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Full name | Football Club VSS Košice | ||
---|---|---|---|
Nickname(s) | žlto-modrí (yellow-blue) VSS | ||
Founded | 1903; 122 years ago (1903) asKassai AC | ||
Dissolved | 27 July 2017; 7 years ago (2017-07-27) | ||
Ground | Lokomotíva Stadium, Košice | ||
Capacity | 9,000 | ||
Chairman | Blažej Podolák | ||
Manager | Jozef Majoroš | ||
2016–17 | 2. Liga, 1st | ||
FC VSS Košice, formerly1. FC Košice, was aSlovakfootball club based inKošice which played in theSlovak 2. Liga during the 2016–17 season. The club officially ceased operations on 27 July 2017.
The club, founded in 1903, has won theSlovak League twice, theSlovak Cup five times and theCzechoslovak Cup once. The most successful eras of the club were in the 1970s and 1990s which they spent mostly in the top tier ofCzechoslovak andSlovak Football. Two of theUEFA Euro 1976 champions namelyDušan Galis andJaroslav Pollák played for 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 theKingdom of Hungary Championship. Later they played in eastern group in Slovak-Subcarpathian division between 1935 and 1938. In1939–40 the club playedHungarian 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 ofWorld 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 theCzechoslovak 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.
Kassai AC and Jednota became VSS in 1952. The team got the name from the Slovak wordStrojári (Engineers, in English), due to the main sponsor being VSS (East-Slovakian Engineering). VSS became a stable member of theCzechoslovak First League and their best placing was second in 1970–71. In 1971 and 1973 VSS qualified for theUEFA Cup. In 1971 they won 2–1 againstSpartak 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 theUEFA Cup. AgainstHonvéd FC they won 1–0 at home and lost 2–5 away. The most successful VSS players includeAndrej Kvašňák,Titus Buberník,Jaroslav Pollák,Dušan Galis (Euro 1976 Champions both),Anton Švajlen,Ján Pivarník,Jozef Bomba, andJozef 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 ofVladimír Mečiar's government in 1994–97) represented the beginning of the end of the "millionaires". Their home stadium was theVšešportový areál.[3][4]
1. FC famously became the first Slovak club to reach the lucrativeUEFA 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 withManchester United in the 1997–98European 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 midfielderMilan Čvirk was killed and strikerAlbert Rusnák was seriously injured in a car crash.[5]
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 beatingArtmedia Petržalka in the final match of the Slovak Cup, in Senec. The match ended in a 3–1 win, with goals scored byMarko Milinković (28th minute),Róbert Cicman (56th minute) andJán Novák (69th minute). The win granted Košice the right to compete in2009-10 UEFA Europa League, which they entered in the Third qualifying round, in which they defeatedFK 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 andSlovan), Košice facedAS Rome, who were the 6th team ofSerie 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 byTotti (the first coming from a controversial penalty) andMenez the away side took a 3–1 lead by 67th minute. HoweverJán 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 forChelsea, 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 againstSlovan Liberec, 0–4 on aggregate.
In June 2015, MFK Košice returned to the name of FC VSS Košice, after being relegated to theSlovak Second Division for 2015–16 season, even the club finished 6th in the2014-15 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 of2015-16 DOXXbet liga with 2 points lead overTatran 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 towardsIvan Đoković, who played for MFK between 2010 and 2012, and had three decisive points deducted from their score in the Championship Group by theSFZ, based on verdict byFIFA.
The club officially ceased operations on 27 July 2017. In August, the club'ssupporters' 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 following clubs were affiliated with VSS Košice:
The stadium is in the Čermeľ district, a multi-use stadium inKošice,Slovakia. It is currently used mostly for football matches as the home ground of VSS Košice since 1997. The stadium holds 10,787 (8,787 seated) spectators and was built in 1970. Initially, the stadium had been used byLokomotíva Košice, while 1.FC Košice (now VSS) have played there since 1997. TheSlovakia national football team has hosted a few matches at this stadium which now no longer meetsUEFA criteria for international games.
The club planned construction of the new stadium for 13,000 spectators in neighbourhood of demolishedVšešportový areál stadium.[9] The estimated cost of the stadium is€18.5 million.[10] The owner od stadium is Košická Futbalová aréna (KFA), city ofKošice 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]
VSS Košice's most important rivalry is withFC Lokomotíva Košice. The match between them is called, Košické Derby (Košice Derby). VSS Košice and Lokomotíva Košice are both among historically the most successful football teams in the country. The next biggest rivalry is with1. FC Tatran Prešov. Matches between these two clubs are referred to as the Východniarske derby (Eastern Slovak derby). They also have rivalries withŠK Slovan Bratislava,FC Spartak Trnava andMŠK Žilina. VSS Košice supporters are calledViva Košice. VSS Košice supporters maintain friendly relations with fans ofMFK Zemplín Michalovce, CzechSparta Prague andSlavia Sofia.[12]
Club name | Period |
---|---|
Kassai Athletikai Club (KAC) | 1903–08 |
Merged with Kassai Sport Egyesület, renamed Kassai Atlétikai Sport Egyesület (KASE) | 1908–11 |
Merged with Jogász Sport Egyesület | 1911–18 |
SK Sparta Košice | 1918–38 |
Kassai Atlétikai Club (KAC) | 1938–42 |
Merged with Kassai Rákóczi SE, renamed Kassai Rákóczi Atlétikai Club | 1942–45 |
Disbanded and then refounded as SK Jednota Košice | 1945–52 |
TJ Spartak VSS | 1952–56 |
TJ Spartak | 1956–57 |
TJ Jednota | 1957–62 |
TJ VSS | 1962–79 |
ZŤS | 1979–90 |
ŠK Unimex Jednota VSS | 1990–92 |
1. FC | 1992–04 |
MFK | 2005–15 |
FC VSS | 2015–17 |
Note: The club played 2004–05 season asSteel Trans Ličartovce reserve squad.
TheCzechoslovak League top scorer from 1944–45 until 1992–93. Since the 1993–94Slovak League Top scorer.
|
Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
---|---|---|
1996–1997 | lotto | VSŽ |
1997–1998 | Nike | |
1998–1999 | Kappa | VSŽ Holding |
1999–2000 | Omini | |
2000–2001 | Nike | none |
2001–2002 | Erreà | |
2002–2003 | Nike | |
2003–2004 | RSC | |
2004–2005 | Jako | STEEL TRANS |
2005–2007 | Puma | |
2007–2008 | Adidas | |
2008–2009 | Umbro | |
2009–2012 | Givova | |
2012–2014 | Nike | |
2014–2016 | Jako | |
2016-2017 | none |
source[13]
VSS have produced numerous players who have gone on to represent theSlovak national football team. Over the last period there has been a steady increase of young players leaving Košice after a few years of first team football and moving on to play football in leagues of a higher standard, with theCzech First League (Szilárd Németh andMiroslav Sovič toAC Sparta Prague,Vladimír Labant,Dávid Škutka andMatúš Kozáčik toSK Slavia Prague,Kamil Čontofalský toBohemians 1905 in 1999;Marek Špilár toFC Baník Ostrava in 2000), GreeceSuperleague (Vladimír Janočko toXanthi in 2000), German2. Bundesliga (Jozef Kožlej toSpVgg Greuther Fürth in 1998),Israel League (Ruslan Lyubarskyi toMaccabi Netanya F.C. in 2000), PolishEkstraklasa (Ondrej Duda toLegia Warsaw in 2014), PortugalPrimeira Liga (Uroš Matić toS.L. Benfica in 2013). The top transfer was agreed in 2009 whenNemanja Matić joined EnglishFC Chelsea for a fee of€1.75 million,.[14]
Rank | Player | To | Fee | Year |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | ![]() | ![]() | €1.75 million | 2009[14] |
2. | ![]() | ![]() | €1.3 million (35mil.CZK) | 1997[15] |
3. | ![]() | ![]() | €0.35 million* | 2011[16] |
![]() | ![]() | €0.35 million* | 2014[17] |
*-unofficial fee
Rank | Player | From | Fee | Year |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | ![]() | ![]() | €0.7 million (20milSKK)* | 1997[18] |
1. | ![]() | ![]() | €0.7 million (20milSKK)* | 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 (![]() | ? |
1994–95 | 1st(Mars Superliga) | 2/(12) | 32 | 15 | 7 | 10 | 54 | 42 | 50 | Quarter-finals | UI | Group 10 (2nd) | ![]() |
1995–96 | 1st (Mars Superliga) | 2/(12) | 32 | 21 | 2 | 9 | 62 | 33 | 65 | 1st round | UC | PR (![]() | ![]() |
1996–97 | 1st (Mars Superliga) | 1/(16) | 30 | 21 | 7 | 2 | 61 | 19 | 70 | 1st round | UC | 1QR (![]() | ![]() |
1997–98 | 1st (Mars Superliga) | 1/(16) | 30 | 21 | 5 | 4 | 71 | 24 | 68 | Runners-up | CL | Group stage (Group B,4th) | ![]() |
1998–99 | 1st (Mars Superliga) | 4/(16) | 30 | 19 | 4 | 7 | 51 | 26 | 61 | 2nd Round | CL UC | 2QR (![]() 1R ( ![]() | ![]() |
1999–00 | 1st (Mars Superliga) | 2/(16) | 30 | 19 | 4 | 7 | 57 | 31 | 61 | Runners-up | ![]() | ||
2000–01 | 1st (Mars Superliga) | 9/(10) | 36 | 10 | 7 | 19 | 42 | 61 | 37 | 1st Round | UC | 1R (![]() | ![]() |
2001–02 | 1st (Mars Superliga) | 9/(10) | 36 | 6 | 13 | 17 | 30 | 62 | 31 | 1st Round | ![]() | ||
2002–03 | 1st (Slovak Super Liga) | 10/(10) | 36 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 41 | 64 | 30 | 2nd Round | ![]() | ||
2003–04 | 2nd (1. Liga) | 16/(16) | 30 | 4 | 5 | 21 | 36 | 75 | 17 | 1st Round | ? | ||
2004–05 | 3rd (2. Liga) | Did not enter | ![]() | ||||||||||
2005–06 | 2nd (1. Liga) | 1/(16) | 30 | 23 | 4 | 3 | 67 | 12 | 73 | 2nd Round | ![]() | ||
2006–07 | 1st (Corgoň Liga) | 5/(12) | 28 | 10 | 5 | 13 | 31 | 35 | 35 | 2nd Round | ![]() | ||
2007–08 | 1st (Corgoň Liga) | 6/(12) | 33 | 13 | 6 | 14 | 45 | 44 | 45 | Semi-finals | ![]() | ||
2008–09 | 1st (Corgoň Liga) | 4/(12) | 33 | 14 | 10 | 9 | 48 | 42 | 52 | Winner | ![]() | ||
2009–10 | 1st (Corgoň Liga) | 11/(12) | 33 | 8 | 9 | 13 | 32 | 57 | 33 | Quarter-finals | EL | P-O (![]() | ![]() |
2010–11 | 1st (Corgoň Liga) | 10/(12) | 33 | 8 | 9 | 16 | 28 | 44 | 33 | 2nd Round | ![]() | ||
2011–12 | 1st (Corgoň Liga) | 11/(12) | 33 | 6 | 11 | 16 | 25 | 40 | 29 | Quarter-finals | ![]() | ||
2012–13 | 1st (Corgoň Liga) | 5/(12) | 33 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 38 | 33 | 47 | Quarter-finals | ![]() | ||
2013–14 | 1st (Corgoň Liga) | 5/(12) | 33 | 13 | 7 | 13 | 41 | 40 | 46 | Winners | ![]() | ||
2014–15 | 1st (Fortuna Liga) | 6/(12)1 | 33 | 11 | 8 | 14 | 43 | 48 | 41 | Quarter-finals | EL | 2QR (![]() | ![]() |
2015–16 | 2nd (DOXXbet liga) | 2/(24) | 30 | 18 | 5 | 7 | 48 | 23 | 562 | Quarter-finals | ![]() | ||
2016–17 | 2nd (DOXXbet liga) | 1/(24) | 30 | 19 | 4 | 7 | 40 | 27 | 61 | 3rd Round | ![]() |
1 MFK Košice did not obtain a licence for the 2015–16 season2 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 | ![]() | 2–3 | 2–1 | 0–2 |
1973–74 | UEFA Cup | 1st. Round | ![]() | 3–5 | 1–0 | 2–5 |
1993–94 | Cup Winners' Cup | Qualifying | ![]() | 3–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 |
1st. Round | ![]() | 2–3 | 2–1 | 0–2 | ||
1995 | UEFA Intertoto Cup | Group Stage | ![]() | — | 1–1 | — |
![]() | — | — | 5–3 | |||
![]() | — | 3–2 | — | |||
![]() | — | — | 1–1 | |||
1995–96 | UEFA Cup | Preliminary | ![]() | 1–3 | 0–1 | 1–2 |
1996–97 | UEFA Cup | Preliminary | ![]() | 6–2 | 2–1 | 4–1 |
Qualifying | ![]() | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–1 | ||
1997–98 | Champions League | 1st. Qualifying | ![]() | 4–0 | 3–0 | 1–0 |
2nd. Qualifying | ![]() | 2–1 | 2–1 | 0–0 | ||
Group Stage | ![]() | 4th | 0–3 | 0–3 | ||
![]() | 0–1 | 2–3 | ||||
![]() | 0–1 | 0–2 | ||||
1998–99 | Champions League | 1st. Qualifying | ![]() | 13–1 | 8–0 | 5–1 |
2nd. Qualifying | ![]() | 1–2 | 0–2 | 1–0 | ||
UEFA Cup | 1st. Round | ![]() | 0–8 | 0–3 | 0–5 | |
2000–01 | UEFA Cup | Qualifying | ![]() | 4–3 | 1–1 | 3–2 |
1st. Round | ![]() | 2–3 | 2–3 | 0–0 | ||
2009–10 | Europa League | 3rd. Qualifying | ![]() | 5–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 |
Play-off | ![]() | 4–10 | 3–3 | 1–7 | ||
2014–15 | Europa League | 2nd. Qualifying | ![]() | 0–4 | 0–1 | 0–3 |
Competition | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Champions League | 14 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 22 | 17 | +5 |
Europa League | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 11 | −2 |
UEFA Cup | 16 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 18 | 28 | −10 |
Cup Winners' Cup | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 |
UEFA Intertoto Cup | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 7 | +3 |
Total | 42 | 18 | 7 | 17 | 64 | 67 | –3 |
Key –Pld: Played,W: Won,D: Drawn,L: Lost,GF: Goals For,GA: Goals Against,GD: Goal Difference.
Season | Competition | Round | Opponent | Home leg | Away leg |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1964–65 | Intertoto Cup | Group B3 | ![]() | 4–2 | 0–3 |
![]() | 0–0 | 3–0 | |||
![]() | 3–2 | 1–1 | |||
1965–66 | Intertoto Cup | Group B2 | ![]() | 0–3 | 0–1 |
![]() | 4–3 | 0–3 | |||
![]() | 2–7 | 2–0 | |||
1966–67 | Intertoto Cup | Group B5 | ![]() | 1–3 | 4–0 |
![]() | 3–0 | 0–6 | |||
![]() | 2–0 | 2–2 | |||
1967 | Intertoto Cup | Group B6 | ![]() | 0–0 | 2–1 |
![]() | 4–0 | 1–1 | |||
![]() | 3–1 | 1–1 | |||
1968 | Intertoto Cup | Group B4 | ![]() | 2–3 | 2–0 |
![]() | 1–0 | 3–2 | |||
![]() | 1–0 | 3–1 | |||
1969 | Intertoto Cup | Group 8 | ![]() | 0–4 | 4–0 |
![]() | 2–1 | 1–1 | |||
![]() | 3–1 | 4–0 | |||
1970 | Intertoto Cup | Group A5 | ![]() | 0–1 | 2–0 |
![]() | 1–1 | 3–0 | |||
![]() | 4–1 | 2–0 | |||
1974 | Intertoto Cup | Group 9 | ![]() | 1–1 | 1–3 |
![]() | 6–1 | 3–1 | |||
![]() | 6–0 | 2–2 | |||
1976 | Intertoto Cup | Group 11 | ![]() | 0–1 | 0–2 |
![]() | 1–2 | 2–3 | |||
![]() | 2–0 | 1–0 |
MFK Košice B was the reserve team of MFK Košice. They recently played in theSlovak 3. Liga (Eastern division), with their best performance being inSlovak Second Division. MFK Košice "B" played home matches at Barca stadium, near Košice. MFK Košice"B" stopped functioning before 2014/2015 season.
# | Nat. | Name | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | Ján Strausz | 115 |
2 | ![]() | Dušan Galis | 59 |
2 | ![]() | Ján Novák | 59 |
4 | ![]() | Jozef Kožlej | 52 |
5 | ![]() | Róbert Semeník | 43 |
Had international caps for their respective countries. Players whose name is listed inbold represented their countries while playing for the club.
Past players who are the subjects of Wikipedia articles can be foundhere.
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