NK Cakovec
Encyclopedia
NK Čakovec is a Croatia
n football
club based in Čakovec
, in the northern part of the country. They are currently playing in the fourth tier of Croatian football.
The club's arguably biggest success came when they won promotion to the Croatian First League in 2000. However, they only spent two seasons in the top flight before being relegated back to the Croatian Second League in 2002. In 2007, they finished bottom of the Croatian Second League and were relegated to the Croatian Third League
, going on to end up playing in the fourth tier of Croatian football following another relegation in 2008.
The club currently play their home matches at the Stadion SRC Mladost, which has been their home ground since 1987 and can hold approximately 8,000 people. The stadium has also been used by NK Međimurje following their formation in 2003. The team's supporters group is called the Demons .
. Their first and so far only title came in 1938, when they won the Drava Banovina
Championship.
During World War II
, Čakovec was occupied by Hungary
so the club played in Hungarian competitions until the city was liberated in 1945. After the war, the name of the club was changed to NK Jedinstvo Čakovec and this name was used over the following two decades. In the mid-1960s, the club was bought by MTČ, a local clothing company, and renamed MTČ Čakovec. In 1983, the club merged with NK Sloga Čakovec, at the time the only other football club within the city, and was renamed MTČ-Sloga Čakovec. The cooperation between the two clubs ended in 1987, with the club being renamed NK Čakovec. NK Sloga Čakovec also continued to exist as a separate club.
During the Yugoslav
era, the club's greatest success came when they reached the Round of 16 in the Yugoslav Cup
in 1949 and 1952. In 1949, they were knocked out by Budućnost Titograd
, suffering a 2–1 home defeat, and three years later they were crushed 7–0 by FK Sarajevo
.
after finishing in 15th place. However, the club quickly returned to the Second League in 1994.
Between 1994 and 1996, the club was known as NK Čakovec Union, with "Union" being the name of a local catering company serving as their main sponsor at the time. They also spent one season playing in the short-lived Croatian First B-League, continuing to play in the Second League after the First B-League folded in 1997. The club was again renamed NK Čakovec in December 1996, when it was bought by a group of local businessmen in order to save it from folding due to financial difficulties.
In 1998, the club finished top of the Northern Division of the Croatian Second League, securing a place in the promotion play-offs for the Croatian First League. In the play-offs, played at a neutral venue in Velika Gorica
, they failed to clinch promotion following a goalless draw against Jadran Poreč and a 2–1 defeat against Segesta.
The 1998–99 season saw the club missing promotion to the top flight after finishing fourth in the unified Croatian Second League. However, they finally clinched promotion to the Croatian First League the following season after finishing runners-up of the Second League. After the promotion, the club signed former Dinamo Zagreb manager Ilija Lončarević
, who went on to manage the team in the first half of the 2000–01 season
. The club also signed several players with top-flight experience in order to enforce the squad.
Their first game in the Croatian First League ended in a 2–0 defeat away at Hrvatski dragovoljac
. However, they clinched their first top-flight point in their first home fixture of the season, being held to a 2–2 draw in a derby game
against Varteks Varaždin. Their first top-flight win came in their fourth game of the season, when they grabbed a surprising 2–0 win at home to Hajduk Split
, who went on to clinch the league title at the end of the season. The team continued to deliver some good results during the autumn of 2000, including a goalless draw at home to Dinamo Zagreb, and even fought for a spot in the top-6 group, the Championship League, but eventually fell short by 5 points and finished the first part of the season in 7th place. This meant they continued to play in the bottom-6 group, the Relegation League, after the league was split in two groups in March 2001. Finishing 2nd in the Relegation League, they clinched 8th place in the overall standings. Their league record for the season included 10 wins, 9 draws and 13 defeats.
The team went on to start the 2001–02 season
strongly, recording two wins in the opening two matches and topping the table on Day 2. However, they ran out of luck thereafter and found themselves winning only 7 of their remaining 28 league matches, with 5 draws and 16 defeats. They finished 14th among 16 teams in the league that season and were effectively relegated back to the Croatian Second League. Many key players left the club immediately after the relegation in 2002, while some of them later moved to NK Međimurje, a new club formed in the summer of 2003 and playing in the same stadium. NK Međimurje went to play in the top flight between 2004 and 2008, and were again promoted there in 2009 after spending one season in the Croatian Second League.
NK Čakovec experienced mixed fortunes in the Croatian Second League in the years following their relegation from the top flight, managing two 3rd-place finishes in the Northern Division of the league in 2003 and 2005. Following an 8th-place finish in the Northern Division of the Second League in 2006, they went on to play in the unified Second League in the 2006–07 season. However, they finished bottom of the 16-team league and were relegated to the Croatian Third League. Playing in the Eastern Division of the Third League, they ended up being relegated to the fourth tier of Croatian football in 2008.
Ilami Halimi
Robert Jarni
Dario Jertec
Adnan Mravac
Nikola Pokrivač
Danijel Štefulj
Amarildo Zela
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
club based in Čakovec
Cakovec
Čakovec is a city in northern Croatia, located around 90 kilometres north of Zagreb, the Croatian capital. Čakovec is both the county seat and largest city of Međimurje County, the northernmost, smallest and most densely populated Croatian county.-Population:...
, in the northern part of the country. They are currently playing in the fourth tier of Croatian football.
The club's arguably biggest success came when they won promotion to the Croatian First League in 2000. However, they only spent two seasons in the top flight before being relegated back to the Croatian Second League in 2002. In 2007, they finished bottom of the Croatian Second League and were relegated to the Croatian Third League
Treća HNL
The Croatian Third Football League is the third tier of the football league system in Croatia. The league was established in 1991 following the dissolution of the Yugoslav League. It is operated by the Croatian Football Federation.-Subdivisions:...
, going on to end up playing in the fourth tier of Croatian football following another relegation in 2008.
The club currently play their home matches at the Stadion SRC Mladost, which has been their home ground since 1987 and can hold approximately 8,000 people. The stadium has also been used by NK Međimurje following their formation in 2003. The team's supporters group is called the Demons .
Early history
The club was founded in 1920 as Čakovečki športski klub (ČŠK; ) and competed in regional championships in the Kingdom of YugoslaviaKingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
. Their first and so far only title came in 1938, when they won the Drava Banovina
Drava Banovina
The Drava Banovina or Drava Banate was a province of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia between 1929 and 1941. This province consisted of most of present-day Slovenia and was named for the Drava River...
Championship.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Čakovec was occupied by Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
so the club played in Hungarian competitions until the city was liberated in 1945. After the war, the name of the club was changed to NK Jedinstvo Čakovec and this name was used over the following two decades. In the mid-1960s, the club was bought by MTČ, a local clothing company, and renamed MTČ Čakovec. In 1983, the club merged with NK Sloga Čakovec, at the time the only other football club within the city, and was renamed MTČ-Sloga Čakovec. The cooperation between the two clubs ended in 1987, with the club being renamed NK Čakovec. NK Sloga Čakovec also continued to exist as a separate club.
During the Yugoslav
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
era, the club's greatest success came when they reached the Round of 16 in the Yugoslav Cup
Yugoslav Cup
The Yugoslav Cup, officially the Marshal Tito Cup, was one of two major football competitions in the former Yugoslavia, the other one being the Yugoslav League Championship. The Yugoslav Cup took place after the league championships when every competitive league in Yugoslavia had finished, in order...
in 1949 and 1952. In 1949, they were knocked out by Budućnost Titograd
FK Buducnost Podgorica
FK Budućnost is a football club from Podgorica, Montenegro, currently competing in the First League of Montenegro. Its colours are blue and white. FK Buducnost is a part of the Budućnost sport society.-History:...
, suffering a 2–1 home defeat, and three years later they were crushed 7–0 by FK Sarajevo
FK Sarajevo
FK Sarajevo is a professional football club based in Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia-Herzegovina and is one of the most popular clubs in the country. Founded on October 24, 1946, the club was the most successful club from SR Bosnia and Herzegovina in former Yugoslavia, winning two First League...
.
History after Croatian independence
NK Čakovec were first promoted to the Croatian Second League in 1992, but were relegated back to the Croatian Third LeagueTreća HNL
The Croatian Third Football League is the third tier of the football league system in Croatia. The league was established in 1991 following the dissolution of the Yugoslav League. It is operated by the Croatian Football Federation.-Subdivisions:...
after finishing in 15th place. However, the club quickly returned to the Second League in 1994.
Between 1994 and 1996, the club was known as NK Čakovec Union, with "Union" being the name of a local catering company serving as their main sponsor at the time. They also spent one season playing in the short-lived Croatian First B-League, continuing to play in the Second League after the First B-League folded in 1997. The club was again renamed NK Čakovec in December 1996, when it was bought by a group of local businessmen in order to save it from folding due to financial difficulties.
In 1998, the club finished top of the Northern Division of the Croatian Second League, securing a place in the promotion play-offs for the Croatian First League. In the play-offs, played at a neutral venue in Velika Gorica
Velika Gorica
Velika Gorica is the largest and most populous city in Zagreb County, Croatia. The city itself has a population of 31,341, while the municipality has a population of 63,511 inhabitants .Velika Gorica is the centre of the historical Turopolje region....
, they failed to clinch promotion following a goalless draw against Jadran Poreč and a 2–1 defeat against Segesta.
The 1998–99 season saw the club missing promotion to the top flight after finishing fourth in the unified Croatian Second League. However, they finally clinched promotion to the Croatian First League the following season after finishing runners-up of the Second League. After the promotion, the club signed former Dinamo Zagreb manager Ilija Lončarević
Ilija Loncarevic
Ilija Lončarević is a Croatian football coach.Lončarević led Inker Zaprešić to the Croatian Cup title in 1992, but his arguably biggest success in management came when he won the Croatian championship with Dinamo Zagreb in 1999...
, who went on to manage the team in the first half of the 2000–01 season
Prva HNL 2000-01
The 2000–01 Prva HNL season was the tenth season of the Prva HNL, Croatia's top association football league, since its establishment in 1992. It began on 30 July 2000 and ended on 27 May 2001. Dinamo Zagreb were the defending champions, having won their fifth consecutive title the previous season...
. The club also signed several players with top-flight experience in order to enforce the squad.
Their first game in the Croatian First League ended in a 2–0 defeat away at Hrvatski dragovoljac
NK Hrvatski Dragovoljac
NK Hrvatski Dragovoljac is a Croatian football club based in the Novi Zagreb neighbourhood of the country's capital city of Zagreb. The team's fans are known as the "Black Warriors"...
. However, they clinched their first top-flight point in their first home fixture of the season, being held to a 2–2 draw in a derby game
Local derby
In many countries the term local derby, or simply just derby means a sporting fixture between two, generally local, rivals, particularly in association football...
against Varteks Varaždin. Their first top-flight win came in their fourth game of the season, when they grabbed a surprising 2–0 win at home to Hajduk Split
HNK Hajduk Split
HNK Hajduk Split, commonly referred to as Hajduk Split or simply Hajduk, is a Croatian football club founded in 1911 and based in the city of Split. The club's home ground since 1979 is the 35,000-seater Poljud Stadium and the team's traditional home colours are white shirts with blue shorts and...
, who went on to clinch the league title at the end of the season. The team continued to deliver some good results during the autumn of 2000, including a goalless draw at home to Dinamo Zagreb, and even fought for a spot in the top-6 group, the Championship League, but eventually fell short by 5 points and finished the first part of the season in 7th place. This meant they continued to play in the bottom-6 group, the Relegation League, after the league was split in two groups in March 2001. Finishing 2nd in the Relegation League, they clinched 8th place in the overall standings. Their league record for the season included 10 wins, 9 draws and 13 defeats.
The team went on to start the 2001–02 season
Prva HNL 2001-02
The 2001–02 Prva HNL season was the 11th season of the Prva HNL since its establishment in 1992. NK Zagreb became champions for the first time, and were the first league winners from outside the Eternal Derby rivalry. The campaign began on 28 July 2001 and ended on 4 May 2002...
strongly, recording two wins in the opening two matches and topping the table on Day 2. However, they ran out of luck thereafter and found themselves winning only 7 of their remaining 28 league matches, with 5 draws and 16 defeats. They finished 14th among 16 teams in the league that season and were effectively relegated back to the Croatian Second League. Many key players left the club immediately after the relegation in 2002, while some of them later moved to NK Međimurje, a new club formed in the summer of 2003 and playing in the same stadium. NK Međimurje went to play in the top flight between 2004 and 2008, and were again promoted there in 2009 after spending one season in the Croatian Second League.
NK Čakovec experienced mixed fortunes in the Croatian Second League in the years following their relegation from the top flight, managing two 3rd-place finishes in the Northern Division of the league in 2003 and 2005. Following an 8th-place finish in the Northern Division of the Second League in 2006, they went on to play in the unified Second League in the 2006–07 season. However, they finished bottom of the 16-team league and were relegated to the Croatian Third League. Playing in the Eastern Division of the Third League, they ended up being relegated to the fourth tier of Croatian football in 2008.
Notable players
Srećko BogdanSrecko Bogdan
Srećko Bogdan is a retired Croatian footballer who played a defender. He is now a youth coach in NK Inter Zaprešić.-Playing career:...
Ilami Halimi
Ilami Halimi
Ilami Halimi is a Macedonian footballer of Albanian ethnicity who recently played for FK DAC 1904 Dunajská Streda in the Slovak Superliga....
Robert Jarni
Robert Jarni
Robert Jarni is a retired Croatian footballer who played as left winger or wingback. He is now a manager, but is currently without a club after resigning from his managerial post at Istra 1961 in September 2010....
Dario Jertec
Dario Jertec
Dario Jertec is a Croatian football midfielder. He currently plays for Al-Faisaly in the Saudi Arabian Premier League....
Adnan Mravac
Adnan Mravac
Adnan Mravac is a Bosnia and Herzegovina international footballer on a three-year contract with Austrian side SV Mattersburg.-External links:*...
Nikola Pokrivač
Nikola Pokrivac
Nikola Pokrivač is a Croatian footballer who plays as midfielder for Dinamo Zagreb.-NK Varteks Varaždin:Pokrivač started to play football with amateur side Bratstvo Jurovec, near his hometown...
Danijel Štefulj
Danijel Štefulj
Danijel Štefulj is a retired Croatian football player who played as a defender and midfielder.During his 16-year-long professional career, Štefulj played for several clubs in Croatia and Germany, most notably Croatia Zagreb and Hannover 96...
Amarildo Zela
Amarildo Zela
Amarildo Zela is a retired Albanian footballer. The attacking midfielder played two games for Albania in 1992 and in 1997.- Career :...