ND Gorica

Summary

Nogometno društvo Gorica, commonly referred to as ND Gorica or simply Gorica, is a Slovenian football club based in the town of Nova Gorica. They are one of the most successful Slovenian clubs with four Slovenian PrvaLiga and three Slovenian Cup titles. The club plays its matches at the Nova Gorica Sports Park stadium with the capacity of 3,100 seats. As of the 2023–24 season, Gorica competes in the Slovenian Second League, the second tier of Slovenian football.

Gorica
Full nameNogometno društvo Gorica
Nickname(s)Vrtnice (The Roses)
Plavo-beli (The Blue and Whites)
FoundedOctober 1947; 76 years ago (October 1947)
(as FD Gorica)[1]
GroundNova Gorica Sports Park
Capacity3,100
PresidentUroš Blažica
Head coachMiran Srebrnič
LeagueSlovenian Second League
2022–23Slovenian PrvaLiga, 9th of 10 (relegated via play-offs)
WebsiteClub website

History edit

Yugoslav period (1947–1991) edit

The history of Slovenian association football in the Goriška region goes back to 1907, when the first football club Jugoslavija was formed by the Slovenes of Gorizia.[1]

October 1947 marks the beginning of the club with the foundation of FD Gorica in Šempeter pri Gorici, where it operated until 1963.[1] They started in the second-level but quickly promoted to the Slovenian Republic League in 1950 under the new name Železničar Nova Gorica. Five years later they became republic champions and qualified for the Yugoslav Second League, which was club's biggest achievement during the time of Yugoslavia. In 1963 the club merged with Branik Solkan and the club's activity was transferred to Nova Gorica, where it remains ever since.[2] They stabilised as a mid-table club in the 1960s, renamed as NK Vozila in 1971 and achieved better results only in the last years before Slovenia's independence. Managed by Pavel Pinni, Vozila finished third in the 1988–89 season of the Slovenian Republic League.

Slovenian independence (1991 to present) edit

Following Slovenia's independence in 1991, the club played in the 1. SNL under the name HIT Gorica and during the 1995–96 season, Gorica won the Slovenian championship for the first time. In the next season, the club played its first Slovenian Supercup final and won their second trophy with a 3–1 victory over Olimpija. During the league domination of Maribor, the club managed to win two Slovenian cup titles in a row (2000–01 and 2001–02).

On the last day of the 2003–04 season on 30 May 2004, Gorica won its second title after one of the most dramatic rounds in the Slovenian league history. Before the last round, Maribor was leading the table with 54 points, one point ahead of Gorica. In the final round, Maribor played an away match against their rivals Mura and Gorica played at home against Koper. Maribor lost the game 2–1 after a second-half comeback by Mura, meaning that Gorica, who eventually won against Koper 2–0, had secured their second title.[3]

The second title started an impressive run for Gorica as the team won another two league titles in a row (2004–05 and 2005–06).[4] After the last title, Gorica was a runner-up in the 2006–07 and 2008–09 seasons, while finishing third in 2007–08 and 2009–10.[5]

In 2013, Gorica started cooperating with the Italian club Parma.[6] On 21 May 2014 they won their first trophy after eight years as they defeated Maribor 2–0 in the cup final.[7] After 28 seasons in the top division, Gorica was relegated for the first time in the 2018–19 season after losing the relegation play-offs against Tabor Sežana.[8]

Current squad edit

As of 6 August 2023[9]

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
8 FW   ITA Mattia De Bernardi
9 FW   SVN Žan Leban
13 FW   NGA Samuel Ebuka Obi
14 DF   CRO Matteo Tomiček
16 GK   SVN Alen Jurca
17 DF   SVN Miha Žejen
18 DF   SVN Amadej Marinič
20 DF   SVN Luka Kovačević
21 MF   SVN Kristjan Laščak
24 DF   SVN Tilen Vendramin
30 FW   SVN Leon Marinič
No. Pos. Nation Player
31 MF   GER Darius Jalinous
32 GK   SVN Dennis Zeriali
37 MF   SVN Sebastian Lesjak
43 MF   SVN Darko Hrka
51 DF   SVN Nejc Mevlja
52 DF   SVN Alen Korošec
55 DF   SVN Denis Cerovec
90 MF   SVN Mark Gomizelj
97 MF   SVN Luka Baruca
99 FW   SRB Zahid Ilijazi

Honours edit

League

Cup

Domestic league and cup results edit

Season League Position Pts Played W D L GF GA Cup
1991–92 1. SNL 4 46 40 15 16 9 63 40 Round of 16
1992–93 1. SNL 12 31 34 11 9 14 39 46 First round
1993–94 1. SNL 5 35 30 12 11 7 40 38 First round
1994–95 1. SNL 3 41 30 18 5 7 66 30 Quarter-finals
1995–96 1. SNL 1 67 36 18 13 5 49 22 Quarter-finals
1996–97 1. SNL 3 65 36 18 11 7 52 33 Round of 16
1997–98 1. SNL 3 65 36 20 5 11 64 36 Round of 16
1998–99 1. SNL 2 62 33 18 8 7 55 31 First round
1999–2000 1. SNL 2 62 33 19 5 9 55 34 Semi-finals
2000–01 1. SNL 7 43 33 13 4 16 52 46 Winners
2001–02 1. SNL 4 51 33 14 9 10 38 40 Winners
2002–03 1. SNL 8 34 31 7 13 11 34 43 Quarter-finals
2003–04 1. SNL 1 56 32 15 11 6 55 29 Round of 16
2004–05 1. SNL 1 65 32 18 11 3 49 23 Runners-up
2005–06 1. SNL 1 73 36 21 10 5 75 30 Semi-finals
2006–07 1. SNL 2 58 36 17 7 12 66 63 Semi-finals
2007–08 1. SNL 3 57 36 16 9 11 61 50 Round of 16
2008–09 1. SNL 2 56 36 17 5 14 60 55 Semi-finals
2009–10 1. SNL 3 55 36 16 7 13 74 60 Quarter-finals
2010–11 1. SNL 5 48 36 13 9 14 42 53 Quarter-finals
2011–12 1. SNL 5 53 36 14 11 11 49 37 Quarter-finals
2012–13 1. SNL 6 41 36 10 11 15 45 60 Quarter-finals
2013–14 1. SNL 4 58 36 16 10 10 60 32 Winners
2014–15 1. SNL 9 37 36 10 7 19 40 46 Quarter-finals
2015–16 1. SNL 4 52 36 15 7 14 48 49 First round
2016–17 1. SNL 2 60 36 16 12 8 48 39 Quarter-finals
2017–18 1. SNL 6 47 36 14 5 17 40 48 Semi-finals
2018–19 1. SNL 9 31 36 7 10 19 44 63 Quarter-finals
2019–20 2. SNL 2[a] 41 20 13 2 5 40 22 Round of 16
2020–21 1. SNL 10 29 36 7 8 21 24 58 did not qualify
2021–22 2. SNL 1 72 30 23 3 4 55 20 First round
2022–23 1. SNL 9 27 36 5 12 19 31 57 First round
  1. ^ The season was not completed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
*Best results are highlighted.

European record edit

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

Season Competition Round Opponent Home Away Agg.
1996–97 UEFA Cup PR   Vardar 0–1 1–2 1–3
1997–98 UEFA Cup 1Q   Oţelul Galaţi 2–0 2–4 4–4 (a)
2Q   Club Brugge 3–5 0–3 3–8
1999–2000 UEFA Cup Q   Inter Cardiff 2–0 0–1 2–1
1R   Panathinaikos 0–1 0–2 0–3
2000–01 UEFA Cup Q   Neftchi Baku 3–1 0–1 3–2
1R   Roma 1–4 0–7 1–11
2001–02 UEFA Cup Q   Neftchi Baku 1–0 0–0 1–0
1R   Osijek 1–2 0–1 1–3
2002–03 UEFA Cup Q   Rapid București 1–3 0–2 1–5
2004–05 UEFA Champions League 1Q   Flora Tallinn 3–1 4–2 7–3
2Q   Copenhagen 1–2 5–0 6–2
3Q   Monaco 0–3 0–6 0–9
2004–05 UEFA Cup 1R   AEK Athens 1–1 0–1 1–2
2005–06 UEFA Champions League 1Q   Tirana 2–0 0–3 2–3
2006–07 UEFA Champions League 1Q   Linfield 2–2 3–1 5–3
2Q   Steaua București 0–2 0–3 0–5
2007–08 UEFA Cup 1Q   Rabotnički 1–2 1–2 2–4
2008 UEFA Intertoto Cup 1R   Hibernians 0–0 3–0 3–0
2R   Chernomorets Burgas 0–2 1–1 1–3
2009–10 UEFA Europa League 2Q   Lahti 1–0 0–2 1–2
2010–11 UEFA Europa League 2Q   Randers 0–3 1–1 1–4
2014–15 UEFA Europa League 2Q   Molde 1–1 1–4 2–5
2016–17 UEFA Europa League 1Q   Maccabi Tel Aviv 0–1 0–3 0–4
2017–18 UEFA Europa League 1Q   Shirak 2–2 2–0 4–2
2Q   Panionios 2–3 0–2 2–5
Notes
  • PR: Preliminary round
  • Q: Qualifying round
  • 1Q: First qualifying round
  • 2Q: Second qualifying round
  • 3Q: Third qualifying round
  • 1R: First round
  • 2R: Second round

Notable managers edit

The following managers have won at least one trophy when in charge of Gorica since Slovenia's independence in 1991:

Head coach Period Honours
  Milan Miklavič 1995–1996 1995–96 Slovenian First Division
1996 Slovenian Supercup
  Toni Tomažič 2001 2000–01 Slovenian Football Cup
  Pavel Pinni 2001–2006 2001–02 Slovenian Football Cup
2003–04 Slovenian First Division
2004–05 Slovenian First Division
2005–06 Slovenian First Division
  Miran Srebrnič 2009
2011–2013
2014
2015–2018
2021–2023
2023–present
2021–22 Slovenian Second League
  Luigi Apolloni 2013–2014 2013–14 Slovenian Football Cup

References edit

  1. ^ a b c "Obdobje: 1947–1963" (in Slovenian). ND Gorica. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  2. ^ "Obdobje: 1963–1980" (in Slovenian). ND Gorica. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  3. ^ "Napeto do konca, Gorica prvak" (in Slovenian). RTV Slovenija. 30 May 2004. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  4. ^ "HIT Gorica tretjič zapored prvak" [Third title in a row for Gorica]. Delo (in Slovenian). 4 June 2006. Retrieved 2 June 2019.
  5. ^ "Gorica – Arhiv – Prva liga Telekom Slovenije" (in Slovenian). Slovenian PrvaLiga. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  6. ^ "Gorica potrdila sodelovanje s Parmo" [Gorica confirmed cooperation with Parma] (in Slovenian). RTV Slovenija. 1 August 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  7. ^ A. V. (21 May 2014). "Ne Maribor, Gorica je pokalni prvak" [Not Maribor, Gorica is the cup winner] (in Slovenian). RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  8. ^ D. S. (2 June 2019). "Sežanci vzeli Goričanom prvoligaški status" (in Slovenian). Nova Gorica: RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 2 June 2019.
  9. ^ "Prva ekipa 2023–24" (in Slovenian). ND Gorica. Retrieved 6 August 2023.

External links edit

  • Official website (in Slovene)
  • ND Gorica at PrvaLiga (in Slovene)
  • ND Gorica at Soccerway