NK Celje
Squad
Žan Karničnikcurrent- Spasoje Bulajič1995–1996
- Goran Sankovič1996–2001
Aleksander Šeliga1997–2005- Igor Angelovski1998–2000
Aleksandar Radosavljević1999–2002
Robert Koren2001–2004
Nejc Pečnik2002–2009- Sebastjan Cimirotič2005–2005
- Aleksander Šeliga2006–2009
- Denis Halilović2006–2008
Roman Bezjak2007–2012
Rok Štraus2008–2011- Spasoje Bulajič2008–2009
Serge Akakpo2010–2011
Zoran Pavlović2010–2011
Benjamin Verbič2011–2015
Miha Zajc2013–2014
Mislav Oršić2014–2014
Duje Čop2022–2022
Vitaly Lisakovich2025–2025
NK Celje is a professional football club based in Slovenia, founded in 1919.
The club competes in the Slovenian PrvaLiga, the top tier of Slovenian football.
NK Celje has won three Slovenian PrvaLiga titles, with their first championship coming in the 2019-20 season.
Biography
Formation
NK Celje, officially known as Nogometni klub Celje, is a professional football club based in Celje, Slovenia. The club was founded in 1919, emerging from the early organized football scene in the city, which included the German athletic club SK Cillier SV established in 1906 and the first Slovenian sports club, I. SSK Celje. The new club quickly made its mark by playing its first official match against Ilirija of Ljubljana and entering regional competitions shortly thereafter.
Historical Development
After World War II, the club underwent significant changes, merging with other local teams to form NK Kladivar. This new entity achieved notable success, winning the Slovenian Republic League and the Republic Cup in the 1963-64 season, which marked a high point in the club's early history. Following the dissolution of Yugoslavia, NK Celje became a founding member of the Slovenian PrvaLiga in 1991, and has since been a consistent competitor in the league.
Recent Achievements
NK Celje has enjoyed a resurgence in recent years, winning its first Slovenian PrvaLiga championship title in the 2019-20 season, followed by additional titles in the 2023-24 and 2025-26 seasons. The club has also claimed two Slovenian Cups, in 2004-05 and 2024-25, solidifying its status as one of Slovenia's premier football clubs. Together with Maribor, NK Celje is notable for having participated in every season of the Slovenian PrvaLiga since its inception, showcasing its enduring presence in Slovenian football.
Collected from open sources (3) · facts link to sources · AI-processed
Gallery
Career & Clubs
Origins and early football in Celje (1919–1946)
Organised football in Celje predates the present club. A German athletic club, SK Cillier SV, was founded in the city in 1906, while the first Slovenian sports club in Celje, I. SSK Celje (I. slovenski športni klub Celje), was formally established in 1919. The new club established a ground at Glazija beside Ljubljanska cesta and played its first official match against Ilirija of Ljubljana. Other clubs active in the city between the world wars included Olimp, Svoboda and Jugoslavija Celje. I. SSK Celje initially played friendly matches before entering regional competitions. A match against the professional side Rapid Vienna in 1920 was among the early high-profile fixtures in the city. Football in Celje was reorganised after the Second World War, during which the pre-war Slovenian clubs had been dissolved.
Kladivar and the Yugoslav period (1946–1991)
After the war, Fizkulturno društvo Celje and Športno društvo Olimp merged to form NK Kladivar. The combined team finished third in the Slovenian Republic League in its early post-war period. The club's first major sporting peak arrived in 1963–64, when Kladivar won both the Slovenian Republic League and the Republic Cup. They then defeated Karlovac in qualification to reach the Yugoslav Second League. Contemporary recollections describe the promotion as one of the major sporting events in Celje in the 1960s, with more than 7,000 spectators reported at Glazija for…
- League
- Slovenian PrvaLiga
Legacy
League
Slovenian First League (since 1991) Winners (3): 2019–20, 2023–24, 2025–26 Runners-up (3): 2002–03, 2014–15, 2022–23 Slovenian Republic League (prior 1991) Winners (1): 1963–64 Runners-up (6): 1936–37, 1950, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1970–71, 1973–74 Cup
Slovenian Cup (since 1991) Winners (2): 2004–05, 2024–25 Runners-up (9): 1992–93, 1994–95, 2002–03, 2005–06, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2020–21 Slovenian Republic Cup (prior 1991) Winners (1): 1964 MNZ Celje Cup Runners-up: 1991–92
Archive
Passport
Identifiers & aliases
Nogometni klub Celje, commonly referred to as NK Celje or simply Celje, is a professional football club from Celje, Slovenia. Founded in 1919, they play in the Slovenian PrvaLiga, the top tier of Slovenian football. Together with Maribor, they are the only club that have participated in every season of the Slovenian PrvaLiga since its establishment in 1991. Celje won its first championship title in the 2019–20 season, and two more titles in the 2023–24 and 2025–26 seasons. They also won two Slovenian Cups, in 2004–05 and 2024–25.
Opinions of fans — not verified facts.
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