To continue our series of Under the Lights articles, where we learn the basics about the thousands of clubs around our country, we reached out to Vlora FC and Katie Brink was kind enough to answer right away. She moved the questions on to Vlora FC’s founder, Adi Bilani, who took the time to answer our simple questions and we’re more than happy to share what we discovered about the club here.

When was Vlora FC founded; by whom and what is the mission of the club?
Vlora FC was founded by Adi Bilani in 2012. The club prides itself on its diverse makeup as expressed in the motto; “United by passion, driven by a dream.” Vlora FC believes in providing opportunities for players to develop and compete at higher levels.

Tell us about your badge and colors – what is the inspiration?
Vlora FC is named for Vlorë, Albania, our club founder’s hometown. Over the years, the club itself has become a home-away-from-home not only for President Bilani, but for those of our players and fans who are far from their own homelands. The center of the crest features a stylized version of Independence Monument, a public sculpture in Vlorë by Muntaz Dhrami that features Ismail Qemali, the founder of Albania’s national movement, holding a flag. Our crest’s independence theme was chosen intentionally. Many of our players are in transition from one stage of their soccer careers to another. The shield they wear encourages them to face the new chapter of their lives with bravery and purpose. On Vlora’s crest, the flag-bearing man appears in Vlora’s yellow accent color on a backdrop of red and black, which are the club’s primary colors as well as the colors of the Albanian national flag.
You can read more about the evolution of Vlora’s crest HERE

All images found on Vlora FC’s social media pages

What league or leagues do you play in? Why did you choose that league?
Vlora’s top men’s and women’s teams play in the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) because the UPSL’s objectives and aspirations align with ours. Like Vlora FC, the UPSL wants to raise minimum standards while providing development and advancement opportunities for talented players at a semi-professional level. And like Vlora FC, the UPSL is proud of the diversity of its constituents, and is working to bring international exposure to its players. Vlora’s second and third men’s teams play in the Minnesota Amateur Soccer League (MASL) which has fostered quality amateur level soccer in Minnesota since 1953. We hope to grow our women’s program enough for the women to have a second team in the near future.

Do you sell merchandise or have plans to? If so, where can we find it and what are you most excited about? If not yet, what are you working on?
Yes! You can buy our t-shirts, scarves and hats at home games or via our online store. We will be adding more Vlora merch next season. Look for announcements about new merchandise on our website and social media:
Follow Vlora FC on Instagram HERE
TikTok HERE
And on X / Twitter HERE

Troy Ives and Mario Lone were recently announced as co-coaches for the women’s team in the UPSL for 2024.

How has this season gone for you? What were the goals and aspirations heading into it? What is something to work on for the future?
Vlora had a number of successes in 2023, beginning with the much anticipated launch of Vlora FC Women! On the men’s side, our top team had a dramatic run in the MN Super Cup, and our 2nd men’s team won the locally prestigious Wilson Cup. Vlora’s top men’s team has been invited to play some friendly matches in Albania in 2024, so the club is busy making those preparations. We’ve also been stepping up our game day experience. This year we added a 4k livestream with a professional look and feel, and hired a talented play-by-play announcer. Plans are already underway to add concessions, drumming/chanting, and halftime activities for the families who fill our home stadium in 2024.

If there were one or two teams, within a 100 miles of you, to play a friendly against – who would you play and why?
Within a hundred miles? I’m not positive. But it would be great to play some of the other clubs across the country with Albanian connections, like Detroit United or Albania United SC.