About HNK Rijeka

HNK Rijeka is a Croatian football club based in the city of Rijeka, with roots dating back to 1904 through its earliest predecessor, Club Sportivo Olimpia. Over the decades, the club went through several transformations and name changes, including U.S. Fiumana during the Italian period and NK Kvarner after World War II, before adopting the name NK Rijeka in 1954. From its early years, the club reflected the multicultural character of the city and gradually developed into one of the main football institutions in the region.

During the Yugoslav era, Rijeka became a stable top-flight club, especially from the late 1950s onward. Its most successful period came in the late 1970s and 1980s, when it won back-to-back Yugoslav Cups in 1978 and 1979 and reached another final in 1987. Although it never won the Yugoslav league title, the club consistently achieved strong results, including a near-championship finish in 1984 and notable performances in European competitions, such as reaching the quarter-finals of the Cup Winners’ Cup.

Following Croatian independence in 1991, Rijeka became a regular member of the Croatian First League and established itself as one of the country’s leading clubs. Its greatest modern achievement came in the 2016–17 season, when it won both the league title and the Croatian Cup, breaking the long-standing dominance of Dinamo Zagreb and Hajduk Split. In recent years, Rijeka has remained competitive domestically and a frequent participant in European competitions, maintaining its status as one of Croatia’s top football clubs.