Historical Crests NK Slaven Belupo

Name: ​ ​NK Slaven Belupo

Nickname(s): Farmaceuti (The Pharmacists)

Founded: 1907

Stadium: Gradski stadion Ivan Kušek-Apaš (Koprivnica)

Capacity: 3,134

NK Slaven Belupo Crest History

In 2000, shortly after establishing itself as a permanent member of the Croatian First Football League, NK Slaven Belupo introduced a new crest that reflected both the club's identity and its connection with the city of Koprivnica. The octagonal badge featured the Croatian red-and-white chequerboard across the top, while the coat of arms of Koprivnica occupied the centre alongside a stylised football. A blue lower section displayed the club name NK Slaven Koprivnica, combining the club's traditional blue-and-white colours with strong civic symbolism. The design emphasised the club's local roots while presenting a modern identity suited to its growing status in Croatian football.

In 2003, Slaven Belupo unveiled a simplified version of the crest that has remained the club's primary emblem ever since. The municipal coat of arms was removed to create a cleaner and more contemporary design, while the Croatian chequerboard was retained as the badge's most distinctive feature. The club name SLAVEN became the central visual element, with the foundation year 1907 incorporated into the lower blue section and separated by a stylised football. Although significantly simplified, the octagonal shield and traditional blue, white and red colour scheme were preserved, ensuring continuity with the previous design while improving recognition across print, television and digital media. 

NK Slaven Belupo Club History

The football tradition in Koprivnica dates back to 1907, when the city's first football club, Đački nogometni klub Koprivnica (Students' Football Club Koprivnica), was founded. In 1912, members of the Friedrich family established Hrvatski športski klub Slaven, which quickly became one of the strongest clubs in northern Croatia and won the Croatian Provincial Championship in 1920. Financial difficulties eventually led to the club's dissolution, but football continued in the city through clubs such as HŠK Victorija, HŠK Koprivnica, HŠK Danica and RNHŠK Sloga, preserving the local football tradition.

Following the Second World War, football in Koprivnica was reorganised with the establishment of FD Slaven in 1945. The club later competed as SD Podravka between 1953 and 1958 before adopting the name NK Slaven, under which it continued to compete in the Croatian regional leagues. A major turning point came in 1992, when the local paper company Bilokalnik became the club's principal sponsor, resulting in the name NK Slaven Bilokalnik. Two years later, pharmaceutical company Belupo assumed sponsorship, and the club adopted the name NK Slaven Belupo, which it retains today.

The arrival of Belupo marked the beginning of the most successful period in the club's history. Slaven Belupo won the Second Croatian League – North in 1995–96 and secured promotion to the Croatian First Football League after successful qualification in 1997. Since earning promotion, the club has never been relegated from the Croatian top flight, making it one of only a handful of clubs to have maintained continuous membership alongside Dinamo Zagreb, Hajduk Split, Rijeka and Osijek.

During the 2000s, Slaven Belupo established itself as one of Croatia's strongest provincial clubs. Regular top-half finishes brought qualification for European competitions, with the club becoming a frequent participant in the UEFA Intertoto Cup, UEFA Cup and later the UEFA Europa League. Between 2000 and 2012, Koprivnica hosted clubs including Aston Villa, VfB Stuttgart, Deportivo La Coruña, Lille, Bastia and Galatasaray, while Slaven earned a reputation as one of the most successful clubs in the history of the UEFA Intertoto Cup.

The club's greatest domestic achievement came in the 2007–08 season under coach Krunoslav Jurčić, when Slaven Belupo finished second in the Croatian First League, the highest league finish in its history. Another memorable campaign followed in 2011–12, when the club finished third under Roy Ferenčina. Slaven has also reached the Croatian Cup Final on three occasions—in 2005–06, 2015–16, and 2024–25—although it has yet to lift the trophy.

Slaven Belupo's principal rivalry is with NK Varaždin. The fixture, often referred to as the Derby of Northern Croatia (Derbi Sjevera), reflects the traditional sporting rivalry between the neighbouring cities of Koprivnica and Varaždin. While the rivalry is generally less intense than Croatia's major national derbies, it has grown through decades of league meetings and remains the club's most significant local fixture. The club also shares competitive rivalries with HNK Osijek, another leading club from continental Croatia

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