UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE - 2015/16 SEASON MATCH PRESS KITS Elbasan Arena - Elbasan Thursday 17 September 2015 21.05CET (21.05 local time) KF Skënderbeu Group H - Matchday 1 Beşiktaş JK Last updated 15/12/2015 18:57CET Previous meetings 2 Match background 3 Team facts 4 Squad list 6 Fixtures and results 8 Match-by-match lineups 11 Match officials 13 Legend 14 1 KF Skënderbeu - Beşiktaş JK Thursday 17 September 2015 - 21.05CET (21.05 local time) Match press kit Elbasan Arena, Elbasan Previous meetings Head to Head No UEFA competition matches have been played between these two teams KF Skënderbeu - Record versus clubs from opponents' country KF Skënderbeu have not played against a club from their opponents' country Beşiktaş JK - Record versus clubs from opponents' country European Champions Clubs' Cup Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers 0-1 01/10/1986 R1 FK Dinamo Tirana - Beşiktaş JK Tirana Tekin 7 agg: 0-3 Doğan 50, Rıza 17/09/1986 R1 Beşiktaş JK - FK Dinamo Tirana 2-0 Istanbul Çalımbay 74 (P) Home Away Final Total Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L GF GA KF Skënderbeu 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Beşiktaş JK 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 3 0 2 KF Skënderbeu - Beşiktaş JK Thursday 17 September 2015 - 21.05CET (21.05 local time) Match press kit Elbasan Arena, Elbasan Match background KF Skënderbeu will make Albanian history as they kick off their Group H campaign against Beşiktaş JK, and could become the first local club to avoid defeat against Turkish opponents. Previous meetings • The sides are meeting for the first time in UEFA club competition. It is Skënderbeu's first encounter with Turkish opponents. • Beşiktaş met FK Dinamo Tirana in the 1986/87 European Champion Clubs' Cup first round, winning both legs without conceding. • Clubs from Albania and Turkey have met in 12 UEFA games, with all 12 being won by the Turkish side, by an aggregate score of 33-3. Form guide • Skenderbëu were unbeaten in seven European home games (W6 D1) before losing 2-1 to GNK Dinamo Zagreb in this season's UEFA Champions League play-offs. • Beşiktaş made it through last season's UEFA Europa League group stage unbeaten, then eliminated Liverpool FC on penalties before bowing out to Club Brugge KV in the round of 16. • Skenderbëu are the first Albanian side to feature in the group stage of a major UEFA competition. • The competition's new identity has played well with Beşiktaş: they failed to make it through all three of their UEFA Cup group stage campaigns, but have been successful in all three of their UEFA Europa League ones. Trivia and links • The journey from Istanbul to Elbasan – where this game will be played – is just shy of 750km. • Skenderbëu are one of ten domestic champions in this season's group stage, along with Qarabağ FK (Azerbaijan), APOEL FC (Cyprus), FC Viktoria Plzeň (Czech Republic), FC Midtjylland (Denmark), KKS Lech Poznań (Poland), FK Partizan (Serbia), Celtic FC (Scotland), Molde FK (Norway) and FC Basel 1893 (Switzerland). • Beşiktaş's Argentinian midfielder José Sosa can make his 50th UEFA club competition appearance on matchday one. • Skënderbeu forward Hamdi Salihi and Beşiktaş midfielder Veli Kavlak (who has not been named in their UEFA Europa League squad) were team-mates at SK Rapid Wien. The coaches • In charge at Skënderbeu since 2012, Mirel Josa was capped 27 times as a midfielder by Albania, spending the bulk of his career at KF Tirana before finishing up in Greece. He won a title as a coach with Tirana too, and has led his current side to glory in the last three Albanian league campaigns. • Former Trabzonspor AŞ and Turkey goalkeeper Şenol Günes took charge at Beşiktaş in June this year. He famously coached Turkey to a bronze-medal finish at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He has also won two Turkish Cups in the course of four separate spells as Trabzonspor coach. 3 KF Skënderbeu - Beşiktaş JK Thursday 17 September 2015 - 21.05CET (21.05 local time) Match press kit Elbasan Arena, Elbasan Team facts KF Skënderbeu Formed: 1909 Nickname: Bardhekuqtë (The White and Reds) UEFA club competition honours (runners-up in brackets) • None Domestic honours (most recent triumph in brackets) League title: 6 (2015) Ten-year European record (UEFA Europa League/UEFA Cup unless indicated otherwise) 2014/15: UEFA Champions League second qualifying round 2013/14: play-offs (having transferred from UEFA Champions League third qualifying round) 2012/13: UEFA Champions League second qualifying round 2011/12: UEFA Champions League second qualifying round 2010/11: did not take part in UEFA club competition 2009/10: did not take part in UEFA club competition 2008/09: did not take part in UEFA club competition 2007/08: did not take part in UEFA club competition 2006/07: did not take part in UEFA club competition 2005/06: did not take part in UEFA club competition Records UEFA club competition • Biggest home win 4-1: Skënderbeu v Crusaders FC 14/07/15, UEFA Champions League second qualifying round first leg • Biggest away win 0-2: FC Milsami Orhei v Skënderbeu 28/07/15, UEFA Champions League third qualifying round first leg • Heaviest home defeat 0-2: Skënderbeu v APOEL FC 13/07/11, UEFA Champions League second qualifying round first leg • Heaviest away defeat 4-0: APOEL FC v Skënderbeu 20/07/11, UEFA Champions League second qualifying round second leg UEFA Europa League/UEFA Cup • Biggest home win 1-0: Skënderbeu v FC Chornomorets Odesa 29/08/13, play-off second leg • Biggest away win N/A • Heaviest home defeat N/A • Heaviest away defeat 1-0: FC Chornomorets Odesa v Skënderbeu 22/08/13, play-off first leg Beşiktaş JK Formed: 1903 Nickname: Kara Kartal (The Black Eagles) UEFA club competition honours (runners-up in brackets) • none Domestic honours (most recent triumph in brackets) League title: 13 (2009) Turkish Cup: 9 (2011) 4 KF Skënderbeu - Beşiktaş JK Thursday 17 September 2015 - 21.05CET (21.05 local time) Match press kit Elbasan Arena, Elbasan Ten-year European record (UEFA Europa League/UEFA Cup unless otherwise indicated) 2014/15: round of 16 (having transferred from UEFA Champions League play-offs) 2013/14: play-offs (excluded from the group stage) 2012/13: did not participate in UEFA competition 2011/12: round of 16 2010/11: round of 32 2009/10: UEFA Champions League group stage 2008/09: first round 2007/08: UEFA Champions League group stage 2006/07: group stage 2005/06: group stage Records UEFA club competition • Biggest home win 5-1: Beşiktaş v Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC 15/09/11, UEFA Europa League group stage 5-1: Beşiktaş v FC Vaduz 25/08/05, UEFA Cup second qualifying round second leg 4-0: Beşiktaş JK v NK Široki Brijeg 28/08/08, UEFA Cup second qualifying round second leg • Biggest away win 0-5: FK Sarajevo v Beşiktaş 03/10/02, UEFA Cup first round second leg • Heaviest home defeat 0-5: Beşiktaş v FC Dynamo Kyiv 14/03/87, European Champion Clubs' Cup quarter-finals first leg • Heaviest away defeat 8-0: Liverpool FC v Beşiktaş 06/11/07, UEFA Champions League group stage UEFA Europa League/UEFA Cup • Biggest home win 5-1: Beşiktaş v Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC (see above) 5-1: Beşiktaş v FC Vaduz (see above) 4-0: Beşiktaş JK v NK Široki Brijeg (see above) • Biggest away win 0-5: FK Sarajevo v Beşiktaş (see above) • Heaviest home defeat 1-4: Beşiktaş v FC Dynamo Kyiv 17/02/11, round of 32 first leg 0-3: Beşiktaş v Club Atlético de Madrid 15/03/12, round of 16 second leg • Heaviest away defeat 4-0: FC Dynamo Kyiv v Beşiktaş 24/02/11, round of 32 second leg 5 KF Skënderbeu - Beşiktaş JK Thursday 17 September 2015 - 21.05CET (21.05 local time) Match press kit Elbasan Arena, Elbasan Squad list KF Skënderbeu Current season All-time UCL UEL League UEL UEFA No. Player Nat. DoB Age D Pld Gls Pld Gls Pld Gls Pld Gls Pld Gls Goalkeepers 1 Orges Shehi ALB 25/09/1977 37 - 6 - - - 3 - - - 34 - 12 Erjon Llapanji ALB 10/05/1985 30 - - - - - - - - - - - Defenders 3 Renato Arapi ALB 28/08/1986 29 - 3 - - - 3 1 - - 17 - 4 Bruno Lulaj ALB 02/04/1995 20 - - - - - - - - - - - 5 Bajram Jashanica ALB 25/09/1990 24 - 5 - - - 2 - - - 7 - 19 Tefik Osmani ALB 08/06/1985 30 - 1 - - - - - - - 19 - 20 Ademir BRA 20/09/1985 29 - 3 - - - 2 - - - 10 - 32 Kristi Vangjeli ALB 05/09/1985 30 - 6 - - - 1 - 12 - 23 - 33 Marko Radaš CRO 26/10/1983 31 - 6 - - - 1 - - - 18 1 Midfielders 6 Bekim Dema ALB 30/09/1993 21 - - - - - - - - - - - 7 Gerhard Progni ALB 06/11/1986 28 - 6 1 - - 3 - - - 8 1 8 Bakary Nimaga MLI 06/12/1994 20 - 6 1 - - 3 - - - 11 1 11 Leonit Abazi ALB 05/07/1993 22 - 2 - - - 3 - - - 8 - 25 Bujar Shabani ALB 11/10/1990 24 - - - - - - - - - - - 27 Liridon Latifi ALB 06/02/1994 21 - 5 1 - - 2 - - - 5 1 30 Esquerdinha BRA 16/11/1990 24 - 6 1 - - 3 - - - 6 1 87 Djair BRA 10/02/1991 24 - - - - - - - - - - - 88 Sabien Lilaj ALB 18/02/1989 26 - 4 - - - 3 - - - 18 - Forwards 10 Bledi Shkëmbi ALB 13/08/1979 36 - 6 1 - - 3 - - - 19 3 14 Hamdi Salihi ALB 19/01/1984 31 - 5 5 - - 1 - 8 2 35 14 17 Ventsislav Hristov BUL 09/11/1988 26 - 4 - - - 3 1 - - 6 1 21 Arbër Abilaliaj ALB 06/06/1986 29 - 2 - - - - - - - 9 1 23 Bernard Berisha ALB 24/10/1991 23 - 6 2 - - 3 - - - 7 2 99 Peter Olayinka NGA 16/11/1995 19 - 1 - - - 3 2 - - 1 - Coach - Mirel Josa ALB 01/06/1963 52 - 6 - - - - - - - 14 - 6 KF Skënderbeu - Beşiktaş JK Thursday 17 September 2015 - 21.05CET (21.05 local time) Match press kit Elbasan Arena, Elbasan Beşiktaş JK Current season All-time UEL League UEL UEFA No.