Monday, November 16, 2015

16 November 1893 - This ... Is ... Sparta!

On 16 November 1893, AC Sparta was founded in Prague. It has since become the most successful football club in the Czech Republic and has launched the careers of several star footballers, including Jan Koller, Pavel Nedvěd, Petr Čech, and Tomáš Rosický.

The idea for the club came from three brothers, Václav, Bohumil and Rudolf Rudl, who held the founders meeting on 16 November 1893 where they approved the articles of association. They originally chose the name Athletic Club Královské Vinohrady after their local district in Prague, but changed it the following year to AC Sparta in honor of the ancient Greek city.

Sparta won their first league title in 1912, when Prague was still part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Since that first one, they have one at least one title in every decade except the 1970s, when they went into a period of decline that culminated with their relegation in 1975. After only one season in the second division, they returned to the top flight and eventually reclaimed the title in 1984. They won it most recently in 2014, their 33rd league title of the Czechoslovak/Czech First League.

Sparta were the second football club to use that name, following Sparta Rotterdam, who were founded in 1888.

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