FK Spartak Subotica

FK Spartak Subotica
Fudbalski klub Spartak Subotica is a professional football club from Subotica, Serbia, that plays in the Serbian SuperLiga.
The club was founded in 1945 and was named after Jovan Mikić Spartak, the leader of the Partisans in Subotica, who was a national hero and was killed in 1944.
After the end of the 2007–08 Serbian League Vojvodina, the club merged with Zlatibor Voda which won promotion to the Serbian First League thus gaining the name Spartak Zlatibor Voda. In 2013, the board decided to return to the original name of the club.
History
Origins
Founded in 1945, FK Spartak Subotica is, after Vojvodina, the most successful club in northern Serbia. They participated in the first after-war club championship, in the 1946–47 Yugoslav First League and from then on, they played always in between the first and second national leagues. The biggest success of the club was achieved when the club played in the 1993–94 FR Yugoslavia Cup final against Partizan (1–6 loss).
However, football in Subotica has long tradition. During the pre-WWII period, the city was the seat of the Subotica Football Subassociation, one of the subassociations which existed within the Yugoslav Football Association, and which organised league competitions whose winners qualified for the Yugoslav championship where the national champion was decided. Subotica was home to three major clubs that made it to the Yugoslav championship before 1941: Bačka, SAND and ŽAK Subotica. Bačka has furthermore the record of being the oldest football club in the entire territory of former Yugoslavia.
When Second World War started in 1941 in Yugoslavia, Subotica was invaded by the Axis forces and incorporated into Hungary with its clubs being included in the Hungarian league system. At the end of the war Yugoslavia took control again of Subotica. Some clubs such as SAND were dissolved, others like Bačka kept existing although played a much lesser role from then on, and, some new ones were formed, like Radnički or Građanski. ŽAK Subotica kept being active for a while, however, their main sponsor, the Yugoslav Railways, decided to dissolve it and form a new club in its place which would be named "Spartak" which was the nickname of a legendary athlete from Subotica and World War II Yugoslav Partisans commander Jovan Mikić – Spartak. Besides the players, the stadium, the colors and the fans, Spartak also inherited from ŽAK the tradition of being backed by the Yugoslav Railways.
1946 to 2006
During the period of socialist Yugoslavia, Spartak was a regular participant either in Yugoslav First or Second leagues. Although they never won the national championship, they were a feared adversary known for both, producing good homeground players that achieved quality careers domestically and abroad, and also bringing talented players from regions all around Yugoslavia. Spartak also contributed a number of players for the national team. During this period, the highlight was their presence as losing finalist of the 1961–62 Yugoslav Cup.
Spartak was cup finalist again, in the 1993–94 FR Yugoslavia Cup. By then the old SFR Yugoslavia broke-up and FR Yugoslavia formed by Serbia and Montenegro took its place. Spartak was a regular participant of the First League of FR Yugoslavia all way until 1999–2000 season when they were relegated and a period of crisis started.
During the first decade of the new millennium the club went downhills all way until 2008 when they merged with FK Zlatibor Voda from neighbouring town of Horgoš. Playing under the name FK Spartak Zlatibor Voda, the club started recovering finally reaching its come-back to top tier when they were promoted to the 2009–10 Serbian SuperLiga.
2006 till nowadays
Spartak's biggest success since Serbia restored its name as country in 2006, came in the 2018–19 UEFA Europa League qualifying rounds. They first defeated Northern Irish club Coleraine F.C. in Round 1, then went on to achieve what is considered their brightest moment in club history defeating Czech powerhouse AC Sparta Prague over two legs. They were eventually eliminated from the UEFA Europa League in the 3rd qualifying round, losing to Danish club Brøndby IF over two games.
Supporters
Spartak's fans are known as Marinci (Marines), which were formed in early 1989.
Stadium
Subotica City Stadium (Gradski stadion) is a multi-use stadium in Subotica, Serbia. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the club's home ground since 1945. The stadium holds 13,000 people. There is a football pitch and a registered track for athletics suitable for competitions. One part of the Stadium is covered. There are also two subsidiary football pitches.
Spartak in Europe
Mitropa Cup
The Mitropa Cup, officially called the La Coupe de l'Europe Centrale, was one of the first really international major European football cups that the club participated in. After World War II, in 1951, a replacement tournament named Zentropa Cup was held to resume the rich tradition of this competition.
UEFA competitions
Qualified for Europe in 2 seasons
Honours
League
National Championships – 1
People's Republic of Serbia League (Vojvodina group)
Winners (1): 1945–46
Yugoslav Second League
Winners (4): 1952, 1971–72, 1985–86 (West), 1987–88 (West)
Cup
Yugoslav Cup
Runners-up (2): 1961–62, 1993–94
Players
Current squad
Out on loan
Players with multiple nationalities
Aleksandar Vidović
Notable players
To appear in this section a player must have either:
Played at least 80 games for the club.
Set a club record or won an individual award while at the club.
Played at least one international match for their national team at any time.
Milan Jovanić
Andrija Kaluđerović
Dejan Kekezović
Ognjen Koroman
Zoran Ljubinković
Predrag Mijić
Igor Popović
Dejan Rončević
Lazar Tufegdžić
Vojo Ubiparip
Vladimir Veselinov
Nemanja Vidić
Nikola Žigić
Miloš Cetina
Zvonko Ćirić
Zoran Dimitrijević
Milorad Đukanović
Miloš Glončak
Lajoš Jakovetić
Gojko Janjić
Senad Karač
Zoltan Kujundžić
Zoran Kuntić
Slobodan Kustudić
Ranko Leškov
Dušan Maravić
Nenad Maslovar
Dragan Miranović
Tihomir Ognjanov
Bela Palfi
Antal Puhalak
Zvonko Rašić
Antun Rudinski
Živko Slijepčević
Dimitrije Stefanović
Miloš Stojiljković
Slobodan Šujica
Jožef Takač
Antal Tapiška
Tomislav Taušan
Tim Chow
Ivo Šeparović
Edmund Addo
Dejan Antonić
Zsombor Kerekes
István Nyers
Flórián Urbán
Maxim Fedin
Noboru Shimura
Nikola Drinčić
Vladimir Jovović
Mladen Kašćelan
Nemanja Nikolić
Savo Pavićević
Milan Purović
Janko Tumbasević
Nikola Vujović
Andrija Vukčević
Morice Abraham
For the list of all current and former players with Wikipedia article, please see: :Category:FK Spartak Subotica players.
Managers
Ilija Rajković
Tihomir Ognjanov
Milan Živadinović
Ljupko Petrović
Milutin Sredojević
Ranko Popović
Zoran Milinković
Dragan Miranović
Ilija Dobrić
Ljubomir Ristovski
Zoran Njeguš
Zoran Milinković
Zoran Marić
Petar Kurćubić
Dragi Kanatlarovski
Stevan Mojsilović
Andrey Chernyshov
Aleksandar Veselinović
Vladimir Gaćinović
Predrag Rogan
Vladimir Gaćinović
Vladimir Buač
Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors
References
External links
[ Official website]
Blue Marines fans
Club profile and squad at Srbijafudbal
Club history at Sportski savez Subotice
Spartak Stats at Utakmica.rs
Football clubs in Serbia
Football clubs in Yugoslavia
Football clubs in Vojvodina
Association football clubs established in 1945
1945 establishments in Serbia
Sport in Subotica