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NK Maribor
Full name	Nogometni Klub Maribor
Founded	1960
Ground	Stadion Ljudski Vrt, Maribor (Capacity 13,000 (renovation will be finished in 2007))
Chairman	Drago Cotar
Manager	Milko Djurovski
League	1.SNL
2006-07	1.SNL, 3rd
Home colours 　 Away colours

NK Maribor is a Slovenian football team, playing in the city of Maribor. They participated in the UEFA Champions League in the 1999-2000 season, and have advanced to the 2006 UEFA Cup Second Qualifying Round as a result of winning in the Intertoto Cup in 2006.

Contents 1 History - Years 1960 to 1991 2 Recent history 3 Trophies and competition participations 4 Current lineup 4.1 Squad changes during the winter break of the 2006/07 season 5 External links

NK Maribor Football Club was founded on 12th of December in 1960. Dr. Srečko Koren was elected the club's first president, Andrija Pflander appointed as the club's first head-coach and Oto Blaznik was chosen to be the club’s first captain. On 5th of February in 1961, the club played its first match at the former stadium by the Tržaška Street. Despite the rainy weather, around 1500 spectators saw Maribor defeat city rivals NK Kovinar Maribor by 2-1 (0-0), with Stefan Tolič scoring both goals. In 1961 Maribor FC won the prestigious Slovene championship and gained a place in the Western group of the 2nd Federal Division through qualifying phases (in the decisive matches Maribor FC defeated NK Uljanik from Pula, Croatia). In 1967, Maribor FC qualified for the 1st Yugoslav Federal Division, and played there for five seasons. The club’s first match in the first division in 1967 was played against Vardar (1-1) in Skopje, and the last one in 1972 against Olimpija (3-6) at the Ljudski vrt stadium in Maribor. For the next three years, Maribor FC played in the Western group of the 2nd Yugoslav Division. In 1975, the club was relegated from the 2nd Division and had to spend one season in the Slovene League, but were promoted back in the 2nd Yugoslav Division only a year after. From 1977 to 1981 Maribor FC played in the Western group of the 2nd Yugoslav Division, before being unfortunately relegated again. Maribor FC then played in the Western group of the 2nd Yugoslav Division in the 1982/83, 1984/85 and 1986/87 seasons, and in the meantime, in the 1987/88 season competed in the Slovene Football League. From summer of 1989 to summer of 1991, the club which had joined the MSD 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).

In the first years after independence of Slovenia the club under the name Maribor Branik quickly became the greatest rival of Olimpija Ljubljana, the team which dominated the Slovene league in the early 90s. The second half of the 90s was the most successful era for NK Maribor. Under coach Bojan Prašnikar the club went through Champions League qualifiers in season 1999/00, beating KRC Genk and Olympique Lyon and secured a place in the group phase of the competition. NK Maribor even surprised the mighty Dynamo Kyiv at Olympiskiy and secured a goalless draw against German club Bayer Leverkusen. Success in the Champions League paradoxically caused financial problems for the club, which resulted in bad results during the following five years. NK Maribor returned to international stage in 2006, beating Villarreal CF in Intertoto Cup and subsequently qualifying for the UEFA Cup, where their run was ended by Partizan Belgrade.

• Slovenian Championships: 7

1996/97, 1997/98, 1998/99, 1999/00, 2000/01, 2001/02, 2002/03

• Slovenian Cup Winners: 5

1991/92, 1993/94, 1996/97, 1998/99, 2003/04

• Participation in Champions League qualifiers

1997/98, 1998/99, 1999/00, 2000/01, 2001/02, 2002/03, 2003/04

• Participation in Champions League group phase

1999/00

• Participation in UEFA Cup

1993/94, 1995/96, 1997/98, 1998/99, 2004/05, 2006/07 (due to Intertoto Cup success)

• Participation in UEFA Intertoto Cup

1996, 2006 (winners), 2007

As of August 2007

No. Position Player 1 GK Marko Ranilovič 3 DF Elvedin Džinič 4 DF Vladislav Lungu 5 DF Willy Fondja 6 MF Marko Tuomas Kolsi 7 MF Amel Mujakovič 8 MF Dejan Mezga 9 FW Dimitar Makriev 10 MF Rene Mihelič 11 FW Dragan Jelič 12 GK Marko Pridigar 14 MF Rok Buzeti 15 DF Andraž Bajlec 16 MF David Tomažič Šeruga

No. Position Player 17 MF Klemen Medved 18 DF Andrej Pečnik 20 DF Miral Samardžić 21 MF Armin Bačinović 22 GK Miha Bratušek 23 FW Mitja Brulc 25 FW Gorazd Zajc 26 DF Dejan Korat 27 MF Marko Popović 28 FW Matej Vračko 30 MF Abdoulaye Diarra 32 DF Uroš Celcer 37 DF Lubomir Kubica 38 FW David Satler

In:

• Dejan Mezga - from NK Čakovec
• Gorazd Zajc - from AC Siena
• Abdoulaye Diarra - from FC Internazionale
• Andraž Bajlec - from NK Maribor Youth
• Matej Vračko - from NK Maribor Youth

Out:

• Marko Pokleka - to Teramo Calcio
• Zajko Zeba - to FC Kamaz
• Marko Gašparič - to NK Aluminij
• Leon Ragolič - to ND Triglav 2000

Out on loan:

• Leon Panikvar - to NK Bela Krajina
• Erdžan Bečiri - to FC Kaposvölgye

• (Slovenian) Official website

PrvaLiga Telekom Slovenije 2007/08 v • d • e
ND Gorica | NK Domžale | NK Maribor | NK MIK CM Celje | FC Koper | Nafta Lendava | NK Primorje | NK Drava | NK Livar | Interblock Ljubljana
UEFA Intertoto Cup 2007 v • d • e
Aalborg1 • Ararat Yerevan • Atlético Madrid1 • Baku • Birkirkara • Blackburn Rovers • Cherno More • Chornomorets Odessa • Cliftonville • Cork City • Dacia Chişinău • Differdange 03 • Dinaburg • Ethnikos Achna • Gent • Gloria Bistriţa • Grbalj • Hajduk Kula • Hamburg1 • Hammarby • Honka • Klaksvík • Legia Warsaw • Leiria• Lens • Llanelli • Maccabi Haifa • Makedonija ĞP • Maribor • OFI Crete • Oţelul Galaţi • Rapid Wien • Rubin Kazan • Sampdoria • Sant Julià • Shakhtyor • Slavija • Slovan Bratislava • Slovan Liberec • St. Gallen • Tobol • Trabzonspor • TVMK • Utrecht • Valur • Vėtra • Vllaznia • Zagreb • Zalaegerszeg • Zestaponi 1Currently in UEFA Cup