KF Shkendija

KF Shkendija is a football club based in Tetovo, North Macedonia. Their home stadium is Ecolog Arena and they currently play in the Macedonian First League. In the 2010–11 season of the Macedonian First Football League, the club won its first major championship.

History

SFRY Period

KF Shkendija was formed on 27 August 1979 by ethnic Albanians from Tetovo. The purpose of forming the club was so that the Albanians throughout Yugoslavia could unite in supporting a club for Albanians. FK Shkendija was frowned upon by Yugoslav officials as it was thought the club would awaken nationalist feelings among the Albanians of Yugoslavia. Starting at the lowest division in Yugoslavia, the Municipal League, KF Shkendija played their first match against FK Kosmos, winning 4–0.

Shkendija won the division in the 1979–1980 season, resulting in Shkendija being promoted into the Third division. After claiming the third division title in the 1980–1981 season, Shkendija was then again promoted into the Second division. However, as the popularity of the club began to increase among the Albanian population of Yugoslavia, the ruling socialist government members disbanded the club, worried that the club would stoke ethnic tensions during a fragile period in SFRJ.

Re-establishment

After Macedonia declared independence from Yugoslavia, KF Shkendija was re-established into the Macedonian Football League. It started at the Fourth division, eventually being promoted each season to the third, second and finally, to the First division. In the 2010–11 season of the First Macedonian Football League the club won its first major championship with an unbeaten run of 16 games. On 20 May 2012, Shkendija handed FK Vardar its first loss of the season with a 1–0 victory.

The Ecolog era

During the 2012–13 season, Shkendija was embroiled in financial difficulties and as a result, many of its players left the club earlier in the summer. The Shkendija sup