Nogometni klub Rudar Velenje (), commonly referred to as NK Rudar Velenje or simply Rudar Velenje, is a Slovenian football club from Velenje which competes in the Slovenian Second League, the second tier of the Slovenian football league system.
History The club was founded in August 1948. Initially, they played in local MNZ Celje league, until they qualified for the Slovenian Republic League in 1953. Two years later, on 3 July 1955, Rudar's home stadium Ob Jezeru was opened and the club moved to its current home. After the short crisis, the club returned to the Slovenian league in 1962. For the 1974–75 season the club hired a professional coach Živko Stakič and became Slovenian champions in 1977. Rudar therefore qualified for the Yugoslav Second League, where they played until 1982. Just before the breakup of Yugoslavia, Rudar became the Slovenian champion for the second time in 1991.
After the Slovenian independence, Rudar became a regular participant in the Slovenian PrvaLiga. They were relegated to the Slovenian Second League in 2003 and returned for the 2005–06 season, but were instantly relegated back to second level. In the 2007–08 season they finished first and thus achieved a promotion back to the first league. The club's highest finish was third place on four occasions, the last time in 2014, when Mate Eterović, Rudar's striker, also became league's topscorer. Their biggest success was winning the Slovenian Cup in 1998, when they lost first game away to Primorje, but then won 3–0 in front of home crowd in the second leg. Rudar therefore played in the last edition of UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, where it was eliminated by Varteks in the first round.
Honours Yugoslavia Slovenian Republic League Winners: 1976–77, 1990–91 Slovenian Republic Cup Winners: 1979–80
Slovenia Slovenian Second League Winners: 2003–04, 2004–05, 2007–08 Slovenian Cup Winners: 1997–98 MNZ Celje Cup Winners: 1991–92, 2003–04, 2004–05
Domestic league and cup results SeasonLeaguePositionPtsPWDLGFGACup1991–921. SNL1238401312155965Quarter-finals1992–931. SNL93334137144552First round1993–941. SNL92730107133749Round of 161994–951. SNL7383016685533Quarter-finals1995–961. SNL749361310134637Semi-finals1996–971. SNL842361012144353Round of 161997–981. SNL743361013133938Winners1998–991. SNL3563316894333Quarter-finals1999–20001. SNL3583317794935First round2000–011. SNL84333127144344Semi-finals2001–021. SNL84233119134652Quarter-finals2002–031. SNL11253167183251First round2003–042. SNL1693221658437Quarter-finals2004–052. SNL1↑723323377640Second round2005–061. SNL10↓153629252883Quarter-finals2006–072. SNL84536129154559Quarter-finals2007–082. SNL1↑502715477031did not qualify2008–091. SNL35536167134439Quarter-finals2009–101. SNL74936154174652Quarter-finals2010–111. SNL646361210145850Second round2011–121. SNL643361110155554Semi-final2012–131. SNL74036117184259Round of 162013–141. SNL3633618995533Semi-finals2014–151. SNL646361210144443Round of 162015–161. SNL74136118173452Quarter-finals2016–171. SNL741361011154953Quarter-finals2017–181. SNL45036155165049First round2018–191. SNL74336127175073Round of 162019–201. SNL10↓1236012242880Quarter-finals2020–212. SNL8262275102434Round of 162021–222. SNL54930161135143did not qualify2022–232. SNL133230711124151Round of 162023–242. SNL83730107133349Round of 322024–252. SNL133230711122744Round of 322025–262. SNL83730910114639Round of 16 Notes
Key
P – Matches played W – Matches won D – Matches drawn L – Matches lost GF – Goals for GA – Goals against Pts – Points
WinnersRunners-upPromoted ↑Relegated ↓
UEFA competitions All results (home and away) list Rudar's goal tally first. Season CompetitionRoundOpponentHomeAwayAggregate1995UEFA Intertoto CupGR2 Tottenham Hotspur1–2 –5th place Öster –1–3 1. FC Köln0–1 – Lucerne –1–11998–99UEFA Cup Winners' Cup QR Constructorul Chișinău2–00–02–0 R1 Varteks0–10–10–21999UEFA Intertoto Cup R1 Halmstads BK0–02–22–2 (a) R2 Austria Lustenau1–21–22–42009–10UEFA Europa League QR1 Narva Trans3–13–06–1 QR2 Red Star Belgrade0–10–40–5 2014–15 UEFA Europa League QR1 Laçi1–11–12–2 (2–3 pen.)2018–19UEFA Europa League QR1 Tre Fiori7–03–010–0 QR2 FCSB0–20–40–6 GR2 = Group 2; QR = Qualifying round; R1 = First round; R2 = Second round; QR1 = First qualifying round; QR2 = Second qualifying round.
References
External links
PrvaLiga profile