FC Nitra

FC Nitra

Full name	Football Club Nitra
Nickname(s)	Trogári
Founded	1909 as Nyitrai ÖTTSO
Ground	Štadión pod Zoborom, Nitra
Capacity	7,480
Owner	Salangana s.r.o - 58%[1]
Manager	Peter Lérant
League	Fortuna Liga
2019–20	Fortuna Liga, 12th
Website	Club website
Home colours Away colours

FC Nitra is a Slovak association football club, playing in the town of Nitra. Established in 1909, FC Nitra is one of the oldest football clubs in Slovakia.

History

Czechoslovak era

Nitra were promoted and relegated 4 times from the Czechoslovak First League with their longest stay being 5 years (1979–1984, 1986–1991). Nitra came close to clinching the title in 1962 only to lose out by 3 points to Dukla Prague. This year was most successful in club history because they reached also Mitropa Cup final. Another successful period was end of 80s when Nitra stayed on top positions in Czechoslovak First League (in 1989 they reached 3rd place) with players like Michal Hipp, Ľubomír Moravčík, Ladislav Molnár, Peter Palúch, Jozef Majoroš, Róbert Tomaschek, Miroslav Sovič. FC Nitra was the first football professional club in the former Czechoslovakia.

14 March 1962

Slovan Nitra	2–2	FC Bologna
Bachratý 8' Hrnčár 76'		Nielsen 42' Perani 54'

Štadión pod Zoborom, Nitra

4 April 1962

FC Bologna	3–0	Slovan Nitra
Demarco 21' Pascutti 46' Nielsen 54'

Stadio Comunale, Bologna

Slovak era

Nitra was involved in the inaugural Slovakian championship in 1994 but was relegated to the second division after their first season. The following season they were promoted back to the first division, only for the same fate to occur and were again relegated. Roller coaster seasons became somewhat of an FC Nitra speciality during the early 90s, until the promotions stopped in 2001 where fans had to wait five long seasons before seeing their club again return to the top flight where they finished with a respectable fifth place. This was mainly due to the work of head coach Ivan Galád, who took control of the team in the winter of 2004, guiding the team to a fourth-place finish in the second division.

Róbert Rák became the top goal scorer both in the second division in the 2004/2005 season and (together with Erik Jendrišek) in the first division in the 2005/2006 season. In the beginning of the next season he was transferred to MFK Ružomberok. Galád coached the team very defensively (as according to his words no good striker was in the team). Galád lost his job after not much good results of the team at the end of 2006/2007 season (many losses and draws). The former Czech player Pavel Hapal was named as the head coach of the team for the 2007/2008 season. His way of coaching brought almost immediately very good results and the team finished 3rd (the best in the history of the club). After the season Hapal decided to leave the club to accept an offer from the top Czech club FK Mladá Boleslav. Pavel Malura, another coach from the Czech Republic, has taken the job. In spring 2009 the new manager Petar Kurčubić was appointed.

Events timeline

• 1909 – Founded as Nyitrai ÖTTSO
• 1911 – Renamed Nyitrai TVE
• 1919 – Renamed Nyitrai SC
• 1921 – Renamed SK Nitra
• 1923 – Renamed AC Nitra
• 1948 – Renamed Sokol Nitra
• 1949 – Renamed ZSJ Sokol spojene zavody Nitra
• 1949 – Renamed ZK KP Nitra
• 1953 – Renamed DSO Slavoj Nitra
• 1956 – Renamed TJ Slovan Nitra
• 1966 – Again Renamed AC Nitra
• 1976 – Renamed TJ Plastika Nitra
• 1989 – First European qualification, 1990
• 1990 – Renamed FC Nitra

Honours

Domestic

Czechoslovakia

• Czechoslovak First League (1925–1993)
  • Runners-Up (1): 1961–62
  • Third place (1): 1988-89
• 1.SNL (1st Slovak National football league) (1969–1993)
  • Winners (3): 1978–79, 1985–86, 1991–92

Slovakia

• Slovak League (1993–Present)
  • Third place (1): 2007–08
• Slovenský Pohár (Slovak Cup) (1961–Present) 1
  • Runners-up (4): 1974–75, 1982–83, 1986–87, 1990–91
• Slovak Second Division (1993–Present)
  • Winners (3): 1994–95, 1997–98, 2004–05
  • Runners-Up (2): 2000–01, 2016-17

Czechoslovak and Slovak Top Goalscorer

The Czechoslovak League top scorer from 1944–45 until 1992–93. Since the 1993–94 Slovak League Top scorer.

Year	Winner	G
1959–60	Michal Pucher	18
2005–06	Róbert Rák	211
2009–10	Róbert Rák	18

¹Shared award

European

• Mitropa Cup 2
  • Runners-up: 1961
• Intertoto Cup
  • Winners (3): 1972, 1973, 1980

Sponsorship

Current squad

Updated 4 February 2021 Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK SVK Dávid Šípoš 4 DF SVK Erik Šuľa 5 DF SVK Kristián Kolčák (on loan from Petržalka) 6 MF BIH Alen Mustafić (on loan from Slovan Bratislava) 7 MF GER Sinan Kurt 8 FW SVK Ondrej Vrábel 9 MF SVK Tomáš Hambálek 11 DF SVK Lukáš Fabiš 12 MF SVK Dominik Guláš 13 FW GER Oliver Bias 14 MF GER Ole Käuper 16 FW SVK Marián Chobot 17 DF GER Ekin Çelebi 18 FW SVK Matej Franko 19 FW SVK Patrik Danek

No. Pos. Nation Player 20 FW SVK Ján Ferleťák 21 DF SEN Tidiane Djiby Ba 22 MF SVK Peter Chríbik 23 FW GER Benjamin Kindsvater 24 DF GER Ramzi Ferjani 26 FW SVK Erik Jendrišek 27 MF KVX Eroll Zejnullahu 28 FW SUI Kilian Pagliuca 31 GK SVK Michal Trnovský (on loan from Dukla Banská Bystrica) 33 GK SVK Róbert Baláži 39 MF GER Yanni Regäsel 44 MF SVK Ádam Mészáros 77 FW SVK Jakub Tancík

For recent transfers, see List of Slovak football transfers summer 2020 and
List of Slovak football transfers winter 2020-21

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Current technical staff

Updated 22 January 2021

Staff	Job title
Peter Lérant	Manager
Igor Obert	Assistant manager
Henrich Benčík	Sport Director
Miroslav König	Goalkeeping coach
Augustín Antalík	Team Leader
MUDr. Ivan Štefanov	Team Doctor
Jozef Urminský	Physiotherapist
Róbert Gyepes	Masseur

Results

League and Cup history

Slovak League only (1993–present)

Season	Division (Name)	Pos./Teams	Pl.	W	D	L	GS	GA	P	Slovak Cup	Europe		Top Scorer (Goals)
1993–94	1st (Mars Superliga)	12/(12)	32	12	3	17	39	46	27	Round 3
1994–95	2nd (1. liga)	1/(16)	30	19	5	6	58	29	62	Round 2			Prochászka (13)
1995–96	1st (Mars Superliga)	11/(12)	32	7	5	20	30	59	26	Round 1			Norbert Hrnčár (7)
1996–97	1st (Mars Superliga)	16/(16)	30	5	5	20	22	48	20	Round 1
1997–98	2nd (1. liga)	1/(16)	34	20	8	6	73	36	68	Round 2			Peter Hodúr (18)
1998–99	1st (Mars Superliga)	12/(16)	30	7	7	16	28	48	28	Round 2			Marián Klago (8)
1999–00	1st (Mars Superliga)	13/(16)	30	8	4	18	24	44	28	Round 2			Róbert Jež (4) Jozef Jelšic (4)
2000–01	2nd (1. Liga)	2/(18)	34	21	3	10	77	27	66	Round 1			Mário Breška (23)
2001–02	2nd (1. Liga)	7/(16)	30	12	7	11	41	34	43	Round 1			Jozef Jelšic (17)
2002–03	2nd (1. Liga)	12/(16)	30	11	5	14	36	29	38	Quarter-finals			Jozef Jelšic (15)
2003–04	2nd (1. Liga)	4/(16)	30	15	3	12	45	32	48	Round 2			Róbert Rák (13)
2004–05	2nd (1. Liga)	1/(16)	36	21	6	3	49	16	69	Round 2			Róbert Rák (27)
2005–06	1st (Corgoň Liga)	5/(10)	36	12	9	15	42	48	45	Semi-finals	UI	2.R ( Dnipro)	Róbert Rák (21)
2006–07	1st (Corgoň Liga)	6/(12)	28	9	4	15	21	33	31	Quarter-finals			Andrej Hesek (6)
2007–08	1st (Corgoň Liga)	3/(12)	33	17	6	10	40	26	57	Quarter-finals	UI	1.R ( Neftçi PFK)	Andrej Hesek (5) Jan Gruber (5)
2008–09	1st (Corgoň Liga)	11/(12)	33	9	8	16	34	53	35	Round 2			Róbert Rák (9)
2009–10	1st (Corgoň Liga)	4/(12)	33	14	6	13	42	40	48	Round 3			Róbert Rák (18)
2010–11	1st (Corgoň Liga)	8/(12)	33	11	7	15	30	51	40	Quarter-finals	EL	Q1 ( ETO Győr)	Róbert Rák (9)
2011–12	1st (Corgoň Liga)	8/(12)	33	9	12	12	33	39	39	Round 3			Vratislav Gajdoš (5)
2012–13	1st (Corgoň Liga)	10/(12)	33	11	6	16	39	54	36	Round 3			Cléber (11)
2013–14	1st (Corgoň Liga)	12/(12)	33	6	8	19	33	63	26	Round 2			Cléber (7)
2014–15	2nd (DOXXbet Liga)	5/(24)	22	8	7	7	26	25	31	Round 5			Matúš Paukner (21)
2015–16	2nd (DOXXbet Liga)	7/(24)	30	13	7	10	54	36	46	Round 4			Matúš Paukner (17)
2016–17	2nd (DOXXbet liga)	2/(24)	30	18	5	7	57	32	59	Round 5			Filip Balaj (20)
2017-18	1st (Fortuna Liga)	7/(12)	31	10	12	9	28	27	42	Round 5			Filip Balaj (6) Tomáš Vestenický (6)
2018-19	1st (Fortuna Liga)	9/(12)	32	8	10	14	42	48	34	Quarter-finals			Tomáš Vestenický (10)
2019-20	1st (Fortuna Liga)	12/(12)	27	7	4	16	23	36	25	Quarter-finals			Milan Ristovski (12)

European competition history

UEFA-administered

Season	Competition	Round	Country	Club	Home	Away	Aggregate
1961–62	Mitropa Cup	Group
				Slovnaft Bratislava		4–3
				Torino	5–1
				SV Stickstoff		4–4
		Semi-Finals		Udinese	4–3	1–1	5–4
		Finals		Bologna	2–2	0–3	2–5
1989–90	UEFA Cup	R1		1. FC Köln	0–1	1–4	1–5
2006	Intertoto Cup	R1		Grevenmacher	6–2	6–0	12–2
		R2		Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk	2–1	0–2	2–3
2008	Intertoto Cup	R1		Neftchi Baku	3–1	0–2	3–3 (a)
2010–11	UEFA Europa League	QR1		ETO Győr	2–2	1–3	1–5

Not UEFA-administered

Season	Competition	Round	Country	Club	Home	Away
1962–63	Intertoto Cup	Group A4		Sarajevo	5–1	2–3
				Servette	0–0	1–2
				Olympique Nîmes	4–1	0–2
1972	Intertoto Cup	Group 1		SSV Innsbruck	4–1	1–0
				Örgryte	3–0	6–2
				AB Copenhagen	2–0	3–2
1973	Intertoto Cup	Group 9		Amsterdam	4–1	3–2
				Eintracht Braunschweig	1–1	2–1
				Vejle BK	4–1	4–1
1980	Intertoto Cup	Group 5		LASK Linz	0–1	2–1
				Esbjerg	2–0	1–0
				Polonia Bytom	4–0	0–1
1982	Intertoto Cup	Group 3		Werder Bremen	3–5	3–3
				Aarhus	3–4	0–1
				Sturm Graz	5–3	2–0
1987	Intertoto Cup	Group 6		AIK Stockholm	1–0	0–0
				Lyngby	4–1	1–2
				Lech Poznań	2–1	0–3
1989	Intertoto Cup	Group 2		Hansa Rostock	3–0	1–1
				Boldklubben 1903	1–3	1–3
				Malmö FF	1–1	0–0
1990	Intertoto Cup	Group 7		Tatabánya	4–0	0–0
				Luzern	0–2	1–1
				Örebro	1–0	0–0

Player records

Most goals

#	Nat.	Name	Goals
1		Róbert Rák	100
2		Michal Pucher	57
3		Matúš Paukner	38
4		Filip Balaj	32
5		Ľubomír Moravčík	30
		Vladimír Ternény
6		Igor Klejch	29
		Milan Lednický

Notable players

Had international caps for their respective countries. Players whose name is listed in bold represented their countries while playing for FC Nitra.

Former managers

References

External links

• Official website (in Slovak)
• FC Nitra Ultras (in Slovak)