SKN St. Pölten facts for kids
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| Full name | Sportklub Niederösterreich St. Pölten | ||
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| Founded | June 2000 | ||
| Ground | NV Arena | ||
| Capacity | 8,000 | ||
| Chairman | Helmut Schwarzl | ||
| Manager | Aleksandar Gitsov | ||
| League | 2. Liga | ||
| 2023–24 | 2. Liga, 9th of 16 | ||
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Sportklub Niederösterreich St. Pölten, often called SKN St. Pölten, is an Austrian football club. They come from Sankt Pölten, which is the capital city of Lower Austria. The team currently plays in the Austrian Football Second League. This is the second-highest football league in Austria.
Contents
Club History
SKN St. Pölten was created in June 2000. This happened after their old team, FCN St. Pölten, stopped playing. The new club took over everything from the old one. This included their stadium and a special training center for young players.
Usually, new clubs have to start in the lowest football league. But because SKN St. Pölten took over the youth academy, they were allowed to start higher up. They began in the 2nd League West, which was the fifth level of Austrian football.
Early Success
In their very first season (2000–01), the team won the 2nd League championship. This meant they moved up to the fourth level. The next year (2001–02), SKN St. Pölten won another title. They were promoted again, this time to the Regional League East. In the same year, they played in the final of the Lower Austria Cup. However, they lost to Theresienfeld.
In the 2004–05 season, the club did well in the ÖFB Cup. They beat some strong teams, including a big 5–1 win against Austria Salzburg. They reached the quarter-finals but lost to Austria Wien.
Moving Up the Leagues
SKN St. Pölten earned their third promotion in the 2007–08 season. They went 24 games without losing during that time. Since then, they have stayed in the Austrian Football First League. They often finished in the top half of the league.
In the 2013–14 season, the club made it to the final of the Austrian Cup for the first time. They played against Red Bull Salzburg but lost 4–2. Even though they lost, they still got to play in the 2014–15 UEFA Europa League. This was because Red Bull Salzburg had already qualified for another big European competition.
European Adventures
In the Europa League, SKN St. Pölten played against Botev Plovdiv from Bulgaria. They won 3–2 over two games. This was their first time playing in a big European tournament! In the next round, they played against PSV Eindhoven but lost 4–2 over two games. This ended their first journey in European football.
SKN St. Pölten finally reached the top Austrian league, the Austrian Bundesliga, by winning the First League in the 2015–16 season.
Club Achievements
- Austrian Football First League
- Winners: 2015–16
- Austrian Cup
- Runners-up: 2013–14
European Matches
Here's how SKN St. Pölten did in their European competition:
| Season | Competition | Round | Club | Home Score | Away Score | Total Score |
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| 2014–15 | UEFA Europa League | Second Qualifying Round |  Botev Plovdiv |
2–0 | 1–2 | 3–2 |
| Third Qualifying Round |  PSV Eindhoven |
2–3 | 0–1 | 2–4 |
Current Team Players
The club has a team of players who play for them now.
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Other players under contract
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Youth Development
SKN St. Pölten is very active in developing young talent. They have ten youth teams for children aged 7 to 15. About 150 children and teenagers play in these teams. The club also has a second team, called SKN II. This team plays in the Mid Western League and mostly includes players under 18.
Club Sponsors
The club has had different sponsors over the years. At first, a furniture store called Leiner sponsored them. So, the club was known as Leiner SKN St. Pölten until 2005. In 2006, a company called staff24 GmbH became a sponsor. Because of this, the club's name changed to SKN staff24 St. Pölten.
Coaching Staff
Here are some of the people who coach the team:
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager |  Stephan Helm |
| Assistant coaches | Emanuel Pogatetz |
| Goalkeeper coaches | Christoph Eglseer |
| Athletic coaches | Christian Balga |
See also
In Spanish: SKN St. Pölten para niños
