FC Zbrojovka Brno is a professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...

club based in the city of

Brno Brno ( , ; german: Brünn ) is a city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava and Svratka rivers, Brno has about 380,000 inhabitants, making it the second-largest city in the Czech Republic ...

, South Moravia, Czech Republic and named after

Zbrojovka Brno Pre-war Československá zbrojovka, akc.spol. (or a.s.) (Czechoslovak Armory)and post-war Zbrojovka Brno, n.p.(Brno Armory) was a maker of small arms, light artillery, and motor vehicles in Brno, Czechoslovakia. It also made other products and ...

, a firearms manufacturer. Founded in 1913 as SK Židenice, the club later became known as Zbrojovka Brno. Brno won the

Czechoslovak First League The Czechoslovak First League ( cs, 1. fotbalová liga, sk, 1. futbalová liga) was the premier football league in the Czechoslovakia from 1925 to 1993, with the exception of World War II. Czechoslovakia was occupied by German forces who for ...

in the 1977–78 season and finished as runners-up in 1979–80.

History

The club, initially known as SK Židenice, played in the top tier of Czechoslovak football from 1933 until suffering relegation in the 1946–47 Czechoslovak First League. During this period, the club entered the

Mitropa Cup The Mitropa Cup, officially called the La Coupe de l'Europe Centrale or Central European Cup, was one of the first international major European football cups for club sides. It was conducted among the successor states of the former Austria-Hunga ...

three times, reaching the quarter finals in 1935 as well as taking part in the competition in 1936 and 1938. Between 1950 and 1962 the club played outside the top tier, returning in the 1962–63 Czechoslovak First League. Five seasons elapsed before the club was again relegated, in 1967. They then spent four years in the second tier of Czechoslovak football before returning to the top flight. In the 1970s the club was a strong force in the country, winning the

in 1978, finishing third the following season and being runners up in 1980. The 1980s were less spectacular for Brno, as the club was relegated in 1983, playing until 1989 in the second tier. After just two seasons in the top tier, the club finished last in 1991 and was again relegated. Between 1992 and 2011, Brno played in the top tier of the Czech Republic for 19 consecutive seasons, the longest such spell in the club's history. In 2011, the club was relegated to the second division. In the 2011–12 Czech 2. Liga, the club only managed to finish fourth, missing out on the promotion places. However, due to the stadium requirements of the Czech First League, champions

FK Ústí nad Labem FK Ústí nad Labem is a Czech football club based in the city of Ústí nad Labem. Currently the club plays in the Bohemian Football League. The club has played at the top level of national football on three occasions, most recently in the 2010� ...

as well as third-placed FK Baník Sokolov were ineligible for promotion. As a result, Brno won promotion immediately back to the top tier. In 2018, the club was relegated to the second division. In the 2018–19 Czech Second League, the club managed to finish third but lost the promotion play-off to Příbram.

Historical names

* ''SK Židenice'' (1913–47) * ''Zbrojovka Židenice Brno'' (1947–51) * ''Zbrojovka Brno'' (1951–56) * ''Spartak ZJŠ Brno'' (1956–68) * ''Zbrojovka Brno'' (1968–92) * ''Boby Brno'' (1992–2000) * ''Stavo Artikel Brno'' (2000–02) * ''1. FC Brno'' (2002–10) * ''Zbrojovka Brno'' (2010–) In 1962, there was an amalgamation between Rudá Hvězda Brno (1956–62) and ''Spartak ZJŠ Brno''.

European competitions

Brno have competed a number of times in European competitions, reaching the second round of the

1978–79 European Cup The 1978–79 season of the European Cup football club tournament was won by English champions Nottingham Forest in the final against Swedish side Malmö FF. Forest, enjoying a great run of success under Brian Clough, had defeated defending two-t ...

in their only appearance to date in the competition. The club played in the

1993–94 European Cup Winners' Cup The 1993–94 season of the European Cup Winners' Cup was won by English club Arsenal, who beat defending champions Parma in the final. The tournament would be renamed to the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup the following season. Teams Lithuania, Latvia, ...

but lost in the first round. Brno took part in the

UEFA Cup A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, china, clay ...

three times, reaching the quarter finals in 1979–80 and also playing in 1980–81 and 1997–98. Because

was a major fairs city of Czechoslovakia, teams from Brno played in the

Inter-Cities Fairs Cup The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, sometimes referred to as the European Fairs Cup, Fairs Cities' Cup, or simply as the Fairs Cup, was a European football competition played between 1955 and 1971. It is often considered the predecessor to the UEFA Cup ( ...

in the 1960s. It was

Spartak KPS Brno FC LeRK Brno was a Czech football club from the city of Brno. The club existed from 1910 until 1995, playing a single season in the Czechoslovak First League in 1961/62 under the name of Spartak Brno KPS. In the same season, the club took part in t ...

who participated first, then

Spartak ZJŠ Brno FC Zbrojovka Brno is a professional football club based in the city of Brno, South Moravia, Czech Republic and named after Zbrojovka Brno, a firearms manufacturer. Founded in 1913 as SK Židenice, the club later became known as Zbrojovka Brno. Br ...

(Zbrojovka) played five times in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in a row, reaching the quarter finals in 1963–64. Brno (then SK Židenice) competed in the

three times before

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, reaching the quarter finals in 1935. Rudá Hvězda Brno played in the

1960–61 European Cup Winners' Cup The 1960–61 season of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, European Cup Winners' Cup club association football, football tournament was won by Italian club ACF Fiorentina, Fiorentina in two-legged final victory against Rangers F.C., Rangers of Scotland. O ...

, reaching the quarter finals, after winning Czechoslovak Cup in 1960.

Stadium

Brno have played at Městský fotbalový stadion Srbská since 2001, when they moved from previous home

Stadion Za Lužánkami The Stadion Za Lužánkami is a closed stadium in Brno, Czech Republic. It was primarily used for football, and was the home ground of FC Zbrojovka Brno. It held up to 50,000 people. The stadium was constructed between 1949 and 1953 and was the ...

. In the 1990s, Brno attracted record crowds to their football matches, with Za Lužánkami as the venue for all of the top ten most-attended Czech First League matches. The highest attendance for a Brno match is 44,120, set in a league match against

Slavia Prague Sportovní klub Slavia Praha – fotbal (Sports Club Slavia Prague – Football, ), commonly known as Slavia Praha or Slavia Prague, is a Czech professional football club in Prague. Founded in 1892, they are the second most successful club in ...

Players

Current squad

Out on loan

Reserve squad

''To see Zbrojovka Brno's reserve squad, go to FC Zbrojovka Brno B''

Notable former players

* Oldřich Rulc *

Vlastimil Bubník Vlastimil Bubník (; 18 March 1931 – 6 January 2015) was a Czech ice hockey player and footballer. Bubník was born in Kelč, Czechoslovakia, and played in the Czechoslovak Extraliga. He played for HC Brno and Královo Pole. He a ...

* Karel Lichtnégl * Ján Popluhár * Rostislav Václavíček *

Karel Kroupa Karel Kroupa (born 15 April 1950) is a former Czech football player, considered as legendary player of Zbrojovka Brno. Kroupa played his whole professional career for Zbrojovka Brno. He appeared in 277 league matches and scored 118 goals, beco ...

* Karel Jarůšek * Petr Janečka * Roman Kukleta * René Wagner *

Richard Dostálek Richard Dostálek (born 26 April 1974) is a Czech professional football coach and a former player who played as a midfielder. He is the manager of Zbrojovka Brno. He spent most of his Czech First League career at 1. FC Brno. In 1994, he won th ...

* Jan Maroši * Milan Pacanda Some of the biggest Czech football legends played for Brno briefly: *

Karel Pešek Karel "Káďa" Pešek (20 September 1895 in Olomouc, Austria-Hungary – 30 September 1970 in Prague, Czechoslovakia) was a Czechoslovak ice hockey and football player. He played as midfielder for Sparta Prague and the Czechoslovak footb ...

(at the end of career) * Josef Bican (at the end of career, as playing manager) *

Ivo Viktor Ivo Viktor (born 21 May 1942 in Křelov) is a Czech former football goalkeeper. He played for Czechoslovakia, representing his country on 63 occasions between 1966 and 1977, taking part in the 1970 FIFA World Cup and winning the 1976 European ...

(at the beginning of career)

Player records in the Czech First League

Most appearances

Most goals

Most clean sheets

Current technical staff

Managers

* Václav Vohralík (1926–34) * Jenö Konrád (1934–35) * Antonín Carvan (1935–38) * Josef Kuchynka (1938–41) * Vlastimil Borecký (1941–42) *

Josef Smolka Josef Smolka (22 March 1939, Troubky – 1 June 2020) was a Czech volleyball player who competed for Czechoslovakia in the 1968 Summer Olympics The 1968 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1968), officially known as the G ...

(1942–43) * Josef Eremiáš (1943–46) * Matthias Kaburek (1947) * Josef Eremiáš (1947–48) * Jan Smolka (1948–1949) * Josef Košťálek (1950) * Josef Eremiáš (1951–1952) * Eduard Farda (1953–1957) * Josef Bican (1957) * Josef Machata (1958) * František Čejka (1958–59) * Svatoslav Vrbka (1960) * František Zapletal (1960–62) * Rudolf Krčil (1962) * Alfréd Sezemský (1963) * František Zapletal (1964) *

Karel Kolský Karel Kolský (21 September 1914 in Kročehlavy – 17 February 1984) was a Czech football player and later a football manager. He played for Czechoslovakia, for which he played 13 matches. He was a participant in the 1938 FIFA World Cup, and ...

(1964–66) * Karel Nepala (1966–67) * František Čejka (1967) * Josef Jaroš (1967) * Karel Kohlík (1967) * Vratislav Dittrich (1967–68) * Theodor Reimann (1968–69) * Zdeněk Hajský (1969–71) * Alfréd Sezemský (1972) * František Havránek (1972–76) * Josef Masopust (1976–80) * Valér Švec (1980–81) * Karel Brückner (1981–83) * Josef Bouška (1983) * Viliam Padúch (1984) * Ján Zachar (1984–85) * Ivan Hrdlička (1985–87) * Rudolf Skarka (1987) * Petr Pálka (1987–88) * František Harašta (1988) *

František Cipro František Cipro (born 13 April 1947 in Jihlava) is a retired Czech football manager, known mostly for his work in SK Slavia Prague and SK Dynamo České Budějovice. He was an active player in the past. Playing career Cipro played for Slavia ...

(1989–90) * Viliam Padúch (1990) *

Karol Dobiaš Karol Dobiaš (born 18 December 1947) is a former Slovak football player and coach. During his career, he was a versatile player, mostly playing as defender or midfielder. Player career He was born in Handlová. His career started in Baník ...

(1990–93) * Josef Masopust (1993) * Vladimír Táborský (1993–94) * Karel Večeřa (1994) *

Petr Uličný Petr Uličný (born 11 February 1950 in Uničov) is a former Czech football player and manager. Having previously managed Sigma Olomouc until 2006, guiding the club to finishes of third, fourth and ninth, Uličný returned in December 2011. ...

(1994–96) * Karel Večeřa (1996–98) * Karel Jarůšek (1998–2000) * Pavel Tobiáš (2000–01) * Karel Večeřa (2001–03) * Karel Jarůšek (2004–05) * Jiří Kotrba (2005) *

Josef Mazura Josef Mazura (born 23 April 1956) is a retired Czech football player and currently manager. He played for Czechoslovakia. As active player, Mazura spent most of his career with Zbrojovka Brno. However, at the end of career he also played ...

(2005–07) *

(2007–08) * Aleš Křeček (2008) * Miroslav Beránek (2008–10) * Karel Večeřa (July 2010 – June 11) * René Wagner (July 2011 – Oct 11) * Róbert Kafka (Oct 2011 – Dec 11) * Petr Čuhel (Jan 2012 – Apr 13) *

Ludevít Grmela Ludevít Grmela (born 16 April 1961) is a Czech football manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of manag ...

(Apr 2013 – Sept 13) * Václav Kotal (Sept 2013 – June 16) * Svatopluk Habanec (June 2016 – Aug 17) *

(Aug 2017 – Oct 2017) *

Roman Pivarník Roman Pivarník (born 17 February 1967) is a Slovakian football manager and former player. Pivarník's playing career included a stint at SK Sigma Olomouc, which included matches in the inaugural season of the Czech First League. He played 17 mat ...

(Oct 2017 – Aug 2018) * Pavel Šustr (Aug 2018 – Oct 2019) *

Miloslav Machálek Miloslav Machálek (born 20 July 1961) is a Czech professional football manager who last managed Czech First League club Zbrojovka Brno. Early life and career Machálek grew up in Slovácko region village of Slavkov, where he began his career ...

(Oct 2019 – Dec 2020) *

(Dec 2020 – )

History in domestic competitions

* Seasons spent at Level 1 of the football league system: 39 * Seasons spent at Level 2 of the football league system: 9 * Seasons spent at Level 3 of the football league system: 0 * Seasons spent at Level 4 of the football league system: 0

Czech Republic

Honours

Czechoslovak First League *Winners (1): 1977–78 *Runners-up (1): 1979–80 *3rd Place (4): 1934–35, 1937–38, 1945–46, 1978–79 Czech First League *3rd Place (1): 1994–95 Czechoslovak Amateur League *Winners (1): 1926 Czechoslovak Cup *Winners (1): 1959–60 (Rudá Hvězda) Czech Cup *Runners-up (1): 1992–93

Club records

Czech First League records

*Best position: 3rd ( 1994–95) *Worst position: 16th ( 2017–18) *Biggest home win: Brno 7–0 Slovácko (

2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...

) *Biggest away win:

Olomouc Olomouc (, , ; german: Olmütz; pl, Ołomuniec ; la, Olomucium or ''Iuliomontium'') is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 99,000 inhabitants, and its larger urban zone has a population of about 384,000 inhabitants (2019). Located on t ...

0–3 Brno ( 1993–94),

Teplice Teplice () (until 1948 Teplice-Šanov; german: Teplitz-Schönau or ''Teplitz'') is a city in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 49,000 inhabitants. It is the second largest Czech spa town, after Karlovy Vary. The his ...

1–4 Brno ( 2017–18) *Biggest home defeat: Brno 0–5

Sparta Prague ) but refer to Spartans as "''Rudí''" ( en, The Dark Reds/The Maroons).'' Letenští'' , ground = Generali Česká pojišťovna Arena , capacity = 19,416 , clubname = Sparta Prague , image = Sparta Praha logo.png , image_size = 160px , fu ...

(

) *Biggest away defeat:

6–0 Brno ( 1993–94),

6–0 Brno ( 2001–02)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Zbrojovka Brno Football clubs in the Czech Republic Association football clubs established in 1913 Czechoslovak First League clubs Czech First League clubs Football clubs in Czechoslovakia 1913 establishments in Austria-Hungary 20th-century establishments in Bohemia