Proleter Osijek
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| Full name | Nogometni klub Osijek |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Bijelo-plavi (the Blue-Whites) |
| Short name | OSI |
| Founded | 27 February 1947 |
| Ground | Stadion Gradski vrt |
| Capacity | 18,856 |
| Owner | Lőrinc Mészáros i Ivan Meštrović |
| Chairman | Ivan Meštrović |
| Manager | Zoran Zekić |
| League | Prva HNL |
| 2016–17 | Prva HNL, 4th |
| Website | Club website |
Nogometni klub Osijek is a professional football club from Osijek in Eastern Croatia. Founded in 1947, it was the club from Slavonia with most seasons in the Yugoslav First League, and, after the independence of Croatia in 1992, it is part of the four clubs that were never relegated from the Croatian First League, the others being Dinamo Zagreb, Hajduk Split and Rijeka.
The precursor to NK Osijek was founded on 27 February 1947, after a merger between two physical training associations: Slavonija and Bratstvo. The new entity was named Proleter. The first match that was played under that name dates back to 16 March that same year, when Proleter beat city-rivals Mladost by five goals to nil. The first competition in which the club participated in was the Osječko Okružno Prvenstvo, along with four other teams. The club got into the second national league soon after. Proleter achieved placement into the Yugoslav First League in 1953, having won the so-called Croato-Slovenian League. The best players from that side were Andrija Vekić, Franjo Rupnik, Dionizije Dvornić, and Franjo Majer. Proleter played in the First League for three seasons, but were then relegated to the second division.
Proleter moved to current stadium Stadion Gradski vrt in autumn 1958 and changed its name to Slavonija as part of the unifying process of the boxing, athletics and Olympic lifting club in a newly founded sports association in 1962, while still being in the second league. Five years later the association disbanded and the club took on the name NK Osijek. The then-colours red and blue were switched to current colours blue and white.
In 1970, Osijek wins the 2nd North League championship, however, FK Borac Banja Luka beat them in the promotion play-offs. A year later, Bijelo-plavi try for promotion again, winning in a penalty shoot-out against HNK Rijeka, but end up being stopped by FK Vardar.
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