Mà  K à ½ilina () is a Slovak football club based in the town of à ½ilina, that is playing in the Slovak First Football League. Since the league inception in 1993, the club has won 7 titles and comes second in All-time table that makes them one of the most successful teams in the competition. The club and their supporters alike are nicknamed à  oà ¡oni (after the Shoshone Native American tribe) and play their home games in the à  tadión pod Dubà Âom. à ½ilina won their most recent title in 2016âÂÂ17 season.
The club was founded towards the end of 1908 under the Hungarian name Zsolnai Testgyakorlók Köre, and was officially registered on 20 June 1909. The club won its first Slovak championship (Zväzové majstrovstvá Slovenska) in 1928 followed by another in 1929.
In total, à ½ilina played 30 out of 47 seasons in the Czechoslovak First League spanning from 1945 to 1993 and come 13th in all-time table. Their most successful was 1946âÂÂ47 season, when they clinched 4th place.
Many consider 1961 a milestone in club's history. Firstly, the team reached the final of the National Cup, where they lost to Dukla Prague, the eventual Czechoslovak champion. Despite the defeat, for the first time in its history the club, then known as Dynamo à ½ilina, broke into Europe to contest in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. Notable 3âÂÂ2 and 1âÂÂ0 victories over Olympiacos moved them in quarter-finals, however the ambitious Slovak team was ultimately knocked out by the previous year's winner Fiorentina. Although à ½ilina grabbed a promising 3âÂÂ2 victory at home, Fiorentina went through by winning the second leg 2âÂÂ0.
Quarter-Finals
Fiorentina won 4âÂÂ3 on aggregate.
In the late 1960s the club was renamed TJ ZVL à ½ilina and participated in the Intertoto Cup for several years, winning the group in 1969 and coming 2nd a year later. In 1973âÂÂ74 they reached the final of the Mitropa Cup but they were defeated by Tatabányai Bányász 5âÂÂ2 on aggregate. Between 1972 and 1974, they finished 5th in the First Division of the Czechoslovak League for three years running, followed by relegation to the Second Division in the 1978âÂÂ79 season. The club bounced back four years later and finished second in the Mitropa Cup.
Following dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993, Mà  K à ½ilina has been playing in the Slovak First Football League for the total of 23 seasons with the exception of 1995âÂÂ96 season after relegation to the Second Division.
In the autumn of 2000, former Czechoslovak defender Ladislav Jurkemik joined the club as a new manager. After his departure halfway through the 2001âÂÂ02 season the club appointed Czech coach Leoà ¡ Kalvoda. During his short reign at the club he led them to win their first title. In the 2002âÂÂ03 season, now under the management of Milan Leà ¡ický, the club succeeded in retaining the title.
Ladislav Jurkemik was reappointed as a manager during the 2003âÂÂ04 season. He led the defending champions to 10 priceless consecutive victories to clinch the third successive title though narrowly on a goal difference. After Slovan Bratislava, Mà  K à ½ilina became only the second club to win three Slovak titles.
The team's performances in next two seasons faded while they lacked the quality they had been famous for during their winning campaigns. In pursuit of silverware numerous players were signed over next two years. In the span of only fourteen months, three managers; the reputable Karol Pecze, his successor Milan Nemec and eventually Marijan Vlak were in charge over the team. Since the results and performances never met the expectations, Vlak ended his reign immediately at the end of 2005âÂÂ06 season after they failed to reach UEFA Cup spot only to finish fourth.
They played in the 2008âÂÂ09 UEFA Cup, reaching the group stages where they beat Aston Villa 2âÂÂ1 at Villa Park.
Former Czechoslovakia and later Czech international Pavel Hapal was appointed new manager before 2009âÂÂ10 campaign. In his first season, he led the team to win a league title, their fifth in nine years. Arguably the greatest success in their history came by making a debut in 2010âÂÂ11 UEFA Champions League group stage after eliminating Sparta Prague in play-off round. In the following season they completed their first ever double, while the 2012âÂÂ13 season saw the team finishing 7th â their worst league position since 2000. However, as a defeated finalists of the Slovak Cup the club secured a place to contest in the 1st qualifying round of 2013âÂÂ14 UEFA Europa League.
The following clubs are currently affiliated with Mà  K à ½ilina:
Mà  K à ½ilina supporters are called à ½ilinskÃ à  oà ¡oni (à ½ilina Shoshones), North Brigade and à ½ilinskàFanatici (à ½ilina Fanatics). à ½ilina supporters maintain friendly relations with fans of Polish .
à  tadión Pod Dubà Âom is their home stadium. It has a capacity of 10,280. It underwent a major renovation between 2006 and September 2009. Between 2014 and 2015 it was used as the home stadium of Slovakia.
<small>source</small>
Czechoslovakia
Slovakia
Mà  K 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 à ½ilina after a few years of first team football and moving on to play football in leagues of a higher standard, with the German Bundesliga (Double best scorer Marek Mintál to 1. FC Nürnberg in 2003, another forwards Stanislav à  esták to VfL Bochum in 2009 and Mário Breà ¡ka to 1. FC Nürnberg in 2008, also right back Peter PekarÃÂk to VfL Wolfsburg in 2009), Italian Serie A (Milan à  kriniar to Sampdoria in 2016, Dávid Hancko to ACF Fiorentina in 2018), Spanish La Liga (Róbert MazÃ¡à  to Celta de Vigo in 2018), Turkish Süper Lig (William to Kayserispor in 2016), Dutch Eredivisie (Róbert Boà ¾enÃÂk to Feyenoord in 2020), Danish Superliga (Denis Vavro to F.C. Copenhagen in 2017, Dawid Kurminowski to AGK in 2021), Austrian Football Bundesliga (Admir Vladaviàto Salzburg in 2009 and 2013âÂÂ14 best goalscorer Matej Jeliàto Rapid Wien in 2015), Polish Ekstraklasa (Ján Mucha to Legia Warsaw in 2005, Róbert Jeà ¾ to Górnik Zabrze in 2010 and Vahan Bichakhchyan to Pogoà  Szczecin in 2022). Russian Premier League (TomÃ¡à ¡ HuboÃÂan to Zenit in 2008). The top transfer was agreed in 2016 when 18 years old talented midfielder László Bénes joined German Mönchengladbach for a fee more than â¬5.0 million, which was the highest ever paid to a Slovak club.
<small>*-unofficial fee</small>
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For recent transfers, see List of Slovak football transfers winter 2025-26.
Slovak League only (1993âÂÂpresent)
Updated 20 July 2023
Players whose name is listed in bold are still active.
Slovak League Top scorer since 1993âÂÂ94
Had international caps for their respective countries. Players whose name is listed in bold represented their countries while playing for MÃ Â K.