KF Trepça

Klubi Futbollistik Trepça, commonly known as KF Trepça, is a professional football club based in the southern part of Mitrovica, Kosovo. The club currently plays in the First Football League of Kosovo in Group A. KF Trepça was founded in 1932.

It was the first Kosovo Football club to gain promotion in to the Yugoslav First League) in 1977–78 after winning the Yugoslav Second League in 1976–77 as the first Club in Kosovo to do so.

Trepça was one of only two Clubs in Kosovo with KF Prishtina who competed in the Yugoslav First League. They also reached the Finals off the 1977–78 Yugoslav Cup in which they lost against HNK Rijeka with 0-1 being also the first and only Kosovo Football Club to achieve this success.

Early years (1932–1945)
Trepça was founded in 1932 by workers of the Trepça Mines in Mitrovica during the period of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. From the founding year until 1938, the club did not have an own venue, so coached and played on a playing field in the neighboring town Zveçan. In 1938, a small field was built where they played until the Second World War. Later they received its own stadium, the Trepça Stadium, which offered then about 30,000 spectators. Both Albanians and Serbs played for the club, Albanian players that marked the pre-WWII period were Mazllum Grushti, Hasko Bula, Gota Sezair, Ejup Kerveshi, Adnan Mustafa, Ahmed and Qamil Zajmi, Hysen Murati, Xhati Zhubi, Sali Pllana, Bedri Hamza, Shinasi Rizanolli, Ahmet Shukriu, Burhan Kurkuqi, Jakup Berisha, Qazim Pllana, Sami Konjusha, Agim Deva, Ekrem Neziri, Riza Gashi, etc. Another notable player was Riza Lushta, former Juventus and SSC Napoli player, who spent his youth career at Trepça in 1932–1934.

Regional successes (1945–1977)
During the Second World War, the Kosovo Albanian players of Trepça, played for the Albanian football club called KF Skënderbeu, which was active during the war and the fascist occupation. After the end of the war, Trepça was long in the shadow of numerous Yugoslav clubs, but achieved regional importance by winning the Kosovo Province League in 1947, 1949, 1950, 1952 and 1955.

Successes in Yugoslavian Football (1977–1989)
However, in 1977 came the first major success for the club, when they achieved the promotion to the Yugoslav First League. In the following 1977–78 season, the club relegated in the Yugoslav Second League, but managed to achieve the 1977–78 Yugoslav Cup final, where they lost against NK Rijeka by 0–1 after extra time. During this period, the club's nickname Xehetarët (The Miners) was especially popular, and the Trepça players Dragan Mutibarić, Dragan Simeunović and Vladan Radača became members of the Yugoslavia national football team. During the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s the players that emerged in the club were Sali Qubreli, Jakup Abrashi, Ajet Shosholli, Hysni Maxhuni, Luan Prekazi, Rexhep Xhaka, Erdogan Celina, Esat Mehmeti, Ramadan Cimili, Fisnik Ademi, Adnan Zeqiri, Ibrahim Prekazi, Faruk Domi, Aqif Shehu, Mensur Nexhipi, Rafet Prekazi, Genc Hoxha, Avni Juniku, Bakir Burri, Hasan Shasivari, Shemsedin Ajeti, Vahedin Ajeti, Ahmet Turku, Gani Llapashtica, Isa Sadriu, Bardhec Seferi, Sadik Rrahmani, Fahredin Duraku, Nazmi Rama among others. The main supporters of KF Trepça are Torcida Mitrovicë which were formed on 20 March 1984. Over the years Trepça became more and more a monoethnic club, especially in 1987 when under the coach Jashar Peci the absolute majority of the players were Albanians.

Kosovo Independent League (1989–1998)
On the 25th May 1989, the Albanian players were forced to leave the club even though they formed the majority. As a result, the club divided into two clubs in 1991. Therefore, there were two clubs with the same name, identity and history both claiming the heritage of the successes during the Yugoslavian era and regarding themselves as the successor of Trepça.

In 1991, Kosovo proclaimed independence from Serbia and KF Trepça finally left the Yugoslav football league system like many other clubs did. They became part of Independent League of Kosovo and immediately became one of the dominant football clubs in Kosovo by winning the Kosovar Cup in 1992 and the Independent League of Kosovo in 1993. In 1996 Trepça relegated to the First Football League of Kosovo.

Post war (1999–present)
Trepça came back to the Football Superleague of Kosovo in 2006 after playing almost one decade in lower tiers. Trepça managed to win the Football Superleague of Kosovo in the 2009-10 season thanks to two goals from the captain Elvis Osmani on the last matchday against Besa Pejë. Nevertheless, Trepça relegated once again after finishing last in 2015. In 2016 they were crowned champions of First Football League of Kosovo and promoted to the Football Superleague of Kosovo. However, they were not able to stay for more than one season in the Superleague after finishing 11th and relegating to the First Football League of Kosovo.

Supporters
Trepça's main supporters are Torcida Mitrovicë. They were founded by Shefqet Begu also known as Qeti in 1984. His inspiration came from Torcida Split, the oldest European ultras. Torcida Mitrovicë are considered to be the oldest Albanian ultras. Except of the Trepça clubs, they also support the Albanian national football team.

Rivalries
Their biggest rival is KF Prishtina. The rivalry is the most known rivalry in Kosovo due to the history of both clubs. It started in 1945 when Trepça and Prishtina were the dominant clubs in the Kosovo Province League. Both clubs also reached the Yugoslav First League, being the only Kosovan clubs to achieve it, which made the rivalry even more intense. There were several incidents between Torcida and Plisat, Prishtina's supporters club. The incident which made the most headlines was the incident in Elbasan in 2015 where ten fans were arrested and four fans ended up injured. Another rival is KF Trepça'89 who is from the same city. Trepça'89 does not have its own supporter group that is why the derby is less intense.

Stadium
After the Kosovo war in 1999, the city was divided into a southern part with an almost exclusively Kosovo Albanian population and a northern part with a non-Albanian or predominantly Serb population. The 2004 unrest in Kosovo reinforced the ethnic division of the city.

The home ground of the club is now the Trepça Stadium, the same stadium where the Serbian club FK Trepča played from 1989 until 1999. The stadium is located in the southern part of the city, but FK Trepča is based in North Mitrovica, in North Kosovo; it is not currently possible for them to play their home matches in their former home stadium. Currently, only Albanian teams play in the stadium, including the KF Trepça. The stadium is now called Stadiumi Olimpik Adem Jashari by the Kosovo Albanian population, after Adem Jashari, a former leader of the Albanian paramilitary rebel organisation UÇK. The stadium is the largest in Kosovo with a capacity of 30,000. The stadium is being renovated since 2020. When the renovations are finished the stadium will be a category four stadium.

Honours

 * Kosovar Superliga
 * Winners (2): 1992–1993, 2009–10
 * Kosovo Province League
 * Winners (5): 1947, 1948–1949, 1949–1950, 1951–52, 1954–55
 * Kosovar Cup
 * Winners (1): 1991–1992
 * Kosovar Supercup
 * Winners (1): 2009–2010
 * Yugoslav Second League
 * Champion: 1976–77 (promoted to Yugoslav First League)
 * Yugoslav Cup (1):
 * Runner-up: 1977–78

Players
Appearances in competitive matches
 * Most appearances

International matches
In 1978, Trepça played two friendlies and participated in the Trofeo Ciudad de Zaragoza.