FC Nitra

FC Nitra
Full name	Football Club Nitra
Nickname(s)	Trogári
Founded	1909; 115 years ago ; as Nyitrai ÖTTSO
Ground	Štadión pod Zoborom, ; Nitra
Capacity	7,480
Owner	Salangana s.r.o – 58%
Manager	Augustín Antalík [cs]
League	4. liga
2022–23	14th
Website	https://fcnitra.com/
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.^{[citation needed]}

14 March 1962

Slovan Nitra	2–2	FC Bologna
Bachratý [cs] 8' Hrnčár [cs] 76' (pen.)	^[2]	Nielsen 43' Perani 55' (pen.)

Štadión pod Zoborom, Nitra

Attendance: 10,000

4 April 1962

FC Bologna	3–0	Slovan Nitra
Demarco 21' Pascutti 47' Nielsen 59'	^[3]

Stadio Comunale, Bologna

Attendance: 10,000

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.^{[citation needed]}

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).^{[citation needed]} 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.

In 2021 after the club was relegated from the top flight, they did not obtain a licence for the league below and so were further demoted another level.

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 [cs]	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

Period	Kit manufacturer	Shirt sponsor
1998–2001	Erreà	Volkswagen
2001–2002	Gems	Pozemné Staviteľstvo Nitra
2002–2004	DIADORA	Pozemné Staviteľstvo Nitra
2004–2005	hummel	Bonul security
2005–2006	Jako	Dynamik
2006–2008		Bonul security
2008–2010		Bonul security El Comp
2010–13		Bonul security El Comp Špeciál Izotex
2013–2016		Mesto Nitra
2017–2020		none
2020–	Adidas	none

Current squad

Updated 5 August 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
19	MF	SVK	Jakub Sedláček
21	DF	SEN	Tidiane Djiby Ba


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
33	GK	SVK	Róbert Baláži
44	MF	SVK	Ádam Mészáros
—	MF	BRA	Fabiano Alves

Out on loan

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


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
18	FW	SVK	Matej Franko (at Dukla Banská Bystrica until 30 June 2022)
77	FW	SVK	Jakub Tancík (at MFK Ružomberok until 15 June 2022)


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player

Current technical staff

Updated 2 March 2023

Staff	Job title
Dušan Borko [cs]	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 Baku)	Andrej Hesek (5) Jan Gruber [cs] (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)
2020–21	1st (Fortuna Liga)	12/(12)¹	32	7	6	19	26	55	27	Round 3			Michal Faško (8)
2021–22	3rd (III. liga)	16/(18)	34	8	2	24	42	75	26	Round 2			Adrián Mokoš (10)
2022–23	4rd (IV. liga)	14/(16)	30	8	6	16	37	51	30	Did not enter			Radovan Lipovský (7)
2023–24

¹ FC Nitra did not obtain a licence for the 2021–22 season

European competition history

UEFA-administered

Season	Competition	Round	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
2006	Intertoto Cup	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	3–5

Not UEFA-administered

Season	Competition	Round	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

#	Name	Goals
1	Róbert Rák	100
2	Michal Pucher [cs]	57
3	Dušan Borko [cs]	42
4	Matúš Paukner	38
5	Filip Balaj	32
6	Ľubomír Moravčík	30
6	Vladimír Ternény [cs]	30
7	Igor Klejch	29
7	Milan Lednický	29

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.