Game 2 - could have probably got there by bus but all bus stations on edge of city due to congestion in the city plus buses back would have impossible as not many after 8pm - so decided on a taxi- £50 return, reliable and no issue
Wednesday 28 October 2026, 7pm
KF Elbasani 2 FK Partizan 1
Elbasan Arena
Kategoria Superiore
Admission: £10 ( cheaper tickets available)
Attendance: 1500 max (no away fans)
Large bowl with athletics track, pitch in very good shape, sat in expensive seat and had a cafe plus service to your seat if needed for beer, crisps and rolls!
Only 30 plus miles from capital but no away fans, not banned but think they are boycotting games and Partizan at bottom of the table, and they are the biggest club in the country.
Partizan were poor but somehow took the lead after 16 minutes, it took till the 80th minute for the home team to get back on terms. they scored again in the 86th but ref disallow3ed it for a foul on the keeper, after 2 minutes of protests he decided to check VAR, reversed his decision and game the home team the goal. whilst hew as in the VAR Tent! He was pelted by bottles from the home crowd.
Politics and corruption never far from politics or football in Albania, a percentage of every ticket sold was to be given toa home fan who had been injured during the week before the game when he was hit in the eye by a rubber bullet fired by the police at the students protests, so the club officials were happy to make a public stand against the Police and the Government.
Taxi waiting for me and a much quicker trip back to the city to find the police station smashed up but with all the students having left the city centre.
Decided to walk in the morning to the edge of the city and a bus 25 miles to the seaside at Durres - just £2 on the bus, walk along the beach, plenty to see in the city withy Roman ruins also on the tourist train, back to the bus station and the ground was just a 10 minute walk north.
FK Tirana moved the game to Durres as their stadium had just had fresh grass sown, I did pop in on the Wednesday and you could see that the grass was fresh!
Thursday 29 October 2026, 1.30pm
KF Tirana 1 Dinamo City 1
Stadiumi Niko Dovana ( home of KS Teuta Durres)
Kategoria Superiore
Admission: £10 -Could have sat in open for £3
Attendance: Under 200
Large bowl but stands were impressive, a couple of astro pitches outside, where the Durres Academy and women team were training. Ticket purchased from the ticket hut in the street, not many in attendance but it was Thursday afternoon and both teams had to travel to get here.
FK Tirana moved the game to Durres as their stadium had just had fresh grass sown, I did pop in on the Wednesday and you could see that the grass was fresh!
Thursday 29 October 2026, 1.30pm
KF Tirana 1 Dinamo City 1
Stadiumi Niko Dovana ( home of KS Teuta Durres)
Kategoria Superiore
Admission: £10 -Could have sat in open for £3
Attendance: Under 200
Large bowl but stands were impressive, a couple of astro pitches outside, where the Durres Academy and women team were training. Ticket purchased from the ticket hut in the street, not many in attendance but it was Thursday afternoon and both teams had to travel to get here.
Dinamo were much the better team, even after they went down to 10 men in the 37th minute as one of their players picked up his second yellow card. Tirana were slightly better in the second half and took the lead in the 64th minute but the ten men of Dinamo were back on level terms after 77 minutes.
Home team thought they had won in at the end but Ref used VAR and goal disallowed, still time for the home team to go down to 10 men in the 94th minute.
Short walk back to the bus station and £2 bus back to Tirana and a 45 minute walk from bus station to city centre hotel.
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