NK Varaždin (1931–2015): Difference between revisions

| ground = [[Stadion Anđelko HerjavecVarteks]]

'''Varaždinski športski nogometni klub Varaždin''' ({{lang-en|Varaždin Football Club}}), commonly referred to as '''VŠNK Varaždin''' or simply '''Varaždin''', was a [[Croatia]]n [[Association football|football]] club based in the city of [[Varaždin]] in the north of the country. They played their home matches at the [[Stadion Anđelko HerjavecVarteks]], which has an all-seating capacity of 10,800. Organised supporters of the team were known as the ''White Stones'' before, unsatisfied with club leadership, they founded [[NK Varteks (founded 2011)|their own club]]. The club was formerly known as '''NK Varteks''' from 1958 to 2010, the name of its principal sponsor.

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 '''NK Varteks''' was given to the club in 1958, andto remainedhonour untilits 21main sponsor, the Varteks clothing factory. In June 2010, when the Varteks factory did not renew its sponsorship, the club changed its name to '''NK Varaždin''' due to constant lack of sponsorship income from its principal sponsor.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://hrcak.srce.hr/226542 |title=Politički i društveni aspekti promjene imena NK Varteks |lang=hr |trans-title=Political and Social Aspects of Changing the Name of NK Varteks |journal=Mali Levijatan |publisher=Faculty of Political Science, University of Zagreb |volume=6 |issue=1 |year=2019 |last=Lukavečki |first=Lovro |pages=48–73|language=hr |format=PDF |access-date=20 January 2020}}</ref>

The club's first successsignificant happenedsuccess backcame in 1938 when they qualified to participate in the premier league of the [[Kingdom of Yugoslavia]]. In [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|SFR Yugoslavia]], their biggest success was the advancement to the final of the [[Yugoslav Cup]] in 1961, but they lost the final game to [[FK Vardar|Vardar Skopje]] from [[Republic of Macedonia|Macedonia]].

In 1991, Varaždin haswas beenan ainaugural member of the newly founded [[Croatian First Football League]] since its foundation in 1991. They havedid not wonwin any national titles so far, but are regularly placed near the top of the table and were also the runners-up in the [[Croatian Football Cup]] five times. In the spring of 1999, they had a significant international success when they advanced to the quarterfinals of the now defunct [[UEFA Cup Winners' Cup]], butwhere were thenthey defeatedheld byopponent [[RCD Mallorca|Real Mallorca]] withto 3–1a inscoreless draw at home before losing the second-leg away match after3–1, playingand awere goallesseliminated drawfrom at home in the first legcompetition. They also attracted some attention at the international level backattention in 2001, when they eliminated [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]] from the [[UEFA Cup]] on away goals.

Serious financial troubles forced NK Varaždin into bankruptcy, which eventually led to the suspension of the club by [[Croatian Football Federation]]. After failing to play two league games during the [[2011–12 Croatian First Football League|2011–12 season]] because of suspension, according to rulebook of [[Croatian Football Federation]] Varaždin was relegated to the lowest football level possible, of the second[[Croatian countyfootball league (seventhsystem]], being the seventh-tier) Third League of Varaždin County. The suspension was lifted in August 2013 and club continuedre-entered toin participatethe inthird-tier [[Croatian Third Football League]], Croatian third tier.

AsIn aMay consequence of2011, dissatisfactiondisgruntled bywith the club management thatafter leadthe to the2011 relegation to the lowest league tier, a group of supporters of NK Varaždin, founded thea new club using the visualsretired colours and name of then defunct NK Varteks in May 2011,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sportnet.rtl.hr/vijesti/418522/nogomet-nogometni-svijet/pokrenuto-osnivanje-nk-varteksa/|title=Pokrenuto osnivanje NK Varteksa}}</ref> which currently participates in the Fourth Croatian League under the name [[NK Varteks (2011)|NK Varteks]].