FC Nitra

FC Nitra

Full name	Football Club Nitra
Nickname(s)	Trogári
Founded	1909 (1909) as Nyitrai ÖTTSO
Ground	Štadión pod Zoborom, Nitra
Ground Capacity	11,364
Owner	Norbert Bödör
Chairman	Jozef Petráni
Coach	Ivan Galád
League	Fortuna Liga
2016–17	2. liga, 2nd (promoted)
Website	Club website
Home colours Away colours Third 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.

Slovan Nitra v FC Bologna

14 March 1962

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

Štadión pod Zoborom, Nitra

FC Bologna v Slovan 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 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.

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

• Slovakian League (1993–Present)
  • Best finish: 3rd – 2007–08
• Slovenský Pohár (Slovakian 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 23 July 2017. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 1 GK Dávid Šípoš 2 DF Lukáš Fabiš 3 DF Macdonald Ngwa Niba 4 DF Samuel Ďurek 5 DF Richard Križan 6 MF Tomáš Kóňa 7 MF Aurélien Ngeyitala 8 FW Filip Balaj 9 FW Róbert Valenta 10 MF Andrej Fábry 11 MF Ján Chovanec 13 MF René Kotrík

No. Position Player 14 MF Miloš Šimončič (Captain) 15 MF Andrej Ivančík 19 MF Martin Macho 21 MF Christián Steinhübel 22 DF Matúš Kuník 23 DF Ondřej Vencl 25 MF Patrik Abrahám 28 DF Patrik Šurnovský 31 GK Lukáš Hroššo 32 GK Dušan Kolmokov 66 MF Márius Charizopulos

For recent transfers, see List of Slovak football transfers summer 2017.

Out on loan

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

Reserve team

FC Nitra juniori are the reserve team of FC Nitra. They currently play in the Slovak 3. Liga (Western division).

Squad

Head coach: Peter Hnilica
Assistant coach: Štefan Strečka
Updated 26 February 2013

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

No. Position Player GK Patrik Hipp GK Richard Stránsky DF Pavol Grman DF Vasiľ Pitra DF Adam Halaji DF David Petráš DF Norbert Lukács DF Filip Kinček DF Michal Poluch DF Michal Grman

No. Position Player DF Filip Kinček MF Miroslav Mládenek MF Adam Bratský MF Erik Penzeš MF Patrik Brath MF Andrej Hnilica MF Adrián Ács MF Matúš Turňa FW Marek Gajdošík FW Patrik Adámek FW Michal Németh

Current technical staff

Updated 24 January 2017

Staff	Job title
Ivan Galád	Manager
Ján Bíreš	Assistant manager
Miroslav König	Goalkeeping coach
Igor Demo	Team Leader
MUDr. Ivan Štefanov	Team Doctor
Štefan Balla	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
1994–95	2nd (1. liga)	1/(16)	30	19	5	6	58	29	62				Prochászka (13)
1995–96	1st (Mars Superliga)	11/(12)	32	7	5	20	30	59	26				Norbert Hrnčár (7)
1996–97	1st (Mars Superliga)	16/(16)	30	5	5	20	22	48	20
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)

European competition history

UEFA-administered

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

Not UEFA-administered

Season	Competition	Round	Country	Club	Home	Away
1962–63	Intertoto Cup	Group A4		FK Sarajevo	5–1	2–3
				Servette FC	0–0	1–2
				Nîmes	4–1	0–2
1972	Intertoto Cup	Group 1		SSV Innsbruck	4–1	1–0
				Örgryte IS	3–0	6–2
				AB Copenhagen	2–0	3–2
1973	Intertoto Cup	Group 9		FC 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 fB	2–0	1–0
				Polonia Bytom	4–0	0–1
1982	Intertoto Cup	Group 3		Werder Bremen	3–5	3–3
				Aarhus GF	3–4	0–1
				SK Sturm Graz	5–3	2–0
1987	Intertoto Cup	Group 6		AIK Fotboll	1–0	0–0
				Lyngby Boldklub	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		FC Tatabánya	4–0	0–0
				FC Luzern	0–2	1–1
				Örebro SK	1–0	0–0

Player records

Most goals

#	Nat.	Name	Goals
1		Róbert Rák	100
2		Michal Pucher	57
3		Matúš Paukner	38
4		Ľubomír Moravčík	30
		Vladimír Ternény
5		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.

Past (and present) players who are the subjects of Wikipedia articles can be found here.

Former coaches

References

External links

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

Wikimedia Commons has media related to FC Nitra.