NK Zagreb

Foundation thesis

PNIŠK misconception

The club was inaccurately considered to be founded in 1903 as PNIŠK (Prvi nogometni i športski klub, translated First Football and Athletic Club), being one of the first to be formed in Croatia. First secretary was Dragutin Baki, the president was Vilhelm Witte, and the captain of the team and instructor was Czech Jan Todl. Since there weren't any clubs to play with, the first official match was played between the club's players divided into two groups in 1904. Ticket income from the match was 3 krone and 3 filers.

The first international match was played in 1905 against Hungarian champions Ferencváros on Magyar Athletikai Club's pitch. The home team won with a high 11–1 score. The players who played for Zagreb were: Filipčić, Schwarz, Todl, Mutefelija, Slavnič, Ugrinić, Polivka, Uhrl, Višinger, Koruna, and Torbić.

According to sports historians, the history of the club can be linked only to beginnings in 1908 and 1910 with the founding of Hrvatski športski klub Zagreb (Croatian Athletic Club Zagreb) and Hrvatski tipografski športski klub Zagreb (Croatian Typographic Athletic Club Zagreb), while some see the roots of the club in the founding of Športski klub Zagreb, (Athletic Club Zagreb) in 1919.

Post-WWII restitution

After the Second World War, Fizkulturno društvo Zagreb (Zagreb Sports Society) or short FD Zagreb was established on 10 October 1946 by merging newly founded local clubs Sloboda and Tekstilac with re-established Amater and Grafičar. Among them, Grafičar was the club with the biggest reputation and results dating back to 1908 when it was founded under the name Hrvatski (tipografski) športski klub Zagreb (Croatian (Typographic) Athletic Club Zagreb).

In 1950, FD Zagreb changed its name to present-day Nogometni klub Zagreb. On 7 February 1952 decision was made for the First Division team Borac Zagreb (ex Milicioner Zagreb) to integrate with Nogometni klub Zagreb who was at the time a second-tier club not able to secure a promotion in newly formed Yugoslav football league system. NK Zagreb continued to bear its name, acquiring so, a license for the upcoming first division season that was schedule to start in less than a month.

On 9 August 1960 club was once again reunited with NK Grafičar (renovated in 1949) and accepted the adjective "Grafički" to its full name Grafički nogometni klub Zagreb. The adjective was soon dropped out of everyday usage and was eventually abandoned. In 1980, NK Zagreb merged with local side NK Zagrebački plavi (which was previously called NK Jedinstvo) from west Trnje neighborhood, whose playground in Veslačka street eventually became Zagreb's training camp and later on, home venue named ZAGREBello.

Yugoslav football league system

During the Yugoslav era, NK Zagreb played a total of 18 seasons in the First Football League of Yugoslavia. The seasons were: 1952, 1952–53, 1954–55, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1964–65, 1965–66, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1973–74, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1980–81 and 1981–82. The greatest success in that period was in the 1964–65 season when NK Zagreb won 6th place under coach Gustav Lechner and with a prolific forward Zlatko Dračić who became top scorer with 23 goals in 26 league appearances. Along with Zlatko Dračić several other prominent players of NK Zagreb in the 1960s were: Darko Stanišić, Mladen Wacha, Stanko Bubanj and Mladen Azinović.

One of the most notable matches Zagreb played was the "Great drama in Maksimir" on 19 July 1973 when a qualifying match between NK Zagreb and NK Osijek took place on Maksimir stadium. It was a second leg of two qualifying matches for entering the First League. The first leg was played in city of Osijek and ended up in a drew, 0-0. Although Zagreb was the better opponent throughout the whole match, they failed to secure a goal in front of 25,000 spectators. The second leg was played in Maksimir because of great ticket demand – the attendance was 64,138 which broke the stadium record and stands to this day. The game saw dramatic comeback from NK Zagreb making it a 2-2 drew at the full time whistle. Zagreb achieved promotion after penalty shootout which ended with 4–3 score in favor of Zagreb. Zagreb's celebration started after crucial penalty kick was converted by late substitute, forward Hajrudin "Prika" Hušidić. Zagreb team lineup for this match was:

Horvat, Gašparini, Tucak, Antolić, Ivanišević, Lipovac (Bakota), Čopor, Močibob (Hušidić), Rukljač, Markulin, Smolek.

Another notable match Zagreb played is also a qualification match held in June 1985. NK Zagreb, after being relegated from Yugoslav Second League West in 1983–84 season, promptly won their corresponding North division of Croatian Republic Football League in 1984–85 season. At Kranjčević Street venue in front of 15000 gathered supporters Zagreb team led by Kurbaša and Petravić generation achieved magnificent 4–1 win against West division winner NK Orijent in a semi-final match played for Second League West division promotion, but in the end failed to finish qualification campaign victorious by losing the finals to South division winner NK Zadar on penalties. For next two seasons Zagreb repeated the same success by winning their North division titles in 1985–86 and 1986–87, but in both occasions failed to secure a promotion to Second League in the last stage of finals against Mladost Petrinja and Šparta Beli Manastir.

Croatian football league system

NK Zagreb competed in the First Croatian Football League from the very beginning in 1992 as a league founder till the end of 2012–13 season when they got relegated to the Second Croatian Football League for the first time. After promptly winning the title in second division, Zagreb returned and managed to play two more (2014–15, 2015–16) seasons in top level of Croatian football before irretrievably plunging into overall deterioration which in the end led to up-to-date situation.

Zagreb is the first club to break the dominance of Dinamo and Hajduk in Croatian football. It happened in 2001–02 season and was the first Croatian club after 57 years to be a national champion without being Hajduk Split or Dinamo Zagreb. Credit for that success goes to team head coach Zlatko "Cico" Kranjčar and very much his standardized lineup for the season. Among most notable players was club's best goalscorer of the season Ivica Olić who led the club to its first (and last) championship of the Prva HNL with 21 goals scored in 29 appearances. Olić was also entitled with league Best player and Best goalscorer award.

The main eleven line up for triumphal team who carried out the achievement was: Vladimir Vasilj, Goran Stavrevski, Vedran Ješe, Ivica Pirić, Josip Bulat, Dalibor Poldrugač, Damir Milinović, Ibrahim Duro, Admir Hasančić, Ivica Olić and Antonio Franja. Merits must also be given to rotation players: Petar Krpan, Hrvoje Štrok, Nermin Šabić, Frane Ćaćić, Domagoj Verhas, Mario Osibov, Emir Spahić, Mario Tadić, Krunoslav Lovrek and Predrag Šimić.

Also worth mentioning here is Joško Popović who played for NK Zagreb in the 1990s, 4th all-time top scorer ever in Prva HNL. Zagreb also had best league goalscorer on four occasions: Mate Baturina in 1997–98 with 18 goals scored, already mentioned Ivica Olić in 2001–02 with 21 goals, Davor Vugrinec in 2009–10 scored 18 and Ivan Krstanović in next season, 2010–11 managed to came at top with 19 league goals scored.

Zagreb's final honorable achievements in Prva HNL before the downfall were in the 2004–05 and 2006–07 season when they finished 3rd overall and in the 2007–08 season when they reached semi-finals of the Croatian Cup.

Name changes

• Hrvatski športski klub Zagreb (1908 – June 1912)
• Hrvatski tipografski športski klub Zagreb (June 1912 – July 1918)
• Športski klub Plamen (July 1919 – 1920)
• Športski klub Zagreb (1920 – June 1941)
• Fiskulturno društvo Zagreb (10 October 1946 – 1950)
• Nogometni klub Zagreb (1950–8 August 1960)
• Grafički nogometni klub Zagreb (9 August 1960 – 1961)
• Nogometni klub Zagreb (1961–present)