KF Shkëndija
Also written as KF Shkendija, Shkendija.
The club
Klubi i Futbollit Shkëndija were founded in Tetovo on 27 August 1979 by members of the local Albanian community. The colours are red and black, adopted at the founding and closely tied to Albanian identity in Tetovo. The nickname is Balli. The ultras group, Ballistët, was formally established in 1992 and is central to the club's matchday culture and, at times, to its disciplinary record.
The club was dissolved in the early 1980s after the Yugoslav authorities came to see it in nationalist terms, and re-established in 1992 after Macedonian independence. It climbed back through the pyramid, reaching the top flight for the first time in 1996-97. Since 1 August 2013 the club has been owned by Ecolog International, a Tetovo-based company, after a supporter-led campaign that drew public support from Lorik Cana and Xherdan Shaqiri. The chairman is Zamir Dika and the manager is Artim Pollozhani.
The usual ground is the Ecolog Arena in Tetovo, owned by the municipality, dating to 1981, with a capacity of about 15,000. It is being reconstructed under an 11.5 million euro contract signed on 18 March 2024, so for 2026/27 the club is playing domestic home matches temporarily at the City Stadium in Gostivar, capacity 4,000, and its UEFA home ties at the Tose Proeski Arena in Skopje, which is the national stadium; the Ecolog Arena does not meet UEFA requirements.
Recent seasons
Shkëndija were runners-up in the Macedonian First League in 2023/24, champions in 2024/25, sealing the title with two rounds to spare after a 2-1 home win over Rabotnicki on 13 May 2025, and runners-up again in 2025/26 with 74 points from 33 matches, 23 wins, 5 draws and 5 defeats, 67 goals scored and 30 conceded. Vardar were champions on 83. Shkëndija also reached the Macedonian Cup final in 2025/26 and lost it.
The 2026/27 league season has just begun. After two rounds, to 9 August 2026, Shkëndija were second with two wins, five goals scored and none conceded, behind Tikvesh on goal difference.
Honours and landmarks
Macedonian champions five times: 2010-11, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2020-21 and 2024-25. Runners-up in 2015-16, 2016-17, 2023-24 and 2025-26. Macedonian Cup winners in 2015-16 and 2017-18, runners-up in 2005-06, 2012-13, 2016-17 and 2025-26. Winners of the inaugural Macedonian Supercup, beating Metalurg 2-1 in Skopje on 24 July 2011.
The first championship, in 2010-11, came in the club's first season back in the top flight, won with 72 points from a record of 21 wins, 9 draws and 3 defeats.
Notable scorelines
The heaviest European defeat is 7-0 on aggregate to Milan in the 2017/18 Europa League play-off round. Shkëndija also lost 6-1 on aggregate to Gent in the 2016/17 play-off, 5-0 on aggregate to Partizan on their European debut in 2011/12, and 6-1 to Qarabag in 2025/26, including 5-1 in Baku.
The best European result is the 3-1 aggregate win over FCSB in the 2025/26 Champions League second qualifying round, 1-0 at the Tose Proeski Arena and 2-1 at the Arena Nationala in Bucharest, reported at the time as a historic upset. The largest win in the current campaign is 5-0 away to Europa of Gibraltar on 9 July 2026.
The match most people outside North Macedonia remember is the 3-1 home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the 2020/21 Europa League third qualifying round at the Tose Proeski Arena on 24 September 2020, with goals from Erik Lamela on 5 minutes, Valjmir Nafiu on 55 for Shkëndija, Son Heung-min on 70 and Harry Kane on 79. Before kick-off the goalframes were measured, found to be five centimetres too low, and replaced with regulation posts at José Mourinho's insistence.
Domestic record win and record defeat were not established from the sources read here.
European record
Shkëndija debuted in the 2011/12 Champions League second qualifying round and lost 5-0 on aggregate to Partizan, 4-0 in Belgrade and 1-0 in Skopje. Early Europa League exits followed against Portadown in 2012/13 and Zimbru in 2014/15. In 2015/16 they drew both legs with Aberdeen, 1-1 on aggregate, and went out on away goals in the first qualifying round.
They reached the Europa League play-off round twice, in 2016/17, losing 6-1 to Gent, and in 2017/18 after three qualifying wins, losing 7-0 to Milan.
The deepest Champions League run was 2018/19: The New Saints and Sheriff both beaten, then a 4-0 aggregate defeat to Red Bull Salzburg in the third qualifying round and a 5-1 defeat to Rosenborg in the Europa League play-off.
In 2022/23 they beat Ararat Yerevan and Valmiera to reach the third qualifying round, drew 2-2 on aggregate with AIK and lost the shootout in Skopje.
2025/26 was the best season the club has had. Shkëndija beat The New Saints in the Champions League first qualifying round and FCSB in the second, reaching the third qualifying round for the first time. Qarabag beat them 6-1 on aggregate there. In the Europa League play-off round they beat Ludogorets 2-1 at home and lost 4-1 after extra time in Razgrad, out 5-3, but the defeat still delivered a place in the Conference League league phase, the first time Shkëndija had reached a major European league or group stage.
2026/27: first qualifying round, Europa of Gibraltar beaten 5-0 away on 9 July 2026 and 1-0 at home on 16 July, 6-0 on aggregate. Second qualifying round, Bravo of Slovenia: lost 2-1 in Ljubljana on 23 July, won 3-1 in Skopje on 30 July in front of 5,200, through 4-3.
Quotes
No directly quoted material from Shkëndija's own manager or players was confirmed from the sources read here. The following are from the opposing manager after the first leg of the tie Shkëndija are currently in, and are quoted because they describe that tie.
- "It's hard to win games in European football as we know so to be winning after the first leg is very positive." - David Gray, Hibernian head coach, to Yahoo Sports, 6 August 2026. https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/hibernian-2-1-shkendija-gray-213315458.html - "I can't stand here tonight and say we deserved to be further in front." - David Gray, Hibernian head coach, to Yahoo Sports, 6 August 2026. https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/hibernian-2-1-shkendija-gray-213315458.html - "It'll be very different when we go over there but I think we'll be different." - David Gray, Hibernian head coach, to Yahoo Sports, 6 August 2026. https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/hibernian-2-1-shkendija-gray-213315458.html - "It is only half-time, I'm not getting carried away but I know we can be better." - David Gray, Hibernian head coach, to Yahoo Sports, 6 August 2026. https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/hibernian-2-1-shkendija-gray-213315458.html
Right now (2026/27)
Artim Pollozhani is the manager. Shkëndija are second in the Macedonian First League after two rounds and are in the third qualifying round of the Conference League.
The tie is against Hibernian. The first leg was at Easter Road on 6 August 2026 and Hibernian won it 2-1 in front of 13,132. Shkëndija held out until the 73rd minute, when Owen Elding scored with a back heel from a Callum Wright cross, and levelled three minutes later through Marko Gjorgjievski, a clipped finish from a tight angle. Warren O'Hora bundled in a Jordan Obita corner in the 90th minute after Jason Kerr had hit the post. Shkëndija had been the more purposeful side after the break and forced Rafa Sallinger into a save from a deflected Drilon Islami shot. Menelaos Antoniou of Cyprus refereed.
The second leg is on 13 August 2026 at the Tose Proeski Arena in Skopje, referee Bulat Sariyev of Kazakhstan. Shkëndija need to overturn a single goal at home. The winner faces the winner of IFK Göteborg against Gent in the play-off round on 20 and 27 August, with a Conference League league phase place at stake.
Summer transfer business was not established from the sources read here and no signings or departures are claimed.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KF_Shk%C3%ABndija https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025%E2%80%9326_Macedonian_First_Football_League https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026%E2%80%9327_Macedonian_First_Football_League https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026%E2%80%9327_UEFA_Conference_League_qualifying_(first_and_second_round_matches) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026%E2%80%9327_UEFA_Conference_League_qualifying_(third_and_play-off_round_matches) https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/hibernian-2-1-shkendija-gray-213315458.html https://www.irishnews.com/sport/soccer/hibernian-snatch-late-winner-to-take-first-leg-lead-over-shkendija-R5BWSMCHHVJNRHS3Y5WNWBONZA/ https://www.uefa.com/uefaconferenceleague/match/2049167 https://www.uefa.com/uefaconferenceleague/match/2049197
Researched and written for not4quarters. Where a fact could not be established from the sources read, this page says so rather than guessing.