FC Koper

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Slovenian football club

title: "FC Koper" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["fc-koper", "1920-establishments-in-slovenia", "association-football-clubs-established-in-1920", "football-clubs-in-slovenia", "football-clubs-in-yugoslavia", "sport-in-koper"] description: "Slovenian football club" topic_path: "sports" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FC_Koper" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Slovenian football club ::

| clubname = Koper | image = FC Koper.png | image_size = 200px | fullname = Football Club Koper | short name = | nickname = Kanarčki (The Canaries) Rumeno-modri (The Yellow and Blues) | founded = (as Circolo sportivo Capodistriano) | ground = Bonifika | capacity = 4,047 | chrtitle = President | chairman = Ante Guberac | mgrtitle = Head coach | manager = Zoran Zeljković | league = Slovenian PrvaLiga | season = 2024–25 | position = Slovenian PrvaLiga, 3rd of 10 | pattern_la1 =_koper2425h | pattern_b1 =_koper2425h | pattern_ra1 =_koper2425h | pattern_sh1 =_koper2425h | pattern_so1 = | leftarm1 = FFF200 | body1 = FFF200 | rightarm1 = FFF200 | shorts1 = 0055FF | socks1 = FFF200 | pattern_la2 =_macronwyverneco24ws | pattern_b2 =_macronwyverneco24ws | pattern_ra2 =_macronwyverneco24ws | pattern_sh2 = | pattern_so2 = | leftarm2 = FFFFFF | body2 = FFFFFF | rightarm2 = FFFFFF | shorts2 = FFFFFF | socks2 = FFFFFF | pattern_la3 =_macronwyverneco24ba | pattern_b3 =_macronwyverneco24ba | pattern_ra3 =_macronwyverneco24ba | pattern_sh3 = | pattern_so3 = | leftarm3 = 000000 | body3 = 000000 | rightarm3 = 000000 | shorts3 = 000000 | socks3 = 000000 | website =

Football Club Koper, commonly referred to as FC Koper or simply Koper, is a Slovenian football club based in Koper that competes in the Slovenian First League, the top flight of Slovenian football. The club was founded in 1920. They won the Slovenian First League once, in the 2009–10 season, and the Slovenian Cup four times, most recently in 2021–22.

The club's home ground is Bonifika Stadium, which has a capacity for 4,047 spectators.

History

The club was formed as Circolo sportivo Capodistriano in 1920. The team was made up of students, workers and fishermen. Its colours were black and white. In 1928, the club was renamed as Unione sportiva Capodistriana. Six years later, the club was renamed as Libertas.

After World War II, the club became part of a larger sports association and renamed as Aurora. By 1948, there were five clubs operating in the Koper area: Aurora, Meduza, Partizan, Edilit, and Adria. In 1955, Aurora and Meduza merged, creating NK Koper. The club played under this name in different Yugoslav leagues until 1991 and was one of the most successful Slovenian clubs. After Slovenia's independence, the club played in the Slovenian PrvaLiga. At the beginning of the 1990s, the club was achieving mid-table success. By the end of the 1990s, the club had been relegated to the second division twice, had serious financial problems, and renamed as FC Koper. With the advent of the new millennium, Koper consistently achieved positions in the upper half of the table. In 2002, they competed in the 2002 UEFA Intertoto Cup, their first international competition. Two years of mid-table anonymity and significant financial difficulties followed, in part because the former owner, Georg Suban, left substantial debts to the club and took half of the team with him when he moved to the other Slovenian PrvaLiga team, Mura.

The fans took control of the club and tried to improve its finances to save it from going bankrupt like three other major Slovenian clubs (Olimpija, Mura and Ljubljana), with reasonable success. In the 2005–06 season, Mladen Rudonja returned to the club and brought with him the Serbian-American businessman Milan Mandarić, who paid off all the remaining debts. After the first half of the season, before the arrival of the new patron, Koper was battling against relegation, but in the second part of the season, with a new coach, Milivoj Bračun, the club started an unbeaten run that led them to reach the third place in the Slovenian PrvaLiga and to win the Slovenian Cup for the first time. This also qualified the team to play in the UEFA Cup qualifying rounds in the 2006–07 season. The following seasons were more difficult, with the club narrowly avoiding relegation in 2009. In the 2009–10 season, the team was expanded and, under the leadership of veteran player Miran Pavlin, eventually won the Slovenian PrvaLiga championship for the first time, securing a place in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers, where they were defeated by Dinamo Zagreb 5–4 on aggregate (1–5, 3–0). In the aftermath, Pavlin left the club.

Following the 2016–17 season, Koper failed to obtain a competition licence and was excluded from the Slovenian top division.

Name changes

  • 1920: Formed as Circolo sportivo Capodistriano
  • 1928: Renamed as Unione sportiva Capodistriana
  • 1946: Renamed as Aurora Koper
  • 1955: Merger of Aurora Koper and Meduza Koper to form NK Koper
  • 1990: Renamed as FC Koper Capodistria
  • 2001: Renamed as Sport Line Koper (sponsorship)
  • 2005: Renamed as FC Anet Koper (sponsorship)
  • 2008: Renamed as FC Luka Koper (sponsorship)
  • 2017: Renamed as FC Koper

Stadium

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a0/Koper_-_Bonifika_Stadium.jpg" caption="Bonifika Stadium"] ::

Main article: Bonifika Stadium

Bonifika Stadium is the team's home ground, named after the area where it is situated in the town of Koper. The stadium was built in 1948. In 2010, the stadium underwent extensive reconstruction and its current capacity is 4,047 seats.

Current squad

Out on loan

Honours

Yugoslavia

League

Cup

Slovenia

League

Cup

Domestic league and cup results

In Yugoslavia

  • 1947–48: 4th (STO League)
  • 1948–49: 1st (STO League)
  • 1949–50: 3rd (STO League)
  • 1950–51: 3rd (STO League)
  • 1951–52: 4th (STO League)
  • 1952–53: 1st (STO League)
  • 1953–54: 4th (Slovenian Republic League)
  • 1954–55: 6th (Slovenian Republic League)
  • 1955–56: 9th (Ljubljana-Littoral League)
  • 1956–57: 2nd (Littoral League)
  • 1957–58: 1st (Littoral League)
  • 1958–59: 5th (Littoral League)
  • 1959–60: 3rd (Littoral League)
  • 1960–61: 2nd (Koper Subassociation League)
  • 1961–62: 2nd (Koper Subassociation League)
  • 1962–63: 1st (Koper Subassociation League)
  • 1963–64: 1st (Koper Subassociation League)
  • 1964–65: 1st (Slovenian Regional League – West)
  • 1965–66: 12th (Slovenian Republic League)
  • 1966–67: 1st (Slovenian Regional League – West)
  • 1967–68: 6th (Slovenian Republic League)
  • 1968–69: 11th (Slovenian Republic League)
  • 1969–70: 3rd (Slovenian Regional League – West)
  • 1970–71: 1st (Slovenian Regional League – West)
  • 1971–72: 5th (Slovenian Republic League)
  • 1972–73: 10th (Slovenian Republic League)
  • 1973–74: 7th (Slovenian Republic League)
  • 1974–75: 14th (Slovenian Republic League)
  • 1975–76: 10th (Slovenian Regional League – West)
  • 1976–77: 3rd (Koper Subassociation League)
  • 1977–78: no senior team in league system
  • 1978–79: no senior team in league system
  • 1979–80: 1st (Slovenian Regional League – West)
  • 1980–81: 9th (Slovenian Republic League)
  • 1981–82: 11th (Slovenian Republic League)
  • 1982–83: 4th (Slovenian Republic League)
  • 1983–84: 4th (Slovenian Republic League)
  • 1984–85: 1st (Slovenian Republic League)
  • 1985–86: 18th (Yugoslav Second League)
  • 1986–87: 2nd (Slovenian Republic League)
  • 1987–88: 1st (Slovenian Republic League)
  • 1988–89: 5th (Yugoslav Inter-Republic League)
  • 1989–90: 14th (Yugoslav Inter-Republic League)
  • 1990–91: 12th (Yugoslav Inter-Republic League)

In Slovenia

::data[format=table]

SeasonLeaguePositionPtsPWDLGFGACup
1991–921. SNL843401513123833Round of 16
1992–931. SNL835341113104145Round of 16
1993–941. SNL73230111094338First round
1994–951. SNL11↓263098132434First round
1995–962. SNL6↑4129118103330Round of 16
1996–971. SNL10↓313687212861did not qualify
1997–982. SNL2↑683020827520First round
1998–991. SNL11↓323388173461did not qualify
1999–20002. SNL1↑723022627621Round of 16
2000–011. SNL646331210114343did not qualify
2001–021. SNL35633151174526Round of 16
2002–031. SNL54531129104141First round
2003–041. SNL45032131184132Round of 16
2004–051. SNL11363299143841Round of 16
2005–061. SNL35736169114939Winners
2006–071. SNL645361015115146Winners
2007–081. SNL26436181086850Semi-finals
2008–091. SNL842361012143947Runners-up
2009–101. SNL17336211055935Round of 16
2010–111. SNL36036179105743Semi-finals
2011–121. SNL458361610104835Quarter-finals
2012–131. SNL45536141395242Quarter-finals
2013–141. SNL2693621695236First round
2014–151. SNL84036124203558Winners
2015–161. SNL84036117184054Quarter-finals
2016–171. SNL6↓50361214104340Round of 16
2017–18Littoral League1↑652321201182Round of 16
2018–193. SNL1↑7128232311115Quarter-finals
2019–202. SNL1↑442013524213Quarter-finals
2020–211. SNL94236119164156Semi-finals
2021–221. SNL26736191075438Winners
2022–231. SNL65036148144640Quarter-finals
2023–241. SNL548361212125149Quarter-finals
2024–251. SNL3663619986035Runners-up
::

;Key

  • P – Matches played
  • W – Matches won
  • D – Matches drawn
  • L – Matches lost
  • GF – Goals for
  • GA – Goals against
  • Pts – Points ::data[format=table] | Winners | Runners-up | Promoted ↑ | Relegated ↓ | |---|---|---|---| ::

Record in UEFA competitions

All results (home and away) list Koper's goal tally first. ::data[format=table]

SeasonCompetitionRoundClubHomeAwayAgg.
2002Intertoto Cup1RSWE Helsingborgs IF0–00–10–1
2003Intertoto Cup1RCRO Zagreb1–02–23–2
2RSVK Dubnica1–02–33–3 (a)
3RGRE Egaleo2–23–25–4
SFNED Heerenveen1–00–21–2
2006–07UEFA Cup1QBUL Litex Lovech0–10–50–6
2007–08UEFA Cup1QBIH Široki Brijeg2–31–33–6
2008–09UEFA Cup1QALB Vllaznia1–20–0
2010–11UEFA Champions League2QCRO Dinamo Zagreb3–01–5
2011–12UEFA Europa League1QKAZ Shakhter Karagandy1–11–2
2014–15UEFA Europa League1QMNE Čelik Nikšić4–05–09–0
2QAZE Neftchi Baku0–22–12–3
2015–16UEFA Europa League1QISL Víkingur Reykjavík2–21–03–2
2QCRO Hajduk Split3–21–44–6
2022–23UEFA Europa Conference League2QLIE Vaduz0–11–11–2
2025–26UEFA Conference League1QBIH Željezničar3–11–14–2
2QNOR Viking3–50–73–12
::

;Key

  • 1Q: First qualifying round
  • 2Q: Second qualifying round
  • 1R: First round
  • 2R: Second round
  • 3R: Third round
  • SF: Semi-final

References

References

  1. "Klubi". [[Football Association of Slovenia]].
  2. "Zgodovina". FC Koper.
  3. "Slovenia – List of Cup Finals".
  4. "Slovenia – List of Champions".
  5. "Koper–Dinamo Zagreb 2011 History {{!}} UEFA Champions League". UEFA.
  6. (1 June 2017). "Licenčna komisija za pritožbe sprejela odločitev o pritožbi FC Koper". [[Football Association of Slovenia]].
  7. R. K.. (1 June 2017). "Koper dokončno brez licence, v prvi ligi Aluminij in Ankaran". [[RTV Slovenija]].
  8. (28 July 2005). "Koprski nogometaši dobili novega pokrovitelja". [[Slovenian Press Agency]].
  9. (16 September 2008). "FC Koper odslej FC Luka Koper". [[Slovenian Press Agency]].
  10. "Stadion". FC Koper.
  11. Maver, Rok. (28 July 2010). "Prenovljeni stadion bo v obliki črke L". [[Primorske novice]].
  12. "Prva ekipa". FC Koper.
  13. "NK Maribor: Zgodovina (sezona 1988/89)". [[NK Maribor]].
  14. "NK Maribor: Zgodovina (sezona 1989/90)". [[NK Maribor]].
  15. "NK Maribor: Zgodovina (sezona 1990/91)". [[NK Maribor]].
  16. (14 July 2017). "Koper poražen na CAS". Nogomania.
  17. (11 May 2020). "Zadeva: Zaključek tekmovanja v 2. Slovenski nogometni ligi v sezoni 2019/2020". [[Football Association of Slovenia]].

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fc-koper1920-establishments-in-sloveniaassociation-football-clubs-established-in-1920football-clubs-in-sloveniafootball-clubs-in-yugoslaviasport-in-koper