Ruzhdi Bizhuta Stadium, Football stadium in Elbasan, Albania.
Ruzhdi Bizhuta Stadium is a football facility in Elbasan with a grass pitch and a running track surrounding the field. The venue holds thousands of spectators and serves as the home ground for the local club KF Elbasani.
Opened in 1967 as Ruzhdi Bizhuta Stadium, named after a player of Bashkimi Elbasanas who scored in Albania's first national match. In January 2014 the Albanian Football Association chose it to host Euro 2016 qualifiers while Qemal Stafa was rebuilt. Work began in February 2014 and cost over €5.5 million; the rebuilt ground was inaugurated on 8 October 2014, and on 11 October Albania drew 1:1 with Denmark.
The ground was named after Ruzhdi Bizhuta (1920–1970), who played for Bashkimi Elbasanas in 1946 and 1947 and for Albania in 1946, scoring the second goal in the national team's first match, a 5:0 win over a Montenegrin selection in Shkodra. The name was dropped when the rebuilt venue reopened as Elbasan Arena in 2014.
The stadium sits near the eastern edge of the city center and is easy to find. Check ahead for match schedules, as access and availability depend on ongoing events.
The stadium's old name honoured Ruzhdi Bizhuta (1920–1970), who scored Albania's second goal in the national team's first-ever match, a 5:0 win over a Montenegrin selection in Shkodra in 1946. He had played for Bashkimi Elbasanas in 1946 and 1947.
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