Football Club Koper, commonly referred to as FC Koper or simply Koper, is a Slovenian football club based in Koper that competes in the Slovenian PrvaLiga, the top flight of Slovenian football. The club was founded in 1920.[1] Koper is one of five Slovenian clubs that have managed to win all three domestic trophies (league, cup and supercup).
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| Full name | Football Club Koper | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Kanarčki (The Canaries) | ||
| Founded | 1920[1] (as Circolo sportivo Capodistria) | ||
| Ground | Bonifika | ||
| Capacity | 4,047 | ||
| President | Ante Guberac | ||
| Head coach | Oliver Bogatinov | ||
| League | Slovenian PrvaLiga | ||
| 2022–23 | Slovenian PrvaLiga, 6th of 10 | ||
| Website | Club website | ||
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The club's home ground is Bonifika Stadium, which has a capacity to accommodate 4,047 spectators.
History edit
The club was formed as Circolo sportivo Capodistria in 1920.[2] The team was made up of students, workers and fishermen. Its colours were black and white.[2] In 1928, the club was renamed as Unione sportiva Capodistriana. Six years later, the club was renamed as Libertas.[2]
After World War II, the club became part of a larger sports association and renamed as Aurora.[2] By 1948, there were five clubs operating in the Koper area: Aurora, Meduza, Partizan, Edilit, and Adria.[2] In 1955, Aurora and Meduza merged, creating NK Koper.[2] The club played under this name in different Yugoslav leagues until 1991 and was one of the most successful Slovenian clubs. After Slovenia's independence, the club played in the Slovenian PrvaLiga. At the beginning of the 1990s, the club was achieving mid-table success. By the end of the 1990s, the club had been relegated to the second division twice, had serious financial problems, and renamed as FC Koper. With the advent of the new millennium, Koper consistently achieved positions in the upper half of the table. In 2002, they competed in the 2002 UEFA Intertoto Cup, their first international competition. Two years of mid-table anonymity and significant financial difficulties followed, in part because the former owner, Georg Suban, left substantial debts to the club and took half of the team with him when he moved to the other Slovenian PrvaLiga team, Mura.[citation needed]
The fans took control of the club and tried to improve its finances to save it from going bankrupt like three other major Slovenian clubs (Olimpija, Mura and Ljubljana), with reasonable success. In the 2005–06 season, Mladen Rudonja returned to the club and brought with him the Serbian-American businessman Milan Mandarić, who paid off all the remaining debts. After the first half of the season, before the arrival of the new patron, Koper was battling against relegation, but in the second part of the season, with a new coach, Milivoj Bračun, the club started an unbeaten run that led them to reach the third place in the Slovenian PrvaLiga and to win the Slovenian Cup for the first time.[3] This also qualified the team to play in the UEFA Cup qualifying rounds in the 2006–07 season. The following seasons were more difficult, with the club narrowly avoiding relegation in 2009. In the 2009–10 season, the team was expanded and, under the leadership of veteran player Miran Pavlin, eventually won the Slovenian PrvaLiga championship for the first time,[4] securing a place in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers, where they were defeated by Dinamo Zagreb 5–4 on aggregate (1–5, 3–0).[5] In the aftermath, Pavlin left the club.
Following the 2016–17 season, Koper failed to obtain a competition licence and was excluded from the Slovenian top division.[6][7]
Name changes edit
- 1920: Formed as Circolo sportivo Capodistria
- 1928: Renamed as Unione sportiva Capodistriana
- 1946: Renamed as Aurora Koper
- 1955: Fusion from Aurora Koper and Meduza Koper to NK Koper
- 1990: Renamed as NK Koper Capodistria
- 2002: Renamed as FC Koper
- 2003: Renamed as FC Anet Koper
- 2008: Renamed as FC Luka Koper
- 2017: Renamed as FC Koper
Stadium edit
Bonifika Stadium is the team's home ground, named after the area where it is situated in the town of Koper. The stadium was built in 1948.[8] In 2010, the stadium underwent extensive reconstruction[9] and its current capacity is 4,047 seats.[8]
Current squad edit
- As of 10 February 2024[10]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Honours edit
Yugoslavia edit
League
- Slovenian Republic League (third tier in Yugoslavia)
Cup
Slovenia edit
League
- Slovenian First League
- Slovenian Second League
- Slovenian Third League
- Winners: 2018–19
- Littoral League (fourth tier)
- Winners: 2017–18
Cup
- Slovenian Cup
- Slovenian Supercup
- MNZ Koper Cup
- Winners: 2017–18, 2018–19
Domestic league and cup results edit
In Yugoslavia edit
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In Slovenia edit
| Season | League | Position | Pts | Played | W | D | L | GF | GA | Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991–92 | 1. SNL | 8 | 43 | 40 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 38 | 33 | Round of 16 |
| 1992–93 | 1. SNL | 8 | 35 | 34 | 11 | 13 | 10 | 41 | 45 | Round of 16 |
| 1993–94 | 1. SNL | 7 | 32 | 30 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 43 | 38 | First round |
| 1994–95 | 1. SNL | 11 | 26 | 30 | 9 | 8 | 13 | 24 | 34 | First round |
| 1995–96 | 2. SNL | 6 | 41 | 29 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 33 | 30 | Round of 16 |
| 1996–97 | 1. SNL | 10 | 31 | 36 | 8 | 7 | 21 | 28 | 61 | did not qualify |
| 1997–98 | 2. SNL | 2 | 68 | 30 | 20 | 8 | 2 | 75 | 20 | First round |
| 1998–99 | 1. SNL | 11 | 32 | 33 | 8 | 8 | 17 | 34 | 61 | did not qualify |
| 1999–2000 | 2. SNL | 1 | 72 | 30 | 22 | 6 | 2 | 76 | 21 | Round of 16 |
| 2000–01 | 1. SNL | 6 | 46 | 33 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 43 | 43 | did not qualify |
| 2001–02 | 1. SNL | 3 | 56 | 33 | 15 | 11 | 7 | 45 | 26 | Round of 16 |
| 2002–03 | 1. SNL | 5 | 45 | 31 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 41 | 41 | First round |
| 2003–04 | 1. SNL | 4 | 50 | 32 | 13 | 11 | 8 | 41 | 32 | Round of 16 |
| 2004–05 | 1. SNL | 11 | 36 | 32 | 9 | 9 | 14 | 38 | 41 | Round of 16 |
| 2005–06 | 1. SNL | 3 | 57 | 36 | 16 | 9 | 11 | 49 | 39 | Winners |
| 2006–07 | 1. SNL | 6 | 45 | 36 | 10 | 15 | 11 | 51 | 46 | Winners |
| 2007–08 | 1. SNL | 2 | 64 | 36 | 18 | 10 | 8 | 68 | 50 | Semi-finals |
| 2008–09 | 1. SNL | 8 | 42 | 36 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 39 | 47 | Runners-up |
| 2009–10 | 1. SNL | 1 | 73 | 36 | 21 | 10 | 5 | 59 | 35 | Round of 16 |
| 2010–11 | 1. SNL | 3 | 60 | 36 | 17 | 9 | 10 | 57 | 43 | Semi-finals |
| 2011–12 | 1. SNL | 4 | 58 | 36 | 16 | 10 | 10 | 48 | 35 | Quarter-finals |
| 2012–13 | 1. SNL | 4 | 55 | 36 | 14 | 13 | 9 | 52 | 42 | Quarter-finals |
| 2013–14 | 1. SNL | 2 | 69 | 36 | 21 | 6 | 9 | 52 | 36 | First round |
| 2014–15 | 1. SNL | 8 | 40 | 36 | 12 | 4 | 20 | 35 | 58 | Winners |
| 2015–16 | 1. SNL | 8 | 40 | 36 | 11 | 7 | 18 | 40 | 54 | Quarter-finals |
| 2016–17 | 1. SNL | 6[a] | 50 | 36 | 12 | 14 | 10 | 43 | 40 | Round of 16 |
| 2017–18 | Littoral League | 1 | 65 | 23 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 118 | 2 | Round of 16 |
| 2018–19 | 3. SNL | 1 | 71 | 28 | 23 | 2 | 3 | 111 | 15 | Quarter-finals |
| 2019–20 | 2. SNL | 1[b] | 44 | 20 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 42 | 13 | Quarter-finals |
| 2020–21 | 1. SNL | 9 | 42 | 36 | 11 | 9 | 16 | 41 | 56 | Semi-finals |
| 2021–22 | 1. SNL | 2 | 67 | 36 | 19 | 10 | 7 | 54 | 38 | Winners |
| 2022–23 | 1. SNL | 6 | 50 | 36 | 14 | 8 | 14 | 46 | 40 | Quarter-finals |
- ^ Relegated to the fourth division after failing to obtain a licence.[14]
- ^ The season was not completed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the competition winner was not declared.[15]
- *Best results are highlighted.
Koper in UEFA competitions edit
All results (home and away) list Koper's goal tally first.
| Season | Competition | Round | Club | Home | Away | Agg. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Intertoto Cup | 1R |  Helsingborgs IF
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0–0 | 0–1 | 0–1 |
| 2003 | Intertoto Cup | 1R |  Zagreb
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1–0 | 2–2 | 3–2 |
| 2R |  Dubnica
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1–0 | 2–3 | 3–3 (a) | ||
| 3R |  Egaleo
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2–2 | 3–2 | 5–4 | ||
| SF |  Heerenveen
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1–0 | 0–2 | 1–2 | ||
| 2006–07 | UEFA Cup | 1Q |  Litex Lovech
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0–1 | 0–5 | 0–6 |
| 2007–08 | UEFA Cup | 1Q |  Široki Brijeg
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2–3 | 1–3 | 3–6 |
| 2008–09 | UEFA Cup | 1Q |  Vllaznia
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1–2 | 0–0 | 1–2 |
| 2010–11 | UEFA Champions League | 2Q | Dinamo Zagreb
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3–0 | 1–5 | 4–5 |
| 2011–12 | UEFA Europa League | 1Q |  Shakhter Karagandy
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1–1 | 1–2 | 2–3 |
| 2014–15 | UEFA Europa League | 1Q |  Čelik Nikšić
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4–0 | 5–0 | 9–0 |
| 2Q |  Neftchi Baku
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0–2 | 2–1 | 2–3 | ||
| 2015–16 | UEFA Europa League | 1Q |  Víkingur Reykjavík
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2–2 | 1–0 | 3–2 |
| 2Q | Hajduk Split
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3–2 | 1–4 | 4–6 | ||
| 2022–23 | UEFA Europa Conference League | 2Q |  Vaduz
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0–1 | 1–1 (a.e.t.) | 1–2 |
- Notes
- 1Q: First qualifying round
- 2Q: Second qualifying round
- 1R: First round
- 2R: Second round
- 3R: Third round
- SF: Semi-final
References edit
- ^ a b "Klubi" [Clubs] (in Slovenian). Football Association of Slovenia. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f "Zgodovina" [History] (in Slovenian). FC Koper. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
- ^ "Slovenia – List of Cup Finals". RSSSF. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
- ^ "Slovenia – List of Champions". RSSSF. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
- ^ "Koper–Dinamo Zagreb 2011 History | UEFA Champions League". UEFA. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
- ^ "Licenčna komisija za pritožbe sprejela odločitev o pritožbi FC Koper" (in Slovenian). Football Association of Slovenia. 1 June 2017. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
- ^ R. K. (1 June 2017). "Koper dokončno brez licence, v prvi ligi Aluminij in Ankaran" (in Slovenian). RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
- ^ a b "Stadion" [Stadium] (in Slovenian). FC Koper. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
- ^ Maver, Rok (28 July 2010). "Prenovljeni stadion bo v obliki črke L" [The renovated stadium will be in the shape of letter L]. Primorske novice (in Slovenian). Retrieved 20 May 2014.
- ^ "Ekipe – FC Koper" (in Slovenian). FC Koper. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
- ^ "NK Maribor: Zgodovina (sezona 1988/89)" (in Slovenian). NK Maribor. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
- ^ "NK Maribor: Zgodovina (sezona 1989/90)" (in Slovenian). NK Maribor. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
- ^ "NK Maribor: Zgodovina (sezona 1990/91)" (in Slovenian). NK Maribor. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
- ^ Uredništvo (14 July 2017). "Koper poražen na CAS" (in Slovenian). Nogomania. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Zadeva: Zaključek tekmovanja v 2. Slovenski nogometni ligi v sezoni 2019/2020" (PDF) (in Slovenian). Football Association of Slovenia. 11 May 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
External links edit
- Official website (in Slovene)
- Unofficial NK Koper website (in Slovene)
- FC Koper at PrvaLiga (in Slovene)
- FC Koper at Soccerway