Olympia Borograd

Nogometni klub Olimpija Borograd (Olympia Borograd) is a professional football club located in the city of Borograd, Siovanija and Teusland.

Playing its first match in 1854 against an XI from the Siovanijan Armed Forces, Olympia Borograd quickly joined the Siovanijan 1. Division, and became one of its dominant clubs. The club have traditionally worn a green home kit with white shorts, and a white away kit with green shorts. The club play their home matches at the Olimpski-Stadion, a 60,000 seat multipurpose stadium owned by the club and located in their home city of Borograd. Before that, the club's home matches were previously played at the Stadion Ljublanica, which was rebuilt twice before the Greens moved to their current home.

Olympia Borograd have consistently been one of the most successful clubs in football in Siovanija & Teusland. They participated in local Borograd leagues before joining the new Siovanijan 1. Division in 1874. They would remain in that league until 1890, when all club activities were put on halt due to the Great War. After the war, the club were part of the Regionalliga Siovanija from 1899 until the end of the Regionalliga system in 2017. The club were a charter member of the Republikaliga, and have played in the league ever since. In addition, the club have competed in the President's Cup throughout its history. Olympia Borograd have been recognized national champions 26 times, including 25 President's Cup titles (1897-2017) and 1 Republikaliga title, in season 3. In addition, Olympia Borograd have been Siovanijan champions a total of 55 times, including 8 times in the 1. Division and 47 times in the Regionalliga Siovanija. The club have one Republikaliga title to their name since the beginning of the new league, in season 3, and have produced national team stars such as Ivo Romanov, Krasimir Kynev, Denis Dezelac and Lojze Kokalj.

The club are also known for rivalries with FK Metropola Borograd, with whom they contest the fierce Borograd derby, and FC Teussen Stelburg, with whom they contest the National derby. The club are often viewed as a 'national team' of the Republic of Siovanija, and attract a wide fanbase across the republic.

History
The Olympia Athletic Club was originally founded in 1808, after the Siovanijan Revolution, in the new capital city of Borograd by the national government as a national social and fitness club for citizens. Branches were opened in major cities across the Siovanijan Republic, with the headquarters in Borograd, and physical activity was encouraged. By 1853, the club had branches in athletics, aquatics and gymnastics, and was a social institution within Siovanija.

Football came to Siovanija through cultural spread through the mid-1800s, and Borograd, as capital of the independent Siovanijan Republic, was the hotbed for it. The first official football match in the country was played in 1854 between the Olympia Athletic Club and a squad made up of soldiers in the Siovanijan army. Olympia won the match 3-1, and its members fell in love with the game. Olympia, the largest multi-sport club in the country, now had a football division, and Olympia Borograd were born.

The 1. Division was the premier football competition in pre-war Siovanija, and Olympia Borograd were a dominant force, capturing 8 league titles before the league was cancelled for the duration of the war. Olympia sent many of its boys to the front lines of the war, and a few never made it back home - the main stand at the stadium has always been known as the Memorial Stand in their honour. But when league play resumed in Siovanija by 1899, Olympia were prepared again, winning 2 of the first 3 Siovanijan championships.

The next decades saw Olympia competing for titles with both their cross-town rivals Metropola as well as the other big club of the era, Crvena Zvezda (the modern-day Zvezda Vlaikograd). The first 18 years saw only these three clubs winning the Siovanijan title. The trio - and really a duo, as Zvezda and Olympia were the main contenders for most of this period - continued their domination right up until the 1960s, when Zvezda dropped off. From then on, it became a battle of the Borograd clubs every year, creating a fiercely-passionate rivalry. While the total domination eased up over the years - Olympia often more concerned with their chase of Teussen in the President’s Cup - Olympia still ended up as the most successful side in Siovanija during the Regionalliga era.

Entering the Republikaliga, Olympia were weak to begin the new competition - a young squad developing into winners. Their time would come, however - season 2 runners-up before setting a league points record that still stands today in season 3. Since that title win, however, Olympia have lacked a certain edge, and have failed to finish in the top 3 of the league since that season.

Culture
Olympia, due to their long and successful history, are the number 1 club in Siovanija, with the largest number of supporters in that republic. In the capital city itself, the club’s support is mostly in the suburbs and on the edge of the downtown. The traditional Olympia/Metropola dichotomy in the capital, however, has been changing in recent years, and many of the old truths like that geography aren’t exactly the case in the modern day.

If Teussen are the ‘Teus club,’ it would be fair to call Olympia the ‘Siovanijan club.’ The Olympia Athletic Club was founded in post-revolution Siovanija - the country having freed itself from the Teus Empire as an independent republic in 1808 - with the colour green as its symbol. Green had also been the flags of the Siovanijans who campaigned for independence and the Republic. Based in the capital, wearing the national colour, constant success - it was a perfect storm for the club to become the representative of the nation. Olympia fans are more likely to wave that same ‘Green Banner’ over the national flag, especially in games against Teussen. Song-wise, Olympia’s chants are mainly rooted in the history of the club itself, but some are more national-based as well. For example, ‘The Rebel’s Song,’ the anthem of the 1808 revolutions, can be heard pretty much every week. Overall, however, songs are more football-focused: ‘Borograd’s Best’ and the club anthem ‘Up the Greens’ examples of those.

Domestic

 * 1. Division (1874-1890)
 * Winners (8): (1874, 1876, 1878, 1879, 1880, 1884, 1888, 1889)
 * ''Note: The 1. Division served as the top-flight football league of the Siovanijan Republic
 * Anton Dialikov Pokal (1874-1892)
 * Winners (6): (1876, 1879, 1880, 1886, 1887, 1892)
 * ''Note: The Anton Dialikov Pokal served as the cup competition of the Siovanijan Republic
 * Regionalliga Siovanija (1899-2017)
 * Winners (47): (1900, 1901, 1903, 1905, 1908, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1915, 1916, 1919, 1921, 1929, 1938, 1939, 1944, 1947, 1949, 1951, 1956, 1957, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1967, 1968, 1971, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2014)
 * Note: These championships are not considered to be national championships, as through this era clubs participated solely in regional leagues, while the Cup was a national competition.
 * President's Cup (1897-2017)
 * Winners (25): (1908, 1910, 1919, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1934, 1935, 1951, 1956, 1960, 1966, 1967, 1970, 1979, 1982, 1987, 1989, 1992, 1994, 2002, 2006, 2011, 2014, 2015)
 * ''Note: During this era, the President's Cup was considered to be the true national championship, as all clubs in the country participated. The STFA recognizes all President's Cups won during this era as national championships. The President's Cup is still run today, but it no longer serves as the national championship.
 * Republikaliga
 * Winners (1): Season 3
 * President's Cup (Modern)
 * Winners (1): Season 2

Olympia Borograd officially claim 55 Siovanijan championships, 26 national titles, and 88 overall trophies throughout their history.

Borograd Derby
The Borograd derby sees Olympia Borograd take on cross-city rivals FK Metropola Borograd. The rivalry between these two clubs dates all the way back to their foundings. Olympia quickly became seen as the club of Borograd's upper class, while Metropola Borograd were the club of the middle and lower-class citizens living in downtown Borograd. To this day, the difference between the clubs still exists: Metropola's stadium is in Borograd's downtown east side, while Olympia have moved out to the western suburbs. On the pitch, the clubs have always been key rivals, particularly in the Regionalliga Siovanija era as they competed year in and year out for the regional and Siovanijan championships. In the Republikaliga era, while Olympia have clearly been the more successful side, there have been several key moments in the rivalry. Valko Tinchev's move from green to purple on a free transfer made him a hated figure for Olympia fans, while Metropola have managed to twice deny their rivals a league title on the final day: with a 2-0 win on the final day of season 5, and a 4-4 draw in season 6 - in which Tinchev scored a late equalizer.

Off the pitch, this rivalry is perhaps the most heated in the country, with these fans having no love for each other. Flares of each side's main colour (green for Olympia, purple for Metropola) can be seen in the air, and this fixture is considered by many to be the second-most violent derby match in the country, after the Pomorie/Marzig derby.

National Derby
Olympia Borograd contest the National derby with FC Teussen Stelburg. Both clubs are considered to be the giants of their respective regions, with Olympia having 47 Siovanijan championships as well as 26 recognized national championships (25 President's Cups, 1 Republikaliga). Stelburg and Borograd as cities have always had a rivalry throughout the history of the country; competing with each other in any aspect possible. The derby also represents a bit of an ethnic clash, with Olympia being viewed as the Siovanijan club and Teussen, naturally, as the Teus club. The clubs did not meet regularly from 1897-2017, as they played in separate leagues. However, they did meet often enough in the President's Cup to spark a rivalry, and the two clubs' dominance in their own leagues meant that, when drawn together, it was often seen as a de facto final. In the end, Teussen took 33 President's Cups, and Olympia 25.

In the Republikaliga era, the rivalry continues to grow and get better. Season 2 saw the clubs competing directly in the title fight, with Teussen eventually coming out on top by 2 points. The next season, however, was Olympia's turn: Olympia blew the rest of the league away in reaching 82 points, while Teussen sat in second place with 68. The clubs struggled the next few seasons to replace key players lost abroad, and while Teussen rebounded quicker than their rivals and have added 2 more Republikaliga titles to their name, Olympia Borograd have not finished above 3rd since season 4. When these clubs meet, however, no matter the situation, it is sure to be an exciting match.

SK Republika Borograd rivalry
Historically, Olympia Borograd had a large rivalry with SK Republika Borograd. During the early years of the 1. Division, SK Republika Borograd were considered to be the second-best club in Borograd, and won 4 1. Division titles as well as 4 Anton Dialikov Pokal wins. Republika, who are based in the northern suburbs of the city, were the competitive rivals to Olympia in these years. Olympia legend Ludvik Tarasov famously scored the winning goal in the 1892 Dialikov Pokal final to defeat Republika. In the post-war era, however, Republika did not maintain their success. They would win the President's Cup in 1897, but have not won a piece of silverware since. Olympia at one point maintained a 17-year unbeaten streak against Republika in the Regionalliga Borograd, and the rivalry was mostly dead by the end of the 1970s. While SK Republika Borograd mostly languished in the 3. Republikaliga for the first years of the new system, the club have committed to attempting to try to once again compete at the top of the league, and have been promoted to the 2. Republikaliga and have challenged to move up to the top tier, which could reignite the rivalry. Republika also reached the semifinals of the President's Cup during season 9 for the first time since that triumph in 1897.

Zvezda Vlaikograd rivalry
Zvezda Vlaikograd, formerly Crvena Zvezda, were once Olympia Borograd's fiercest rivals. For the first 60 years of the new Regionalliga (1900-1960), Olympia Borograd and Crvena Zvezda were seemingly in a two-way race to win Siovanijan and national titles. In 1960, Crvena Zvezda had won 18 Siovanijan and 4 national titles, while Olympia had won 22 Siovanijan and 11 national titles. That year, Crvena Zvezda changed their name to Zvezda Vlaikograd, and the rest was history: Zvezda won only 4 Siovanijan and 0 national titles since then, and did not win the President's Cup until season 9 of the Republikaliga. The clubs were heated rivals on the field, and off it. Zvezda's fanbase, known for its left-wing nationalism, often clashed with the more conservative (by Siovanijan standards) Olympia. For many older Zvezda Vlaikograd fans, Olympia Borograd are still their biggest rivals, while Olympia fans are mostly focused on their rivalries with Metropola and Teussen. With Zvezda's recent uptick in form, however, as they try to return to the top of the league, it's possible this rivalry could soon return to its glory days.

Stadiums

 * Stadion Ljublanica I (24,000) (1854-1899)
 * Stadion Ljublanica II (35,000) (1900-1957)
 * Stadion Ljublanica III (35,000) (1958-2003)
 * Olimpski-Stadion (60,000) (2004-)

Notable Players
Players listed have been capped by their national team at least once, or are recognized as club legends


 * Yanko Zhelyaskov
 * Nikola Karapetrov
 * Vladimir Kostov
 * Georgi Lukonov
 * Ivo Romanov
 * Krasimir Kynev
 * Icarus Darsten
 * Aleksander Lukonov


 * Anatoli Sveteikov
 * Ikki Tokei
 * Lojze Kokalj
 * Roman Forsberg
 * Denis Dezelac
 * Cormag Chester
 * Ludmil Strashilov
 * Ludvik Tarasov