NK Celje is an association football club from Slovenia. They are based in Celje, Slovenia's third largest city. They play in First Slovenian League, 1.SNL. Together with NK Maribor and ND Gorica they are the only club that have participated in every season of 1.SNL since its formation in 1991.

NK Celje was formed in 1919 as SK Celje. Soon after second world war, in 1946, the club changed its name to NK Kladivar (expressionistic term in Slovene for a blacksmith). In 1964 they qualified for Yugoslav Second League where they played for two years in a row.

In 1992, year after Slovenia gained independence from Yugoslavia, the club again changed its name, this time to Publikum. They reached the finals of Slovenian Cup in 1993 and 1995, but lost on both occasions, having been beaten by Olimpija Ljubljana and Mura. In 2003 NK Celje was in a title race with Maribor until the very last, but in the end finished second and also lost Slovenian cup finals against Olimpija Ljubljana in the same year. Two years later in 2005 the club reached Slovenian cup finals for the third time and this time they finally lifted their first trophy, beating ND Gorica with 1-0 in front of their own fans on Arena Petrol. NK Celje were also in the finals the next year, but lost to FC Koper after penalty shootout.

Celje ( listen (help·info)) is a typical Central European town and the third largest town in Slovenia. It is a regional center of Lower Styria and the administrative seat of the Urban Municipality of Celje (Slovene: Mestna občina Celje). The town of Celje is located under Upper Celje Castle (407 m (1,335 ft)) at the confluence of the Savinja, Hudinja, Ložnica, and Voglajna rivers in the lower Savinja Valley, and at the crossing of the roads connecting Ljubljana, Maribor, Velenje, and the Central Sava Valley. It lies 241 m (791 ft) above mean sea level (MSL).

The Celje region is frequently shaken by minor earthquakes.

In the local colloquial Slovene dialect, Celje is called Cjele or Cele, giving it a special modulation, spoken mainly by its citizens.

The first settlement in the area of Celje appeared during the Hallstatt era. The settlement was known in the Celtic times and to Ancient Greek historians as Kelea; findings suggest that Celts coined Noric money in the region.

Once the area was incorporated in the Roman Empire in 15 BC, it was known as Civitas Celeia. It received municipal rights in AD 45 under the name municipium Claudia Celeia during the reign of the Roman Emperor Claudius (41-54). Records suggest that the town was rich and densely populated, secured with the walls and towers, containing multi-storied marble palaces, wide squares, and streets. It was called Troia secunda, the second; or small Troy. A Roman road through Celeia led from Aquileia (Sln. Oglej) to Pannonia. Celeia soon became a flourishing Roman colonies, and many great buildings were constructed, such as the temple of Mars, which was known across the Empire. Celeia was incorporated into Aquileia ca. 320 under the Roman Emperor Constantine I (272-337).

Marijan Pušnik (born 1 November 1960 in Slovenj Gradec, Slovenia, then Yugoslavia) is the Slovene coach of the football team S.C. Damash. His wife's name is Darja. He has got a daughter named Neža.