NK Celje

Nogometni klub Celje (English: Celje Football Club), commonly referred to as NK Celje or simply Celje ([ˈtsɛ̀ːljɛ]), is a professional football club from Celje, Slovenia. They play in the Slovenian PrvaLiga, the top tier of Slovenian football. Together with Maribor, they are the only club that have participated in every season of the Slovenian PrvaLiga since its formation in 1991.^[3] Celje won their first league title in the 2019–20 season, a feat they have repeated four years later. They have also won two Slovenian Cups, in 2004–05 and 2024–25.

Celje

Full name	Nogometni klub Celje
Nickname(s)	Grofje (The Counts) Rumeno-modri (The Yellow and Blues)
Founded	28 December 1919; 105 years ago (28 December 1919)[1][2] (as SK Celje)
Ground	Stadion Z'dežele
Capacity	13,059
President	Valeriy Kolotilo
Manager	Albert Riera
League	Slovenian PrvaLiga
2024–25	Slovenian PrvaLiga, 4th of 10
Website	www.nk-celje.si
Home colours Away colours

History

The club was formed in 1919 as SK Celje.^[1][2] Soon after World War II, in 1946, the club changed its name to NK Kladivar (expressionistic term in Slovene for a blacksmith).^[2] In 1964 they qualified for the Yugoslav Second League, where they played for one year.^[2]

In 1992, one year after Slovenia gained independence from Yugoslavia, the club was renamed as Publikum due to sponsorship reasons.^[2] They reached the finals of Slovenian Cup in 1993 and 1995, but lost on both occasions, having been beaten by Olimpija and Mura, respectively.^[4] In 2003, Celje was in a title race with Maribor until the last two rounds, but in the end finished second and also lost the Slovenian cup final against Olimpija during the same season.^[5] Two years later, in 2005, the club reached the final for the fourth time and this time they finally lifted their first trophy, defeating Gorica 1–0 in front of their own fans at the Arena Petrol.^[6] Celje were also in the finals the next year, but lost to Koper after a penalty shoot-out.^[7] In early 2007, they dropped Publikum from their name.^[8]

In 2020, Celje won its first Slovenian league title after winning the 2019–20 Slovenian PrvaLiga season.^[9] After struggling in the following two seasons, they managed to finish second in 2022–23, before once again winning the league title in the 2023–24 season.^[10] As champions, Celje managed to reach the league phase of the 2024–25 UEFA Conference League, their first ever appearance in the main stage of any European competition.^[11] After a moderate performance in the league phase, they reached the quarter-finals of the competition, a feat achieved for the first time by any Slovenian club in a major European club contest.^[12]

Stadium

For most of its early years, the club played at the Glazija Stadium, and also acquired the Skalna Klet after merging with ŽŠD Celje in 1967. As the Glazija Stadium was demolished in the early 1980s, the club permanently moved to the Skalna Klet.^[13] However, the stadium was in poor condition and could not meet UEFA stadium regulations, so the club's officials decided to build a new stadium. In 2003, the main stand of the new Arena Petrol was built. The capacity at the time was 3,600 covered seats. After 2003, three new separate stands were built, and when the last one opened in 2008, the stadium was completed. The current capacity of the stadium is 13,059 seats, of which around 50% are covered.^[14] In July 2017, the stadium was renamed to Stadion Z'dežele.^[15]

Current squad

As of 15 August 2025^[16]

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

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  SVN Žan-Luk Leban 2 DF  ESP Juanjo Nieto 3 DF  SVN Damjan Vuklišević 4 MF  SVN Darko Hrka 5 DF  SVN Gašper Vodeb 6 DF  LTU Artemijus Tutyškinas 8 MF  BIH Mario Kvesić 9 FW  CRO Franko Kovačević 10 FW  SVN Danijel Šturm 11 MF  KOS Milot Avdyli 12 GK  SVN Luka Kolar 13 MF  NGA Papa Daniel 14 FW  SWE Anomnachi Chinasa Chidi

No. Pos. Nation Player 15 DF  ESP David Castro 16 MF  CRO Ivica Vidović 17 MF  SVN Andrej Kotnik 19 MF  SVN Mark Zabukovnik 20 FW  RUS Nikita Iosifov 21 GK  CRO Simon Sluga 23 DF  SVN Žan Karničnik 24 FW  BIH Faris Dževahirić 38 MF  SVN Žan Luka Žužek 44 DF  POL Łukasz Bejger 47 FW  LTU Armandas Kučys 70 DF  FRO Hanus Sørensen 99 FW  SVN Matej Poplatnik

Honours

League

• Slovenian First League (since 1991)
  • Winners (2): 2019–20, 2023–24
  • Runners-up (3): 2002–03, 2014–15, 2022–23
• Slovenian Republic League (prior 1991)
  • Winners (1): 1963–64
  • Runners-up (6): 1936–37, 1950, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1970–71, 1973–74

Cup

• Slovenian Cup (since 1991)
  • Winners (2): 2004–05, 2024–25
  • Runners-up (9): 1992–93, 1994–95, 2002–03, 2005–06, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2020–21
• Slovenian Republic Cup (prior 1991)
  • Winners (1): 1964
• MNZ Celje Cup
  • Runners-up: 1991–92

Domestic league and cup results

Season	League	Position	Pts	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	Cup
1991–92	1. SNL	9	41	40	14	13	13	43	51	Round of 16
1992–93	1. SNL	10	32	34	12	8	14	37	47	Runners-up
1993–94	1. SNL	4	38	30	14	10	6	50	34	Round of 16
1994–95	1. SNL	6	38	30	16	6	8	50	27	Runners-up
1995–96	1. SNL	5	51	36	13	12	11	62	47	Semi-finals
1996–97	1. SNL	4	47	36	12	11	13	55	61	Quarter-finals
1997–98	1. SNL	6	49	36	14	7	15	57	57	Quarter-finals
1998–99	1. SNL	7	42	33	10	12	11	30	35	Round of 16
1999–00	1. SNL	6	47	33	11	14	8	53	45	Quarter-finals
2000–01	1. SNL	5	50	33	15	5	13	59	52	First round
2001–02	1. SNL	6	48	33	14	6	13	50	39	Round of 16
2002–03	1. SNL	2	55	31	15	10	6	57	38	Runners-up
2003–04	1. SNL	10	39	32	11	6	15	61	52	Quarter-finals
2004–05	1. SNL	3	52	32	16	4	12	47	28	Winners
2005–06	1. SNL	6	49	36	15	4	17	48	59	Runners-up
2006–07	1. SNL	7	45	36	11	12	13	54	51	Semi-finals
2007–08	1. SNL	8	45	36	13	6	17	42	51	Quarter-finals
2008–09	1. SNL	4	53	36	15	8	13	48	39	Round of 16
2009–10	1. SNL	5	51	36	14	9	13	53	56	Semi-finals
2010–11	1. SNL	8	37	36	9	10	17	41	55	Round of 16
2011–12	1. SNL	8	37	36	9	10	17	44	56	Runners-up
2012–13	1. SNL	5	49	36	12	13	11	39	39	Runners-up
2013–14	1. SNL	8	37	36	10	7	19	30	58	Quarter-finals
2014–15	1. SNL	2	70	36	20	10	6	58	31	Runners-up
2015–16	1. SNL	5	45	36	11	12	13	32	46	Runners-up
2016–17	1. SNL	5	55	36	15	10	11	48	39	Round of 16
2017–18	1. SNL	5	50	36	14	8	14	56	51	Semi-finals
2018–19	1. SNL	5	49	36	12	13	11	45	51	Round of 16
2019–20	1. SNL	1	69	36	19	12	5	74	36	Quarter-finals
2020–21	1. SNL	7	43	36	12	7	17	36	41	Runners-up
2021–22	1. SNL	8	42	36	12	6	18	46	50	Semi-finals
2022–23	1. SNL	2	67	36	19	10	7	53	34	Quarter-finals
2023–24	1. SNL	1	79	36	24	7	5	75	34	Round of 32
2024–25	1. SNL	4	61	36	17	10	9	76	51	Winners

Key

P – Matches played W – Matches won D – Matches drawn L – Matches lost GF – Goals for GA – Goals against Pts – Points

European record

All results (home and away) list Celje's goal tally first.

Season	Competition	Round	Opposition	Home	Away	Aggregate
1993–94	UEFA Cup Winners' Cup	Qualifying round	Odense BK	0–1	0–0	0–1
1997	UEFA Intertoto Cup	Group stage	Antalyaspor	1–1	—	2nd
			Maccabi Haifa	—	1–0
			Lokomotiv Nizhny Novgorod	1–2	—
			Proleter Zrenjanin	—	0–0
2001	UEFA Intertoto Cup	First round	Aarhus	7–1	0–1	7–2
		Second round	Petržalka	5–0	1–1	6–1
		Third round	Lausanne-Sport	1–1	0–0	1–1 (a)
2003–04	UEFA Cup	Qualifying round	Belasica	7–2	5–0	12–2
		First round	Maccabi Haifa	2–2	1–2	3–4
2004	UEFA Intertoto Cup	First round	Sloboda Tuzla	2–1	0–1	2–2 (a)
2005–06	UEFA Cup	Second qualifying round	Levski Sofia	1–0	0–3	1–3
2012–13	UEFA Europa League	First qualifying round	Dacia Chișinău	0–1	0–1	0–2
2013–14	UEFA Europa League	First qualifying round	Tromsø	0–2	2–1	2–3
2015–16	UEFA Europa League	First qualifying round	Śląsk Wrocław	0–1	1–3	1–4
2020–21[a]	UEFA Champions League	First qualifying round	Dundalk	3–0[b]	—
		Second qualifying round	Molde	1–2	—
	UEFA Europa League	Third qualifying round	Ararat-Armenia	—	0–1[c]	—
2023–24	UEFA Europa Conference League	Second qualifying round	Vitória de Guimarães	3–4	1–0[c]	4–4 (4–2 p)
		Third qualifying round	Neman Grodno	1–0	4–1	5–1
		Play-off round	Maccabi Tel Aviv	1–1	1–4	2–5
2024–25	UEFA Champions League	First qualifying round	Flora	2–1	5–0	7–1
		Second qualifying round	Slovan Bratislava	1–1	0–5	1–6
	UEFA Europa League	Third qualifying round	Shamrock Rovers	1–0	1–3	2–3
	UEFA Conference League	Play-off round	Pyunik	4–1	0–1	4–2
		League phase	Vitória de Guimarães	—	1–3	21st out of 36
			İstanbul Başakşehir	5–1	—
			Real Betis	—	1–2
			Jagiellonia Białystok	3–3	—
			Pafos	—	0–2
			The New Saints	3–2	—
		Knockout phase play-offs	APOEL	2–2	2–0	4–2
		Round of 16	Lugano	1–0	4–5[c]	5–5 (3–1 p)
		Quarter-finals	Fiorentina	1–2	2–2	3–4
2025–26	UEFA Europa League	First qualifying round	Sabah	3–3[c]	3–2	6–5
		Second qualifying round	AEK Larnaca	1–1	1–2	2–3
	UEFA Conference League	Third qualifying round	Lugano	2–4	5–0	7–4
		Play-off round	Baník Ostrava

1. Only one match per qualifying round was played due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2. Celje played their home match at Szusza Ferenc Stadion in Budapest (Hungary) due to travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
3. After extra time.

List of managers

• Bojan Prašnikar (1989–1991)
• Stanko Božičevič (1992)
• Janko Benčina (1992)
• Janez Zavrl (1993–1994)
• Ivan Marković (1994)
• Filip Mendaš (1994)
• Borut Jarc (1994–1996)
• Milovan Tarbuk (1996–1997)
• Stanko Poklepović (1997–1998)
• Edin Osmanović (1998–1999)
• Nikola Ilievski (1999–2000)
• Marijan Pušnik (2000–2004)
• Ivica Matković (2004–2005)
• Marko Pocrnjič (2005)
• Nikola Ilievski (2005–2006)
• Janez Žilnik (2006)
• Pavel Pinni (2007–2008)
• Slaviša Stojanovič (2008–2009)
• Milan Đuričić (2009–2010)
• Damijan Romih (2010)
• Stane Bevc (2010–2011)
• Damijan Romih (2011–2012)
• Marijan Pušnik (2012)
• Miloš Rus (2013–2014)
• Simon Rožman (2014–2015)
• Iztok Kapušin (2015–2016)
• Robert Pevnik (2016)
• Igor Jovićević (2016–2017)
• Tomaž Petrovič (2017)
• Dušan Kosič (2017–2020)
• Jiří Jarošík (2020–2021)
• Agron Šalja (2021)
• Simon Sešlar (2021)
• Simon Rožman (2022)
• Roman Pylypchuk (2022–2023)
• Albert Riera (2023)
• Damir Krznar (2023–2024)
• Albert Riera (2024–present)