FC VSS Košice

The club was founded in 1903 as Kassai AC (Slovak: Košický Atletický Klub; Hungarian: Kassai Atlétikai Club). The club's colours were blue and yellow. In the 1910s, the club competed in the Hungarian championship. In 1909 it won the Kingdom of Hungary Championship. Later they played in eastern group in Slovak-Subcarpathian division between 1935 and 1938. In 1939–40 the club played Hungarian League I. Among the most successful Kassai AC players were Szaniszló, Šiňovský, the Drotár brothers, Klein, Lebenský, Dráb, and Pásztor. For many years, the club was based at the stadium on Sokoljevova Street with a capacity of 16,000 spectators. The stadium was often full. After the end of World War II the city's three clubs Kassai AC, Kassai Törekvés and ČsŠK were merged into one club named Jednota Košice. Jednota began playing in the Czechoslovak League in 1945. In the first season, they ended the league as fourth in Group B, which considered as a nice success at the time.

VSS Košice kit.

Kassai AC and Jednota became VSS in 1952. The team got the name from the Slovak word Strojári (Engineers, in English), due to the main sponsor being VSS (East-Slovakian Engineering). VSS became a stable member of the Czechoslovak First League and their best placing was second in 1970–71. In 1971 and 1973 VSS qualified for the UEFA Cup. In 1971 they won 2–1 against Spartak Moscow in the home leg and they drew 0–0 in Moscow, so that as the first team from Slovakia they progressed to the group stage of the Champions League. Two years later, VSS qualified for the UEFA Cup. Against Honvéd FC they won 1–0 at home and lost 2–5 away. The most successful VSS players include Andrej Kvašňák, Titus Buberník, Jaroslav Pollák, Dušan Galis (Euro 1976 Champions both), Anton Švajlen, Ján Pivarník, Jozef Bomba, and Jozef Desiatnik. VSS was renamed ZŤS in 1978.

The twice Slovak football champions (1997, 1998) were relegated from the premier division in 2003 after the proposed sale of the club to Italian owners[1] in 2001 by the former owner and late VSŽ steelmaking tycoon Alexander Rezeš fell through. Although Rezeš's[2] dream to turn 1. FC Košice into a top European club never came true, he managed to lift an average second division team to the first group stage of the UEFA Champions' League in 1997–98. However, the next year's failure to make the same stage of the major European competition, and failure to defend the league title, combined with the change of government which undermined the position of the Rezeš clan (Alexander Rezeš was economy minister of Vladimír Mečiar's government in 1994–97) represented the beginning of the end of the "millionaires". Their home stadium was the Všešportový areál.[3][4]

1. FC famously became the first Slovak club to reach the lucrative UEFA Champions League Group Stages when they did so in the 1997–98 season. Also during this Champions League campaign, 1. FC Košice became the first club in the Champions League history to record no points at all in the group stage, losing all their six games.

1. FC Košice are best known outside their homeland for their two clashes with Manchester United in the 1997–98 European Champions League group stages. Manchester United won both legs with the same score, 3–0. During this brief campaign in Europe's most prestigious club competition, Košice suffered a tragedy when midfielder Milan Čvirk was killed and striker Albert Rusnák was seriously injured in a car crash.[5]

1. FC Košice kit. Orange and black symbolized of former sponsor VSŽ.

2003–04 season, on the brink of financial collapse and relegation from the second division, the owners of 1. FC, were offered help by the president of Steel Trans Ličartovce Blažej Podolák,[6] one of the favourites to advance to the premier league that season. Steel Trans also paid for the Čermeľ stadium in Košice, where all former 1. FC teams – now under the protective wings of Ličartovce played their matches. In 2004–05 season 1.FC Košice in effect became reserve team of Steel Trans Ličartovce, playing in the third division, group East. Košice, the second largest city in Slovakia, now had no club in the top two divisions (although many can remember two in the Czechoslovak federal league).

Reformed on 17 June 2005, FC Steel Trans Ličartovce was renamed MFK Košice. They ended the season gaining promotion back to the first division. In subsequent years MFK had minor successes, yet failed to win the league.

In 2008/09 season, the club won its first trophy in some 11 years, by beating Artmedia Petržalka in the final match of the Slovak Cup, in Senec. The match ended in a 3–1 win, with goals scored by Marko Milinković (28th minute), Róbert Cicman (56th minute) and Ján Novák (69th minute). The win granted Košice the right to compete in 2009-10 UEFA Europa League, which they entered in the Third qualifying round, in which they defeated FK Slavija Sarajevo 5–1 on aggregate, with Novák scoring two goals. In the subsequent Play-off, to which 3 of 4 Slovak teams qualified (Košice, Žilina and Slovan), Košice faced AS Rome, who were the 6th team of Serie A 2008-09. With the first match being played in Košice, the home side managed to stun the opponent by an early 5th-minute goal by Milinković, although thanks to two goals by Totti (the first coming from a controversial penalty) and Menez the away side took a 3–1 lead by 67th minute. However Ján Novák scored two goals, 71st and 81st minute, the second from a penalty, to complete the 3–3 draw against Rome. The following day, the headlines read: "Novák almost overshadowed Totti". It was one of the most memorable results of the club in recent history. In 2009, Nemanja Matić completed the biggest transfer in the history of the club, when he left for Chelsea, for an estimated €5.5 million and by mid-2010s, he became one of the biggest and most recognised midfielders in Europe.

MFK Košice won the Cup in 2013–14, yet their campaign in 2014-15 Europa League did not match the success of the 2009-10 Europa League, with Košice losing two matches against Slovan Liberec, 0–4 on aggregate.

In June 2015, MFK Košice returned to the name of FC VSS Košice, after being relegated to the Slovak Second Division for 2015–16 season, even the club finished 6th in the 2014-15 Fortuna Liga, 19 points above the relegation zone and . The relegation was caused as, then MFK Košice, failed to obtain a license, after financial difficulties and debts. The change of the name occurred to popularity of the "VSS" acronym from the Communist era, when it represented "Východoslovenské Strojárne" (Easter Slovak Engineering Works - a large employer in Košice and the nearby region). The firm however went bankrupt in 2013 and as a result the acronym was given a new meaning: V - Vernosť, S- Sila, S- Sláva - (Faithfulness - Power - Glory). The club hoped to return to Slovak top division within a season.

While winning the Eastern Group of 2015-16 DOXXbet liga with 2 points lead over Tatran Prešov, the club finished 2nd overall (Championship Group), only 2 points behind their archrivals Tatran Prešov, which celebrated the return to the top division after three seasons in the DOXXbet Liga. Košice failed to get promoted for failing to pay off their liabilities towards Ivan Đoković, who played for MFK between 2010 and 2012, and had three decisive points deducted from their score in the Championship Group by the SFZ, based on verdict by FIFA.

The club officially ceased operations on 27 July 2017. In August, the club's supporters' group announced their intention to reestablish the club and enter Slovak Sixth League for the 2018–19 season. They later decided to support a new club in Košice, FK Košice. They also talk about VSS succession.[7]

The club planned construction of the new stadium for 13,000 spectators in neighbourhood of demolished Všešportový areál stadium.[9] The estimated cost of the stadium is €18.5 million.[10] The owner od stadium is Košická Futbalová aréna (KFA), city of Košice owned 85% and club VSS Košice owned 15%. The construction will start in 2017. If the schedule is met, the first matches could be played by mid-2019.[11]

The Czechoslovak League top scorer from 1944–45 until 1992–93. Since the 1993–94 Slovak League Top scorer.

Year Winner G 1975–76 Dušan Galis 21 1995–96 Róbert Semeník 29 1996–97 Jozef Kožlej 22 2007–08 Ján Novák 17

¹Shared award

source[13]

• STEEL TRANS
• City of Košice

Rank	Player	To	Fee	Year
1.	Nemanja Matić	FC Chelsea	€1.75 million	2009[14]
2.	Szilárd Németh	AC Sparta Prague	€1.3 million (35mil.CZK)	1997[15]
3.	Marko Milinković	ŠK Slovan Bratislava	€0.35 million*	2011[16]
	Ondrej Duda	Legia Warsaw	€0.35 million*	2014[17]

*-unofficial fee

Rank	Player	From	Fee	Year
1.	Marek Špilár	Tatran Prešov	€0.7 million (20mil SKK)*	1997[18]
1.	András Telek	Ferencvárosi TC	€0.7 million (20mil SKK)*	1997[18]

*-unofficial fee

Slovak League only (1993–2017)

Season	Division (Name)	Pos./Teams	Pl.	W	D	L	GS	GA	P	Slovak Cup	Europe		Top Scorer (Goals)
1993–94	1st (Mars Superliga)	6/(12)	32	8	11	13	35	54	27	Quarter-finals	CWC	1R ( Beşiktaş J.K.)	?
1994–95	1st(Mars Superliga)	2/(12)	32	15	7	10	54	42	50	Quarter-finals	UI	Group 10 (2nd)	Pavol Diňa (13)
1995–96	1st (Mars Superliga)	2/(12)	32	21	2	9	62	33	65	1st round	UC	PR ( Újpest FC)	Róbert Semeník (29)
1996–97	1st (Mars Superliga)	1/(16)	30	21	7	2	61	19	70	1st round	UC	1QR ( Celtic F.C.)	Jozef Kožlej (22)
1997–98	1st (Mars Superliga)	1/(16)	30	21	5	4	71	24	68	Runners-up	CL	Group stage (Group B,4th)	Jozef Kožlej (14)
1998–99	1st (Mars Superliga)	4/(16)	30	19	4	7	51	26	61	2nd Round	CL UC	2QR ( Brøndby IF) 1R ( Liverpool F.C.)	Ruslan Lyubarskyi (12)
1999–00	1st (Mars Superliga)	2/(16)	30	19	4	7	57	31	61	Runners-up			Ruslan Lyubarskyi (15)
2000–01	1st (Mars Superliga)	9/(10)	36	10	7	19	42	61	37	1st Round	UC	1R ( Grazer AK)	Vladislav Zvara (8)
2001–02	1st (Mars Superliga)	9/(10)	36	6	13	17	30	62	31	1st Round			Radoslav Zabavník (6)
2002–03	1st (Slovak Super Liga)	10/(10)	36	6	12	18	41	64	30	2nd Round			Ľubomír Mati (10)
2003–04	2nd (1. Liga)	16/(16)	30	4	5	21	36	75	17	1st Round			?
2004–05	3rd (2. Liga)									Did not enter			Pavol Piatka (23)
2005–06	2nd (1. Liga)	1/(16)	30	23	4	3	67	12	73	2nd Round			Pavol Piatka (22)
2006–07	1st (Corgoň Liga)	5/(12)	28	10	5	13	31	35	35	2nd Round			Jaroslav Kolbas (7)
2007–08	1st (Corgoň Liga)	6/(12)	33	13	6	14	45	44	45	Semi-finals			Ján Novák (17)
2008–09	1st (Corgoň Liga)	4/(12)	33	14	10	9	48	42	52	Winner			Ján Novák (12)
2009–10	1st (Corgoň Liga)	11/(12)	33	8	9	13	32	57	33	Quarter-finals	EL	P-O ( A.S. Roma)	Ján Novák (12)
2010–11	1st (Corgoň Liga)	10/(12)	33	8	9	16	28	44	33	2nd Round			Marko Milinković (5)
2011–12	1st (Corgoň Liga)	11/(12)	33	6	11	16	25	40	29	Quarter-finals			Erik Pačinda (6)
2012–13	1st (Corgoň Liga)	5/(12)	33	12	11	10	38	33	47	Quarter-finals			Dávid Škutka (13)
2013–14	1st (Corgoň Liga)	5/(12)	33	13	7	13	41	40	46	Winners			Erik Pačinda (8)
2014–15	1st (Fortuna Liga)	6/(12)1	33	11	8	14	43	48	41	Quarter-finals	EL	2QR ( Liberec)	Nermin Haskić (10)
2015–16	2nd (DOXXbet liga)	2/(24)	30	18	5	7	48	23	56 2	Quarter-finals			Kamil Karaš (10)
2016–17	2nd (DOXXbet liga)	1/(24)	30	19	4	7	40	27	61	3rd Round			Mojmír Trebuňák (4)

¹ MFK Košice did not obtain a licence for the 2015–16 season ² VSS Košice was docked 3 points for non–payment obligations.

Season	Competition	Round	Opponent	Agg.	Home leg	Away leg
1971–72	UEFA Cup	1st. Round	Spartak Moscow	2–3	2–1	0–2
1973–74	UEFA Cup	1st. Round	Budapest Honvéd	3–5	1–0	2–5
1993–94	Cup Winners' Cup	Qualifying	FK Žalgiris	3–1	2–1	1–0
		1st. Round	Beşiktaş	2–3	2–1	0–2
1995	UEFA Intertoto Cup	Group Stage	Wimbledon	—	1–1	—
			Beitar Jerusalem	—	—	5–3
			Charleroi	—	3–2	—
			Bursaspor	—	—	1–1
1995–96	UEFA Cup	Preliminary	Újpest	1–3	0–1	1–2
1996–97	UEFA Cup	Preliminary	KS Teuta	6–2	2–1	4–1
		Qualifying	Celtic	0–1	0–0	0–1
1997–98	Champions League	1st. Qualifying	ÍA	4–0	3–0	1–0
		2nd. Qualifying	Spartak Moscow	2–1	2–1	0–0
		Group Stage	Manchester United	4th	0–3	0–3
			Juventus		0–1	2–3
			Feyenoord		0–1	0–2
1998–99	Champions League	1st. Qualifying	Cliftonville	13–1	8–0	5–1
		2nd. Qualifying	Brøndby	1–2	0–2	1–0
	UEFA Cup	1st. Round	Liverpool	0–8	0–3	0–5
2000–01	UEFA Cup	Qualifying	Ararat	4–3	1–1	3–2
		1st. Round	Grazer AK	2–3	2–3	0–0
2009–10	Europa League	3rd. Qualifying	FK Slavija	5–1	3–1	2–0
		Play-off	Roma	4–10	3–3	1–7
2014–15	Europa League	2nd. Qualifying	Slovan Liberec	0–4	0–1	0–3

^{Key – Pld: Played, W: Won, D: Drawn, L: Lost, GF: Goals For, GA: Goals Against, GD: Goal Difference.}