HNK Rijeka

Hrvatski nogometni klub Rijeka (English: Croatian Football Club Rijeka), commonly referred to as HNK Rijeka or simply Rijeka, is a Croatian professional football club from the city of Rijeka.

Rijeka
Full nameHrvatski nogometni klub Rijeka
(Croatian Football Club Rijeka)
Nickname(s)Riječki bijeli (Rijeka's Whites)
Short nameRJK
Founded29 July 1946 (1946-07-29), as Sportsko Društvo Kvarner / Società Sportiva Quarnero
GroundStadion Rujevica
Capacity8,279[1]
OwnerDamir Mišković, via Teanna Limited (70%)
City of Rijeka (30%)
ChairmanDamir Mišković
ManagerSimon Rožman
LeaguePrva HNL
2019–20Prva HNL, 3rd
WebsiteClub website

HNK Rijeka compete in Croatia's top division, HT Prva liga, of which they have been members since its foundation in 1992. During the reconstruction of Stadion Kantrida, their traditional home ground, Rijeka play their home matches at Stadion Rujevica. Rijeka's traditional home colours are all white.

The club was founded on 29 July 1946 as Sportsko Društvo Kvarner (Croatian) / Società Sportiva Quarnero (Italian).[2] The club's official name was changed to Nogometni Klub Rijeka on 2 July 1954.[3] In the summer of 1995, the club management added the adjective hrvatski (English: Croatian) to the official name. Rijeka are the third-most successful Croatian football club, having won one Croatian First Football League title, two Yugoslav Cups, six Croatian Football Cups, one Croatian Football Super Cup and the 1977–78 Balkans Cup.

History

Origins

The club was founded as SD Kvarner / SS Quarnero on 29 July 1946, after Rijeka (known by its Italian name Fiume until 1945) was ceded from Italy to Yugoslavia following the end of World War II. The club was named after the Bay of Kvarner and the broader Kvarner region, in which Rijeka is the administrative centre. The club's roots can be traced back to 1926, the founding of U.S. Fiumana, which competed at various levels of the Italian Football Championship, including a season in the top tier competition (Divisione Nazionale) in 1928. The two clubs used the same grounds (Stadion Kantrida) and eight U.S. Fiumana players later played for Kvarner.[4]

1946–1991

During the early period in Yugoslavia, Kvarner had moderate success in various Yugoslav and local club championships. They were relegated at the end of their inaugural season in the Yugoslav First League in 1946–47. Kvarner changed its name to NK Rijeka on 2 July 1954 and returned to the First League in 1958.[3] Rijeka remained in the top tier for 11 consecutive seasons until 1969, when they were once again relegated to the Yugoslav Second League.[3] Despite finishing on top in four (out of five) seasons in the second tier, due to three failed qualifying attempts, the club only gained promotion back to the top tier in 1974. With varying success, Rijeka remained in top tier until the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991.[3] The club's greatest success during this period involved back-to-back Yugoslav Cup titles in 1978 and 1979. Rijeka were also a Cup runner-up in 1987, when they lost the final after a penalty shoot-out.[5] Rijeka never finished higher than the fourth place in the Yugoslav First League. In 1984, the club came closest to their first championship title, finishing only two points behind Red Star Belgrade. Rijeka were also the best placed Croatian club in the Yugoslav First League in 1965, 1984 and 1987.[6]

Rijeka in the 1. HNL
Players and staff celebrating their 2006 Croatian Cup win

Following the breakup of Yugoslavia, in 1992 Rijeka joined the Croatian First Football League in its inaugural season. Rijeka remain one of only four founding member clubs to never have been relegated. In terms of greatest successes in this period, the club won its first-ever league title in 2017, ending Dinamo Zagreb's run of 11 successive titles.[7] Rijeka has also won six Croatian Cups, including back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006, in 2014, in 2017, which helped them secure the historic Double, and most recently in 2019 and 2020.[8] In the final round of the 1998–99 season, a refereeing error denied Rijeka their first championship title. With one match to play, Rijeka were one point ahead of Croatia Zagreb, needing a home win against Osijek to secure the title. With the match tied at 1–1, in the 89th minute, Rijeka forward Admir Hasančić converted a cross by Barnabás Sztipánovics. However, moments later, assistant referee Krečak raised his flag and referee Šupraha disallowed Rijeka's winning goal for an alleged offside.[9] Following an investigation, 3D analysis revealed Hasančić was not, in fact, in an offside position, and that Rijeka were wrongfully denied their first championship title.[10][11] An investigation by Nacional revealed Franjo Tuđman, the president of the Republic of Croatia and an ardent Croatia Zagreb supporter, earlier in 1999 ordered the country's intelligence agencies to spy on football referees, officials and journalists, with the aim of ensuring the Zagreb club wins the league title.[11]

Europe

Rijeka participated in UEFA competitions on 19 occasions, including seven consecutive appearances since 2013–14. The greatest success was the quarter-final of the 1979–80 European Cup Winners' Cup, where they lost to Italian giants Juventus 2–0 on aggregate.[12] The most memorable result in Europe was the home win (3–1) against eventual winners Real Madrid in the 1984–85 UEFA Cup.[13] Controversially, in the return leg at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, which Rijeka lost 3–0, three of their players were sent off. Madrid scored their first goal from a doubtful penalty in the 67th minute with Rijeka already down to ten men. Over the next ten minutes, two additional Rijeka players were sent off, most notably Damir Desnica. While Desnica received the first yellow card because he did not stop play after Schoeters blew his whistle, the second yellow was issued because he allegedly insulted the referee. However, unbeknownst to the referee, Desnica had been a deaf-mute since birth.[6] With Rijeka reduced to eight players, Madrid scored two additional goals, progressed to the next round and eventually won the trophy.

In 2013, after winning 4–3 on aggregate against VfB Stuttgart, Rijeka qualified for the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League group stage.[14][15] Rijeka also participated in the 2014–15 UEFA Europa League group stage, where they defeated Feyenoord and Standard Liège and drew with title-holders and eventual winners Sevilla.[16][17][18] In 2017, Rijeka reached the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League play-off, where they lost 3–1 on aggregate to Greek champions Olympiacos, and automatically qualified for the 2017–18 UEFA Europa League group stage. In the group stage they recorded a famous home win (2–0) against AC Milan but once again failed to progress to the knockout stages.[19]

Private ownership

In February 2012, Gabriele Volpi – an Italian businessman and the founder of Orlean Invest, as well as the owner of football club Spezia and water polo club Pro Recco – injected much needed capital into the club. With the privatization process complete by September 2013, Volpi, through Dutch-based Stichting Social Sport Foundation, became the owner of 70% of the club, with the City of Rijeka in control of the remaining 30%.[20][21] On 29 December 2017 it was announced that chairman Damir Mišković, through London-based Teanna Limited, acquired the majority stake in the club from Stichting Social Sport Foundation.[22][23]

Record transfer

In January 2015, Rijeka sold their star striker Andrej Kramarić to Leicester City for a club-record £9.7 million transfer fee.[24]

Stadium
Main articles: Stadion Kantrida and Stadion Rujevica

Until July 2015, Rijeka were based at Stadion Kantrida, their traditional home ground for over 60 years. With Kantrida awaiting demolition and reconstruction, since August 2015, Rijeka have been based at the newly built Stadion Rujevica, an all-seater with the capacity of 8,279. Stadion Rujevica is part of Rijeka's new training centre and serves as the club's temporary home ground. Following the demolition of old Kantrida, a new, state-of-the art, 14,600-capacity all-seater stadium will be built at the same location. In addition to the stadium, the investors are planning to build a commercial complex that will include a shopping mall and a hotel.[25]

Support
Main article: Armada Rijeka

Rijeka's ultras group are called Armada Rijeka, or simply Armada. The group has been active since 1987.

During most home matches, the majority of the seats are occupied by season ticket holders. For the 2017–18 season the club had 5,922 season ticket holders and 8,403 members.

Rivalries
Further information: Adriatic derby, Dinamo–Rijeka derby, and Derby della Učka

Rijeka's greatest rivalry is with Hajduk Split. Since 1946, the Adriatic derby is contested between the two most popular Croatian football clubs from the Adriatic coast, Rijeka and Hajduk. Other rivalries exist with Dinamo Zagreb and, at the regional level, with Istra Pula. The origins of the Rijeka–Pula rivalry date back to the clashes between Fiumana and Grion Pola since the late 1920s.

Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors
Period Kit manufacturer Shirt partner
1998–1999 Adidas INA
1999–2002 Kronos
2002–2003 Torpedo
2003–2004 Lero
2004–2005 Legea
2005–2006 INA
2006–2008 Kappa Croatia Osiguranje
2008–2012 Jako
2012–2014 Lotto  –
2014–2016 Jako
2017–2018 Sava Osiguranje
2018– Joma

Players

Current squad
As of 15 August 2020[26]

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  NGA David Nwolokor
2 DF  CRO Filip Braut
3 DF  CRO Niko Galešić
4 DF  CRO Nino Galović
6 MF  CRO Ivan Lepinjica
7 MF  CRO Robert Murić
8 MF  CRO Tibor Halilović
9 FW  MKD Milan Ristovski
10 MF  CRO Domagoj Pavičić
11 FW  CTA Sterling Yateke (on loan from Austria Wien)
14 DF  MKD Darko Velkovski
17 FW  CRO Antonio Čolak
19 MF  CRO Franko Andrijašević (on loan from Gent)
No. Pos. Nation Player
20 DF  MNE Momčilo Raspopović
24 DF  CRO Daniel Štefulj
25 GK  CRO Ivor Pandur
26 DF  POR João Escoval
27 DF  CRO Ivan Tomečak
30 MF  ESP Dani Iglesias
31 MF  CRO Luka Capan
32 GK  CRO Andrej Prskalo
36 DF  CRO Hrvoje Smolčić
40 DF  BIH Jasmin Čeliković
44 MF  BIH Stjepan Lončar
— DF  CRO Ennio Travaglia
— FW  CRO Matej Vuk

Out on loan
As of 11 August 2020

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK  CRO Ivan Nevistić (at TBC)
— DF  CRO Petar Mamić (at TBC)
— DF  CRO Ivan Smolčić (at Orijent 1919)
No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF  CRO Denis Bušnja (at Sered')
— MF  CRO Adrian Liber (at Orijent 1919)
— FW  CRO Tomislav Turčin (at TBC)

Youth system
Main article: HNK Rijeka Academy

Club officials and technical staff
Position Staff
Chairman Damir Mišković
Vice-chairman Dean Šćulac
Zlatan Hreljac
Managing director Luka Ivančić
Administrative director Marina Vela
Director of finance Marina Cesarac Dorčić
Director of communications Alen Fućak
Director of football Srećko Juričić
Director of football (assistant) Ivan Mance
Academy director Edo Flego
Club secretary Milica Alavanja
Press secretary Sandra Nešić
Power of attorney Vlatko Vrkić
Manager Simon Rožman
Assistant manager Aleš Kačičnik
Team manager Alen Rivetti
Performance analyst Rade Ljepojević
Chief scout Ranko Buketa
Fitness coach Vedran Naglić
Goalkeeping coach Gojko Mrčela
Team doctor Nataša Bakarčić
Boban Dangubić
Physiotherapist Marin Polonijo
Matija Čargonja
Matej Lulić
Rehabilitation coach Aris Naglić
Kit manager Denis Miškulin

Last updated: 25 July 2019
Source: Club officials

Notable players
Further information: List of HNK Rijeka players
To appear in this section a player must have satisfied all of the following three criteria:

Source: Appearances and Goals. Last updated 11 July 2020.

All-time Best 11

According to a 2005–07 survey of former players (older than 40 years of age) and respected journalists, Marinko Lazzarich found that the best all-time team of Rijeka is as follows:

1. Jantoljak, 2. Milevoj, 3. Hrstić, 4. Radaković, 5. Radin, 6. Juričić, 7. Lukarić, 8. Gračan, 9. Osojnak, 10. Naumović, 11. Desnica.[27]

Rijeka's daily, Novi list, in 2011 declared the following 11 players as Rijeka's best all time team:

1. Jantoljak, 2. Šarić, 3. Radin, 4. Juričić, 5. Hrstić, 6. Loik, 7. Radaković, 8. Mladenović, 9. Naumović, 10. Skoblar, 11. Desnica.[28]

Best 11 (2010–20)

In 2020, the club's fans voted to select the best squad over the past decade to fit in a 4–2–3–1 formation:

Prskalo – Ristovski, Župarić, Mitrović, Zuta – Kreilach, Moisés – Vešović, Andrijašević, Sharbini – Kramarić. Manager: Kek.[29]

Managers

Source:[30]

Winning managers
Name Nationality Honours Total
Matjaž Kek
 Slovenia
2013–14 Croatian Cup, 2014 Croatian Super Cup, 2016–17 Croatian First League, 2016–17 Croatian Cup
4
Dragutin Spasojević
 Yugoslavia
1977–78 Yugoslav Cup, 1977–78 Balkans Cup
2
Marijan Brnčić
 Yugoslavia
1978–79 Yugoslav Cup
1
Elvis Scoria
 Croatia
2004–05 Croatian Cup
1
Dragan Skočić
 Croatia
2005–06 Croatian Cup
1
Igor Bišćan
 Croatia
2018–19 Croatian Cup
1
Simon Rožman
 Slovenia
2019–20 Croatian Cup
1

Presidents

Source:[30]

Seasons, statistics and records
Further information: List of HNK Rijeka seasons, List of HNK Rijeka records and statistics, and HNK Rijeka record by opponent

Honours

Rijeka has won one Croatian First Football League title, two Yugoslav Cups and six Croatian Cups. In European competitions, the club has reached the quarter-final of the Cup Winners' Cup in 1979–80, UEFA Cup Round of 32 in 1984–85, and group stages of the UEFA Europa League in 2013–14, 2014–15 and 2017–18. The club has also won the 1977–78 Balkans Cup.[31]

Domestic
Croatia
Yugoslavia

International

Source:,[32] Last updated 31 May 2017.

Rankings

UEFA club coefficient ranking

(As of 21 February 2019), Source:[33]

RankTeamPoints
103 Midtjylland14.000
104 Molde13.500
105 Rijeka13.500
106 Rostov13.500
107 Astra12.500

European record
Main article: HNK Rijeka in European football

By competition
Competition Pld W D L GF GA Last season played
UEFA Champions League 8 2 2 4 10 11 2017–18
UEFA Cup / UEFA Europa League 60 23 16 21 89 74 2019–20
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 10 3 3 4 8 9 1979–80
UEFA Intertoto Cup 4 1 1 2 3 5 2008
Total 82 29 22 31 110 99

Source:,[34] Last updated on 29 August 2019.
Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against. Defunct competitions indicated in italics.

By ground
Ground Pld W D L GF GA GD
Home 41 21 11 9 66 39 +27
Away 41 8 11 22 44 60 −16
Total 82 29 22 31 110 99 +11

Source:,[34] Last updated on 29 August 2019.
Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against.

By season

Non-UEFA competitions are listed in italics.

Last updated on 26 July 2020.
Note: List includes matches played in competitions not endorsed by UEFA.
† Matches played at neutral ground in Ascoli and Pisa, Italy.

Player records
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References
  1. "Stadion HNK Rijeka". Soccerway. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  2. Lazzarich, Marinko (2014). "Stoljetno iščitavanje povijesti pod stijenama riječkoga sportskog hrama". Problemi sjevernog Jadrana (in Croatian). Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts (13): 47–76. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  3. HNK Rijeka. "Povijest" (in Croatian). HNK Rijeka official website. Archived from the original on 15 February 2015. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  4. "Split slavi, Zagreb izmišlja, Opatija ne zna, a Rijeka se srami" (in Croatian). RijekaDanas. 26 April 2011. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
  5. Puric, Bojan; Schöggl, Hans; Stokkermans, Karel (8 May 2014). "Yugoslavia/Serbia and Montenegro – Cup Finals". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  6. Vivoda, Vlado (16 July 2014). "HNK Rijeka: The Rise of the Phoenix". Hocuri.com. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
  7. "Rijeka win Croatian league to end Dinamo dominance". Eurosport. 21 May 2017. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
  8. Stokkermans, Karel (26 September 2014). "Croatia – Cup Finals". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  9. "Rijeka-Osijek 1:1" (in Croatian). HRnogomet.com. 26 May 1999. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  10. Vidalina, Marko (1 June 2009). "Dokaz! Rijeci 1999. naslov prvaka definitivno ukraden" (in Croatian). 24 sata. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  11. Bajruši, Robert (13 August 2002). "Dokumenti koji otkrivaju kako je Dinamo 1999. ukrao prvenstvo" (in Croatian). Nacional. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  12. Stokkermans, Karel (9 January 2008). "Cup Winners' Cup 1979–80". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 9 January 2008.
  13. "24.10.1984: Rijeka – Real Madrid 3:1" (in Croatian). Armada Rijeka. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  14. Volarić, Ivan. "Velika noć na Kantridi: Benko, Kvržić i Vargić za povijest" (in Croatian). Novi list. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  15. Volarić, Ivan; Rivetti, Orlando. "Stuttgart – Rijeka 2:2, bijeli u Europskoj ligi" (in Croatian). Novi list. Retrieved 29 August 2013.
  16. Volarić, Ivan. "Hat trick za povijesnu pobjedu u Europskoj ligi: Kramarić – Feyenoord 3:1" (in Croatian). Novi list. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  17. Volarić, Ivan. "Blago nama, Moises i Krama: Bijeli u pola sata pomeli Standard" (in Croatian). Novi list. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  18. Volarić, Ivan. "Peh u sudačkoj nadoknadi: Sevilla u posljednjim sekundama iščupala bod na Kantridi" (in Croatian). Novi list. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  19. Volarić, Ivan (7 December 2017). "POBJEDA ZA POVIJEST Rijeka skinula još jedan veliki skalp, na Rujevici pao veliki AC Milan (2:0)" (in Croatian). Novi list. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
  20. "Rijeka postala sportsko dioničko društvo: Volpi dao 54 milijuna kuna za 70 posto vlasništva" (in Croatian). Index.hr. 30 September 2013. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
  21. "Ownership". nk-rijeka.hr. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
  22. "HNK Rijeka od petka u vlasništvu Teanna limited" (in Croatian). nk-rijeka.hr. 29 December 2017. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  23. Rogulj, Daniela (29 December 2017). "Damir Mišković and Teanna Limited New Owner of NK Rijeka". Total Croatia News. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  24. "Andrej Kramaric set to complete £9.7m move to Leicester from Rijeka". ESPN. 8 January 2015. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  25. "Stadion Kantrida".
  26. "1. momčad" (in Croatian). HNK Rijeka. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  27. Lazzarich, Marinko (2008) (in Croatian). Kantrida bijelih snova. Rijeka: Adamić. ISBN 978-953-219-393-0, p. 467.
  28. Cvijanović, Marko (29 August 2011). "Asevi s Kantride: Idealna momčad Rijeke". Novi List (in Croatian). Retrieved 2 March 2012.
  29. "POSLOŽENA MOMČAD DESETLJEĆA Andrej Kramarić predvodi napad najbolje momčadi Rijeke u izboru navijača". Sportcom.hr (in Croatian). 28 April 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  30. "Predsjednici i treneri" (in Croatian). HNK Rijeka. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  31. Stokkermans, Karel; Ionescu, Romeo (29 July 2010). "Balkan Cup". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 29 July 2010.
  32. "Croatia - HNK Rijeka - Results, fixtures, squad, statistics, photos, videos and news - Soccerway". int.soccerway.com.
  33. "Club coefficients | UEFA Coefficients". UEFA.com.
  34. "Rijeka". Uefa.com.
  35. "Rijeka profile". UEFA.com. Retrieved 23 August 2017.

Unofficial

Supporters

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