The 1960-founded Maribor is Slovenia’s most successful football club and a defining institution of the country’s northeastern Styria region. Known as the Purples, it carries a distinctive violet identity rooted in Maribor and the Ljudski vrt stadium. The club’s story links Yugoslav football with the modern Slovenian game, while its European campaigns have given the country a notable continental presence. This page brings together the club’s recorded 2026 team picture with the enduring history, setting and traditions that shape Maribor’s place in Slovenian football.
Maribor Upcoming matches by league
1. SNL
-
- Regular Season - 9
Radomlje
Maribor
-
- Regular Season - 10
Maribor
Aluminij
Ljudski vrt -
- Regular Season - 11
Brinje-GrosupljeNo H2HMaribor
-
- Regular Season - 12
MariborNo H2HCelje
Ljudski vrt
Maribor Last matches by league
1. SNL
Friendlies Clubs
UEFA Europa Conference League
Cup
UEFA Europa League
Maribor Team Roster
Maribor’s recorded squad contains 36 players across four positional groups. The list includes 10 attackers, 12 defenders, nine midfielders and five goalkeepers, giving the roster broad numerical coverage from the back line to the front. Attacking options include D. Vizinger, J. Mlakar, L. Zahović and B. Tetteh, while Ž. Karničnik, M. Blažič and O. Rekik are among the listed defenders. Claude Gonçalves, J. Seri, T. Cipot and Z. Repas feature in midfield. A. Jug, T. Handanović and T. Gardies are named among the goalkeepers. The roster snapshot is dated and may change after the stated date.
position Goalkeeper
Ažbe Jug
I. Lainovic
Tanej Handanović
T. Golic
Téva Gardies
position Defender
Čedomir Bumbić
Bradley Matufueni M'bondo
L. Kokol
A. Zabukovec
Žan Karničnik
Miha Blažič
T. Kikec
Niko Osterc
Omar Rekik
Lan Vidmar
Mark Španring
position Midfielder
Nejc Viher
Žan Jevšenak
Tio Cipot
M. Balazic
Joaquim Claude Gonçalves Araújo
Žiga Repas
Jean Michaël Seri
Petar Stojanović
Tian Varmaz Plava
Kobi Bajc
position Attacker
Ali Reghba
Jan Mlakar
L. Mlakar
E. Ljubicic
Dario Vizinger
Matej Tadič
Isaac Tshipamba Mulowati
Luka Zahović
Behar Feta
Last Maribor Coachs
Boštjan Cesar is Maribor’s current head coach, with the recorded timeline placing his appointment on 1 October 2024. Born on 9 July 1982, the Slovenian coach followed Ante Šimundža, whose tenure ran from October 2023 to October 2024. Damir Krznar led the side from August 2022 to October 2023, while Radovan Karanović and Simon Rožman appear as earlier Slovenian entries beginning in 2021. The sequence records several changes in the dugout before Cesar’s ongoing tenure and places him at the centre of the club’s latest coaching period.
Boštjan Cesar
History
| Coach | Coach country | Coach since | Coach until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boštjan Cesar | Slovenia | 1 October 2024 | |
| Ante Šimundža | Slovenia | 1 October 2023 | 1 October 2024 |
| Damir Krznar | Croatia | 1 August 2022 | 1 October 2023 |
| Radovan Karanović | Slovenia | 1 September 2021 | 1 August 2022 |
| Simon Rožman | Slovenia | 1 March 2021 | 1 September 2021 |
| Saša Gajser | Slovenia | 1 February 2021 | 1 March 2021 |
| Mauro Germán Camoranesi | Argentina | 1 September 2020 | 1 February 2021 |
| Sergej Jakirović | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1 April 2020 | 1 August 2020 |
| Darko Milanič | Slovenia | 1 March 2016 | 1 March 2020 |
| Krunoslav Jurčić | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1 August 2015 | 1 March 2016 |
| Saša Gajser | Slovenia | 1 August 2015 | 1 August 2015 |
| Ante Šimundža | Slovenia | 1 September 2013 | 1 August 2015 |
| Ante Čačić | Croatia | 1 June 2013 | 1 September 2013 |
| Darko Milanič | Slovenia | 1 July 2008 | 1 June 2013 |
| Matjaž Kek | Yugoslavia | 1 July 2001 | 1 June 2006 |
Maribor Transfers
Recent recorded arrivals include free agents L. Zahović, Ž. Karničnik, Claude Gonçalves, I. Lainovic and B. Feta. M. Blažič and Ž. Jevšenak are listed as transfer arrivals, while J. Mlakar joined on loan from Pisa. The same arrival record includes returns from loan for G. Komáromi, N. Podlesnik, P. Mbina, E. Taylor, E. Kramberger and N. Osterc. Earlier recorded additions include J. Furlong, D. Vizinger, T. Cipot and L. Mlakar. These listed arrivals provide a recent view and should not be treated as a complete transfer history.
Latest player transfers from
| Player | Team from | Transfer type | Transfer date |
|---|---|---|---|
| L. Zahović |
CFR 1907 Cluj
|
Free agent | 21 July 2026 |
| Ž. Karničnik |
Celje
|
Free agent | 8 July 2026 |
| Claude Gonçalves |
Legia Warszawa
|
Free agent | 5 July 2026 |
| Ž. Jevšenak |
Pisa
|
Transfer | 4 July 2026 |
| J. Mlakar |
Pisa
|
Loan | 3 July 2026 |
| I. Lainovic |
Cukaricki
|
Free agent | 2 July 2026 |
| M. Blažič |
Al-Ittihad Kalba
|
Transfer | 30 June 2026 |
| B. Feta |
Aluminij
|
Free agent | 30 June 2026 |
| N. Osterc |
Ilirija
|
Return from loan | 29 June 2026 |
| N. Osterc |
Ilirija
|
Return from loan | 29 June 2026 |
| E. Kramberger |
Ilirija
|
Return from loan | 29 June 2026 |
| E. Taylor |
Aluminij
|
Return from loan | 29 June 2026 |
| P. Mbina |
Sabah FA
|
Return from loan | 29 June 2026 |
| N. Podlesnik |
Bistrica
|
Return from loan | 29 June 2026 |
| G. Komáromi |
Debreceni VSC
|
Return from loan | 29 June 2026 |
Recent recorded departures include S. Ojo’s free-agent move to Aktobe, G. Komáromi’s loan to MTK Budapest and Óscar Steven Zambrano Preciado’s transfer to Hull City. P. Širvys and E. Milosevic are listed as free-agent departures, while P. Mbina moved to Sabah FA by transfer and J. Repas left as a free agent for AEK Larnaca. The record also includes returns from loan to former clubs involving K. Borys and L. Carrero, alongside later loans to Ilirija involving E. Kramberger, T. Cuk, N. Grlić and N. Osterc. This is a recent selection of departures rather than a complete movement total.
Latest player transfers to
| Player | Team to | Transfer type | Transfer date |
|---|---|---|---|
| B. Tetteh |
Al-Ittihad Kalba
|
Free agent | 27 August 2026 |
| J. Furlong |
Walsall
|
Free agent | 23 August 2026 |
Nafta
|
Free agent | 3 August 2026 | |
|
Nafta
|
Free agent | 2 August 2026 | |
| S. Ojo |
Aktobe
|
Free agent | 1 August 2026 |
| G. Komáromi |
MTK Budapest
|
Loan | 22 July 2026 |
| Óscar Steven Zambrano Preciado |
Hull City
|
Transfer | 20 July 2026 |
| H. Soudani |
Kustosija
|
Free agent | 8 July 2026 |
| P. Širvys |
Celje
|
Free agent | 8 July 2026 |
Brinje-Grosuplje
|
Free agent | 30 June 2026 | |
| E. Kramberger |
Aluminij
|
Free agent | 30 June 2026 |
| J. Repas |
AEK Larnaca
|
Free agent | 30 June 2026 |
| P. Mbina |
Sabah FA
|
Transfer | 30 June 2026 |
| N. Belovič |
Ilirija
|
- | 29 June 2026 |
| N. Podlesnik |
Ilirija
|
Transfer | 29 June 2026 |
Transfers Synthesis
Taken together, the latest movement records show Maribor combining permanent additions, free-agent recruitment, a loan arrival and several returns from loan. The arrivals list includes clubs such as CFR 1907 Cluj, Celje, Legia Warszawa, Pisa and Cukaricki, while the departure list includes destinations including Aktobe, Hull City, MTK Budapest, Celje and Sabah FA. Departures span free-agent exits, transfers, loans and returns to parent clubs, so the movement is not defined by one transaction type. Several names recur across different entries and dates, including G. Komáromi, P. Mbina, E. Kramberger, N. Grlić and N. Osterc, illustrating how loan cycles and later registration changes can appear alongside permanent moves. Because the available lists are limited recent selections, they do not establish a full window total, net squad change or financial balance. They are best read as a snapshot of active squad movement across 2026 and the preceding months.
Leagues Maribor has participated in
Maribor’s recorded competition profile includes 1. SNL and the Cup, with participation recorded from 2018 and 2019 respectively through 2025. Friendlies Clubs is recorded from 2020 through 2025, while the UEFA Europa Conference League appears from 2021 through 2025; these four entries are the recent active competitions in the available record. The UEFA Europa League is recorded from 2016 to 2024 and is therefore treated as historical here. UEFA Champions League participation is recorded from 2011 to 2022 and is also historical. The competition history shows domestic continuity alongside repeated European involvement, without specifying results or progression in each campaign.
More about Maribor
Maribor is a Slovenian football club founded in 1960 and based in the northeastern city of Maribor, in the Styria region. Emerging after the dissolution of NK Branik Maribor, it became the most successful club in independent Slovenia and a defining sporting institution for the country. The club is widely known as NK Maribor, the Purples or Vijoličasti, while its regional nickname, the Pride of Styria, reflects its strong connection with northeastern Slovenia.
Home matches are played at Ljudski vrt, the landmark stadium on the left bank of the Drava River. Its distinctive 130-metre concrete arch and intense match atmosphere have made the ground one of Slovenian football’s best-known settings. The club’s purple identity is central to its visual culture, supported by yellow and white details in its traditional palette. The crest draws on Maribor’s heraldic imagery, including the former Piramida Castle and a violet blossom, with a yellow star commemorating the first ten domestic league titles.
Maribor was a founding member of Slovenia’s top league after its establishment in 1991 and has not been relegated from that competition since then. Its earlier history includes five seasons in the Yugoslav First League. Internationally, it is the only Slovenian side to have reached the group stages of both the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League, and it shared the 2006 UEFA Intertoto Cup. The Eternal Derby with Olimpija Ljubljana is the club’s defining domestic rivalry.
Supporter culture is represented by the Viole Maribor group, whose vocals feature on the anthem Heja, hej Viole, adopted in 1992. The club’s recent governance history includes a late-2024 ownership transition in which Turkish entrepreneur Acun Ilıcalı’s Acun Medya took a reported 74 percent majority stake. Sporting tradition continues to pair experienced local leadership with regional recruitment and academy development, connecting Maribor’s historical stature with its modern football ecosystem.
Last matches statistics for Maribor
| match | shots | Poss. | Pass % | Fouls | Cards | Saves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Maribor
1 - 1
Železničar Pančevo
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Maribor
1 - 1
Charlton
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Aluminij
0 - 0
Maribor
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Maribor
3 - 0
Brinje-Grosuplje
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Celje
1 - 1
Maribor
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Maribor
2 - 0
Koper
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Olimpija Ljubljana
1 - 1
Maribor
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Maribor
3 - 1
Bravo
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Nafta
2 - 3
Maribor
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
|
Maribor
1 - 1
Mura
|
0 / 0 |
|
0% | 0 | - | 0 |
Detailed statistics Maribor
Xtra rating history
Last rating points (most recent matches).