7 Shocking Facts About Gazeta Panorama Sport: Albania’s Most Powerful Sports Voice

Contents

Gazeta Panorama Sport remains the undisputed champion of sports journalism in Albania, a dominance that continues through December 24, 2025. As the country's best-selling and largest sports newspaper, it provides daily, in-depth coverage of everything from the local Albanian Superliga to the biggest international tournaments. Its influence extends far beyond the print pages, shaping public discourse on football, basketball, and the performance of the Albanian National Team.

The publication is a core part of the powerful Panorama Group, but its story is not just one of circulation numbers and match reports. It is a tale interwoven with media politics, high-profile ownership, and recent, unprecedented controversies that have tested the boundaries of media freedom in the Balkan nation. This deep dive uncovers the seven most compelling—and sometimes shocking—facts about the paper that sets the sports agenda for millions of Albanian readers.

Profile, Ownership, and Historical Roots of the Panorama Group

While Gazeta Panorama Sport is a distinct daily publication, its history is inextricably linked to its parent company, the Panorama Group, one of the largest publishing houses in the Albanian print market.

  • Founding Year: The Panorama Group was officially founded and began publishing its flagship daily newspaper, Gazeta Panorama, in September 2002. Panorama Sport was launched as the Group’s dedicated daily sports title around the same period.
  • Key Founders: The Group was established by three prominent businessmen: Irfan Hysenbelliu, Alban Xhaferi, and Lefter Sota. Irfan Hysenbelliu is now widely recognized as the principal owner and one of the most powerful figures in Albanian media.
  • Market Dominance: The main Panorama newspaper has historically boasted the highest circulation in the country, selling an average of over 11,000 copies per day, which solidifies Panorama Sport’s position as the leading daily sports paper.
  • Key Figures: The leadership structure includes influential figures like Folitjana Puravelli, a member of the Supervisory Council, and veteran journalist and editor Robert Rakipllari, who contributes to the overall strength of the Group's editorial output.
  • Digital Presence: The publication maintains a massive digital footprint, with its online portal, panoramasport.al, and dedicated mobile apps on both the Apple App Store and Google Play, ensuring its content is immediately accessible to a modern, mobile-first audience.

The paper’s comprehensive reporting and market saturation have given it a unique authority. It is not merely a source of scores but a cultural barometer for the nation's passion for sports, particularly football.

The Breadth of Coverage: From Albanian Superliga to International Giants

The editorial focus of Gazeta Panorama Sport is designed to capture the attention of the average Albanian sports fan, balancing intense local interest with the global appeal of major European leagues.

In-Depth Focus on National Sports

The paper’s primary mission is to serve the local market. It provides exhaustive coverage of the Albanian Superliga, following the performances of major clubs like KF Tirana, Partizani, and others in great detail. This local focus includes match forecasts, team performances, player exchanges, and exclusive interviews with coaches, such as the recent coverage of coach Josa's statements.

Crucially, the paper dedicates significant space to the Albanian National Team, following their journey through international qualifiers and tournaments. This coverage often takes on a patriotic tone, reflecting the nation's pride in its athletes on the world stage. Beyond football, the publication also provides consistent updates on Basketball, a major popular sport in the country, and other regional tournaments.

Groundbreaking International Collaborations

In a move that significantly elevated its prestige and topical authority, Panorama Sport established a historic collaboration with the renowned Italian sports daily, Corriere dello Sport.

This partnership allows the Albanian paper to break an important barrier in national journalism, providing its readers with exclusive access to high-quality international sports content, particularly on European football and Serie A, a league with a massive following in Albania due to its geographic proximity and cultural ties. This collaboration highlights the paper’s commitment to providing a world-class reading experience, solidifying its position against competitors.

The Controversial Edge: Media Freedom and the Eviction Incident

While its sports coverage is stellar, the Panorama Group—and by extension, Gazeta Panorama Sport—has recently been at the center of a major media freedom controversy that transcends the sports world.

The Unprecedented Eviction

In what was described as an "unprecedented act in the history of Albanian media," journalists from the Panorama Group (including staff from Gazeta Panorama, Panorama Sport, and Panorama TV) were forcibly evicted from their building by police.

The incident, which also affected journalists from the television station News24, involved blocking staff from entering the editorial office. This move was widely denounced by various organizations and prominent journalists—including Anila Hoxha and Artan Hoxha—as a direct attack on media freedom and an attempt to control the flow of information.

A Test of Independence

The controversy surrounding the eviction has put the entire Panorama Group under the spotlight, raising questions about the independence and security of the press in the country. The journalists involved publicly appealed for intervention, demanding to be allowed to return to their workplaces.

For Gazeta Panorama Sport, this incident means that its reporting is viewed not just through a lens of sports enthusiasm, but also against a backdrop of complex media-political dynamics. Its ability to continue publishing high-quality, independent sports news in such an environment is a testament to its editorial resilience.

In summary, Gazeta Panorama Sport is more than just a newspaper. It is a powerful institution—a publishing powerhouse owned by Irfan Hysenbelliu and the Panorama Group—that shapes the national conversation on Football, Basketball, the Albanian Superliga, and the National Team. Its recent collaboration with Corriere dello Sport and its struggle against forces that threaten media freedom make it one of the most fascinating and important media entities in modern Albania. The paper continues to set the standard for sports journalism, making it essential reading for anyone interested in the pulse of Albanian sports culture.

7 Shocking Facts About Gazeta Panorama Sport: Albania’s Most Powerful Sports Voice
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