Napredak Krusevac

Fudbalski klub Napredak Krusevac (Serbian Cyrillic: Фудбалски клуб Haпpeдaк Крушевац), commonly known as Napredak Krusevac, is a Serbian professional football club based in the city of Krusevac. The word Napredak means "progress" in Serbian.

The club's nickname is the Carapani which translates in English to the sock-men, the origin of this nickname are from the times of the First Serbian Uprising, when the local insurgents took off their slippers and silently went to defend their homeland against the Ottoman occupation of Serbia, in socks. Another interpretation is related to the custom of men in this area who in urban legend in medieval times wore beautiful, long embroidered socks.

History

Napredak was founded on 8 December 1946, through a merger of three local area clubs Zakic, Badza and 14. Oktobar. In January 1947, they played its first official game against Vardar, the result was 1–1. The first goal in Napredak's history scored Marko Valok, who became later a famous player of Partizan Belgrade and Yugoslavian First League top scorer in 1950. In 1949, they became champions of Serbia, the first title of the club. In 1951, Napredak joined the Yugoslav First League for the first time, but they immediately relegated in the IV Zona (IV Zone), which was one of the 5 subdivisions of the Yugoslav Second League. Since the season 1958/59, they compete in the new format of the Yugoslav Second League.

In 1976, led by coach Dragan Bojovic, the club won the second league and again provides a placement in the elite, thanks to the four goals by Jovica Skoro, three by Milomir Jakovljevic and one by Dragisa Cuslovic, which brought the decisive 8–2 victory over Rad Belgrade, but they relegated again in the same season. In the season 1978–79, they joined the Yugoslav First League, and in that season, Yugoslav powerhouse Partizan suffered a sensational 3–0 home defeat from Napredak. In the season 1979–80, led by coach Tomislav Kaloperovic, Napredak finished the championship as 4th

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