again. The club was relegated during the 2016–17 season. From title contender halfway through the season, Tirana fell continuously to dramatically succumb to relegation for the first time in their history. Ilir Daja was sacked on 1 November following a goalless draw against Vllaznia Shkodër, and was replaced by the returned Mirel Josa. The club also broke the relationship with the fans after allowing with their lifetime rivals Partizani Tirana to play at Selman Stërmasi Stadium; they opposed such an agreement and subsequently abandoned the matches for the entire season as a result. Tirana then endured a 15 winless match streak before winning 2–0 against Korabi Peshkopi. Their relegation was officially confirmed on 27 May following a goalless draw versus fellow relegation strugglers Vllaznia Shkodër. In cup, Tirana did much better, winning their 16th trophy on 31 May after defeating 3–1 Skënderbeu Korçë at Elbasan Arena. This meant the return of Tirana in European competitions after five years.
  Tirana retained most of their players ahead of the new season. The club appointed former Brazil international Zé Maria as the new manager. The team eliminated from the UEFA Europa League by Israel's Maccabi Tel Aviv In September 2017, Tirana won another trophy, their 11th Albanian Supercup after winning 1–0 against Kukësi. They also set a record by becoming the Albanian First Division side to win the 
caption: Selman Stërmasi Stadium was renovated between 2014 and 2015.
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