Jablonec

FK Jablonec ([ˈjablonɛts]) is a Czech professional football club based in the town of Jablonec nad Nisou. The club has played in the top league of Czech football, Czech First League, since 1994.

History

Jablonec played its first season of top league football in the 1974–75 Czechoslovak First League, remaining in the top league for two seasons before relegation in 1976. The club won the 1993–94 Czech 2. Liga and returned to the top league, now of the Czech Republic, in 1994. Jablonec finished third in the 1996–97 Czech First League, at the time its best-ever finish. As a result the club qualified for European competition in the form of the 1997–98 UEFA Cup, winning two and drawing two matches. The same season, the club won the Czech Cup, thus ensuring another season of European football, this time in the 1998–99 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. The club reached the final of the 2006–07 Czech Cup, winning the right to play in European competition once more as opponents in the final and winners Sparta Prague qualified for the Champions League that season. As a result the club played in the second qualifying round of the 2007–08 UEFA Cup.

The club finished a best-ever second place in the 2009–10 Czech First League, just a point behind league champions Sparta Prague and qualified for the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League. 2010–11 saw Jablonec striker David Lafata finish as the league's top scorer with 19 goals, helping the team to a third-place finish and qualification for another season of European football. In 2011–12, Lafata set a new scoring record in the Czech First League as he scored an unprecedented 25 goals in a single season again being the league's top scorer, although the club finished eighth. Lafata would go on to score 13 goals in 16 league appearances for Jablonec in the first half of the 2012–13 season before signing for Sparta Prague.

This page also has a version in other languages :  Яблонец (russian)