ABSTRACT
With a population of just under 3 million, Albania is one of the smallest countries in South-East Europe. Albania is situated in the Balkans, a region where there remain political unrest, strong Nationalist sentiments and ethnic conflict, it is also a country that endured a brutal isolationist communist regime. The chapter provides an overview of sport during the communist era, and reflects on what role sport plays in the Albanian national habitus at home and in the diaspora. This chapter then considers how sport reflects the changing political, economic and social landscape since communism. Drawing on newspapers, policy documents and historical archives the themes covered in the chapter include; football and nationalism, the privatisation of sport and gender issues in Albanian sport, before finishing with a brief discussion of current civic unrest.
