NK Istra 1961

Not to be confused with NK Istra.

Istra 1961

Club crest
Full name	Nogometni Klub Istra 1961
Nickname(s)	Verudeži Zeleno-žuti (The Green-Yellows)
Founded	1961 (1961)
Ground	Aldo Drosina Pula, Croatia
Ground Capacity	10,000
Owner	Round Midnight Investments
Manager	Andrej Panadić
League	Croatian First League
2014–15	9th
Website	Club home page
Home colours Away colours

Nogometni Klub Istra 1961 (English: Istra 1961 Football Club), commonly referred to as NK Istra 1961 or simply Istra 1961, is a football club from Pula, Croatia, currently playing in the Croatian First Division.

The football club NK Uljanik from which the club originates was founded in 1948. In 1961, it joined with another local club, NK Pula, to form NK Istra. For this reason, 1961 is occasionally considered as the club's founding year. The greatest club success was in the 2002–03 season when they finished runners-up in the Croatian Cup, losing to Hajduk Split 4–1 on aggregate. In the 2004–05 season, the club changed its name into NK Pula 1856, because the year 1856 was the year that the Austro-Hungarian Empire made Pula the port of its arsenal and the shipyard Uljanik was opened. Also in the same year, in competed in the Prva Liga for the first time. In 2005, it was renamed again to NK Pula Staro Češko due to a sponsorship contract with the brewery Daruvarska pivovara (Staro Češko is a beer brand). Just one year later, the name was once again changed, this time to NK Pula. Again, just a year later in summer 2007, the name was changed for the fifth time in as many years, to NK Istra 1961. The change of name came after an ultimatum from the local fans Demons who said the club would have their support only if the club changed its name and club colours to the traditional city colours (yellow and green).

Its crest features the city's Roman Arena in Pula, as well as the old team crest.

Pula play their home matches at the recently renovated Stadion Aldo Drosina, which has a capacity of approximately 10,000 spectators.

Recent seasons

Season	League									Cup	Top goalscorer
	Division	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts	Pos		Player	Goals
1992
1992–93										R1
1993–94	2. HNL South	30	7	7	16	21	43	21	14th
1994–95	2. HNL West								13th
1995–96	2. HNL West	34	18	8	8	58	36	62	5th
1996–97	2. HNL West	30	19	6	5	65	21	63	3rd
1997–98	2. HNL West	30	12	7	11	42	31	43	6th
1998–99	3. HNL West	30	13	7	10	33	35	46	3rd
1999–00	3. HNL West	30	17	6	7	56	30	57	3rd	R1
2000–01	3. HNL West	30	17	11	2	73	26	62	1st ↑
2001–02	2. HNL South	30	17	8	5	57	26	59	2nd	PR
2002–03	2. HNL South	32	20	7	5	63	31	67	2nd	RU
2003–04	2. HNL South	32	18	8	6	59	33	62	1st ↑	QF
2004–05	1. HNL	32	7	14	11	28	31	35	10th	QF	Josip Jerneić, Vedran Stošić	6
2005–06	1. HNL	32	13	6	13	44	36	45	7th	R1	Stiven Rivić	12
2006–07	1. HNL	33	6	11	16	28	40	29	11th ↓	R1	Marko Radas, Almir Halilović	5
2007–08	2. HNL	30	17	7	6	42	14	58	3rd	R1	Saša Šest	8
2008–09	2. HNL	30	18	6	6	46	20	60	1st ↑	R1	Mohamed Kalilou Traoré	9
2009–10	1. HNL	30	9	8	13	31	40	35	11th	R2	Asim Šehić	15
2010–11	1. HNL	30	9	4	17	24	44	31	15th	QF	Siniša Linić	5
2011–12	1. HNL	30	11	9	10	35	33	42	9th	QF	Sandi Križman	7
2012–13	1. HNL	33	11	11	11	35	32	44	6th	R2	Goran Roce	11
2013–14	1. HNL	36	12	8	16	45	56	44	6th	SF	Dejan Radonjić	9
2014–15	1. HNL	36	7	14	15	36	59	35	9th	QF	Dejan Radonjić	16

Key

1st	2nd	↑	↓
Champions	Runners-up	Promoted	Relegated

Top scorer shown in bold when he was also top scorer for the division.

• P = Played
• W = Games won
• D = Games drawn
• L = Games lost
• F = Goals for
• A = Goals against
• Pts = Points
• Pos = Final position

• 1. HNL = Prva HNL
• 2. HNL = Druga HNL
• 3. HNL = Treća HNL

• PR = Preliminary round
• R1 = Round 1
• R2 = Round 2
• QF = Quarter-finals
• SF = Semi-finals
• RU = Runners-up
• W = Winners

First-team squad

As of 5 January 2016

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 1 GK Ivan Brkić 2 DF Renato Gojković 3 DF Nikola Žižić 6 DF Branko Ojdanić 7 MF Josip Vuković 9 FW Stefan Nikolić 10 FW Abdelhakim Bouhna 12 GK Vanja Iveša 14 FW David Barišić 16 DF Bojan Pavlović 17 DF Dario Tomić 18 MF Milan Đurić 20 DF Darko Mišić

No. Position Player 21 MF Damir Zlomislić 22 DF Manuel Pamić 23 MF Muamer Svraka 24 MF Antonio Repić 25 DF Kenan Hadžić 26 DF Marcel Heister 27 MF Nermin Zolotić 28 MF Saša Urošević 29 MF Luka Franić 30 MF Viktor Marić 33 GK Ivica Ivušić 34 GK Miloš Ostojić 99 FW Filip Kasalica

Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors

Period	Kit manufacturer	Shirt partner
2007–10	Legea	Puljanka
2011–12	Jako	Croatia Osiguranje
2012	Puma	Croatia Osiguranje
2013–	Errea	Croatia Osiguranje

Honours

• Croatian Second Division:

Winners (2): 2003–04, 2008–09

• Croatian Third Division:

Winners (1): 2000–01

• Croatian Cup:

Runners up: 2002–03

3rd–4th Place: 2013–14

Managers

• Igor Pamić (2004–05)
• Milivoj Bračun (2005–06)
• Krunoslav Jurčić (2006–07)
• Nenad Gračan (2007)
• Elvis Scoria (Oct 30, 2007 – Nov 2, 2009)
• Valdi Sumberac (Nov 2, 2009 – Feb 27, 2010)
• Zoran Vulić (Feb 28, 2010 – May 22, 2010)
• Ante Miše (May 22, 2010 – Aug 2, 2010)
• Robert Jarni (Aug 4, 2010 – Sept 19, 2010)
• Davor Lasic (interim) (Sept 19, 2010 – Oct 5, 2010)
• Zoran Vulić (Oct 6, 2010 – March 21, 2011)
• Igor Pamić (March 29, 2011– October 5, 2015)

External links

• (Croatian)
• Istra 1961 profile at UEFA.com
• Istra 1961 profile at Sportnet.hr (Croatian)
• Istra 1961 profile at Nogometni magazin (Croatian)