NK Varteks
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| NK Varteks | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Nogometni Klub Varteks Varaždin |
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| Nickname(s) | Krojači (Tailors) Bumbari (Bumblebees) |
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| Founded | 3 June 1931 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ground | Stadion Varteks Varaždin, Croatia (Capacity 10,000) |
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| Chairman | Ivan Topolnjak | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Manager | Dražen Besek | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | Prva HNL | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007-08 | Prva HNL, 7th | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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NK Varteks is a Croatian football club based in the city of Varaždin in the north of the country. They play their home matches at the Stadion Varteks, which has an all-seating capacity of 10,000. Organized upporters of the team are known as the White Stones.
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[edit] History
The club was founded on 3 June 1931 under the name of NK Slavija and existed under this name until 1941. During World War II, the club temporarily ceased to exist and was then reorganised under the name of NK Tekstilac in 1945. The name Varteks was given to the club in 1958 and remained until today. The club is named after the Varaždin-based textile and clothing company, which has been its principal sponsor since it was founded under its current name.
The club's first success happened back in 1938, when they qualified to participate in the premier league of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. In SFR Yugoslavia, their biggest success was the advancement to the final of the Yugoslav Cup in 1961, but they lost the final game to Vardar Skopje from Macedonia.
Varteks has been a member of the Prva HNL since its foundation in 1991. They have not managed to win any national titles so far, but are regularly placed near the top of the table and were also the runners-up in the Croatian Cup five times. In the spring of 1999, they had a significant international success when they managed to advance to the quarterfinals of the now defunct UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, but were then defeated by Real Mallorca with 3-1 in the second-leg away match after playing a goalless draw at home in the first leg. They also attracted some attention at the international level back in 2001, when they eliminated Aston Villa from the UEFA Cup on away goals.
Varteks is a small market team and not a very rich club, yet it consistently places in the top 5 in the First Croatian League. The driving force behind Varteks is their youth training. It is consistently one of the best in the country and is solely responsible for their success. Most of Varteks' senior players rose through the ranks of the youth system, earned their spots on the senior squads and were often sold to the bigger market teams in Croatia or to foreign clubs.
[edit] Current squad
As of February 22, 2008.
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[edit] Winter transfer window 2007/2008
In:
Antonio Cvančić - NK Bjelovar
Out:
[edit] Notable former players
- Zvonimir Cimermančić - member of the first Croatian national football team
- Dražen Besek - NK Varteks (coach)
- Marijan Mrmić - NK Varteks and Croatian national football team (goalkeeping coach)
- Branko Ivanković
- Dražen Ladić - Croatia U-21 (coach)
- Davor Vugrinec - Dinamo Zagreb
- Nikola Šafarić - NK Rijeka
- Saša Bjelanović - Torino F.C.
- Nikola Pokrivač - AS Monaco FC
- Leon Benko - 1. FC Nuremberg
- Danijel Štefulj
- Josip Šimić
- Silvester Sabolčki - deceased
[edit] Notable former managers
- Branko Ivanković
- Miroslav Blažević - NK Zagreb
- Zvonko Jazbec - member of the first Croatian national football team
[edit] External links
- Official website (Croatian)
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