NK Rudar Velenje

Rudar Velenje
Full name	Nogometni klub Rudar Velenje
Nickname(s)	Knapi (The Miners)
Founded	1948; 74 years ago
Ground	Ob Jezeru
Capacity	2,341
President	Seudin Softić
Head Coach	Milan Petrović
League	Slovenian Second League
2020–21	Slovenian Second League, 8th
Website	Club website
Home colours	Away colours

Nogometni klub Rudar Velenje (English: Rudar Velenje Football Club), commonly referred to as NK Rudar Velenje or simply Rudar Velenje, is a Slovenian football club from Velenje, currently playing in the Slovenian Second League.

History[]

The club was founded in August 1948. At first they played in local MNZ Celje league, until they qualified for the Slovenian Republic League in 1953. Two years later, on 3 July 1955, Rudar's home stadium Ob Jezeru was opened and the club moved to its current home. After the short crisis the club returned to the Slovenian league in 1962. For the 1974–75 season the club hired a professional coach Živko Stakič and became Slovenian champions in 1977. Rudar therefore qualified for the Yugoslav Second League, where they played until 1982. Just before the breakup of Yugoslavia, Rudar became the Slovenian champion for the second time in 1991.

After the Slovenian independence, Rudar became a regular participant in the Slovenian PrvaLiga. They were relegated to the Slovenian Second League in 2003 and returned for the 2005–06 season, but were instantly relegated back to second level. In the 2007–08 season they finished first and thus achieved a promotion back to the first league. The club's highest finish was third place on four occasions, the last time in 2014, when Mate Eterović, Rudar's striker, also became league's topscorer. Their biggest success was winning the Slovenian Cup in 1998, when they lost first game away to Primorje, but then won 3–0 in front of home crowd in the second leg. Rudar therefore played in the last edition of UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, where it was eliminated by Varteks in the first round.^[2]

Honours[]

Yugoslavia[]

Slovenian Republic League

1976–77, 1990–91

Slovenian Republic Cup

1979–80

Slovenia[]

Slovenian Second League

2003–04, 2004–05, 2007–08

Slovenian Cup

1997–98

MNZ Celje Cup

1991–92, 2003–04,^[3] 2004–05^[4]

Domestic league and cup results[]

Season	League	Position	Pts	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	Cup
1991–92	1. SNL	12	38	40	13	12	15	59	65	Quarter-finals
1992–93	1. SNL	9	33	34	13	7	14	45	52	First round
1993–94	1. SNL	9	27	30	10	7	13	37	49	Round of 16
1994–95	1. SNL	7	38	30	16	6	8	55	33	Quarter-finals
1995–96	1. SNL	7	49	36	13	10	13	46	37	Semi-finals
1996–97	1. SNL	8	42	36	10	12	14	43	53	Round of 16
1997–98	1. SNL	7	43	36	10	13	13	39	38	Winners
1998–99	1. SNL	3	56	33	16	8	9	43	33	Quarter-finals
1999–00	1. SNL	3	58	33	17	7	9	49	35	First round
2000–01	1. SNL	8	43	33	12	7	14	43	44	Semi-finals
2001–02	1. SNL	8	42	33	11	9	13	46	52	Quarter-finals
2002–03	1. SNL	11	25	31	6	7	18	32	51	First round
2003–04	2. SNL	1^[a]	69	32	21	6	5	84	37	Quarter-finals
2004–05	2. SNL	1	72	33	23	3	7	76	40	Second round
2005–06	1. SNL	10	15	36	2	9	25	28	83	Quarter-finals
2006–07	2. SNL	8	45	36	12	9	15	45	59	Quarter-finals
2007–08	2. SNL	1	50	27	15	4	7	70	31	x
2008–09	1. SNL	3	55	36	16	7	13	44	39	Quarter-finals
2009–10	1. SNL	7	49	36	15	4	17	46	52	Quarter-finals
2010–11	1. SNL	6	46	36	12	10	14	58	50	Second round
2011–12	1. SNL	6	43	36	11	10	15	55	54	Semi-final
2012–13	1. SNL	7	40	36	11	7	18	42	59	Round of 16
2013–14	1. SNL	3	63	36	18	9	9	55	33	Semi-finals
2014–15	1. SNL	6	46	36	12	10	14	44	43	Round of 16
2015–16	1. SNL	7	41	36	11	8	17	34	52	Quarter-finals
2016–17	1. SNL	7	41	36	10	11	15	49	53	Quarter-finals
2017–18	1. SNL	4	50	36	15	5	16	50	49	First round
2018–19	1. SNL	7	43	36	12	7	17	50	73	Round of 16
2019–20	1. SNL	10	12	36	0	12	24	28	80	Quarter-finals
2020–21	2. SNL	8	26	22	7	5	10	24	34	Round of 16

*Best results are highlighted.

^ Declined promotion.

UEFA competitions[]

All results (home and away) list Rudar's goal tally first.

Season	Competition	Round	Opponent	Home	Away	Aggregate
1995	UEFA Intertoto Cup	GR2	Tottenham Hotspur	1–2	–	5th place
			Öster	–	1–3
			1. FC Köln	0–1	–
			Lucerne	–	1–1
1998–99	UEFA Cup Winners' Cup	QR	Constructorul Chișinău	2–0	0–0	2–0
1998–99	UEFA Cup Winners' Cup	R1	Varteks	0–1	0–1	0–2
1999	UEFA Intertoto Cup	R1	Halmstads BK	0–0	2–2	2–2 (a)
1999	UEFA Intertoto Cup	R2	Austria Lustenau	1–2	1–2	2–4
2009–10	UEFA Europa League	QR1	Narva Trans	3–1	3–0	6–1
2009–10	UEFA Europa League	QR2	Red Star Belgrade	0–1	0–4	0–5
2014–15	UEFA Europa league	QR1	Laçi	1–1	1–1	2–2 (2–3 pen.)
2018–19	UEFA Europa League	QR1	Tre Fiori	7–0	3–0	10–0
2018–19	UEFA Europa League	QR2	FCSB	0–2	0–4	0–6

GR2 = Group 2; QR = Qualifying round; R1 = First round; R2 = Second round; QR1 = First qualifying round; QR2 = Second qualifying round.

Current squad[]

As of 23 September 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
1	GK	CRO	Karlo Žiger (on loan from Chelsea)
4	DF	SVN	Luka Verbic
5	DF	SVN	Kristijan Baric
6	DF	CRO	Tino Jukic
7	DF	SVN	Denis Tubic
8	MF	GER	Ronald Lombaya
9	FW	SVN	Vito Strakl
10	FW	SVN	Nace Koprivnik
11	FW	USA	Brian Saramago
12	DF	CRO	Juraj Spudic


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
14	DF	SVN	Til Bracun
17	MF	SVN	Amadej Vosnjak
18	MF	SVN	Omar Kocar
20	MF	GHA	Sampson Wirekoh
21	DF	SVN	Gasper Jovan
22	GK	SVN	Kristijan Sekulic (on loan from Olimpija Ljubljana)
23	MF	SVN	Gasper Hrovat
28	FW	SVN	Sandro Jovanovic
37	FW	SVN	Rob Rudonja
77	MF	CRO	Teo Jukic
99	MF	CRO	Vito Batistic (on loan from Dinamo Zagreb)

References[]

^ "Klubi" [Clubs] (in Slovenian). Football Association of Slovenia. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
^ "Zgodovina" [History] (in Slovenian). NK Rudar Velenje. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
^ "Članski Pokal - Rudar končal prevlado Krškega" (in Slovenian). MNZ Celje. 29 April 2004. Archived from the original on 14 May 2004. Retrieved 23 October 2016.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^ "Rudar drugič zapored prvak (page 16)". Naš čas (in Slovenian). 9 June 2005. Retrieved 30 December 2016.

External links[]

Official website (in Slovene)
PrvaLiga profile (in Slovene)

[5] Declined promotion.

[Klubi-1] "Klubi" [Clubs] (in Slovenian). Football Association of Slovenia. Retrieved 29 July 2016.

[Zgodovina-2] "Zgodovina" [History] (in Slovenian). NK Rudar Velenje. Retrieved 22 September 2017.

[3] "Članski Pokal - Rudar končal prevlado Krškega" (in Slovenian). MNZ Celje. 29 April 2004. Archived from the original on 14 May 2004. Retrieved 23 October 2016.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)

[4] "Rudar drugič zapored prvak (page 16)". Naš čas (in Slovenian). 9 June 2005. Retrieved 30 December 2016.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[a]

v t Slovenian PrvaLiga
Seasons	1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22
2021–22 teams	Aluminij Bravo Celje Domžale Koper Maribor NŠ Mura Olimpija Ljubljana Radomlje Tabor Sežana
Former teams	Ankaran Bela Krajina Beltinci Drava Ptuj Dravograd Gorica Interblock Izola Jadran Dekani Kočevje Korotan Prevalje Krka Krško Livar Ljubljana Medvode NK Mura ND Mura 05 Nafta Lendava Naklo Olimpija Pohorje Primorje Radomlje Rudar Trbovlje Rudar Velenje Slavija Vevče Slovan Šmartno Steklar Svoboda Triglav Kranj Zagorje Zavrč Železničar Maribor
Associated competitions	Slovenian Cup Second League Third League UEFA Champions League UEFA Europa League UEFA Europa Conference League

v t Slovenian Republic League
Seasons (Kingdom of Yugoslavia)	1920 1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41
Teams (1920–1941)	I. SSK Maribor Amater Athletik Bratstvo Celje Čakovec Disk Hermes Hrastnik Ilirija Jadran Kranj Mura Olimp Primorje Rapid Rote Elf SK Ljubljana Slovan Šoštanj Železničar Maribor
Seasons (SFR Yugoslavia)	1946 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1950 1951 1952 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91
Teams (1946–1991)	Aluminij Branik Maribor Branik Solkan Brežice Domžale Drava Dravinja Elan Elkroj Grafičar Hrastnik Ilirija Izola Jadran Dekani Jesenice Kamnik Kladivar Koper Kovinar Maribor Kovinar Štore Krim Ljubljana Maribor Medvode Mura Nafta Naklo Olimp Olimpija Partizan Žalec Piran Pohorje Postojna Primorje Proletarec Rudar Trbovlje Rudar Velenje Slavija Slovan Steklar Stol Svoboda Tabor Šmartno Triglav Kranj Vozila Železničar Maribor ŽŠD Celje