HNK Gorica

There is a long lasting tradition of football in Velika Gorica and region of Turopolje. First organized clubs were founded during the 1930s but the most prominent football club, NK Radnik, was created in 1945, just after the end of World War II.

Radnik enjoyed average success during Yugoslavia, and its most impressive results came with independence of Croatia. With a newly built stadium for 1987 Summer Universiade Radnik were champions of the first ever Croatian second division. In doing so they were promoted to the highest level Croatian league. Radnik competed there for two seasons, 1992–93 and 1993–94. After being relegated, Radnik started a downfall, obtaining mediocre results which resulted in them playing in the fourth tier of Croatian league football for four seasons (from 2002 till 2006).

During 2009 Radnik got into serious financial troubles and only solution for preserving Velika Gorica's top and most popular football team was a merger with one of financially stable local football clubs. A perfect partner was found in NK Polet from nearby village Buševec. NK Polet had a long lasting football tradition and was a competitive member of Treća HNL. In summer of 2009, merging between Radnik and Polet was agreed and HNK Gorica was formed.[5] As a primal mission club stated winning the league title and reaching Croatian Second Football League after many years of absence. The goal was reached during the first season, Gorica won the Treća HNL West and achieved promotion to the Druga HNL for the 2010–11 season.

Before 2010–11 season it was stated that club's ambitions are not high and that everybody would be satisfied with top half finish. But as the season progressed, Gorica proved to be the best club in the league, this culminating with securing the title two rounds before the end of the season. As 2. HNL champion, Gorica earned a place in Croatia's first division, which was later denied after getting their top level license revoked.[6]

Gorica won the 2017-18 Croatian Second Football League after which they were finally granted licence to play in the top tier after many years of being denied. Their league debut (as HNK Gorica) in the 2018–19 season was one of the most surprising and impressing parts of the league, becoming the best league-debutants in history by winning 59 points, as well as beating European contenders Hajduk Split and Osijek twice and the vice-champions Rijeka three times, although still finishing 5th, just 3 points away from reaching the Europa League qualifying rounds. Many foreign players out of contract were bought for free before the season, which turned out to be remarkable signings, most notably Łukasz Zwoliński, Kristijan Lovrić and Iyayi Atiemwen, who was ranked third in the 2018 Prva HNL Player of the year rankings and sold to Dinamo Zagreb over the 2019 transfer window for a record fee.[7]

As of 16 February 2022[8]

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

No. Pos. Nation Player 2 DF  NGA Musa Muhammed 3 DF  BIH Aleksandar Jovičić (2nd Captain) 4 DF  NED Matthew Steenvoorden 5 DF  BIH Saša Marjanović 8 MF  NED Joey Suk 10 MF  CRO Matija Dvorneković (Captain) 12 GK  CRO Jan Paolo Debijađi 14 MF  CRO Josip Mitrović 16 MF  CRO Toni Fruk (on loan from Fiorentina) 19 FW  BRA Caio da Cruz Oliveira 20 MF  CRO Hrvoje Babec 21 MF  LTU Paulius Golubickas

No. Pos. Nation Player 22 FW  NGA Olabiran Muyiwa (on loan from Dynamo Kyiv) 23 MF  AUS Anthony Kalik 24 GK  CRO Dominik Kotarski (on loan from Ajax) 25 DF  CRO Krešimir Krizmanić 26 FW  CRO Ante Matej Jurić 33 DF  MLI Cheick Keita 55 DF  CRO Jozo Šimunović 70 FW  MKD Vlatko Stojanovski 77 FW  IRN Younes Delfi (on loan from Charleroi) 80 MF  NGA Iyayi Atiemwen (on loan from Dinamo Zagreb) 88 MF  CRO Jurica Pršir 98 FW  SEN Matar Dieye

Out on loan

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

No. Pos. Nation Player 11 FW  CRO Fran Brodić (at Varaždin until 30 May 2022) 17 DF  ALB Albi Doka (at Budapest Honvéd until 30 June 2022) 29 FW  CRO Ivan Josip Zorica (at Kustošija until 30 June 2022) 31 GK  CRO Ivan Banić (at Olimpija Ljubljana until 30 June 2022)

No. Pos. Nation Player 32 MF  CRO Tin Zavalić (at Karlovac until 30 June 2022) — FW  ALB Lion Cahani (at NK Trnje until 29 June 2022) — MF  CRO Matej Adžić (at Jarun Zagreb until 29 June 2022) — FW  MNE Vlado Gajić (at Iskra Danilovgrad until 30 June 2022)

Youth academy

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

No. Pos. Nation Player 17 MF  CRO Vinko Skrbin 18 MF  CRO Patrik Jug 27 DF  CRO David Sim

No. Pos. Nation Player 30 MF  CRO Luka Brlek 50 GK  BIH Faruk Dalipagić — MF  CRO Luka Kapulica

• Druga HNL (2): 2010–11, 2017–18
• Treća HNL – West (1): 2009–10

• Official website (in Croatian)