Maribor fly the flag for Slovenia

Maribor's Amir Karic and Dalibor Filipovic celebrate

It is a city that has wept the tears of change, reaped the rewards of industrialisation and has culture running through its veins as strongly as the local Drava river.

More importantly it has a football club that dominates the national league and has recently accomplished miracles in the European Champions' League.

The locals also like their music and it rains there a fair bit.

No it is not Manchester, but Slovenia's second largest city Maribor. Since the break-up of Yugoslavia and the birth of the new independent state in 1991, Slovenia has performed marvels, with the recent success over Ukraine and resulting qualification for the European Championship.

After this summer's activities in Belgium and Holland, many of their players may well be household names.

Maribor Pivovarna Lasko

It is NK Maribor Pivovarna Lasko who are currently flying the Slovenian flag with a fervour that has seen them recently claim their third successive domestic league crown in convincing fashion.

Maribor is located in the North-Eastern tip of the country and having been founded in 1960, the club has developed at an extraordinary pace.

They played in the Yugoslav League up until 1987, and having competed in the Inter-Republic League for three years with teams from Croatia, Bosnia, Hercegovina and Slovenia, they were soon able to initiate their grip on Slovenian football.

Maribor have monopolised both the domestic League and Cup over the last few years, winning the National Cup on five occasions in the last decade.

Slovenian football

Bojan Prasnikar coached Maribor and Slovenia

Maribor have won the league for the last three years

Maribor lost 4-0 twice to Lazio in Champions League this season

Slovenia's first international was with Estonia in June 1992

Zlato Zahovic trained with Maribor as a youngster but has never played professionally in Slovenia

In 1997 and 1998 there was an early exit in the second qualifying rounds of the Champions' League, but this season Maribor became the first ever Slovenian team to qualify outright.

Four losses, a draw with Bayer Leverkusen and a memorable away win against the once-invincible Dynamo Kiev, was a magnificent achievement for a team paddling for the first time in the swirling pool of European football.

As with many football clubs, money seems to be helping the Slovenian team onward and upward. There have been team name changes to honour those companies sponsoring them, twice in the last three seasons - the latest involving the name of Slovenia's largest brewery.

Zlatko Zahovic: Slovenia's star

The club has benefited greatly from this investment, with new management quarters and an increased capacity to over 10,000 seats.

Slovenia's star player is undoubtedly Zlatko Zahovic who averages a goal every two games.

He has acquired maverick status for his unpredictability both on and off the pitch - the talented midfielder is currently suspended from playing for Greek team Olympiakos after going on strike and verbally abusing the club coach.