HNK Rijeka
| Club crest | ||||
| Full name | Hrvatski Nogometni Klub Rijeka | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Riječki bijeli (Rijeka's Whites) | |||
| Founded | 29 July 1946 (as NK Kvarner) | |||
| Ground | Stadion Rujevica | |||
| Capacity | 5,800 | |||
| Owner | Social Sport Foundation (70%), City of Rijeka (30%) | |||
| Chairman | Damir Mišković | |||
| Manager | Matjaž Kek | |||
| League | Croatian First League | |||
| 2014–15 | 2nd | |||
| Website | http://www.nk-rijeka.hr | |||
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Hrvatski Nogometni Klub Rijeka (Template:Lang-en), commonly referred to as HNK Rijeka or simply Rijeka, is a Croatian football club, from the coastal city of Rijeka.
During the reconstruction of Stadion Kantrida, their traditional home ground, Rijeka play their home matches at Stadion Rujevica. The club was founded on 29 July 1946 as NK Kvarner, and changed its name to NK Rijeka on 3 June 1954.[1] Since its foundation, the club has won two Yugoslav Cup titles, three Croatian Football Cups, one Croatian Football Super Cup and the 1978 Balkans Cup. The club currently competes in Croatia's top division, Prva HNL, of which it has been a member since its foundation in 1992.
The supporters of the club are known as Armada Rijeka. Rijeka's greatest rivalry is the Adriatic derby with Hajduk Split, while another rivalry exists with Dinamo Zagreb and, on a regional level, with Istra Pula.
History
The club was founded as NK Kvarner in 1946, after Rijeka (known by its Italian name Fiume up to 1945) passed from Italy to Yugoslavia following the end of World War II. Some dispute this and claim that the club's roots date back to 1926, the founding of U.S. Fiumana, which competed in various levels of the Italian Football Championship, including a season in the top tier competition (Divisione Nazionale) in 1928. Their claim is backed by the fact that there is a clear continuity between the two clubs. For example, besides using the same grounds (Stadion Kantrida), as many as eight U.S. Fiumana players later played for NK Kvarner.[2]
During its early period in Yugoslavia, the club had moderate success in various Yugoslav and local club championships. It changed its name to NK Rijeka on 3 June 1954, and advanced to the Yugoslav First League in the 1957–58 season.[1] Rijeka remained in the top tier until the 1969–70 season, when it was relegated to the Second League.[1] Th club finished on top several times but it only returned to the top tier in 1974, where it would remain until the breakup of Yugoslavia.[1]
Rijeka won the Yugoslav Cup in 1978 and 1979, was a runner-up in 1987,[3] won the Croatian Cup in 2005, 2006 and 2014, and was a runner-up in 1994.[4] Rijeka was also the best placed Croatian club in the Yugoslav First League in 1965, 1984, and 1987.
Rijeka participated in various UEFA competitions on 14 occasions. The greatest success was the quarterfinal against Juventus in the 1979–80 European Cup Winners' Cup.[5] The most notable result in Europe was the home win against the eventual winners Real Madrid in the 1984–85 UEFA Cup.[6] By winning against Stuttgart in 2013, Rijeka secured participation in the Group Stage of the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League.[7][8] Rijeka also participated in the Group Stage of the 2014–15 UEFA Europa League, where it defeated Feyenoord and Standard Liège, and drew with Sevilla.[9][10][11]
Rijeka is one of only four clubs to have participated in each season of Croatia's Prva HNL since 1992. Notably, the club finished as runner-up in 1999, 2006, 2014 and 2015. Due to many format changes of the league, Rijeka has played more matches in the competition than any other team.
In February 2012, Gabriele Volpi, an Italian businessman and oil magnate, and also the owner of Spezia Calcio and Pro Recco, injected much needed capital into the club. With the privatization process complete by September 2013, Volpi, through Social Sport Foundation, became the owner of 70 percent of the club, with the City of Rijeka in control of the remaining 30 percent.[12]
In January 2015, Rijeka sold its star striker Andrej Kramarić to Leicester City for a club-record £9.7 million.[13]
Support and rivalries
The fans are known as Armada Rijeka.
Rijeka's greatest rivalry is with Hajduk Split. The Adriatic derby is contested between the two most popular Croatian football clubs coming from the Adriatic coast, Rijeka and Hajduk. Each new match between these two great rivals, means a great match on the field, but also in the stands between Rijeka's Armada and Split's Torcida.
Other rivalries exist with Dinamo Zagreb, and on regional level with Istra Pula. The origins of the Rijeka-Pula rivalry date back to the clashes between U.S. Fiumana and G.S.F. Grion Pola since the late 1920s.
Stadium
HNK Rijeka play their home matches at Stadion Rujevica, which has a seating capacity of approximately 5,800. Until July 2015, Rijeka played their home games at Stadion Kantrida, which will be demolished in late 2015 and replaced by a new state of the art stadium, scheduled for completion in late 2016 or 2017. The capacity of the new Kantrida will be approximately 14,600.[14] During the construction phase, Rijeka are playing their home games at the newly built Stadion Rujevica, which was officially opened on 2 August 2015.
Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors
| Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt partner |
|---|---|---|
| 1998–1999 | Adidas | INA |
| 1999–2002 | Kronos | INA |
| 2002–2003 | Torpedo | INA |
| 2003–2004 | Torpedo | Lero |
| 2004–2005 | Legea | Lero |
| 2005–2006 | Legea | INA |
| 2006–2008 | Kappa | Croatia Osiguranje |
| 2008–2012 | Jako | Croatia Osiguranje |
| 2012–2014 | Lotto | – |
| 2014– | Jako | – |
First-team squad
- As of 30 August 2015.[15]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loan
- As of 18 August 2015.[16]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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- As of 29 July 2015.[17]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Club officials
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Honorary chairman |  Gabriele Volpi
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| Chairman |  Damir Mišković
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| Vice-chairman | Dean Šćulac
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| Board chairman | Francesco Cuzzocrea
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| Managing director | Vlado Čohar
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| Club secretary | Marina Vela
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| Spokesperson | Davor Sever
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| Director of football | Srećko Juričić
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| Director of football (assistant) | Ivan Mance
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| Team manager | Radoslav Ljepojević
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| Manager |  Matjaž Kek
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| Assistant manager | Danko Matrljan Vjekoslav Miletić
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| Rijeka II manager | Ivica Kulešević
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| Fitness coach | Ugo Maranza
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| Goalkeeping coach | Mladen Žganjer
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| Chief scout | Ranko Buketa
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| Team doctor | Nataša Bakarčić Boban Dangubić
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| Physiotherapist | Igor Pavačić Alen Ilić
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| Kit manager |  Rustem Gashi
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| Academy director | Predrag Stilinović
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Last updated: 27 July 2015
Source: Club officials
Notable players
- To appear in this section a player must have satisfied the following three criteria:
- Played at least 100 first division games for the club;
- Scored at least 20 first division goals for the club if forward, 10 if midfielder and no goal requirement if defender or goalkeeper; and
- Played at least one international match for their national team while playing for Rijeka.
- Otherwise, also included are twenty of the club's top scorers and most capped players in the first division.
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Source: Appearances and Goals. Last updated June 2015.
All Time Best 11
According to a 2005–07 survey of former players (older than 40 years of age) and respected journalists, Marinko Lazzarich found that the best all time team of Rijeka is as follows:
1. Jantoljak, 2. Milevoj, 3. Hrstić, 4. Radaković, 5. Radin, 6. Juričić, 7. Lukarić, 8. Gračan, 9. Osojnak, 10. Naumović, 11. Desnica.[18]
Rijeka's daily, Novi list, in 2011 declared the following 11 players as Rijeka's best all time team:
1. Jantoljak, 2. Šarić, 3. Radin, 4. Juričić, 5. Hrstić, 6. Loik, 7. Radaković, 8. Mladenović, 9. Naumović, 10. Skoblar, 11. Desnica.[19]
Managerial history
Source: Presidents and managers
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Presidents
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Seasons and Records
Honours
Rijeka won two Yugoslav Cup titles and three Croatian Cups. In European competitions, the club has reached the quarter-final of the Cup Winners' Cup in 1979–80, and UEFA Europa League Group Stage in 2013–14 and 2014–15. The club has also won the 1978 Balkans Cup.[20] In the following table, defunct competitions are listed in italics.
| Honours | No. | Years |
|---|---|---|
| League | ||
| Prva HNL Runners-up | 4 | 1998–99, 2005–06, 2013–14, 2014–15 |
| Yugoslav First League Best placed Croatian club | 3 | 1964–65, 1983–84, 1986–87 |
| Yugoslav Second League Winners | 6 | 1952, 1957–58, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1973–74 |
| Domestic cups | ||
| Croatian Cup Winners | 3 | 2004–05, 2005–06, 2013–14 |
| Croatian Cup Runners-up | 1 | 1993–94 |
| Croatian Supercup Winners | 1 | 2014 |
| Croatian Supercup Runners-up | 2 | 2005, 2006 |
| Yugoslav Cup Winners | 2 | 1977–78, 1978–79 |
| Yugoslav Cup Runners-up | 1 | 1986–87 |
| Best European results | ||
| UEFA Europa League Group Stage | 2 | 2013–14, 2014–15 |
| UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Quarter-final | 1 | 1979–80 |
| Balkans Cup Winners | 1 | 1978 |
| Balkans Cup Runners-up | 1 | 1979 |
Source: Soccerway, Last updated August 2014.
Rankings
UEFA club coefficient ranking
(As of 27 August 2015), Source: Bert Kassies website
| Rank | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 113 |  Asteras Tripoli F.C. |
14.340 |
| 113 | Panathinaikos F.C. |
14.340 |
| 115 | HNK Rijeka |
14.175 |
| 116 |  West Ham United F.C. |
14.006 |
| 117 |  C.S. Marítimo |
13.899 |
European record
By competition
| Competition | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Last season played |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UEFA Champions League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 1999–2000 |
| UEFA Cup UEFA Europa League |
46 | 19 | 11 | 16 | 69 | 55 | 2015–16 |
| UEFA Cup Winners' Cup | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 1979–80 |
| UEFA Intertoto Cup | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2008 |
| Total | 62 | 23 | 15 | 24 | 81 | 75 |
Source: uefa.com, Last updated on 23 July 2015.
Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against. Defunct competitions indicated in italics.
By ground
| Ground | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 31 | 18 | 8 | 5 | 55 | 28 | +27 |
| Away | 31 | 5 | 7 | 19 | 26 | 47 | −21 |
| Total | 62 | 23 | 15 | 24 | 81 | 75 | +6 |
Source: uefa.com, Last updated on 23 July 2015.
Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against.
By season
| Season | Competition | Round | Opponent | Home | Away | Agg. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962–63 | Intertoto Cup | Group B3 |
 Rot-Weiß Oberhausen
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2–1 | 3–4 | 1st out of 4 |
 Basel
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5–1 | 2–2 | ||||
 PSV Eindhoven
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3–1 | 3–2 | ||||
| QF |  Dozsa Pecs
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2–2 | 1–2 | 3–4 | ||
| 1965–66 | Intertoto Cup | Group B1 |
 Motor Jena
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0–3 | 1–3 | 4th out of 4 |
 Tatran Prešov
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0–0 | 1–3 | ||||
 Szombierki Bytom
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0–3 | 1–0 | ||||
| 1974–75 | Mitropa Cup | Group A |
Tatabánya
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3–1 | 1–3 | 2nd out of 3 |
 Wacker Innsbruck
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1–3 | 0–0 | ||||
| 1977 | Intertoto Cup | Group 6 |
 Frem Kobenhavn
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2–2 | 0–2 | 3rd out of 4 |
| Ruch Chorzów
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0–1 | 4–2 | ||||
| Grazer AK
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1–1 | 3–0 | ||||
| 1978 | Balkans Cup | Group B |
Skënderbeu Korçë
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6–0 | 0–1 | 1st out of 3 |
| Aris Thessaloniki
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2–0 | 2–1 | ||||
| F |  Jiul Petroşani
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4–1 | 0–1 | 4–2 | ||
| 1978–79 | UEFA Cup Winners' Cup | R1 |  Wrexham
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3–0 | 0–2 | 3–2 |
| R2 |  Beveren
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0–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | ||
| 1979–80 | Balkans Cup | Group A |
PAS Giannina
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2–1 | 3–1 | 1st out of 3 |
| Partizani Tirana
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3–0 | 1–4 | ||||
| F | Sportul Studențesc București
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1–1 | 0–2 | 1–3 | ||
| 1979–80 | UEFA Cup Winners' Cup | R1 | Germinal Beerschot
|
2–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 |
| R2 | Lokomotiva Košice
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3–0 | 0–2 | 3–2 | ||
| QF | Juventus
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0–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | ||
| 1984–85 | UEFA Cup | R1 |  Valladolid
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4–1 | 0–1 | 4–2 |
| R2 | Real Madrid
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3–1 | 0–3 | 3–4 | ||
| 1985–86 | Mitropa Cup | SF | Debreceni
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0–1† | – | – |
| 3rd Place | Sigma Olomouc
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3–2† | – | – | ||
| 1986–87 | UEFA Cup | R1 | Standard Liège
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0–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 |
| 1999–2000 | UEFA Champions League | QR2 |  Partizan
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0–3 | 1–3 | 1–6 |
| 2000–01 | UEFA Cup | QR |  Valletta
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3–2 | 5–4 (aet) | 8–6 |
| R1 | Celta Vigo
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0–1 (aet) | 0–0 | 0–1 | ||
| 2002 | UEFA Intertoto Cup | R1 |  St Patrick's Athletic
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3–2 | 0–1 | 3–3 (a) |
| 2004–05 | UEFA Cup | QR2 |  Gençlerbirliği
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2–1 | 0–1 | 2–2 (a) |
| 2005–06 | UEFA Cup | QR2 |  Litex Lovech
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2–1 | 0–1 | 2–2 (a) |
| 2006–07 | UEFA Cup | QR1 |  Omonia
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2–2 | 1–2 | 3–4 |
| 2008 | UEFA Intertoto Cup | R1 |  Renova
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0–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 |
| 2009–10 | UEFA Europa League | QR2 |  Differdange
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3–0 | 0–1 | 3–1 |
| QR3 |  Metalist Kharkiv
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1–2 | 0–2 | 1–4 | ||
| 2013–14 | UEFA Europa League | QR2 | Prestatyn Town
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5–0 | 3–0 | 8–0 |
| QR3 |  Žilina
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2–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | ||
| Playoff | Stuttgart
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2–1 | 2–2 | 4–3 | ||
| Group I | Vitória de Guimarães
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0–0 | 0–4 | 4th out of 4 | ||
| Real Betis
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1–1 | 0–0 | ||||
 Lyon
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1–1 | 0–1 | ||||
| 2014–15 | UEFA Europa League | QR2 | Ferencváros
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1–0 | 2–1 | 3–1 |
| QR3 |  Víkingur
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4–0 | 5–1 | 9–1 | ||
| Playoff |  Sheriff Tiraspol
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1–0 | 3–0 | 4–0 | ||
| Group G | Standard Liège
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2–0 | 0–2 | 3rd out of 4 | ||
| Sevilla
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2–2 | 0–1 | ||||
| Feyenoord
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3–1 | 0–2 | ||||
| 2015–16 | UEFA Europa League | QR2 |  Aberdeen
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0–3 | 2–2 | 2–5 |
Last updated on 23 July 2015.
Note: List includes matches played in competitions not endorsed by UEFA.
† Matches played at neutral ground in Ascoli and Pisa, Italy.
Player records
- Most appearances in UEFA club competitions: 24 appearances[21]
- Top scorer in UEFA club competitions: 8 goals[21]
References
- ^ a b c d HNK Rijeka. "Povijest" (in Croatian). HNK Rijeka official website. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
- ^ "Split slavi, Zagreb izmišlja, Opatija ne zna, a Rijeka se srami" (in Croatian). RijekaDanas. 26 April 2011. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
- ^ Puric; Schöggl; Stokkermans (8 May 2014). "Yugoslavia/Serbia and Montenegro – Cup Finals". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
- ^ Stokkermans (26 September 2014). "Croatia – Cup Finals". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
- ^ Stokkermans (9 January 2008). "Cup Winners' Cup 1979–80". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 9 January 2008.
- ^ "24.10.1984: Rijeka – Real Madrid 3:1" (in Croatian). Armada Rijeka. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
- ^ "Velika noć na Kantridi: Benko, Kvržić i Vargić za povijest" (in Croatian). Novi list. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
- ^ "Stuttgart – Rijeka 2:2, bijeli u Europskoj ligi" (in Croatian). Novi list. Retrieved 29 August 2013.
- ^ "Hat trick za povijesnu pobjedu u Europskoj ligi: Kramarić – Feyenoord 3:1" (in Croatian). Novi list. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
- ^ "Blago nama, Moises i Krama: Bijeli u pola sata pomeli Standard" (in Croatian). Novi list. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
- ^ "Peh u sudačkoj nadoknadi: Sevilla u posljednjim sekundama iščupala bod na Kantridi" (in Croatian). Novi list. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
- ^ "Rijeka postala sportsko dioničko društvo: Volpi dao 54 milijuna kuna za 70 posto vlasništva" (in Croatian). Index.hr. 30 September 2013. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
- ^ "Andrej Kramaric set to complete £9.7m move to Leicester from Rijeka". ESPN. 8 January 2015. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
- ^ Official Project Website
- ^ "First team squad". HNK Rijeka official website. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
- ^ "Players on Loan". HNK Rijeka.
- ^ "Rijeka II". HNK Rijeka.
- ^ Lazzarich, Marinko (2008) (in Croatian). Kantrida bijelih snova. Rijeka: Adamić. ISBN 978–953–219–393–0, p. 467.
- ^ Cvijanović, Marko (29 August 2011). "Asevi s Kantride: Idealna momčad Rijeke". Novi List (in Croatian). Retrieved 2 March 2012.
- ^ Stokkermans; Ionescu (29 July 2010). "Balkan Cup". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 29 July 2010.
- ^ a b "Rijeka profile". UEFA.com. Retrieved 10 September 2010.
External links
- Official
- Unofficial
- Supporters