NK Maribor
833792
225786387
2008-07-15T11:49:40Z
84.255.197.222
/* Current squad */
{{Football club infobox |
clubname = NK Maribor |
image = [[Image:NK Maribor.gif|130px|Logo]] |
fullname = Nogometni Klub [[Maribor]]|
nickname = ''Vijoličasti'' (the Purples)<br/>''Vijolice'' (Violets) |
founded = 1960 |
ground = [[Stadion Ljudski Vrt]], [[Maribor]] |
capacity = 12,435 |
chairman = {{flagicon|Slovenia}}[[Drago Cotar]] |
manager = {{flagicon|Slovenia}}[[Zlatko Zahovič]] |
coach= {{flagicon|Slovenia}}[[Darko Milanič]] |
league = [[PrvaLiga Telekom Slovenije|1.SNL]] |
season = [[Slovenian PrvaLiga 2007-08|2007-08]] |
position = 4th |
pattern_la1=|pattern_b1=|pattern_ra1=|
leftarm1=5A307C|body1=5A307C|rightarm1=5A307C|shorts1=5A307C|socks1=5A307C|
pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=|pattern_ra2=|
leftarm2=FEEF38|body2=FEEF38|rightarm2=FEEF38|shorts2=FEEF38|socks2=FEEF38|
}}
'''NK Maribor''' is a [[Slovenia]]n [[football (soccer)|football]] team, playing in the city of [[Maribor]]. They are the most famous, popular and celebrated Slovenian football club, as well as being the most successful Slovenian club with seven [[PrvaLiga Telekom Slovenije|Slovenian League]] and five [[Pokal Hervis|Slovenian Cup]] titles.
They are the only Slovenian club that participated in the [[UEFA Champions League]] and one of only four clubs from the [[SFR Yugoslavia]] region that has participated in UEFA Champions League since the breakup of the country in 1991.
== History ==
=== Origins ===
==== Inter-war period ====
The first step in the establishment of NK Maribor as we know it today, was the creation of 1. Slovenski športni klub Maribor (1. SSK Maribor), on [[28 June]] [[1919]] in a small tavern called Jadran on Partizanska cesta. Their first match soon followed, when on [[19 July]] 1. SSK Maribor lost against Herta (1-4). The club won their first match against a fellow Maribor based club called SK Aero on [[7 September]] [[1919]] (7-5).
It wasn't until 1920 when the club acquired their very first pitch in Ljudski vrt (which later became famous and where the club still plays today). Among those who helped preparing the pitch were also the club players.
During the inter-war period the Slovenian football scene was dominated by clubs located in [[Ljubljana]] and therefore Maribor managed to win the title only three times (1931, 1933 and 1939).
==== Time after World War II and abolishment ====
After [[World War II]] FD Maribor (Fiskulturno društvo Maribor) stepped in as the successor of 1. SSK Maribor. In the first match after the war, on [[23 September]] [[1945]], FD Maribor met local rivals FD Železničar. The match finished with a goaless draw (0-0).
In 1949, FD Maribor started to compete under the name Branik and three years later, on [[12 July]] [[1952]], the club received a new pitch in Ljudski vrt where it still stands today. The club then played in the 2nd Yugoslav Division since 1953/54 season but was abolished in 1960 due to a food poisoning affair.
=== NK Maribor is born (December 1960) ===
NK Maribor football club, as we know it today, was founded on 12th of December in 1960. After elections Dr. Srečko Koren was appointed as the first club president, Andrija Pflander was appointed as the first head coach and Oto Blaznik as the first team captain.
The newly established club played its first match on [[5 February]] [[1961]], when they defeated city rivals [[NK Kovinar Maribor]] by 2-1 (0-0), with Stefan Tolič scoring both goals. Despite heavy rain, 1500 spectators came to see the match. It was clear by now that the local fans saw the newly established club as the successor of the club abolished a couple of months earlier.
The first league match was played on 12th of March in 1961 in [[Nova Gorica]], when NK Maribor Branik played against a team based there and won by 2-0. In that year the club won the prestigious Slovene championship and gained a place in the Western group of the 2nd Yugoslav Division through qualifying phases (in the decisive matches NK Maribor defeated NK Uljanik from [[Pula]], [[Croatia]]). After five seasons (during that time the attendance of home matches was around 8000 spectators) the club, under the guidance of coach Simunič, managed to reach the [[Yugoslav First League]].
In 1962 the club received a new stadium called [[Stadion Ljudski Vrt|Ljudski vrt]] and on [[2 September]] of the same year, football fans across Slovenia witnessed the birth of a new rivalry between NK Maribor and [[NK Olimpija]]. The first match between the two clubs was played in Ljubljana and ended with a draw (1-1).
Matches between these two clubs later became known in Slovenia as ''{{lang|sl|Večni derbi}}'' (Eternal derby).
=== Yugoslav First League period (1967-1972) ===
The club's first match in [[Yugoslav First League]] was in 1967 and was played against [[Vardar]] (1-1) in [[Skopje]]. The only goal for NK Maribor was scored by Maras. The first home match was played on 27th of August against [[FK Proleter Zrenjanin]]. NK Maribor won the match by 3-0. The goals were scored by Kranjc, Arnejčič and Binkovski. In the same season, football fans across Slovenia witnessed the first match in Yugoslav First League between two clubs from Slovenia. The first home match against the newly established rivals [[NK Olimpija]] was played in front of 13000 spectators and finished with a goaless draw (0-0). All matches between the two clubs during this time were sold out, with crowd attendance sometimes reaching up to 20000.
During the five years played in [[Yugoslav First League]] NK Maribor played a total of 166 matches and achieved 40 wins, 57 draws and 69 defeats, with a goal difference of 166-270.
The last home match was played in 1972, ironically, against [[NK Olimpija]]. This was also the last match of the season in the [[Yugoslav First League]] for the club. The rivals from [[Ljubljana]] won the match 3-6. NK Maribor was relegated and never played in the [[Yugoslav First League]] again.
=== 1973-1990 period ===
For the next three years, NK Maribor played in the Western group of the 2nd Yugoslav Division. In 1975, the club was relegated and had to spend one season in the Slovene League, but was promoted back in the 2nd Yugoslav Division only a year after.
From 1977 to 1981 NK Maribor played in the Western group of the 2nd Yugoslav Division, before being kicked out due to affair named Žoga (Ball).
After one year in the Republican league (Slovenian league) the club returned to 2nd Yugoslav Division. Later the club exchanged between 2nd Yugoslav Division and the Republican league until the break up of [[SFR Yugoslavia]].
From the summer of 1989 to summer of 1991, the club which had joined MŠD Branik in 1988, competed by the name of NK Maribor Branik in the Western Group of the newly formed Inter-Republic League (clubs from [[Croatia]], [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]] and [[Slovenia]]).
=== New country - New league (1991-1996) ===
After the declared independence of [[Slovenia]] in [[1991]], Slovenia's best clubs were joined into the [[PrvaLiga Telekom Slovenije|Slovenian League]]. In the first couple of seasons, NK Maribor's rivals [[NK Olimpija]] from [[Ljubljana]], which had had a long tradition of playing in the Yugoslav First League and at the time still had their squad composed of players from that era, dominated the league.
Nevertheless NK Maribor managed to win the first [[Pokal Hervis|Slovenian Cup]]. The final match was played in [[Ljubljana]] against [[NK Olimpija]]. The match ended as a goaless draw (0-0) and was won after a penalty shoot-out (4-3). This was the first major success for NK Maribor.
[[NK Olimpija]] won the first four consecutive championships, while [[NK Gorica]] won in the 1995/96 season. NK Maribor was runner up in the 1991/92, 1992/93 and 1994/95 seasons, while ending 3rd in 1993/94 and 4th in 1995/96 season.
During this period the club managed to win another [[Pokal Hervis|Slovenian Cup]] in the 3rd season (1993/94), after NK Maribor defeated [[NK Mura]] from [[Murska Sobota]] in two matches (aggregate 3:2).
=== Total domination (1996-2004) ===
The season of 1996/97 was the turning point in history of NK Maribor. The club stormed the [[PrvaLiga Telekom Slovenije|Slovenian League]] and became the national champion for the first time in history. In this season the average home attendance of NK Maribor's matches was 6000, which is still a record in [[PrvaLiga Telekom Slovenije|Slovenian League]]. The final match of the season was played against [[NK Beltinci]] and gathered a crowd of 14000, which is another record of the [[PrvaLiga Telekom Slovenije|Slovenian League]].
In 1996/97 season NK Maribor also won the [[Pokal Hervis|Slovenian Cup]], thus winning the double crown, a feat also repeated in the 1998/99 season. The club was also very close to achieving the double crown in the 2003/04 season but was stopped in the final round of the Slovenian League by another rival [[NK Mura]] in [[Murska Sobota]], which won the last match by 2-1 and prevented NK Maribor from winning their 8th consecutive title. The club finished 3rd with two points behind the new champions [[NK Gorica]].
One of the most celebrated matches in [[PrvaLiga Telekom Slovenije|Slovenian League]] history was played in the final round of 2000/01 season, when NK Olimpija met NK Maribor at their home stadium in Ljubljana. Both teams were competing for their 5th [[PrvaLiga Telekom Slovenije|Slovenian League]] title. The home team needed a win for the title, while a draw was enough for NK Maribor. The atmosphere was electric days before the kick-off and the stadium with 9000 seats was completely sold out. At the end, the match ended with a draw (1-1) and NK Maribor started to celebrate their 5th consecutive title in front of more than 1500 violet fans that gathered in Ljubljana that day.
The club has won seven consecutive [[PrvaLiga Telekom Slovenije|Slovenian League]] championships and three [[Pokal Hervis|Slovenian Cup]] titles in eight seasons between 1996-2004 altogether.
In 1999/00 season, the club, under the guidance of [[Bojan Prašnikar]], also defeated [[KRC Genk]] and [[Olympique Lyon]] and managed to qualify in the elite [[UEFA Champions League 1999-2000|UEFA Champions league]], winning four points (a win and a draw) in the group with [[Dynamo Kyiv]], [[Bayer Leverkusen]] and [[SS Lazio]].
=== Financial difficulties (2004-2008) ===
The [[Pokal Hervis|Slovenian Cup]] in the 2003/04 season was the last trophy won by NK Maribor. Since then they have been struggling with financial difficulties and at one point the abolishment of the club was seriously considered. Luckily the club did not follow its rivals NK Olimpija and [[NK Mura]] on that path.
Due to a high financial debt, which at one point reached as high as 4 million [[Euros]], the club could not buy new players. As a consequence, the first team consisted mostly of youth-team players together with a couple of foreign players brought to the club for free.
These facts make it even harder to believe that the club managed to defeat [[Villarreal CF]], a club that had played in the semi-finals of the elite UEFA Champions League just a couple of months earlier, in the [[UEFA Intertoto Cup]] at the start of the 2006/07 season. With this victory NK Maribor managed to qualify into the [[UEFA Cup]], where they were defeated after a dramatic second leg against [[FK Partizan]].
During this period NK Maribor was never better then 3rd in the [[PrvaLiga Telekom Slovenije|Slovenian League]] and was runner-up in the [[Pokal Hervis|Slovenian Cup]] twice.
With recent appointments of Slovenian football legends, [[Zlatko Zahovič]] as team manager, together with [[Darko Milanič]] as head coach and club legend [[Ante Šimundža]] as assistant coach, the club and its supporters hope for better times.
== Social identity ==
=== Kit and colours ===
Throughout the entire history of the club, they have been represented by the colour of [[purple]]. At the beginning of the club some officials were favouring the red and white colours, while the traditional colours of MŠD Branik were black and white. Because of the fact that many football teams in [[SFR Yugoslavia]] wore red-white or black-white jerseys, most notably [[FK Crvena Zvezda]] and [[FK Partizan]], NK Maribor officials decided for a new and fresh combination. They have decided to look upon [[ACF Fiorentina]], which was at the time one of the most successful clubs in Europe, and their purple and white combination. Eventually they changed the secondary colour to yellow. Today NK Maribor plays its home matches in purple and away matches in yellow.
=== Badge ===
The badge of the club is probably the most recognizable sport symbol in [[Slovenia]]. It is based on the official emblem of the city of [[Maribor]].
== Stadium ==
[[Image:Maribor - Nafta 044.jpg|thumb|Ljudski vrt]]
The [[Stadion Ljudski Vrt|Ljudski vrt]] stadium is the only stadium in Maribor that lies on the left bank of the river [[Drava]]. The stadium got its name ''Ljudski vrt'' ({{lang-de|Volksgarten}}) after a public tree park in the area. The first football pitch in this area was built in 1920. The pitch on the present day area was built in 1952, while the stadium itself was not built until 1962. Since then the stadium went through four renovations. The most notable was the last one when the stadium was completely renovated and now holds a capacity of 12,435 covered seats. This number will be increased to a total of 13,000 seats in the next phase of the renovation.
Beside being the home ground of NK Maribor, the stadium also hosted some matches of the [[Slovenia national football team]] and will be the main venue for [[2010 FIFA World Cup]] qualifications. The record attendance from the [[SFR Yugoslavia]] era is around 20000 spectators, while the record for the Slovenian League match is 14000 spectators achieved at the last match of the 1996/97 season. This match is still the record holder for attendance at a football match in Slovenian League.
For local supporters, the stadium is known as ''{{lang|sl|Nogometni hram}}'' (Football temple) and the pitch itself as ''{{lang|sl|Sveta trava}}'' (Holy grass). This is most likely due to the tremendous success the club has had on this stadium, but perhaps also due to the fact that a [[cemetery]] was located on the area before the stadium was built.
== Domestic league and cup results ==
{|class="wikitable sortable" cellpadding="3" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!Season
![[PrvaLiga Telekom Slovenije|League]]
!Position
!Pts
!P
!W
!D
!L
!GF
!GA
![[Slovenian Cup|Cup]]
|-
|1991/92
|[[PrvaLiga Telekom Slovenije|1.SNL]]
|2
|59
|40
|25
|9
|6
|76
|29
|bgcolor=lightyellow|Winner
|-
|1992/93
|[[PrvaLiga Telekom Slovenije|1.SNL]]
|2
|48
|34
|18
|12
|4
|50
|20
|Round of 16
|-
|1993/94
|[[PrvaLiga Telekom Slovenije|1.SNL]]
|3
|42
|30
|16
|10
|4
|55
|24
|bgcolor=lightyellow|Winner
|-
|1994/95
|[[PrvaLiga Telekom Slovenije|1.SNL]]
|2
|42
|30
|17
|8
|5
|61
|23
|Semi-finals
|-
|1995/96
|[[PrvaLiga Telekom Slovenije|1.SNL]]
|4
|53
|36
|14
|11
|11
|47
|32
|Round of 16
|-
|1996/97
|[[PrvaLiga Telekom Slovenije|1.SNL]]
|bgcolor=lightblue|1
|71
|36
|21
|8
|7
|71
|34
|bgcolor=lightyellow|Winner
|-
|1997/98
|[[PrvaLiga Telekom Slovenije|1.SNL]]
|bgcolor=lightblue|1
|76
|36
|24
|4
|8
|69
|34
|Quarter-finals
|-
|1998/99
|[[PrvaLiga Telekom Slovenije|1.SNL]]
|bgcolor=lightblue|1
|66
|33
|19
|9
|5
|72
|29
|bgcolor=lightyellow|Winner
|-
|1999/00
|[[PrvaLiga Telekom Slovenije|1.SNL]]
|bgcolor=lightblue|1
|81
|33
|25
|6
|2
|90
|30
|Semi-finals
|-
|2000/01
|[[PrvaLiga Telekom Slovenije|1.SNL]]
|bgcolor=lightblue|1
|62
|33
|18
|8
|7
|61
|36
|Quarter-finals
|-
|2001/02
|[[PrvaLiga Telekom Slovenije|1.SNL]]
|bgcolor=lightblue|1
|66
|33
|19
|9
|5
|64
|23
|Semi-finals
|-
|2002/03
|[[PrvaLiga Telekom Slovenije|1.SNL]]
|bgcolor=lightblue|1
|62
|31
|18
|8
|5
|56
|31
|Quarter-finals
|-
|2003/04
|[[PrvaLiga Telekom Slovenije|1.SNL]]
|3
|54
|32
|15
|9
|8
|51
|34
|bgcolor=lightyellow|Winner
|-
|2004/05
|[[PrvaLiga Telekom Slovenije|1.SNL]]
|7
|51
|32
|15
|6
|11
|47
|36
|Semi-finals
|-
|2005/06
|[[PrvaLiga Telekom Slovenije|1.SNL]]
|4
|54
|36
|16
|6
|14
|51
|42
|Semi-finals
|-
|2006/07
|[[PrvaLiga Telekom Slovenije|1.SNL]]
|3
|57
|36
|15
|12
|9
|64
|50
|Final
|-
|2007/08
|[[PrvaLiga Telekom Slovenije|1.SNL]]
|4
|52
|36
|14
|10
|12
|55
|46
|Final
|}
:<small>*Best results are highlighted.</s>
== European campaigns ==
=== UEFA club competition record ===
''As of [[27 June]] [[2008]].''
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
!|Competition
!|Pld
!|W
!|D
!|L
!|GF
!|GA
|-
| '''[[UEFA Champions League|ECCC]]'''||26||11||3||12||29||40
|-
| '''[[UEFA Cup Winners' Cup|ECWC]]'''||8||3||1||4||21||16
|-
| '''[[UEFA Cup|UCUP]]'''||20||4||6||10||16||32
|-
| '''[[UEFA Super Cup|SCUP]]'''||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
| '''[[Inter-Cities Fairs Cup|UIC]]'''||14||9||2||3||27||13
|-
| '''[[Intercontinental Cup (football)|EUSA]]'''||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
| '''Total'''||'''68'''||'''27'''||'''12'''||'''29'''||'''93'''||'''101'''
|}
=== Matches ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Season
! Competition
! Round
! Country
! Club
! Result
|-
|[[Mitropa Cup 1971|1971]]
|[[Mitropa Cup]]
|1st Round
|{{flagicon|Austria}}
|[[Grazer AK]]
|0-2, 3-1
|-
|[[UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1992-93|1992/93]]
|[[UEFA Cup Winners' Cup]]
| Q.
|{{flagicon|Malta}}
|[[Hamrun Spartans]]
|4-0, 1-2
|-
|
|
| 1st Round
|{{flagicon|Spain}}
|[[Atletico Madrid]]
|0-3, 1-6
|-
|[[UEFA Cup 1993-94|1993/94]]
|[[UEFA Cup]]
|1st Round
|{{flagicon|Romania}}
|[[Gloria Bistriţa]]
|0-0, 2-0
|-
|
|
|2nd Round
|{{flagicon|Germany}}
|[[Borussia Dortmund]]
|0-0, 1-2
|-
|[[UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1994-95|1994/95]]
|[[UEFA Cup Winners' Cup]]
| Q.
|{{flagicon|Estonia}}
|[[FC Norma Tallinn]]
|4-1, 10-0
|-
|
|
| 1st Round
|{{flagicon|Austria}}
|[[FK Austria Wien]]
|1-1, 0-3
|-
|[[UEFA Cup 1995-96|1995/96]]
|[[UEFA Cup]]
| Q.
|{{flagicon|Latvia}}
|[[Skonto Riga]]
|0-1, 2-0
|-
|
|
|1st round
|{{flagicon|Greece}}
|[[Olympiacos F.C.]]
|0-2, 1-3
|-
|[[UEFA Intertoto Cup 1996|1996]]
|[[UEFA Intertoto Cup]]
|Group 3
|{{flagicon|Austria}}
|[[FK Austria Wien]]
|3-0
|-
|
|
|Group 3
|{{flagicon|Iceland}}
|[[Keflavík ÍF]]
|0-0
|-
|
|
|Group 3
|{{flagicon|Denmark}}
|[[FC Kobenhavn]]
|0-1
|-
|
|
|Group 3
|{{flagicon|Sweden}}
|[[Örebro SK]]
|1-4
|-
|[[UEFA Champions League 1997-98|1997/98]]
|[[UEFA Champions League]]
|1st Round Q.
|{{flagicon|Ireland}}
|[[Derry City F.C.]]
|2-0, 1-0
|-
|
|
|2nd Round Q.
|{{flagicon|Turkey}}
|[[Besiktas J.K.]]
|0-0, 1-3
|-
|[[UEFA Cup 1997-98|1997/98]]
|[[UEFA Cup]]
|1st Round
|{{flagicon|Netherlands}}
|[[AFC Ajax]]
|1-1, 1-9
|-
|[[UEFA Champions League 1998–99|1998/99]]
|[[UEFA Champions League]]
|1st Round Q.
|{{flagicon|Lithuania}}
|[[Kareda Šiauliai]]
|3-0, 1-0
|-
|
|
|2nd Round Q.
|{{flagicon|Netherlands}}
|[[PSV Eindhoven]]
|2-1, 1-4
|-
|[[UEFA Cup 1998-99|1998/99]]
|[[UEFA Cup]]
|1st Round
|{{flagicon|Poland}}
|[[Wisła Kraków]]
|0-2, 0-3
|-
|[[UEFA Champions League 1999-2000|1999/00]]
|[[UEFA Champions League]]
|2nd Round Q.
|{{flagicon|Belgium}}
|[[KRC Genk]]
|5-1, 0-3
|-
|
|
|3rd Round Q.
|{{flagicon|France}}
|[[Olympique Lyonnais]]
|1-0, 2-0
|-
|
|
|Group A
|{{flagicon|Ukraine}}
|[[Dynamo Kyiv]]
|1-0, 1-2
|-
|
|
|Group A
|{{flagicon|Germany}}
|[[Bayer Leverkusen]]
|0-2, 0-0
|-
|
|
|Group A
|{{flagicon|Italy}}
|[[SS Lazio]]
|0-4, 0-4
|-
|[[UEFA Champions League 2000-01|2000/01]]
|[[UEFA Champions League]]
|2nd Round Q.
|{{flagicon|Moldova}}
|[[Zimbru Chisinau]]
|0-2, 1-0
|-
|[[UEFA Champions League 2001–02|2001/02]]
|[[UEFA Champions League]]
|2nd Round Q.
|{{flagicon|Scotland}}
|[[Glasgow Rangers]]
|0-3, 1-3
|-
|[[UEFA Champions League 2002–03|2002/03]]
|[[UEFA Champions League]]
|2nd Round Q.
|{{flagicon|Cyprus}}
|[[APOEL F.C.]]
|2-1, 2-4
|-
|[[UEFA Champions League 2003–04|2003/04]]
|[[UEFA Champions League]]
|2nd Round Q.
|{{flagicon|Croatia}}
|[[NK Dinamo Zagreb]]
|1-1, 1-2
|-
|[[UEFA Cup 2004-05|2004/05]]
|[[UEFA Cup]]
|1st Round Q.
|{{flagicon|FYR Macedonia}}
|[[FK Sileks]]
|1-0, 1-1
|-
|
|
|2nd Round Q.
|{{flagicon|Serbia and Montenegro}}
|[[FK Budućnost Banatski Dvor]]
|2-1, 0-1
|-
|
|
|1st Round
|{{flagicon|Italy}}
|[[AC Parma]]
|0-0, 2-3
|-
|[[UEFA Intertoto Cup 2006|2006]]
|[[UEFA Intertoto Cup]]
|1st Round
|{{flagicon|Andorra}}
|[[UE Sant Julià]]
|3-0, 5-0
|-
|
|
|2nd Round
|{{flagicon|Montenegro}}
|[[FK Zeta]]
|2-1, 2-0
|-
|
|
|3rd Round
|{{flagicon|Spain}}
|[[Villarreal CF]]
|2-1, 1-1
|-
|[[UEFA Cup 2006-07|2006/07]]
|[[UEFA Cup]]
|2nd Round Q.
|{{flagicon|Serbia}}
|[[FK Partizan]]
|1-2, 1-1
|-
|[[UEFA Intertoto Cup 2007|2007]]
|[[UEFA Intertoto Cup]]
|1st Round
|{{flagicon|Malta}}
|[[Birkirkara]]
|3-0, 2-1
|-
|
|
|2nd Round
|{{flagicon|Serbia}}
|[[FK Hajduk Kula]]
|2-0, 0-5
|-
|}
==Supporters==
[[Image:Viole - Maribor 089.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Viole Maribor on their south stand during a match]]
NK Maribor has long been the most popular football team in Slovenia. With the ''Violets'' coming from an industrial town of Maribor the team has always been the team of the [[working class]]. After Slovenia declared independence in 1991, most of the town's industry perished and almost 30% of the population was unemployed. Still, the people remained loyal to the club as it became their ray of hope. This could be the reason why the club still has one of the lowest entrance fees in the Slovenian league. The club has some 20-25% of people in Slovenia that cheer for them altogether, which means that the club is by far the most popular sports club in the country.
The club also has an [[Ultras]] group called [[Viole Maribor]] established in 1989, and is considered infamous in the entire Slovenia. Their average number accounts to around 500 fans, while as much as 2000 fans can gather at their club's matches. They are located on the south stand of the stadium. Their biggest rivals are the [[Green Dragons]] of [[NK Olimpija]].
Recently another fan group emerged to support NK Maribor at their matches. The group is called ESS (East Side Supporters) and consists mostly of former members of Viole Maribor. They are, as the name itself implies, located on the east stand of the stadium.
==Rivalries==
The club's biggest rival is [[NK Olimpija]] from the capital city of [[Ljubljana]], and with NK Maribor coming from the city of Maribor, this also means that the matches played between the two clubs is a battle between the two largest cities in Slovenia. These two clubs are by far the most popular clubs in Slovenia and also have the biggest fan groups in the country. On many occasions the matches between NK Maribor and NK Olimpija were interrupted due to violent clashes between Viole Maribor supporting their club and Green Dragons supporting NK Olimpija. The matches between the two rivals are known in Slovenia as ''Večni derbi'' (English: Eternal derby). The atmosphere among football fans and the media was and is always packed with emotions days before the match. Overall more than 60 matches have been played between the two clubs, with NK Maribor being more successful.
The other rivalry of the club is the one against [[NK Mura]] from [[Murska Sobota]]. NK Mura also has one of the biggest fan bases in Slovenia, which is, by number of supporters, usually considered as the 3rd in the country. Matches between the two clubs where usually packed with thousands of supporters and sometimes attendances at these matches even exceeded those of NK Maribor versus NK Olimpija. The rivalry is not as fierce as the one against NK Olimpija, but it is intense nevertheless. This was proven on the last match of the 2003/04 season when NK Mura won the match against NK Maribor by 2-1 and prevented the club from Maribor from winning their 8th consecutive title. The match did not hold any significant importance for NK Mura as their spot in the league had already been determined before the last round.
In the last couple of years both rivalries lost in significance and are not as fierce as they used to be due to the fact that both teams now play in the 2nd division.
==Honours==
'''''Total titles: 12'''''
'''League'''
* '''[[PrvaLiga Telekom Slovenije|Slovenian Championships]]:'''
:: '''Winners (7 - Record):''' 1996/97, 1997/98, 1998/99, 1999/00, 2000/01, 2001/02, 2002/03
:: Runners-up (3): 1991/92, 1992/93, 1994/95
'''Cup'''
* '''[[Pokal Hervis|Slovenian Cup]]:'''
:: '''Winners (5 - Record):''' 1991/92, 1993/94, 1996/97, 1998/99, 2003/04
:: Runners-up (2): 2006/07, 2007/08
'''Other'''
* '''[[The double]] (League and Cup):'''
:: '''Winners (2 - record):''' 1996/97, 1998/99
== Current squad ==
{| table class="infobox" width="249px"
|-
|<div style="position: relative;">
[[Image:Soccer.Field Transparant.png|230px]]
{{Image label|x=0.185|y=0.04|scale=550|text=<font size=1>Pridigar</font>}}
{{Image label|x=0.11|y=0.11|scale=550|text=<font size=1>Lunder</font>}}
{{Image label|x=0.25|y=0.11|scale=550|text=<font size=1>Kljajević</font>}}
{{Image label|x=0.32|y=0.17|scale=550|text=<font size=1>Filekovič</font>}}
{{Image label|x=0.06|y=0.17|scale=550|text=<font size=1>Mejač</font>}}
{{Image label|x=0.06|y=0.30|scale=550|text=<font size=1>Mezga</font>}}
{{Image label|x=0.20|y=0.215|scale=550|text=<font size=1>Nilton</font>}}
{{Image label|x=0.32|y=0.30|scale=550|text=<font size=1>Školnik</font>}}
{{Image label|x=0.19|y=0.35|scale=550|text=<font size=1>Pavlović</font>}}
{{Image label|x=0.13|y=0.42|scale=550|text=<font size=1>Volaš</font>}}
{{Image label|x=0.26|y=0.42|scale=550|text=<font size=1>Bunderla</font>}}
</div>
|-
|<small>First squad in the summer round of season 2008/9</small>
|}
''As of July 2008''
{{Fs start}}
{{Fs player|no=1|nat=Slovenia|name=[[Marko Ranilovič]]|pos=GK}}
{{Fs player|no=2|nat=Montenegro|name=[[Željko Kljajević]]|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=3|nat=Slovenia|name=[[Elvedin Džinič]]|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=7|nat=Slovenia|name=[[Aleš Mejač]]|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=8|nat=Croatia|name=[[Dejan Mezga]]|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no=9|nat=Brazil|name=[[Marco Morales Magno Tavares]]|pos=FW}}
{{Fs player|no=10|nat=Slovenia|name=[[Rene Mihelič]]|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no=11|nat=Slovenia|name=[[Dragan Jelič]]|pos=FW}}
{{Fs player|no=12|nat=Slovenia|name=[[Marko Pridigar]]|pos=GK}}
{{Fs player|no=13|nat=Slovenia|name=[[Vito Plut]]|pos=FW}}
{{Fs player|no=14|nat=Slovenia|name=[[Rok Buzeti]]|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no=15|nat=Slovenia|name=[[Andraž Bajlec]]|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=16|nat=Slovenia|name=[[David Tomažič Šeruga]]|pos=MF}}
{{Fs mid}}
{{Fs player|no=18|nat=Slovenia|name=[[Matjaž Lunder]]|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=20|nat=Slovenia|name=[[Miral Samardžič]]|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=21|nat=Slovenia|name=[[Armin Bačinovič]]|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no=22|nat=Slovenia|name=[[Miha Bratušek]]|pos=GK}}
{{Fs player|no=23|nat=Slovenia|name=[[Suad Filekovič]]|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no=27|nat=Serbia|name=[[Marko Popović (footballer)|Marko Popović]]|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=30|nat=Slovenia|name=[[Dalibor Volaš]]|pos=FW}}
{{Fs player|no=32|nat=Slovenia|name=[[Uroš Celcer]]|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=33|nat=Slovenia|name=[[Zoran Pavlovič]]|pos=MF}} [[Image:Captain sports.svg|12px|Captain (football)]]
{{Fs player|no=37|nat=Czech Republic|name=[[Lubomir Kubica]]|pos=DF|other=[[vice-captain (football)|vice-captain]]}}
{{Fs player|no=39|nat=Slovenia|name=[[David Bunderla]]|pos=FW}}
{{Fs player|no=40|nat=Slovenia|name=[[Dejan Školnik]]|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no=70|nat=Cape Verde|name=[[Nilton Fernandes]]|pos=MF}}
{{Fs end}}
==== Out on loan ====
*{{flagicon|Slovenia}} [[Mitja Brulc]] - to [[HK Kopavogur]]
*{{flagicon|Slovenia}} [[Gorazd Zajc]] - to [[NK Rudar Velenje]]
*{{flagicon|Slovenia}} [[Klemen Medved]] - to [[NK Nafta]]
*{{flagicon|Slovenia}} [[Matej Vračko]] - to [[NK Aluminij]]
==== Squad changes during the summer transfer window 2008/2009 ====
'''In:'''
{{Fs start}}
{{Fs player|no=7|nat=Slovenia|name=[[Aleš Mejač]]|pos=MF|other=from [[FC Koper]]}}
{{Fs player|no=39|nat=Slovenia|name=[[David Bunderla]]|pos=FW|other=from [[NK Primorje]]}}
{{Fs player|no=18|nat=Slovenia|name=[[Matjaž Lunder]]|pos=DF|other=from [[NK Nafta Lendava]]}}
{{Fs player|no=13|nat=Slovenia|name=[[Vito Plut]]|pos=FW|other=from [[FC Koper]]}}
{{Fs player|no=2|nat=Montenegro|name=[[Željko Kljajević]]|pos=DF|other=from [[FK Modriča]]}}
{{Fs end}}
'''Out:'''
{{Fs start}}
{{Fs player|no=5|nat=Serbia|name=[[Zdravko Šaraba]]|pos=DF|other=[[released on free]]}}
{{Fs end}}
==== Squad changes during the winter transfer window 2007/2008 ====
'''In:'''
{{Fs start}}
{{Fs player|no=5|nat=Serbia|name=[[Zdravko Šaraba]]|pos=DF|other=from [[FK Sarajevo]]}}
{{Fs player|no=9|nat=Brazil|name=[[Marco Morales Magno Tavares]]|pos=FW|other=from [[APOEL F.C.]]}}
{{Fs player|no=23|nat=Slovenia|name=[[Suad Filekovič]]|pos=MF|other=from [[FC Krylia Sovetov Samara]]}}
{{Fs player|no=30|nat=Slovenia|name=[[Dalibor Volaš]]|pos=FW|other=from [[FC Koper]]}}
{{Fs player|no=33|nat=Slovenia|name=[[Zoran Pavlovič]]|pos=MF|other=from [[Interblock Ljubljana]]}}
{{Fs player|no=70|nat=Cape Verde|name=[[Nilton Fernandes]]|pos=MF|other=from [[Ethnikos Achna FC]]}}
{{Fs end}}
'''Out:'''
{{Fs start}}
{{Fs player|no=2|nat=Macedonia|name=[[Dragan Čadikovski]]|pos=FW|other=to [[FK Partizan]]}}
{{Fs player|no=6|nat=Finland|name=[[Marko Tuomas Kolsi]]|pos=MF|other=to [[Rudar Velenje]]}}
{{Fs player|no=7|nat=Slovenia|name=[[Amel Mujakovič]]|pos=MF|other=to [[NK Nafta Lendava]]}}
{{Fs player|no=9|nat=Bulgaria|name=[[Dimitar Ivanov Makriev]]|pos=FW|other=to [[F.C. Ashdod]]}}
{{Fs player|no=13|nat=Slovenia|name=[[Leon Panikvar]]|pos=MF|other=to [[NK Primorje]]}}
{{Fs player|no=4|nat=Moldova|name=[[Vladislav Lungu]]|pos=MF|other=to [[FC Zvezda Irkutsk]]}}
{{Fs player|no=18|nat=Slovenia|name=[[Andrej Pečnik]]|pos=DF|other=to [[FC Politehnica Iaşi]]}}
{{Fs end}}
== Notable former players ==
*{{flagicon|SFR Yugoslavia}} Oto Blaznik ''(first team captain)''
*{{flagicon|SFR Yugoslavia}} Milan Arnejčič
*{{flagicon|SFR Yugoslavia}} Tomislav Prosen ''(most caps for the club)''
*{{flagicon|SFR Yugoslavia}} Aleš Križan
*{{flagicon|SFR Yugoslavia}} Mladen Kranjc
*{{flagicon|SFR Yugoslavia}} [[Vojislav Simeunovič]]
*{{flagicon|SFR Yugoslavia}} Herbert Vabič
*{{flagicon|SFR Yugoslavia}} Bogdan Pirc
*{{flagicon|SFR Yugoslavia}} Milan Žurman
*{{flagicon|SFR Yugoslavia}} Vladimir Bolfek
*{{flagicon|SFR Yugoslavia}} Zvonko Breber
*{{flagicon|SFR Yugoslavia}} [[Branko Horjak]] ''(most goals for the club)''
*{{flagicon|SFR Yugoslavia}} Bojan Krempl
*{{flagicon|SFR Yugoslavia}} Herbert Klančnik
*{{flagicon|SFR Yugoslavia}} Igor Poznič
*{{flagicon|SFR Yugoslavia}} Branko Šarenac
*{{flagicon|Slovenia}} Emil Šterbal
*{{flagicon|Slovenia}} [[Matjaž Kek]]
*{{flagicon|Slovenia}} [[Gregor Židan]] ''(most caps for the club after Slovenia independence)''
*{{flagicon|Slovenia}} [[Dejan Djuranovič]]
*{{flagicon|Slovenia}} [[Nastja Čeh]]
*{{flagicon|Albania}} [[Kliton Bozgo]] ''(most goals for the club after Slovenia independence)''
*{{flagicon|Slovenia}} [[Marinko Galič]]
*{{flagicon|Slovenia}} [[Ante Šimundža]]
*{{flagicon|Slovenia}} [[Marko Simeunovič]]
*{{flagicon|Slovenia}} [[Aleš Čeh]]
*{{flagicon|Croatia}} [[Stipe Balajić]] ''(after his retirement the club retired the jersey #19'')
*{{flagicon|Bosnia and Herzegovina}} [[Zajko Zeba]]
== Club statistics and records ==
==== Most appearances ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: left;"
|-
!width="0%"|Rank
!width="0%"|Name
!width="0%"|Caps
!width="0%"|Still Active?
|-
|'''1''' || {{flagicon|SFR Yugoslavia}} '''Tomislav Prosen''' || '''363''' || '''No'''
|-
|2 || {{flagicon|SFR Yugoslavia}} Aleš Križan || 325 || No
|-
|3 || {{flagicon|SFR Yugoslavia}} Mladen Kranjc || 304 || No
|-
|4 || {{flagicon|SFR Yugoslavia}} Herbert Vabič || 289 || No
|-
|5 || {{flagicon|Slovenia}} [[Gregor Židan]] || 296 || No
|-
|6 || {{flagicon|Slovenia}} [[Ante Šimundža]] || 291 || No
|-
|7 || {{flagicon|Slovenia}} [[Matjaž Kek]] || 276 || No
|-
|8 || {{flagicon|SFR Yugoslavia}} Milan Arnejčič || 270 || No
|-
|9 || {{flagicon|Slovenia}} Emil Šterbal || 263 || No
|-
|10 || {{flagicon|SFR Yugoslavia}} Herbert Klančnik || 256 || No
|}
==== Most goals ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: left;"
|-
!width="0%"|Rank
!width="0%"|Name
!width="0%"|Goals
!width="0%"|Still Active?
|-
|'''1''' || {{flagicon|SFR Yugoslavia}} '''[[Branko Horjak]]''' || '''128''' || '''No'''
|-
|2 || {{flagicon|Albania}} [[Kliton Bozgo]] || 108 || No
|-
|3 || {{flagicon|SFR Yugoslavia}} Mladen Kranjc || 103 || No
|-
|4 || {{flagicon|Slovenia}} [[Ante Šimundža]] || 102 || No
|-
|5 || {{flagicon|SFR Yugoslavia}} Igor Poznič || 92 || No
|-
|6 || {{flagicon|SFR Yugoslavia}} Milan Žurman || 89 || No
|-
|7 || {{flagicon|SFR Yugoslavia}} Milan Arnejčič || 84 || No
|-
|8 || {{flagicon|SFR Yugoslavia}} Tomislav Prosen || 82 || No
|-
|9 || {{flagicon|SFR Yugoslavia}} Bojan Krempl || 73 || No
|-
|10 || {{flagicon|SFR Yugoslavia}} Bogdan Pirc || 66 || No
|}
== Club officials ==
* President: Drago Cotar
* Manager: [[Zlatko Zahovič]]
* Director: Bojan Ban
* Secretary: Uroš Jurišič
* Head Coach: [[Darko Milanič]]
* Assistant Coach: [[Ante Šimundža]]
* Goalkeeper Coach: Janko Veselič
* Physiotherapist: Zlatko Milišić
* Team Doctor: Matjaž Vogrin
* Youth center director: Polde Polegek
== External links ==
* {{sl icon}} [http://www.nkmaribor.com/ Official website]
* {{sl icon}} [http://www.violemaribor.com/ Supporter website]
{{fb start}}
{{PrvaLiga Telekom Slovenije}}
{{Intertoto Cup 2007}}
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{{Maribor}}
[[Category:Slovenian football clubs|Maribor]]
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