NK Celje explained

Clubname:Celje
Fullname:Nogometni klub Celje
Nickname:Grofje (The Counts)
Rumeno-modri
(The Yellow and Blues)
Founded:[1] [2] (as SK Celje)
Ground:Stadion Z'dežele
Capacity:13,059
Chrtitle:President
Chairman:Valeriy Kolotilo
Mgrtitle:Manager
Manager:Albert Riera
League:Slovenian PrvaLiga
Season:2023–24
Position:Slovenian PrvaLiga, 1st of 10 (champions)
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Website:https://www.nk-celje.si/sl/

Nogometni klub Celje (English: Celje Football Club), commonly referred to as NK Celje or simply Celje (in Slovenian pronounced as /ˈtsɛ̀ːljɛ/), is a professional football club from Celje, Slovenia. They play in the Slovenian PrvaLiga, the top tier of Slovenian football. Together with Maribor, they are the only club that have participated in every season of the Slovenian PrvaLiga since its formation in 1991.[3] Celje won their first league title in the 2019–20 season. They have also won the 2004–05 edition of the Slovenian Cup.

History

The club was formed in 1919 as SK Celje.[1] [2] Soon after World War II, in 1946, the club changed its name to NK Kladivar (expressionistic term in Slovene for a blacksmith).[2] In 1964 they qualified for the Yugoslav Second League, where they played for one year.[2]

In 1992, one year after Slovenia gained independence from Yugoslavia, the club was renamed as Publikum due to sponsorship reasons.[2] They reached the finals of Slovenian Cup in 1993 and 1995, but lost on both occasions, having been beaten by Olimpija and Mura, respectively.[4] In 2003, Celje was in a title race with Maribor until the last two rounds, but in the end finished second and also lost the Slovenian cup final against Olimpija during the same season.[5] Two years later, in 2005, the club reached the final for the fourth time and this time they finally lifted their first trophy, defeating Gorica 1–0 in front of their own fans at the Arena Petrol.[6] Celje were also in the finals the next year, but lost to Koper after the penalty shoot-out.[7] In early 2007 they dropped Publikum from their name.[8]

In 2020, Celje won its first Slovenian league title after winning the 2019–20 Slovenian PrvaLiga season.[9]

Stadium

For most of its early years, the club played at the Glazija Stadium, but obtained the Skalna Klet after merging with ŽŠD Celje in 1967. Glazija was demolished in 1983 and the club moved permanently to Skalna Klet. Since the stadium was in poor condition and could not meet UEFA stadium regulations, the club officials decided to build a new stadium and in 2003 the main stand of the new Arena Petrol stadium was built. The capacity at the time was 3,600 covered seats. After 2003, three new separate stands were built and when the last one opened in 2008, the stadium was completed. The current capacity of the stadium is 13,059 seats, of which around 50% are covered.[10] In July 2017, the stadium was renamed to Stadion Z'dežele.[11]

Current squad

[12]

Honours

League

Cup

Domestic league and cup results

SeasonLeaguePositionPtsPWDLGFGACup
1991–921. SNL941401413134351
1992–931. SNL103234128143747
1993–941. SNL43830141065034
1994–951. SNL6383016685027
1995–961. SNL551361312116247
1996–971. SNL447361211135561
1997–981. SNL64936147155757
1998–991. SNL742331012113035
1999–001. SNL64733111485345
2000–011. SNL55033155135952
2001–021. SNL64833146135039
2002–031. SNL25531151065738
2003–041. SNL103932116156152
2004–051. SNL35232164124728bgcolor=#FE2
2005–061. SNL64936154174859
2006–071. SNL745361112135451
2007–081. SNL84536136174251
2008–091. SNL45336158134839
2009–101. SNL55136149135356
2010–111. SNL83736910174155
2011–121. SNL83736910174456
2012–131. SNL549361213113939
2013–141. SNL83736107193058
2014–151. SNL27036201065831
2015–161. SNL545361112133246
2016–171. SNL555361510114839
2017–181. SNL55036148145651
2018–191. SNL549361213114551
2019–201. SNLbgcolor=#FE216936191257436
2020–211. SNL74336127173641
2021–221. SNL84236126184650
2022–231. SNL26736191075334
2023–241. SNLbgcolor=#FE21793624757534
Key

European record

All results (home and away) list Celje's goal tally first.

SeasonCompetitionRoundClubHomeAwayAggregate
1993–94UEFA Cup Winners' CupQualifying round Odense BK0–10–00–1
1997UEFA Intertoto CupGroup stage Antalyaspor1–12nd
Maccabi Haifa1–0
Lokomotiv Nizhny Novgorod1–2
Proleter Zrenjanin0–0
2001UEFA Intertoto CupFirst round Aarhus7–10–17–2
Second round Petržalka5–01–16–1
Third round Lausanne-Sport1–10–01–1 (a)
2003–04UEFA CupQualifying round Belasica7–25–012–2
First round Maccabi Haifa2–21–23–4
2004UEFA Intertoto CupFirst round Sloboda Tuzla2–10–12–2 (a)
2005–06UEFA CupSecond qualifying round Levski Sofia1–00–31–3
2012–13UEFA Europa LeagueFirst qualifying round Dacia Chișinău0–10–10–2
2013–14UEFA Europa LeagueFirst qualifying round Tromsø0–22–12–3
2015–16UEFA Europa LeagueFirst qualifying round Śląsk Wrocław0–11–31–4
2020–21UEFA Champions LeagueFirst qualifying round Dundalk3–0
Second qualifying round Molde1–2
UEFA Europa LeagueThird qualifying round Ararat-Armenia0–1
2023–24UEFA Europa Conference LeagueSecond qualifying round Vitória de Guimarães3–41–04–4 (4–2 p)
Third qualifying round Neman Grodno1–04–15–1
Play-off round Maccabi Tel Aviv1–11–42–5
2024–25UEFA Champions LeagueFirst qualifying round Flora2–15–07–1
Second qualifying round Slovan Bratislava1–10–51–6
UEFA Europa LeagueThird qualifying round Shamrock Rovers1–01–32–3
UEFA Conference LeaguePlay-off round Pyunik

List of managers

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Klubi . Clubs . . 29 July 2016 . sl . 21 June 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190621112716/https://www.nzs.si//tekmovanja/?action=vsiKlubi&id_menu=35 . live .
  2. Web site: Zgodovina . History . NK Celje . 20 April 2016 . sl . 20 July 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230720164912/https://www.nk-celje.si/sl/zgodovina . live .
  3. Web site: Gordana Possnig . V Celju že sto let organizirano igrajo nogomet . . 9 August 2020 . sl-si . 10 September 2019 . 16 September 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190916022947/https://www.vecer.com/v-celju-ze-sto-let-organizirano-igrajo-nogomet-10063074 . live .
  4. Web site: Slovenia – List of Cup Finals . Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation . 19 August 2020 . 27 September 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220927215732/https://www.rsssf.org/tabless/slovcuphist.html . live .
  5. Web site: Slovenia 2002/03 . Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation . 19 August 2020 . 6 October 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221006010326/https://www.rsssf.org/tabless/slov03.html . live .
  6. Web site: Publikum dočakal prvo lovoriko . . 19 August 2020 . sl . 17 May 2005 . 10 June 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200610231434/https://www.rtvslo.si/sport/nogomet/1-slovenska-nogometna-liga-2004-05/publikum-docakal-prvo-lovoriko/106782 . live .
  7. Web site: Slovenia 2005/06 . Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation . 19 August 2020 . 6 October 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221006205618/https://www.rsssf.org/tabless/slov06.html . live .
  8. Web site: Celjani z novim imenom po državni naslov . sta.si . . 25 June 2022 . sl . 20 February 2007 . 25 June 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220625140707/https://www.sta.si/1135405/celjani-z-novim-imenom-po-drzavni-naslov . live .
  9. Web site: A. V. . Celjani prvič slovenski nogometni prvaki . . 9 August 2020 . sl . 22 July 2020 . 2 October 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201002025812/https://www.rtvslo.si/sport/celjani-prvic-slovenski-nogometni-prvaki/531426 . live .
  10. Web site: Stadion. Stadium. NK Celje. sl. 14 March 2016. 29 March 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220329224433/https://www.nk-celje.si/sl/arena. live.
  11. News: Celjski stadion z novim imenom, odslej bo Arena Z'dežele. Ekipa24. sl. 4 July 2017. 4 July 2017. 12 July 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170712000612/http://ekipa.svet24.si/clanek/nogomet/prva-liga/595b7698736a3/celjski-stadion-z-novim-imenom-odslej-bo-arena-zdezele. live.
  12. Web site: Seznam igralcev. NK Celje . 10 July 2024. sl. List of players.