Klubi i Basketbollit Trepça is a professional basketball club based in Mitrovicë, Kosovo. The club competes domestically in the Kosovo Basketball Superleague and Kosovo Cup and internationally in the Fiba Europe Cup. Trepça is one of the most successful clubs in Kosovo, Trepça has won 4 National Championships, 7 Kosovo Basketball Cups, 2 Kosovo Supercups and 1 Liga Unike Supercup.

KB Trepça
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NicknameXehëtarët, Minatorët
LeaguesKosovo Superleague
Kosovo Cup
Liga Unike
Founded1947; 77 years ago (1947)
HistoryKB Trepça
1947–present
ArenaSalla e sporteve Minatori
Capacity3,500
LocationMitrovicë, Kosovo
Team colorsGreen, Black
   
PresidentVullnet Sefaja
Head coachAdis Bećiragić
Team captainValdrin Haxhiu
Championships4 National Leagues
7 National Cups
2 National Supercups
WebsiteOfficial website

History edit

Early years and successes in Yugoslavia (1940–1992) edit

The origins of Trepça can be traced back to the 1940s when basketball started gaining popularity in Mitrovica. However, it wasn't until 1947 that the club was officially established. Initially, KB Trepça competed in local leagues and tournaments, gradually developing its reputation as a competitive team.

In the 1960s and 1970s, KB Trepça experienced its golden era. The club achieved numerous successes. Trepça won several regional titles and made their debut in the First B Federal Basketball League, the country's second-tier basketball competition, in the 1980's. The team consistently performed well and became known for its strong roster of talented players and skilled coaching staff.[1][2]

Following the dissolution of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s and the subsequent conflicts in the Balkans, Kosovo went through a turbulent period. KB Trepça, like many other institutions in the region, faced significant challenges and disruptions. The club's activities were severely impacted, and it took several years for basketball to regain stability in Kosovo.

Establishment of the Kosovo Basketball Federation (1992–1999) edit

With the establishment of the Kosovo Basketball Federation in 1992, KB Trepça started competing in the Kosovo Basketball Superleague. KB Trepça won their first league title in the 1992/1993 season against KB Peja.[3] The following year, Trepça reached the final once again but lost against Peja.

Years of dominance (1999–2002) edit

Trepça won the Kosovo Basketball Superleague in 2000 and 2001.[4] Furthermore, Trepça won the Kosovo Cup in 1999. The coach was Ahmet Behrami and notable players during this period were Ilir Selmani, Naim Hajrizi, Brahim Veseli, Artan Mehmeti, Eroll Pepiqi, Besim Braha, Fikret Hanxhiq, Edmond Raqa and many others.[5] In the 2002 season Trepça lost the final against KB Prishtina.

New successes and rivalries (2002–2012) edit

Trepça continued to be one of the dominant forces in Kosovan basketball by always reaching the play-offs and by winning the Kosovo Cup in 2004 with notable players like Igor Miličić, Haashim Simmons, Ylber Jusufi, Besim Braha, Fikret Hanxhiq, Ilir Selmani, Naim Haxha, Brahim Veseli etc. Trepça lost the finals in 2007 and 2010 against KB Prishtina. The 2010–11 season was a special season for Trepça where they played two local derbies against KB Mitrovica and KB Bambi who both were from Mitrovica.[6] The following season Trepça won the Superleague 3-2 against Prishtina in the finals. In addition to that Trepça won the Kosovo Cup the same year. The roster was made by players like Jaleel Nelson, Drilon Hajrizi, Gazmend Asllani, Besnik Azemi, Fikret Hanxhiq, Arian Tahiri, Valdrin Haxhiu, Imer Tahiri, Emir Zimic and Luard Halili.[7] Drilon Hajrizi became the MVP of 2011–12 Superleague season.[8] During this period and especially after the 2012 finals the rivalry with Prishtina intensified.

Trepça's debut in a European competition and struggle for the play-offs in the Superleague (2012–2019) edit

From 2012 to 2019 Trepça constantly placed 4th or 5th fighting for the play-offs in the Superleague. In 2014, 2016 and 2017 they reached the semi-finals but did not manage to go further. In 2016, Trepça made their debut in the Balkan International Basketball League where they won against Karpoš Sokoli, Feni Industries and Sutjeska.[9] Nevertheless, they finished 5th not making into the play-offs.

Downfall and revival (2019–2022) edit

In the 2019-20 Superleague season Trepça almost relegated after finishing 7th for the first time in their history.[10] Trepça won against AS Prishtina in the play-out. The following season Trepça once again placed 7th. This time they faced KB Istogu in the play-out winning 193-155 in aggregate.[11] Notable players were Drilon Hajrizi, Burim Zekiqi, Dino Butorac, Valdrin Haxhiu and Stavros Toutziarakis. Trepça started a reorganization in 2021 by signing several players like Andrew Gordon, Samir Zekiqi and Ryan Wright. The new coach was Lumbomir Minchev.[12] Trepça won the Kosovo Cup in 2022 after one decade by beating KB Bashkimi 76-62 in the final.[13] On 3 March 2022 they signed former NBA-player Rodney Purvis. Trepça reached the final in the 2021-22 Superleague season but failed to win against Ylli.

Supporters & Rivalries edit

The main supporters of Trepça are Torcida Mitrovicë. Founded in 1984, they are the oldest ethnic Albanian ultras.[14]

Sigal Prishtina edit

One of the most notable rivalries for Trepça is with Sigal Prishtina, another basketball club from Kosovo. Matches between Trepça and Sigal Prishtina often generate a lot of excitement and anticipation among fans. These two teams have a long-standing rivalry, and their matches are highly competitive and intense. The rivalry was the reason for several incidents between Trepça's supporters' group Torcida 1984 and Prishtina's supporters' group Plisat including violence and hooliganism.[15][16]

KB Peja edit

Another significant rivalry for Trepça is with KB Peja, another prominent basketball club from Kosovo. Matches between Trepça and Peja have historically been fierce and have attracted a lot of attention from fans. Both teams have had successful seasons and have often been in direct competition for titles and championships.

KB Bashkimi edit

Trepça also shares a rivalry with KB Bashkimi, a basketball club based in Prizren, Kosovo. Matches between Trepça and Bashkimi have seen intense competition on the court. This rivalry is fueled by the regional pride of the two cities and the desire to establish dominance in Kosovo basketball.

Arena edit

 
KB Trepça vs. KB Peja, Kosovo Basketball Superleague regular season game.
 
KB Trepça kampione e kupës Mbarëkombëtare. 2022 Mitrovicë

The club plays in the sport center Salla e sporteve Minatori, in the center of Mitrovica, with a capacity for around 3,500 spectators.[17] The average attendance was 3,400 during the playoff of the 2022–23 Kosovo Basketball Superleague being the highest average attendance in the Kosovo Basketball Superleague.[18]

European record edit

Season Competition Round Club Home Away
2022-2023 FIBA Europe Cup   BG Göttingen 62–76
2023-24 FIBA Europe Cup Qualifying round   Tindastóll 77–69
  Pärnu Sadam 77–67
Regular season   Leiden 54–84 76–80
  Gravelines-Dunkerque 76–68 49–83

European Cups edit

Season Group Competion Stage Position
2016-2017
B
BIBL
5th

1.^ KB Trepça lost the game on forfeit (against KB Peja) after the game was abandoned in the third period due to riots from the home fans, which injured one of the referees and one of KB Peja's players.[19]

Players edit

Current Roster edit

KB Trepça roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Nat. Name Ht. Wt. Age
G/F 0   Bracy-Davis, Kevin 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) 95 kg (209 lb) 29 – (1995-01-23)23 January 1995
C 1   Haliti, Venis 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) 80 kg (176 lb) 15 – (2008-07-15)15 July 2008
G 3   Edge, Darnell 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) 84 kg (185 lb) 26 – (1997-08-12)12 August 1997
SG 6   Haxhiu, Valdrin (C) 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) 100 kg (220 lb) 35 – (1988-10-10)10 October 1988
G/F 7     Tmušić, Mikaile 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) 90 kg (198 lb) 31 – (1993-01-06)6 January 1993
PF/C 9   Upson, Devonte 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) 93 kg (205 lb) 31 – (1993-03-23)23 March 1993
G/F 12   Hajrizi, Drilon 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) 108 kg (238 lb) 33 – (1991-01-17)17 January 1991
G 13   Capers, Kevin 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) 77 kg (170 lb) 30 – (1993-05-02)2 May 1993
G 18     Hot, Amin 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) 88 kg (194 lb) 31 – (1993-03-27)27 March 1993
SF 28   Kastrati, Erjon 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) 91 kg (201 lb) 29 – (1994-12-30)30 December 1994
C 32   Tshimanga, Jordy 2.13 m (7 ft 0 in) 122 kg (269 lb) 27 – (1996-11-04)4 November 1996
PF 33   Edwards, Brandon 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) 102 kg (225 lb) 30 – (1993-09-13)13 September 1993
C 35   Kapiti, Dardan 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) 95 kg (209 lb) 24 – (2000-03-22)22 March 2000
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  •   Injured

Depth chart edit

Pos. Starting 5 Bench 1 Bench 2
C Jordy Tshimanga Dardan Kapiti Venis Haliti
PF Devonte Upson Brandon Edwards
SF Drilon Hajrizi Kevin Bracy-Davis
SG Mikaile Tmušić Erjon Kastrati Valdrin Haxhiu
PG Darnell Edge Kevin Capers Amin Hot

Honors and titles edit

Domestic edit

Kosovo Superleague

  • Winners (4): 1992-1993, 1999-2000, 2000-2001, 2011-2012
  • Runners-up (6): 1993-1994, 2001-2002, 2006-2007, 2009-2010, 2021-2022, 2022-2023

Kosovo Cup

  • Winners (7): 1993, 2000, 2004, 2012, 2022, 2023, 2024
  • Runners-up (2): 2005, 2010

Kosovo Supercup

  • Winners (2): 2002, 2023
  • Runners-up (2): 2021, 2022

Liga Unike Supercup

  • Winners (1): 2022

Season by Season edit

KB Trepça (2015–2024) edit

Seasons Division Pos. Play Offs Kosovo Cup Liga Unike Kosovo Supercup European competitions
2015-16 1 4th Semifinals Quarterfinals
2016-17 1 4th Semifinals Semifinals Balkan League
2017-18 1 5th Quarterfinals
2018-19 1 5th Quarterfinals Quarterfinals
2019-20 1 7th Postponed
2020-21 1 7th Relegation Quarterfinals
2021-22 1 2nd Runner-Up Champion - Runner-Up
2022–23 1 4th Runner-up Champion Postponed Runner-up FIBA Europe Cup QF
2023–24 1 1st TBD Champion TBD Champion FIBA Europe Cup RS


Notable players edit

Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationality not displayed.

Criteria

To appear in this section a player must have either:

  • Set a club record or won an individual award while at the club
  • Played at least one official international match for their national team at any time
  • Played at least one official NBA match at any time.

Coaching history edit

Coach Years active
  Ahmet Behrami 1999–2001
  Senad Spuzanin 2001–2003
  Čedomir Perinčić 2003–2004
  Ahmet Behrami 2004–2006
  Naim Hajrizi 2006–2008
  Aleksander Sarkanj 2008–2009
  Saša Katalinić 2009–2010
  Ilir Selmani 2011–2012
  Neven Plantak 2012–2013
  Mika Turunen 2013
  Panče Milevski 2013
  Israel Martín 2013–2014
  Izet Tahiri 2014–2015
  Neven Plantak 2015–2016
  Dimitris Papadopoulos 2016–2017
  Ilir Selmani 2017–2019
  Serhat Sehit 2020–2021
  Lyubomir Minchev 2021–2022
  Aleksandar Jončevski 2022–2023
  Engin Gençoglu 2023
   Adis Bećiragić 2023–present

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Ekipa e KB Trepçes, që kishte arritur të siguronte ligën e parë,B-në ish-Jugosllavi,në vitin 1984" (in Albanian). Mitrosport. 23 July 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  2. ^ "Historiku". FBK (in Albanian). Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  3. ^ "Trepça-Peja Historia e finaleve 1993, 1994, 2000 dhe sivjet" (in Albanian). asistionline.com. 8 May 2023. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  4. ^ "Kampionët e Kosovës ndër vite". Kosovo Basketball Federation. 11 May 2021.
  5. ^ "Torcida e Plisat kur festonin bashke! -Basket Trepça - Prishtina (Sezona 1999/2000)". Kosova Arkiv. 22 March 2019.
  6. ^ "Superliga (2010-2011)". Eurobasket.com. 1 September 2023.
  7. ^ "Superliga 2011-2012". 1 September 2023.
  8. ^ "Drilon Hajrizi, basketbollisti i vitit 2012". Telegrafi (in Albanian). May 2012. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  9. ^ "KB Trepca calendar 2016-2017". balkanleague.net. 9 September 2023.
  10. ^ "PËR HERË TË PARË NË HISTORI TË KLUBIT, TREPÇA I'A BËN SEFTE PLAY OUT-IT". 25 May 2020.
  11. ^ "TREPÇA MBETET NË SUPERLIGË, MPOSHT EDHE NË SFIDËN E DYTË TË "PLAY-OUT"-IT ISTOGUN". 29 April 2021.
  12. ^ "PAK LËVIZJE ZYRTARE NË KLUBET KOSOVARE, TREPÇA E YLLI SKUADRAT MË AKTIVE!". 16 July 2021.
  13. ^ "Pas një dekade, Drilon Hajrizi i sjell Trepçës Kupën e Kosovës". 13 February 2022.
  14. ^ "Torcida kujton sukseset e Trepçës". Bota Sot. 8 May 2020.
  15. ^ "4 policë të lënduar nga incidenti në ndeshjen Prishtina–Trepça". RTV21. 11 December 2022.
  16. ^ "Torcida vs. Plisat-Basketball Fight". YouTube. 26 April 2010.
  17. ^ "Spiel Zusammenfassung Trepça-Peja Finalrunde". flashscore.de. 3 May 2023.
  18. ^ "FBK boton shikueshmërinë nëpër palestra, Trepça më e shikuara!". 30 May 2023.
  19. ^ "The game KB Trepca - KB Peja is suspended, the visitors win it 20-0". Balkan International Basketball League. 11 January 2017.

External links edit