NK Olimpija Ljubljana (1945–2005)

Nogometni klub Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovene pronunciation: [nɔɡɔˈméːtni ˈklúːp ɔˈlìːmpija ljubˈljàːna]; English: Olimpija Ljubljana Football Club), commonly referred to as NK Olimpija Ljubljana or simply Olimpija, was a Slovenian association football club based in Ljubljana. The club was founded in 1945 under the name NK Enotnost and adopted the name Olimpija in 1962.[1]

This article is about the dissolved association football club. For the currently active club, see NK Olimpija Ljubljana. For other uses, see Olimpija Ljubljana.

Olimpija
Full nameNogometni klub Olimpija Ljubljana
Nickname(s)Zmaji (The Dragons)
Zeleno-beli (The Green and Whites)
Founded1945 (1945)[1]
Dissolved2005 (2005)[2][3][4]
GroundBežigrad Stadium
Capacity8,211
Active sport clubs named
Olimpija Ljubljana
FootballBasketballIce Hockey
Football
(Women's)		Handball
(Women's)
Defunct clubs named
Olimpija Ljubljana
Football
(1945–2005)		 Basketball
(1946–2019)		 Ice Hockey
(1928–2017)

Since the mid-1940s Olimpija had competed in the Yugoslav football system and between the late 1960s and late 1980s Olimpija was a regular member of the Yugoslav First League. Following Slovenia's independence in 1991 they won four Slovenian Championships and four Slovenian Cup titles, and they had also appeared in European competitions such as the UEFA Cup, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and UEFA Intertoto Cup.[5]

The club's home ground was Bežigrad Stadium, an 8,211 capacity stadium in Bežigrad District in Ljubljana. Olimpija's nicknames were The Dragons (Zmaji), as dragon is a symbol of Ljubljana, and The Green-Whites (Zeleno-beli), referring to their primary colours, green and white.

The club was dissolved in 2005 due to high financial debt.[2][3][4] In the same year, a successor club was founded under the name NK Bežigrad, and currently competes in the Slovenian top flight under the name Olimpija Ljubljana.[6][7]

History

Yugoslav years (1945–1991)

In 1945, ŠD Tabor and ŠD Udarnik sports clubs merged and formed a new club called NK Enotnost, together with the players of the former SK Ljubljana.[1][8] In 1948, the club was initially renamed to NK Odred, and later to NK Triglav in December 1960, with the club's colours at the time being black and white.[1][8] During the same season, the club renamed to Olimpija.[8]

In 1970, Olimpija reached the final of the Yugoslav Cup, where it lost to Red Star Belgrade 3–2 on aggregate.[8]

Slovenian league champions (1991–1995)
Club crest during the 1990s

As a result of Slovenian independence in mid-1991 and the breakup of Yugoslavia, Olimpija agreed to join the newly formed Slovenian League. The inaugural 1991–92 season included a number of clubs from the lower tiers of the Yugoslav football league. The average attendance at Olimpija's matches dropped from 7,380 in 1989–90 to 1,075 in 1991–92.[8] After finishing the first half of the season in second place three points behind Maribor, Olimpija had a string of good results after the winter break and ended the season with eleven consecutive wins which brought them their first Slovenian League title. The team for their final match included Robert Englaro, Aleš Čeh, Dejan Djuranovič and Sandi Valentinčič, and was coached by Lučjo Pertič.[8]

The club went on to win three more consecutive titles, before Gorica won the 1995–96 edition, ending Olimpija's league domination.[9]

Financial difficulties and dissolution (2003–2005)

In the 2003–04 UEFA Cup Olimpija beat Irish side Shelbourne in the qualifying round 4–2 on aggregate.[10] In the next round they met Liverpool, and took the lead through captain Anton Žlogar's goal, the first leg at Bežigrad Stadium ending in a 1–1 draw as Michael Owen scored an eqaliser 12 minutes from time.[11] Olimpija's last European season was then cut short as they were soundly beaten 3–0 through goals by Anthony Le Tallec, Emile Heskey and Harry Kewell in the away leg at Anfield.[12]

Olimpija had a string of mixed results for the remainder of the season, getting knocked out in the round of 16 of the 2003–04 Slovenian Cup and finishing runners-up in the 2003–04 Slovenian PrvaLiga. However, most sponsors (including Schollmayer) decided to abandon the club at the end of the season which led to serious financial difficulties for the club. Following Schollmayer's exit, Olimpija were forced to sell almost all of their players. Although the club had started competing in the 2004–05 championship, the club had struggled on the pitch and failed to obtain competition licences issued by the Football Association of Slovenia, which led to its dissolution.[13][2] Eventually the club, with a debt consisting of over 700 million Slovenian tolars (around €3 million in 2004 exchange rate),[14] filed for bankruptcy in the middle of the 2004–05 season.[13][14] However, the Football Association of Slovenia had exceptionally allowed the club to finish the 2004–05 season and, after finishing sixth in the national championship, Olimpija effectively ceased all operations.[15]

In 2005, a successor club was established under the name NK Bežigrad, and currently competes in the Slovenian top flight under the name Olimpija Ljubljana.[6][7] However, in spite of inheriting old Olimpija's supporters and colours, they are not legally considered to be successors to the original Olimpija and the two clubs' track records and honours are kept separate by the Football Association of Slovenia.[7][16][17][18] However, some English-language sources regard the current Olimpija club as a continuation of the original club.[19][20][21]

Claimed connection to Ilirija and the year 1911

Amid political turmoil in the early 1990s, during the breakup of Yugoslavia, Olimpija began claiming direct lineage to Ilirija, an association football club established in 1911.[1][7] It was during this time that Olimpija added the year 1911 on the official club crest for the first time in their history.[1] Ilirija, a member of the Slovenian Second League at the time and the only Ljubljana based club the Football Association of Slovenia officially refers to as founded in 1911,[7] have always criticized Olimpija actions and accused them of unilaterally appropriating their history.[22]

Name changes
  • NK Enotnost (1945–1948; founded as a merger of the newly established ŠD Tabor and ŠD Udarnik sports clubs and joined by former SK Ljubljana players)[1]
  • NK Odred (1948–1961)
  • NK Triglav (1961–1962)
  • NK Olimpija (1962–2005)

Honours

Olimpija Ljubljana had won four Slovenian Championships, four Slovenian Cups and one Slovenian Supercup in the period between the country's independence from Yugoslavia in 1991 until the club's dissolution in 2005. Although the club had spent 22 seasons in top flight during the Yugoslavia period (1945–1991), the club never won any silverware and the closest they came to winning a major domestic trophy was reaching the 1970 Yugoslav Cup final.

Internationally Olimpija had appeared in the UEFA Cup six times, in the UEFA Champions League twice, in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup twice and in the UEFA Intertoto Cup once,[5] in addition to two appearances in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.[23] Their best result in European football was reaching the round of 16 in the 1996–97 Cup Winners' Cup.

Honours No. Years
League
Slovenian First League winners 4 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95
Slovenian First League runners-up 3 1995–96, 2000–01, 2003–04
Yugoslav Second League winners (second tier in Yugoslavia) 2 1964–65 (West Division), 1988–89
Slovenian Republic League winners (third tier in Yugoslavia) 4 1946–47, 1952, 1961–62, 1986–87
Domestic cups
Slovenian Cup winners 4 1992–93, 1995–96, 1999–2000, 2002–03
Slovenian Cup runners-up 3 1991–92, 1998–99, 2000–01
Slovenian Supercup winners 1 1995
Slovenian Supercup runners-up 1 1996
MNZ Ljubljana Cup winners 1 1991–92
Yugoslav Cup runners-up 1 1970
Best European results
UEFA Champions League round of 32 1 1992–93
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup round of 16 1 1996–97

References
  1. Dobovšek, Tim (17 December 2013). "Kdaj je bila ustanovljena Olimpija?" [When was Olimpija founded?]. Slovenski nogometni portal (in Slovenian). Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  2. J. K. (10 November 2010). "Simič: "Stefanović pošilja grožnje!"" [Simic: "Stefanovic is threatening me"] (in Slovenian). zurnal24.si. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  3. "Olimpija obstaja le še na papirju" (in Slovenian). RTV Slovenija. 13 May 2005. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  4. Tamše, Rok (2 June 2017). "Domžale do lovorike brez stricev iz ozadja". Slovenske novice (in Slovenian). Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  5. "UEFA.com – Olimpija Ljubljana". UEFA. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
  6. "NK Olimpija Ljubljana – Zgodovina" [NK Olimpija Ljubljana  – History]. nkolimpija.si (in Slovenian). Retrieved 6 February 2011.
  7. "Klubi" [Clubs] (in Slovenian). Football Association of Slovenia. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  8. "Zgodovina kluba" [Club's history] (in Slovenian). NK Olimpija Ljubljana. Archived from the original on 13 April 2010. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  9. D. S.; M. L. (27 May 2018). "Foto: Kronaveter z bele točke popeljal Olimpijo iz pekla v raj" (in Slovenian). RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  10. "Olimpija too strong for Shelbourne". UEFA. 28 August 2003. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  11. "Owen strike rescues Liverpool". UEFA. 24 September 2003. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  12. "Liverpool 3–0 Olimpija Ljubljana". UEFA. 15 October 2003. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  13. Rogan, Aaron (13 July 2011). "Bohemians v Olimpija Ljubjana Preview". sportsnewsireland.com. Archived from the original on 16 March 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
  14. Marjan Horvat (7 June 2011). "Kukavičjih sto let" (in Slovenian). Večer. Archived from the original on 5 December 2012. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  15. "V naslednji sezoni liga 10" [League 10 in the next season] (in Slovenian). Football Association of Slovenia. 15 July 2010. Archived from the original on 1 April 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  16. "SNL Statistika: Vse sezone" [SNL Statistics: All seasons] (in Slovenian). Slovenian PrvaLiga. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  17. "PrvaLiga: Olimpija Ljubljana" (in Slovenian). Slovenian PrvaLiga. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  18. M.R. (21 March 2012). "Video: Zadetki z vseh 12 tekem med Olimpijo in Mariborom" (in Slovenian). RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
  19. "NK Olimpija Ljubljana". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  20. "NK Olimpija Ljubljana: History". UEFA. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
  21. "Olimpija Ljubljana: Profile". worldfootball.net. Heim:Spiel. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
  22. Dušan Gajič (5 March 2010). "NK Ilirija še obstaja" (in Slovenian). Dnevnik. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
  23. Miladinovich, Misha (16 December 1999). "Yugoslav teams in Eurocups". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
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