FC Zbrojovka Brno

FC Zbrojovka Brno is a professional football club based in the city of Brno, South Moravia, Czech Republic and named after Zbrojovka Brno, a firearms manufacturer. Founded in 1913 as SK Židenice, the club later became known as Zbrojovka Brno. Brno won the Czechoslovak First League in the 1977–78 season and finished as runners-up in 1979–80.

FC Zbrojovka Brno
Full nameFootball Club Zbrojovka Brno a.s.
Nickname(s)Flinta (The Gun)
Zbrojováci (The Gunmakers)
Jihomoravané (South Moravians)
Founded1913 (1913),
as SK Židenice
GroundADAX Invest Arena
Capacity12,550
ChairmanVáclav Bartoněk
ManagerTomáš Polách
LeagueCzech National Football League
2022–23First League, 16th of 16 (relegated)
WebsiteClub website
Active departments of FC Zbrojovka Brno

Men's Football
Women's Football (defunct)

History
Club logo until 2023

The club, initially known as SK Židenice, played in the top tier of Czechoslovak football from 1933 until suffering relegation in the 1946–47 Czechoslovak First League.[1] During this period, the club entered the Mitropa Cup three times, reaching the quarter-finals in 1935 as well as taking part in the competition in 1936 and 1938.

Between 1950 and 1962 the club played outside the top tier, returning in the 1962–63 Czechoslovak First League.[1] Five seasons elapsed before the club was again relegated, in 1967.[1] They then spent four years in the second tier of Czechoslovak football before returning to the top flight.[1] In the 1970s the club was a strong force in the country, winning the Czechoslovak First League in 1978, finishing third the following season and being runners up in 1980.

The 1980s were less spectacular for Brno, as the club was relegated in 1983, playing until 1989 in the second tier. After just two seasons in the top tier, the club finished last in 1991 and was again relegated.[1]

Between 1992 and 2011, Brno played in the top tier of the Czech Republic for 19 consecutive seasons, the longest such spell in the club's history.[1] In 2011, the club was relegated to the second division.[1] In the 2011–12 Czech 2. Liga, the club only managed to finish fourth, missing out on the promotion places. However, due to the stadium requirements of the Czech First League, champions FK Ústí nad Labem as well as third-placed FK Baník Sokolov were ineligible for promotion. As a result, Brno won promotion immediately back to the top tier.[2] In 2018, the club was relegated to the second division.[3] In the 2018–19 Czech Second League, the club managed to finish third but lost the promotion play-off to Příbram.[4]

Historical names

Source: [5]

  • SK Židenice / Sportovní klub (Sports club) Židenice (1913–47)
  • SK Zbrojovka Židenice Brno / Sportovní klub (Sports club) Zbrojovka Židenice Brno (1947–48)
  • JTO Sokol Zbrojovka Židenice Brno / Jednotná tělovýchovná organizace (Unified physical education organization) Sokol Zbrojovka Židenice Brno (1948–51)
  • JTO Sokol Zbrojovka Brno / Jednotná tělovýchovná organizace (Unified physical education organization) Sokol Zbrojovka Brno (1951–53)
  • DSO Spartak Zbrojovka Brno / Dobrovolná sportovní organizace (Voluntary sports organization) Spartak Zbrojovka Brno (1953–56)
  • TJ Spartak ZJŠ Brno / Tělovýchovná jednota (Physical education unity) Spartak Závody Jana Švermy Brno (1956–68)
  • TJ Zbrojovka Brno / Tělovýchovná jednota (Physical education unity) Zbrojovka Brno (1968–90)
  • FC Zbrojovka Brno / Football Club Zbrojovka Brno (1990–92)
  • FC Boby Brno / Football Club Boby Brno (1992–94)
  • FC Boby Brno Unistav / Football Club Boby Brno Unistav (1994–97)
  • FC Boby-sport Brno / Football Club Boby-sport Brno (1997–2000)
  • FC Stavo Artikel Brno / Football Club Stavo Artikel Brno (2000–02)
  • 1. FC Brno / First Football Club Brno (2002–10)
  • FC Zbrojovka Brno / Football Club Zbrojovka Brno (2010– )

In 1962, there was an amalgamation between Rudá Hvězda Brno (1956–62) and Spartak ZJŠ Brno.

European competitions

Brno have competed a number of times in European competitions, reaching the second round of the 1978–79 European Cup in their only appearance to date in the competition. The club played in the 1993–94 European Cup Winners' Cup but lost in the first round.

Brno took part in the UEFA Cup three times, reaching the quarter-finals in 1979–80 and also playing in 1980–81 and 1997–98.

Because Brno was a major fairs city of Czechoslovakia, teams from Brno played in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in the 1960s. It was Spartak KPS Brno who participated first, then Spartak ZJŠ Brno (Zbrojovka) played five times in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in a row, reaching the quarter-finals in 1963–64.

Brno (then SK Židenice) competed in the Mitropa Cup three times before World War II, reaching the quarter-finals in 1935.

Rudá Hvězda Brno played in the 1960–61 European Cup Winners' Cup, reaching the quarter-finals, after winning Czechoslovak Cup in 1960.

Stadium
Main article: Městský fotbalový stadion Srbská

Brno have played at Městský fotbalový stadion Srbská since 2001, when they moved from previous home Stadion Za Lužánkami.[6] In the 1990s, Brno attracted record crowds to their football matches, with Za Lužánkami as the venue for all of the top ten most-attended Czech First League matches.[7] The highest attendance for a Brno match is 44,120, set in a league match against Slavia Prague.[7]

Players

Current squad
As of 11 September 2023.[8]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Czech Republic CZE Michal Hložánek
5 DF Czech Republic CZE Jiří Hamza
6 DF Czech Republic CZE Lukáš Endl
7 MF Czech Republic CZE Ondřej Pachlopník
8 DF Czech Republic CZE Zdeněk Toman
9 FW Czech Republic CZE Denis Alijagić
11 MF Czech Republic CZE Adam Fousek
13 MF Czech Republic CZE Jiří Texl
15 DF Czech Republic CZE Jan Štěrba
16 FW Czech Republic CZE Adam Kronus (on loan from Viktoria Plzeň)
17 MF Guinea GUI Kamso Mara
18 DF Czech Republic CZE Denis Granečný
19 MF Czech Republic CZE Pavel Gaszczyk (on loan from Viktoria Plzeň)
No. Pos. Nation Player
23 DF Czech Republic CZE Jakub Šural
24 DF Czech Republic CZE Josef Divíšek
25 MF Czech Republic CZE Roman Potočný (on loan from České Budějovice)
26 DF Czech Republic CZE Martin Nový (on loan from Bohemians 1905)
29 MF Czech Republic CZE Tomáš Smejkal
31 MF Czech Republic CZE David Jambor
32 MF Czech Republic CZE Jan Hellebrand
35 DF Czech Republic CZE Josef Koželuh (on loan from Viktoria Plzeň)
37 FW Czech Republic CZE Jakub Řezníček
53 GK Czech Republic CZE Martin Berkovec
71 GK Czech Republic CZE Jakub Šiman
79 MF Slovakia SVK Nicolas Martinek

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF Nigeria NGA Wale Musa Alli (at České Budějovice)

Reserves

As of 2023–24, the club's reserve team FC Zbrojovka Brno B plays in the Czech Fourth Division (4rd tier of Czech football system). The reserve team played in three consecutive seasons of the Czech National Football League (2003–04, 2004–05 and 2005–06).

Notable former players

Some of the biggest Czech football legends played for Brno briefly:[9]

Player records in the Czech First League
As of 28 May 2023.[10]

Highlighted players are in the current squad.

Most clean sheets
#NameClean sheets
1Czech Republic Luboš Přibyl70
2Czech Republic Dušan Melichárek30
3Czech Republic Martin Lejsal27

Current technical staff
As of 24 October 2023
Position Name
Manager Czech Republic Tomáš Polách
Assistant manager Czech Republic Josef Mucha
Goalkeeping coach Czech Republic Martin Doležal

Managers

History in domestic competitions
  • Seasons spent at Level 1 of the football league system: 39
  • Seasons spent at Level 2 of the football league system: 9
  • Seasons spent at Level 3 of the football league system: 0
  • Seasons spent at Level 4 of the football league system: 0

Czech Republic
Season League Placed Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Cup
1993–94 1. liga 12th 30 10 6 14 38 46 –8 36 Quarter-finals
1994–95 1. liga 3rd 30 15 9 6 52 27 +25 54 Round of 32
1995–96 1. liga 8th 30 12 7 11 39 42 –3 43 Round of 64
1996–97 1. liga 4th 30 14 10 6 44 35 +9 52 Quarter-finals
1997–98 1. liga 10th 30 10 7 13 42 42 0 37 Semi-finals
1998–99 1. liga 7th 30 11 8 11 37 33 +4 41 Quarter-finals
1999–00 1. liga 4th 30 12 6 12 3 33 +2 42 Round of 16
2000–01 1. liga 13th 30 7 9 14 24 35 –11 30 Round of 16
2001–02 1. liga 8th 30 10 10 10 34 42 –8 40 Round of 16
2002–03 1. liga 9th 30 10 9 11 35 31 +4 39 Round of 16
2003–04 1. liga 14th 30 7 9 14 33 43 –10 30 Quarter-finals
2004–05 1. liga 11th 30 9 6 15 30 42 –12 33 Round of 32
2005–06 1. liga 12th 30 7 14 9 35 36 –1 35 Semi-finals
2006–07 1. liga 5th 30 13 7 10 34 42 –8 46 Second round
2007–08 1. liga 4th 30 16 7 7 43 32 +11 55 Semi-finals
2008–09 1. liga 11th 30 9 8 13 32 36 –4 35 Round of 32
2009–10 1. liga 11th 30 9 8 13 31 40 –9 35 Round of 32
2010–11 1. liga 15th 30 7 3 20 33 55 –22 24 Quarter-finals
2011–12 2. liga 4th 30 13 10 7 37 29 +8 49 Round of 32
2012–13 1. liga 13th 30 9 5 16 34 53 –19 32 Second round
2013–14 1. liga 9th 30 10 7 13 32 42 –10 37 Semi-finals
2014–15 1. liga 14th 30 9 6 15 34 45 –11 33 Round of 32
2015–16 1. liga 6th 30 14 5 11 37 38 -1 47 Round of 16
2016–17 1. liga 11th 30 6 14 10 32 45 -13 32 Quarter-finals
2017–18 1. liga 16th 30 6 6 18 20 43 –23 24 Round of 64
2018–19 2. liga 3rd 30 17 6 7 63 31 +32 57 Round of 32
2019–20 2. liga 2nd 30 20 7 3 75 29 +46 67 Round of 32
2020–21 1. liga 16th 34 5 11 18 33 57 –24 26 Round of 16
2021–22 2. liga 1st 30 22 3 5 61 29 +32 69 Round of 32
2022–23 1. liga 16th 35 8 9 18 41 64 –23 33 Quarter-finals

Honours
  • Czechoslovak First League
    • Winners (1): 1977–78
    • Runners-up (1): 1979–80
    • Third place (4): 1934–35, 1937–38, 1945–46, 1978–79
  • Czech First League
    • Third place (1): 1994–95
  • Czechoslovak Amateur League
    • Winners (1): 1926
  • Czechoslovak Cup
    • Winners (1): 1959–60 (Rudá Hvězda)
  • Czech Cup
    • Runners-up (1): 1992–93

Club records

Czech First League records

References
  1. Krutil, Robin; Meitner, Zdeněk (25 May 2011). "Kdo zavinil pád fotbalového Brna? Chyby kupili všichni" (in Czech). idnes.cz. Retrieved 12 January 2013.
  2. Novák, Jaromír (6 June 2012). "Brno postupuje do první ligy, Ústí doplatilo na nevyhovující stadion" (in Czech). idnes.cz. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
  3. Punčochář, Jiří (20 May 2018). "Odchod zadním vchodem, zklamání, ticho. Na Brno naplno dolehl sestup". iDnes. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  4. "Příbram – Brno 0:0. Středočechům stačila k ligové záchraně remíza". iSport. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  5. "Historie brněnského fotbalového klubu" (in Czech). fczbrno.cz. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
  6. "Fanoušci Zbrojovky oslaví století klubu u ruiny stadionu za Lužánkami". Mladá fronta DNES (in Czech). 5 January 2013. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  7. "Na Letné padl divácký rekord 21. století" [At Letna the spectator record for the 21st century was broken]. Mladá fronta DNES (in Czech). Czech Republic. 9 November 2003. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
  8. "A-tým". FC Zbrojovka Brno.
  9. Zabloudil, Antonín; Čapka, František (2013). 100 let fotbalového klubu FC Zbrojovka Brno. Brno: CERM. ISBN 978-80-7204-834-2.
  10. "Detailed stats". Fortuna liga.
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