MFK Košice
MFK Košice is a professional Slovak first division football club based in Košice. The club, founded in 1952, won the Slovak League twice, the Slovak Cup four times and the Czechoslovak Cup once. The most successful era of the club has been in 70's and 90's years of past century which they have spent mostly in the top tier of Czechoslovak and Slovak Football. The club have had two the UEFA Euro 1976 champions namely Dušan Galis and Jaroslav Pollák.
History
Early history
The first club in the city was founded in 1903 as Kassai AC; Slovak: Košický Atletický Klub; Hungarian: Kassai Atlétikai Club. The club's colours were blue and yellow. In 10's years past century the club competed in Championship of Hungarian country. In 1909 Kassai AC won this Championship. Later they played in eastern group in Slovak-Subcarpathian division during four years 1935-1938. In 1939-40 the club played Hungarian League I. Most successful Kassai AC players were Szaniszló, Šiňovský, Drotár brothers, Klein, Lebenský, Dráb, Pásztor and others. Many years the club was settled at stadium on Sokoljevova Street with capacity 16,000 spectators. The stadium was often full. After ended World War II three city's clubs Kassai AC, Kassai Törekvés and ČsŠK were fused to one club named Jednota Košice. Jednota began played Czechoslovak League since 1945. In first season they ended league as fourth in Group B. It was nice success at the time.
VSS
Kassai AC and Jednota became VSS in 1952. The team was called Strojári; in English: Engineers, due to their main sponsors VSS (East-Slovakian Engineering). VSS was a stable member of the Czechoslovak First League and their best placing was second in 1970-71. In 1971 and 1973 VSS qualified for the UEFA Cup. In 1971 they won 2-1 against Spartak Moscow in the home leg, but they lost 0-2 in Moscow and were eliminated from the competition. Two years later VSS qualified for the UEFA Cup. Against Honvéd FC they won 1-0 home and lost 2-5 away. Most successful VSS players were Andrej Kvašňák, Titus Buberník, Jaroslav Pollák, Dušan Galis (Euro 1976 Champions both), Anton Švajlen, Ján Pivarník, Jozef Bomba, Jozef Desiatnik and others. VSS was renamed to ZŤS in 1978.
90's
The twice Slovak football champions (1997, 1998) were relegated from the premier division in 2003 after the proposed sale of the club to Italian owners[1] in 2001 by the former owner and late VSŽ steelmaking tycoon Alexander Rezeš fell through. Although Rezeš's[2] dream to turn 1. FC Košice into a top European club never came true, he managed to lift an average second division team to the first group stage of the UEFA Champions' League in 1997/98. However, the next year's failure to make the same stage of the major European competition, and failure to defend the league title, combined with the change of government which undermined the position of the Rezeš clan (Alexander Rezeš was economy minister of Vladimír Mečiar's government in 1994-97) represented the beginning of the end of the "millionaires". Their home stadium was the Všešportový areál.[3][4]
1997-98 Champions League campaign
1. FC famously became the first Slovak club to reach the lucrative UEFA Champions League Group Stages when they did so in the 1997-1998 season. Also during this Champions League campaign, 1. FC Košice, became the first club in the Champions League history to record a no points total in the group stage, losing 3 of their home matches and 3 of their away games.
1. FC Košice are best known outside their homeland for their two clashes with Manchester United in the 1997-1998 European Champions League group stages. United beat them 3:0 on both occasions. During this brief campaign in Europe's biggest club competition, Kosice suffered a tragedy when midfielder Milan Čvirik was killed in a car crash at the age of 21.
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| 1. FC Košice kit. Orange and black symbolized of former sponsor VSŽ. |
Latest history
2003-04 season, on the brink of financial collapse and relegation from the second division, the owners of 1. FC, were offered help by the president of Steel Trans Ličartovce Blažej Podolák,[5] one of the favourites to advance to the premier league that season. Steel Trans also paid for the Čermeľ stadium in Košice, where all former 1. FC teams – now under the protective wings of Ličartovce – will play their matches. Košice, the second largest city in Slovakia, now had no club in the top two divisions (although many can remember two in the Czechoslovak federal league). Another great team from the past, FC Lokomotíva Košice, is in the third division. It was quite difficult to predict the future of football in the city, whose major stadium is in a catastrophic condition and whose football officials turn a deaf ear to cries for help.
Reformed on 17 June 2005, the club was renamed MFK Košice from FC Steel Trans Ličartovce. They ended the season gaining promotion back to the premier league.
Home Stadium
Stadium in city district Čermeľ is a multi-use stadium in Košice, Slovakia. It is currently used mostly for football matches as the home ground of MFK Košice since 1997. The stadium holds 10,787 (8,787 seated) spectators and was built in 1970. Initially was the stadium used by Lokomotíva Košice and 1.FC Košice (now MFK) there are playing since 1997. The Slovakia national football team there played a few matches, but the stadium does not meet UEFA criteria for international events today. The club planned construction of the new stadium for 20,000 spectators in neighbourhood of the old not used Všešportový areál stadium.[6][7][8][9] The estimated cost of the stadium is €28 million. However, the construction was not launched and it is not clear when it starts.[10]
Historical names
| Club name |
Period |
| TJ Spartak VSS |
1952–1956 |
| TJ Spartak |
1956–1957 |
| TJ Jednota |
1957–1962 |
| TJ VSS |
1962–1979 |
| ZŤS |
1979–1990 |
| ŠK Unimex Jednota VSS |
1990–1992 |
| 1. FC |
1992–2004 |
| MFK |
2005– |
Note: The club played 2004–2005 season as Steel Trans Ličartovce reserve squad.
Players
As of 25 July 2011.[11]
Current squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Reserve team
Notable players
- See also: MFK Košice players
The following players were playing for their national team or they were popular among the fans.
Managerial history
- See also: MFK Košice managers
Honours
- Slovak Cup (1961 – Present)
- Winners: 1972–73, 1979–80, 1992–93, 2008–09
- Runners-up: 1997–98, 1999–00
- Czechoslovak Cup (1961 – 1993)
- Winners: 1992–93
- Runners-up: 1963–64, 1972–73, 1979–80
Košice in Europe
UEFA-administered
Key – Pld: Played, W: Won, D: Drawn, L: Lost, GF: Goals For, GA: Goals Against, GD: Goal Difference.
Not UEFA-administered
References
External links
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MFK Košice
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| Overview |
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| Ground |
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| Rivalries |
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