Albania, hidden behind her own curtain, seemingly stayed the same.
Apolonia (Fier) and
Skenderbeu (Korce) won promotion from Second Division.
Beselidhja and Traktori ended at the bottom of First Division and were relegated. Traktori were pretty much the outsider of the league, winning only 3 matches. Beselidhja had a curious record – 10 wins and 16 losses. Not a single tie. Only the top 4 clubs won more games than them, but gambling ‘all or nothing’ left them a point short of safety. The rest of the league was divided into three distinct groups – the lower one, which was also the biggest, concerned with survival, stretched up and included the 7th placed Lokomotiva. The champions of 1977-78 were part of this bulk, finishing 9th. Above them 4 comfortable, but not aiming higher clubs – Besa clinched bronze medals. And finally two clubs competed, shoulder to shoulder, for the title. 17 nentori (Tirana) had the deadliest strikers in the league, but a single match decided their fate – they had a tie whether their competitors had a win. 35 points, 4 more than Besa, but one behind the champions. Which were well known.
Partizani (Tirana) won one more title.
Hardly a single known name outside Albania. Bunch of national players, the stars of Albanian football of that time Lekbello, Berisha, Lika, coached by former star Pano, but the real interesting thing about the champions was their kit – looked like fashion was finally coming to Albania and the champions were dressed with Adidas. The goalkeepers were left out, it seems, but still a news.
The Cup final opposed the last year champions Vllaznia to the second strongest Albanian club Dinamo (Tirana). The finalists had a weak season, yet, Dinamo was more or less the expected winner. The final was dramatic – it ended 1-1 and replay was scheduled. It also ended in a tie and only in the extra time Vllaznia scored a winning goal – 2-1 and the Cup was theirs.
Thus, provincial Vllaznia maintained unlikely position among the best of the time – champions in 1978, Cup winners in 1979, may be something else the next year?