FC Nitra
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. Nitra were promoted and relegated 4 times from the Czechoslovakian 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. FC Nitra was the first football professional club in the former Czechoslovakia.
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 90's, 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 headcoach 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. FC Nitra have recently signed Slovak international Ivan Hodúr from Ružomberok. from new season from new manager Ivan Galád.
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
European Cups History
UEFA Cup/Europa League:
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
Famous players
Famous coaches
External links