FC VSS Koà ¡ice, formerly 1. FC Koà ¡ice, was a Slovak football club based in Koà ¡ice which played in the Slovak 2. Liga during the 2016âÂÂ17 season. The club officially ceased operations on 27 July 2017.
The club, founded in 1903, has won the Slovak League twice, the Slovak Cup five times and the Czechoslovak Cup once. The most successful eras of the club were in the 1970s and 1990s which they spent mostly in the top tier of Czechoslovak and Slovak Football. Two of the UEFA Euro 1976 champions namely Duà ¡an Galis and Jaroslav Pollák played for Koà ¡ice.
The club was founded in 1903 as Kassai AC (; ). The club's colours were blue and yellow. In the 1910s, the club competed in the Hungarian championship. In 1909 it won the Nemzeti Bajnokság II Championship. Later they played in eastern group in Slovak-Subcarpathian division between 1935 and 1938. In 1939âÂÂ40 the club played Hungarian League I. Among the most successful Kassai AC players were Szaniszló, à  ià Âovský, 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 of World War II the city's three clubs Kassai AC, Kassai Törekvés and ÃÂsà  K were merged into one club named Jednota Koà ¡ice. Jednota began playing in the Czechoslovak 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 word Strojári (), due to the main sponsor being VSS (Východoslovenské strojárne, engineering company). VSS became a stable member of the Czechoslovak First League and their best placing was second in 1970âÂÂ71. In 1971 and 1973 VSS qualified for the UEFA Cup. In 1971 they won 2âÂÂ1 against Spartak Moscow in the home leg and they drew 0âÂÂ0 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 the UEFA Cup. Against Honvéd FC they won 1âÂÂ0 at home and lost 2âÂÂ5 away. The most successful VSS players include Andrej Kvaà ¡à Âák, Titus BubernÃÂk, Jaroslav Pollák, Duà ¡an Galis (Euro 1976 Champions both), Anton à  vajlen, Ján PivarnÃÂk, Jozef Bomba, and Jozef Desiatnik. VSS was renamed Zà ¤S 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 in 2001 by the former owner and late VSà ½ steelmaking tycoon Alexander Rezeà ¡ fell through. Although Rezeà ¡'s dream to turn 1. FC Koà ¡ice 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 1997âÂÂ98. 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 Rezeà ¡ clan (Alexander Rezeà ¡ was economy minister of VladimÃÂr MeÃÂiar's government in 1994âÂÂ97) represented the beginning of the end of the "millionaires". Their home stadium was the Và ¡eà ¡portový areál.
1. FC famously became the first Slovak club to reach the lucrative UEFA Champions League Group Stages when they did so in the 1997âÂÂ98 season. Also during this Champions League campaign, 1. FC Koà ¡ice 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 Koà ¡ice are best known outside their homeland for their two clashes with Manchester United in the 1997âÂÂ98 European Champions League group stages. Manchester United won both legs with the same score, 3âÂÂ0. During this brief campaign in Europe's most prestigious club competition, Koà ¡ice suffered a tragedy when midfielder Milan ÃÂvirk was killed and striker Albert Rusnák was seriously injured in a car crash.
2003âÂÂ04 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 LiÃÂartovce Blaà ¾ej Podolák, one of the favourites to advance to the premier league that season. Steel Trans also paid for the ÃÂermeþ stadium in Koà ¡ice, where all former 1. FC teams â now under the protective wings of LiÃÂartovce played their matches. In 2004âÂÂ05 season 1.FC Koà ¡ice in effect became reserve team of Steel Trans LiÃÂartovce, playing in the third division, group East. Koà ¡ice, 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 LiÃÂartovce was renamed MFK Koà ¡ice. 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 beating Artmedia Petrà ¾alka in the final match of the Slovak Cup, in Senec. The match ended in a 3âÂÂ1 win, with goals scored by Marko Milinkovià(28th minute), Róbert Cicman (56th minute) and Ján Novák (69th minute). The win granted Koà ¡ice the right to compete in 2009-10 UEFA Europa League, which they entered in the Third qualifying round, in which they defeated FK Slavija Sarajevo 5âÂÂ1 on aggregate, with Novák scoring two goals. In the subsequent Play-off, to which 3 of 4 Slovak teams qualified (Koà ¡ice, à ½ilina and Slovan), Koà ¡ice faced AS Rome, who were the 6th team of Serie A 2008-09. With the first match being played in Koà ¡ice, the home side managed to stun the opponent by an early 5th-minute goal by MilinkoviÃÂ, although thanks to two goals by Totti (the first coming from a controversial penalty) and Menez the away side took a 3âÂÂ1 lead by 67th minute. However Ján Novák scored two goals, 71st and 81st minute, the second from a penalty, to complete the 3âÂÂ3 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 Matiàcompleted the biggest transfer in the history of the club, when he left for Chelsea, for an estimated â¬5.5 million and by mid-2010s, he became one of the biggest and most recognised midfielders in Europe.
MFK Koà ¡ice won the Cup in 2013âÂÂ14, yet their campaign in 2014-15 Europa League did not match the success of the 2009-10 Europa League, with Koà ¡ice losing two matches against Slovan Liberec, 0âÂÂ4 on aggregate.
In June 2015, MFK Koà ¡ice returned to the name of FC VSS Koà ¡ice, after being relegated to the Slovak Second Division for 2015âÂÂ16 season, even the club finished 6th in the 2014-15 Fortuna Liga, 19 points above the relegation zone and . The relegation was caused as, then MFK Koà ¡ice, 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 Koà ¡ice and the nearby region). The firm however went bankrupt in 2013 and as a result the acronym was given a new meaning: V - Vernosà ¥, S- Sila, S- Sláva - (Faithfulness - Power - Glory). The club hoped to return to Slovak top division within a season.
While winning the Eastern Group of 2015-16 DOXXbet liga with 2 points lead over Tatran Preà ¡ov, the club finished 2nd overall (Championship Group), only 2 points behind their archrivals Tatran Preà ¡ov, which celebrated the return to the top division after three seasons in the DOXXbet Liga. Koà ¡ice failed to get promoted for failing to pay off their liabilities towards Ivan ÃÂokoviÃÂ, who played for MFK between 2010 and 2012, and had three decisive points deducted from their score in the Championship Group by the SFZ, based on verdict by FIFA.
The club officially ceased operations on 27 July 2017. In August, the club's supporters' group announced their intention to reestablish the club and enter Slovak Sixth League for the 2018âÂÂ19 season. They later decided to support a new club in Koà ¡ice, FC Koà ¡ice. They also talk about VSS succession.
The following clubs were affiliated with VSS Koà ¡ice:
The stadium is in the ÃÂermeþ district, a multi-use stadium in Koà ¡ice, Slovakia. It is currently used mostly for football matches as the home ground of VSS Koà ¡ice since 1997. The stadium holds 10,787 (8,787 seated) spectators and was built in 1970. Initially, the stadium had been used by LokomotÃÂva Koà ¡ice, while 1.FC Koà ¡ice (now VSS) have played there since 1997. The Slovakia national football team has hosted a few matches at this stadium which now no longer meets UEFA criteria for international games.
The club planned construction of the new stadium for 13,000 spectators in neighbourhood of demolished Và ¡eà ¡portový areál stadium. The estimated cost of the stadium is â¬18.5 million. The owner od stadium is Koà ¡ická Futbalová aréna (KFA), city of Koà ¡ice owned 85% and club VSS Koà ¡ice owned 15%. The construction will start in 2017. If the schedule is met, the first matches could be played by mid-2019.
VSS Koà ¡ice's most important rivalry is with FC LokomotÃÂva Koà ¡ice. The match between them is called, Koà ¡ické Derby (Koà ¡ice Derby). VSS Koà ¡ice and LokomotÃÂva Koà ¡ice are both among historically the most successful football teams in the country. The next biggest rivalry is with 1. FC Tatran Preà ¡ov. Matches between these two clubs are referred to as the Eastern Slovak derby (Východniarske derby). They also have rivalries with à  K Slovan Bratislava, FC Spartak Trnava and Mà  K à ½ilina. VSS Koà ¡ice supporters are called Viva Koà ¡ice. VSS Koà ¡ice supporters maintain friendly relations with fans of MFK ZemplÃÂn Michalovce, Czech Sparta Prague and Slavia Sofia.
<small>Note: The club played 2004âÂÂ05 season as Steel Trans LiÃÂartovce reserve squad.</small>
Czechoslovakia
Slovakia
The Czechoslovak League top scorer from 1944âÂÂ45 until 1992âÂÂ93. Since the 1993âÂÂ94 Slovak League Top scorer.
<small>source</small>
VSS have produced numerous players who have gone on to represent the Slovak national football team. Over the last period there has been a steady increase of young players leaving Koà ¡ice after a few years of first team football and moving on to play football in leagues of a higher standard, with the Czech First League (Szilárd Németh and Miroslav Soviàto AC Sparta Prague, VladimÃÂr Labant, Dávid à  kutka and MatÃºà ¡ KozáÃÂik to SK Slavia Prague, Kamil ÃÂontofalský to Bohemians 1905 in 1999; Marek à  pilár to FC BanÃÂk Ostrava in 2000), Greece Super League (VladimÃÂr JanoÃÂko to Skoda Xanthi in 2000), German 2. Bundesliga (Jozef Koà ¾lej to SpVgg Greuther Fürth in 1998), Israel League (Ruslan Lyubarskyi to Maccabi Netanya F.C. in 2000), Polish Ekstraklasa (Ondrej Duda to Legia Warsaw in 2014), Portugal Primeira Liga (Uroà ¡ Matiàto S.L. Benfica in 2013). The top transfer was agreed in 2009 when Nemanja Matiàjoined English FC Chelsea for a fee of â¬1.75 million,.
<small>*-unofficial fee</small>
<small>*-unofficial fee</small>
Slovak League only (1993âÂÂ2017)
<sup>1</sup> MFK Koà ¡ice did not obtain a licence for the 2015âÂÂ16 season <sup>2</sup> VSS Koà ¡ice was docked 3 points for nonâÂÂpayment obligations.
<sup>Key â Pld: Played, W: Won, D: Drawn, L: Lost, GF: Goals For, GA: Goals Against, GD: Goal Difference.</sup>
MFK Koà ¡ice B was the reserve team of MFK Koà ¡ice. They recently played in the Slovak 3. Liga (Eastern division), with their best performance being in Slovak Second Division. MFK Koà ¡ice "B" played home matches at Barca stadium, near Koà ¡ice. MFK Koà ¡ice"B" stopped functioning before the 2014âÂÂ15 season.
Had international caps for their respective countries. Players whose name is listed in bold represented their countries while playing for the club.
Past players who are the subjects of Wikipedia articles can be found .