The 2020–21 season was FC Nitra's fourth consecutive season in the top division of Slovak football. The club finished eighth in the regular season and subsequently competed in the relegation group, where it finished bottom. FC Nitra therefore finished 12th overall and were relegated. The club's season was heavily affected by serious financial and ownership problems, which culminated in the departure of 19 players in December 2020 after the club failed to pay them several months' wages. The resulting instability also contributed to the club's poor results and led to several changes in the position of head coach.
The club changed ownership several times during the season. Ukrainian investors had become involved with the club during the previous season and took control in January 2020. However, the Ukrainian investors failed to meet the conditions required to take over the club and subsequently withdrew from FC Nitra. In November 2020, the club was purchased by the married couple Erika Karová and Ján Kara, who acquired a 67% stake in the club. In December 2020, German investors Peter Hammer and Nik Schwarz became involved with the club. As a condition of their investment, the club's management was required to settle its outstanding debts from previous years. The German investors would then exercise an option to acquire shares in the club. They also helped the club recruit several new players, particularly from Germany. The most notable signing they arranged was Slovakia international Erik Jendrišek. In March 2021, however, the German investors decided to withdraw from the agreement after failing to reach an agreement with the club's owners. According to the German investors, the club's owner had failed to reduce the club's outstanding debts from previous years, which had been one of the main conditions for their involvement with the club.
This instability, combined with the club's debts to its players and other parties, meant that FC Nitra failed to obtain the required licence for the following season. Instead of being relegated to the second tier, the club was administratively relegated to the third tier. As a result, from the following season onwards, FC Nitra were no longer competing in either of the country's two highest divisions for the first time in 67 years.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, football matches were played behind closed doors from the beginning of October 2020 onwards.
In the Slovak Cup that season, the club were eliminated in the third round after losing to TJD Príbelce, a club from the fourth tier.
First-team squad
Coaching staff
StaffJob title Gergely Geri Manager (until 1 December) Ivan Galád (interim) Manager (from 1 December to 4 January) Michal Ščasný Manager (from 4 January to 22 January) Peter Lérant Manager (from 22 January to 25 March) Michal Ščasný Manager (from 26 March) Miroslav König Assistant manager/Goalkeeper Coach Ivan Galád Assistant manager (from 3 October to 1 December) Patrik Durkáč Assistant manager (from 26 March) Igor Bakaľár Fitness coach Marek Tomiš Fitness coach Ivan Štefanov Team Doctor Milan Michalčin Team Doctor Štefan Balla Physiotherapist Jozef Urminský Physiotherapist
Transfers and contracts In Date from Pos. Nationality Player From Fee Ref. 7 August 2020 FW Armen Hovhannisyan MFK Zemplín Michalovce Free 7 August 2020 DF Timotej Záhumenský DAC Dunajská Streda Free 7 August 2020 MF Martin Adamec Jagiellonia Białystok Free 25 September 2020 MF Matteo Olivero Pafos FC Free 2 October 2020 DF Erik Šuľa FK Třinec Free 2 October 2020 MF Bonilha Osasco Sporting Free 25 November 2020 GK Ariel Harush Sparta Rotterdam Free 26 January 2021 DF Ramzi Ferjani Free agent Free 27 January 2021 DF Ekin Çelebi 1. FC Nürnberg II Free 29 January 2021 FW Erik Jendrišek Volos F.C. Free 30 January 2021 FW Ádam Mészáros FK Marcelová Free 1 February 2021 MF Benjamin Kindsvater TSV 1860 Munich Free 1 February 2021 DF Yanni Regäsel MSV Duisburg Free 3 February 2021 MF Sinan Kurt SV 19 Straelen Free 3 February 2021 DF Tidiane Djiby Ba FK Třinec Free 3 February 2021 MF Eroll Zejnullahu FC Carl Zeiss Jena Free 3 February 2021 DF Peter Chríbik FK Pohronie Free 4 February 2021 MF Oliver Bias FSV Optik Rathenow Free 14 April 2021 FW Kilian Pagliuca FC Carl Zeiss Jena Free
Out Date from Pos. Nationality Player To Fee Ref. 29 September 2020 FW Armen Hovhannisyan FC Ararat-Armenia Free 13 January 2021 DF Timotej Záhumenský FC Zbrojovka Brno Free 13 January 2021 GK Ariel Harush SC Heerenveen Free 15 January 2021 MF Michal Faško FC Slovan Liberec Free 28 January 2021 MF Nikola Gatarić Ermis Aradippou FC Free 3 February 2021 MF Martin Adamec FK Pohronie Free 8 February 2021 DF Oliver Podhorin Resovia Rzeszów Free
Loans in Date from Pos. Nationality Player From Until Ref. 4 August 2020 GK Michal Trnovský Dukla Banská Bystrica 30 June 2021 5 August 2020 DF Daniel Magda FK Železiarne Podbrezová 30 June 2021 7 August 2020 MF Alen Mustafić Slovan Bratislava 30 June 2021 11 August 2020 DF Kristián Kolčák FC Petržalka 30 June 2021 6 October 2020 DF Daniel Jesus Grêmio Novorizontino 31 December 2020 28 January 2021 MF Ole Käuper SV Werder Bremen II 4 May 2021
Loans out Date from Pos. Nationality Player To Until Ref. 24 September 2020 GK Ľubomír Krátky MFK Alekšince 30 June 2021 17 February 2021 DF Matúš Kuník ŠKF Sereď 30 June 2021 6 April 2021 DF Viktor Radványi ŠKF Sereď 30 June 2021
Competitions Slovak First Football League
League tables Regular stage
Relegation group
Matches Regular stage
Relegation group
Slovak Cup
Statistics Goalscorers PlayerFirst LeagueSlovak CupTotal123MFMichal Faško80826MFAlen Mustafić21310MFSamuel Šefčík123326FWErik Jendrišek2025DFKristián Kolčák20227MFMartin Adamec20220DFOliver Podhorin11219MFPatrik Danek112477MFJakub Tancík10128FWKilian Pagliuca10116MFMarián Chobot10118FWMatej Franko10125MFNikola Gatarić10111DFLukáš Fabiš011Own goals200Totals26632
References