Rival History: FC Spartak Trnava

Wisła Kraków is entering the UEFA Conference League. Their first opponent in the third qualifying round will be Spartak Trnava from Slovakia. To mark the occasion, we'll take a closer look at the history of this award-winning club from across our southern border.

FC Spartak Trnava was founded on May 30, 1923, recently celebrating its 100th anniversary. The team has won numerous titles, both historically in the Czechoslovak leagues of the time and in contemporary Slovak football. Matches between Spartak Trnava and their archrival Slovan Bratislava are considered classics in the local league and are known by the intriguing name of the Derby of Tradition.

Our opponents' greatest successes came in the 1960s and 1970s. Besides their clear dominance in domestic competitions, the Red and Blacks performed exceptionally well in the European Cup, once even reaching the semifinals of this prestigious tournament. In 1969, the Trnava team was defeated only by Johan Cruijff's Ajax Amsterdam, who later had to concede victory to AC Milan in the final at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu.

Spartak continues to provide its fans with plenty of reasons to celebrate. In 2018, after a long hiatus, they regained the Slovak Championship title, and in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons, they lifted the Slovak Cup twice in a row. Michal Gašparík's team finished third in the previous league campaign, earning them a spot in the Conference League qualifiers. Starting their qualifying campaign in the second round, the Trnava team easily defeated their first opponent, FK Sarajevo, and qualified for the next round by three goals. Now, they face an exciting two-legged tie against Wisła Kraków, with the first match taking place this Thursday at the Anton Malatinský Stadium.