Albania. Ranked 26th. New championship formula and league reduction from 14 to 12 teams for the next season. So, 3 teams were relegated and only 1 promoted from Second Division, but the rules were a bit complicated. First of all, there was no direct promotion from second level – instead, there was promotion play-off between the winners of the 2 groups of Second Division. As for relegation from top flight, it was by design: the new championship formula was 2-phased. After normal league first stage the top 6 teams went to the championship final stage and the next 6 – to relegation stage. But the last 2 teams in the opening stage were directly relegated and did not go to second stage. Thus, there was 1 team relegated from the relegation group. All teams carried first stage records to the final stage, so at the end they played a total of 36 rounds.
Second Division. 20 teams played in it, divided into 2 groups. The group winners went to the promotion play-off: they were KS Traktori (Lushnje) and KS Naftetari (Qyteti Stalin). Both teams were just relegated from First Division and were eager to return to it.
Traktori won the promotion play-off 3-0 and was promoted.
Naftetari had one more chance – a second play-off against the 11th in First Division. It was Dinamo (Tirana) and they won both legs 1-0, thus keeping their top league place. The loss was crucial for Naftetari – they folded after that and did not play anywhere the next season.
First Division. After the first stage 2 teams ended the season relegated: KS 31 Korriku (Burrel) finished last with 10 points and KS Tomori (Berrat) – 13th with 23 points. Meantime, goal-difference decided the fate of 2 other teams – newcomer KS Beselidhja (Lezhe) went to the relegation group and KS Vllaznia (Shkoder) – to the championship final. Given their prositions at the end of the first stage – 6th and 7th, there was hardly any chance of either team to win the title or to be relegated. Must be noted that Albanian football, elusive and secret before 1990 is no less elusive and secret today: it is very hard to get team photos with reliable dates. Thus, the pictures bellow are a matter of pure speculation.
The Relegation Group. 6 teams – the last was directly relegated, the 5th went to promotion/relegation play-off against the loser of the promotion play-off between the group winners of Second Division. Since the records from the first stage were carried over, there was little chance for surprises. KS Luftetari (Gjirokaster) was 10th with 24 points in the first stage – they added 9 points in the final stage, but still ended last and out.
Dinamo (Tirana) finished 5th with – or 11th – with 34 points. They were 11th in the first stage, so no change and going to promotion/relegation play-off – which they won, luckily. However, this was atrocious season for Dinamo, usually found at the top of the table. They were champions in 1985-86. Relegation? Unthinkable only a year before. The photo is most likely not from this season – but is from the period and that is the best one can do…
KS Skenderbeu (Korce) – 10th in the first phase with 26 points and 10th in the final table with 36 points.
KS Partizani (Tirana) – 9th in the first stage with 26 points and 9th at the end with 37 points. Like Dinamo, they had unusually horrible season.
KS Beselidhja (Lezhe) – newcomers this season and doing quite well. They lost a chance to play in the championship group on worse goal-difference, finishing 7th with 28 points. The final stage was a bit worse – perhaps they lost motivation, but with points from opening stage, there was no way they can really drop down: so, they finished 8th with 38 points.
KS Lokomotiva (Durres) was 8th with 27 points in the first stage and now they added 11 points – and finished 7th with 38 points, beating Beselidhja on goal-difference.
The championship group. The leader in the opening stage was too strong for the other teams and only increased its lead. Thus, nothing dramatic or even interesting…
Is this photo from 1987-88? Who knows… KS Vllaznia (Shkoder) clinched a place in the championship group, beating Beselidhja on goal-difference, but they were not strong. 6th with 28 points in the first stage, 6th in the final table with 34 points.
KS Besa (Kavaje) – 5th with 28 points in the first stage, 5th in the final table with 35 points.
KS Apollonia (Fier) – 4th with 28 points in the opening stage, 4th in the final table with 38 points. However, this was one of their strongest seasons so far. From which year the photo is… at least seems to be from the second half of the 1980s.
KS Labinoti (Elbasan) – 3rd with 29 points in the first stage and 3rd at the end with 39 points. Not bad at all.
KS Flamurtari (Vlore) – 2nd with 29 points in the first stage and ending 2nd with 41 points. Not a title contender, but wonderful season anyway.
Again, a speculation… 17 Nentori (Tirana) often won the title and this is a photo from the second half of the 1980s, but was it one from 1987-88? 17 Nentori had no rival this season – they built a 4-point advantage in the first stage and also benefited from the terrible weakness of their main rivals Partizani and Dinamo. Weak or not, derbies were another matter and now there were no derbies in the final stage. Against weaker provincial teams, 17 Nentori sailed easily to their 14th title. At the end, they had 18 wins, 12 ties, 6 losses, 59-29 goal-difference, and 48 points. Flamurtari finished 7 points behind.
The Cup was not cup of tea for the champions – they were eliminated in the 1/8 finals and by the weakest team in the top league, 31 Korriku. Which was promptly eliminated in the ¼ finals by Partizani. At the end, Partizani reached the final and faced Flamurtari. Both teams had ambitions, of course, but Flamurtari managed to score the only goal in the final and won 1-0.
This is Partizani (Tirana) from 1987… but is it from 1986-87 or 1987-88 season? In any case, there were only few changes in the squad, so it was pretty much the champion squad of 1986-87 – which now had terrible season and was close to relegation… Very strange for the traditionally strongest Albanian club. At the end, they lost the Cup final and finished the season very disappointed.
Flamurtari (Vlore) triumphed with the Cup, thus continuing their strong period. It was their 2nd Cup so far – may be slowly, but they were building a trophy room. As for the picture… it is not from the final and not even from 1988, but from the fall of 1987 and from their UEFA Cup win at home against Vismut (Aue, DDR). One can see easily… that there were, typically, no familiar names in the squad. Only Sokol Kushta rings a bell. But no matter – Flamurtari won the Cup and it was great!
Denmark
Denmark. Ranked 25th. Excellent season for Brondby. But they were unable to make a double.
B 1913 and
BK Frem won the Second Division championship and returned to top flight.
First Division: Randers Freja and KB were hopeless outsiders – they both finished with 8 points at the bottom of the table and were relegated.
Not much up in the table.
Ikast fS ended 10th with 22 points. More of an illustration how poorly performed the relegated outsiders than anything.
Lyngby BK and Naestved IF played well, but only for 2nd place – both finished with 35 points and Naestved IF got silver medals on 1 goal better goal-difference.
Brondby IF were too strong for the rest of the league – they won the title with 40 points. 17 wins, 6 ties, 3 losses, 57-22 goal-difference. The photo looks suspect – so let it stay tentatively. Anyhow, this was the 3rd title for Brondby. It was also second in a row.
The champions had a good chance to make a double, but at the Cup final AGF Aarhus prevailed 2-1 and won its 6th Cup.
Possible picture of AGF Aarhus winning team. Like Brondby, they were Cup winners two years in a row.