The first official crest of NK Rudeš was introduced following the club's foundation in 1957 and remained largely unchanged for the next sixty years. The badge featured a traditional shield displaying the club's blue-and-white vertical stripes, surmounted by the Croatian red-and-white chequerboard. The club name NK Rudeš appeared prominently across a blue horizontal band, creating a simple yet distinctive identity that reflected both the club's Zagreb roots and Croatian heritage.
In 2017, following promotion to the Croatian First Football League, NK Rudeš unveiled a completely redesigned crest. The traditional rounded shield was replaced by a modern, more angular badge inspired by contemporary football branding. While the familiar blue-and-white vertical stripes and Croatian chequerboard were retained, the typography was modernised and the proportions simplified, creating a cleaner identity better suited to digital media and the club's debut in the top flight. The redesign reflected Rudeš' ambition to establish itself among Croatia's elite while preserving the visual elements that had defined the club since its foundation.
After two seasons, the club returned to its traditional identity in 2019. The modern shield was abandoned in favour of a refined version of the historic crest first introduced in 1957. The rounded shield, bold blue-and-white stripes and Croatian chequerboard were all restored, while only minor graphic refinements improved the badge's proportions and reproduction across print and digital media. The decision reflected the club's desire to reconnect with its heritage after supporters had embraced the original emblem for more than six decades. Since its reintroduction, the restored crest has remained the symbol of NK Rudeš.
NK Rudes Zagreb Club History
Founded in 1957 in the Zagreb neighbourhood of Rudeš, NK Rudeš grew out of the local football culture that had developed on the Celina meadow during the early 1950s. Established largely through the efforts of local football enthusiasts, including Ivan Šantek Sr. and Ivan Šantek Jr., the club quickly became a focal point of the community and has remained closely connected with the district ever since.
For much of its history, Rudeš competed in the lower levels of Zagreb and Croatian football. Despite limited financial resources, the club built a reputation for hard work, strong community support and youth development. Progress accelerated during the late 2000s, when Rudeš won the Croatian Third League in 2008–09, earning promotion to the Second Football League. The club also enjoyed success in the Zagreb Football Association Cup, winning the competition on several occasions and establishing itself as one of the capital's strongest community clubs.
The greatest achievement in the club's history came in the 2016–17 season, when Rudeš won the Croatian Second Football League and secured promotion to the Croatian First Football League for the first time. The achievement represented a remarkable rise from the regional leagues to the country's highest level in less than a decade and transformed the club into one of Croatian football's success stories. Because the club's own ground did not meet top-flight licensing requirements, Rudeš played its home matches at Stadion Kranjčevićeva while continuing to develop its facilities in the Rudeš district.
Although relegated after a single season in the top flight, Rudeš remained one of the strongest clubs in the second tier and continued to focus on youth development and attractive football. The club secured a second promotion by winning the Prva NL title in 2022–23, returning to the Croatian First League for the 2023–24 season. Despite another immediate relegation, Rudeš strengthened its reputation as an ambitious and well-organised club capable of competing with Croatia's more established sides.Today, NK Rudeš continues to represent one of Zagreb's most historic neighbourhoods.
Rudeš' principal rivalry is with fellow Zagreb club NK Lokomotiva Zagreb. Although the clubs have spent much of their histories in different divisions, meetings between them have become increasingly competitive as both have established themselves in Croatian professional football. Their encounters are often regarded as one of Zagreb's most important local derbies outside those involving Dinamo.
The club also shares local rivalries with GNK Dinamo Zagreb and the historic NK Zagreb, reflecting the concentration of football clubs within the Croatian capital. Matches against Dinamo are particularly significant whenever Rudeš competes in the Croatian First League, offering supporters the opportunity to challenge the country's most successful club.
