Nafta Lendava

Full name

Nogometni klub Nafta Lendava

Nickname(s)

Plavi (The Blues)

Founded

11 May 1903; 120 years ago^[1]
(as Lendvai Football Egyesület)

Dissolved

2012; 12 years ago

Ground

Lendava Sports Park

Capacity

2,000

Home colours

Away colours

Nogometni klub Nafta Lendava (English: Nafta Lendava Football Club), commonly referred to as NK Nafta Lendava or simply Nafta, was a Slovenian football club which played in the town of Lendava. The club was founded under the Hungarian name Lendvai Football Egyesület in 1903. They were regarded as the oldest Slovenian football club until they filed for bankruptcy and were dissolved following the 2011–12 Slovenian PrvaLiga season. The club played in the Yugoslav First League for one season, in 1946–47.

History

The club was founded in 1903 under the Hungarian name Lendvai Football Egyesület.^[2] After World War I, the club was renamed as NK Lendava, and then as SK Lendava. In the mid-1930s, the club began to play in the second division of the Ljubljana Subassociation League.^[1] After the invasion of Yugoslavia in 1941, the Prekmurje region was annexed by the Kingdom of Hungary, and Lendava played in the Hungarian football system during World War II.^[1]

In 1946, the club won the first post-war national championship of Slovenia, thus qualifying for the top level Yugoslav First League for the 1946–47 season. Before the season, they also renamed as Nafta.^[1] However, they were immediately relegated after finishing dead last with 23 defeats out of 26 league games.^[3]

In the following decades, the club mainly played in the Slovenian Republic League and lower leagues in the territory of SR Slovenia.^[1]

After Slovenia's independence in 1991, Nafta joined the newly formed Slovenian PrvaLiga for the 1991–92 season.^[1] Their Croatian winger Miljenko Dovečer earned the distinction of scoring the very first goal of the new competition.^[4] They stayed in the top division for two seasons, as they were relegated in 1992–93 after finishing dead last.^[5] In the next decade, they competed in the 2. SNL (second tier) and even one season in the 3. SNL (third tier), before being promoted back to the top level in 2005 after finishing second in the 2004–05 Slovenian Second League.^[1]

After the 2011–12 Slovenian PrvaLiga season, Nafta was relegated from the top tier and was dissolved due to bankruptcy.^[6]^[7]^[8]^[9] In the same year, the club was refounded as ND Lendava 1903.^[10]

Domestic league and cup results

Season	League	Position	Pts	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	Cup
1991–92	1. SNL	15	36	40	13	10	17	52	63	Semi-finals
1992–93	1. SNL	18	19	34	6	7	21	30	64	Round of 16
1993–94	2. SNL	4	40	30	18	4	8	55	27	First round
1994–95	2. SNL	2	43	30	16	11	3	50	26	did not qualify
1995–96	2. SNL	2	59	29	18	5	6	51	19	First round
1996–97	2. SNL	4	48	29	12	12	5	36	28	Round of 16
1997–98	2. SNL	6	43	30	12	7	11	39	39	First round
1998–99	2. SNL	11	36	30	10	6	14	35	47	Quarter-finals
1999–00	2. SNL	11	34	30	9	7	14	34	49	did not qualify
2000–01	2. SNL	9	37	29	10	7	12	32	31	Round of 16
2001–02	2. SNL	9	39	30	11	6	13	46	52	First round
2002–03	2. SNL	14	30	30	8	6	16	40	61	Quarter-finals
2003–04	3. SNL – East	1	56	26	18	2	6	64	31	Quarter-finals
2004–05	2. SNL	2	70	33	20	10	3	67	28	Semi-finals
2005–06	1. SNL	7	46	36	13	7	16	42	52	Round of 16
2006–07	1. SNL	8	45	36	12	9	15	45	59	Quarter-finals
2007–08	1. SNL	7	47	36	12	11	13	43	56	Quarter-finals
2008–09	1. SNL	7	43	36	11	10	15	36	52	Quarter-finals
2009–10	1. SNL	6	49	36	14	7	15	51	53	Semi-finals
2010–11	1. SNL	9	37	36	10	7	19	47	67	Quarter-finals
2011–12	1. SNL	10	25	36	5	10	21	34	71	Round of 16

*Best results are highlighted.

Honours

League

Slovenian Republic League

Winners: 1946

Slovenian Third League

Winners: 2003–04

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Sportal (17 December 2007). "Zgodovina NK Nafta" [History of NK Nafta] (in Slovenian). Siol. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
^ "Slovenia – List of Foundation Dates". RSSSF. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
^ "Yugoslavia 1946/47". RSSSF. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
^ Strahija, Ivana (10 September 2011). "Dovečer: "Piškor i Zore mijenjaju sliku"". sportnet.rtl.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 10 July 2022.
^ "Slovenia 1992/93". RSSSF. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
^ S. J.; M. R. (29 June 2012). "Najstarejši slovenski klub ne obstaja več, vroče tudi v Muri" (in Slovenian). RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 29 June 2012.
^ "Konec agonije: lendavska Nafta v stečaj" (in Slovenian). Siol. 29 June 2012. Archived from the original on 2 July 2012. Retrieved 29 June 2012.
^ Zore, Miran (29 June 2012). "Pokopali smo še Nafto" (in Slovenian). Nogomania. Retrieved 29 June 2012.
^ Š. Ro. (29 June 2012). "Konec agonije v Lendavi, Nafta v stečaj". Delo (in Slovenian). Retrieved 29 June 2012.
^ "Klub" [Club] (in Slovenian). NK Nafta 1903. Retrieved 11 June 2020.

v t e Slovenian PrvaLiga
Seasons	1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24
2023–24 teams	Aluminij Bravo Celje Domžale Koper Maribor NŠ Mura Olimpija Ljubljana Radomlje Rogaška
Former teams	Ankaran Bela Krajina Beltinci Drava Ptuj Dravograd Gorica Interblock Izola Jadran Dekani Kočevje Korotan Prevalje Krka Krško Livar Ljubljana Medvode NK Mura ND Mura 05 Nafta Lendava Naklo Olimpija Pohorje Primorje Rudar Trbovlje Rudar Velenje Slavija Vevče Slovan Steklar Svoboda Šmartno Tabor Sežana Triglav Kranj Zagorje Zavrč Železničar Maribor
Associated competitions	Slovenian Cup Second League Third League UEFA Champions League UEFA Europa League UEFA Europa Conference League

v t e Slovenian Republic League
Ljubljana Subassociation League seasons	1920 1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41
Teams (1920–1941)	I. SSK Maribor Amater Athletik Bratstvo Celje Čakovec Disk Građanski Grafika Hermes Hertha Hrastnik Ilirija Jadran Jugoslavija Korotan Kovinar Kranj SK Ljubljana Mars Merkur Mura Olimp Primorje Ptuj Rapid Red Star Reka Rote Elf Slavija Ljubljana Slavija Maribor Slovan Sparta Svoboda Celje Svoboda Ljubljana Svoboda Maribor Šoštanj Železničar Maribor
Slovenian Republic League seasons	1946 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1950 1951 1952 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91
Teams (1946–1991)	Aluminij Branik Maribor Branik Solkan Brežice Domžale Drava Dravinja Elan Elkroj Grafičar Hrastnik Ilirija Izola Jadran Dekani Jesenice Kamnik Kladivar Koper Kovinar Maribor Kovinar Štore Krim Litija Ljubljana Maribor Medvode Mura Nafta Naklo Olimp Olimpija Partizan Žalec Piran Pohorje Postojna Primorje Proletarec Rudar Trbovlje Rudar Velenje Slavija Slivnica Sloga Slovan Steklar Stol Svoboda Šmartno Tabor Triglav Kranj Triglav Ljubljana Vozila Železničar Maribor ŽŠD Celje

Yugoslav First League (1923–1992)

1923–1940 — SHS / Yugoslavia
Seasons	1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40
Clubs	Bačka BASK BSK Belgrade Concordia Crnogorac Građanski Niš Građanski Skoplje Građanski Zagreb Hajduk Split HAŠK Ilirija Jedinstvo Beograd Jugoslavija Krajišnik Banja Luka SK Ljubljana Mačva NAK Novi Sad Pobeda Skoplje Primorje Radnički Kragujevac SAŠK SAND Subotica Slavija Osijek Slavija Sarajevo Slavija Varaždin Somborski SK Sparta Zemun Viktorija Zagreb Vojvodina ŽAK Subotica ŽAK Velika Kikinda

1945–1992 — FPR / SFR Yugoslavia
Seasons	1945 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1950 1951 1952 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92
Clubs	14. Oktobar Niš Bor Borac Banja Luka Budućnost Titograd Crvenka Čelik Zenica Dinamo Vinkovci Dinamo Zagreb Hajduk Split Iskra Bugojno Lokomotiva Mačva Maribor Nafta Napredak Naša Krila Novi Sad OFK Belgrade Olimpija Osijek Partizan Pelister Ponziana Priština Proleter Zrenjanin Rabotnički Rad Radnički Belgrade Radnički Kragujevac Radnički Niš Red Star Belgrade Rijeka Sarajevo Sloboda Tuzla Spartak RNK Split Sutjeska Teteks Trepča Trešnjevka Vardar Velež Vojvodina NK Zagreb Zemun Željezničar