 In the season 1979–80, led by coach Tomislav Kaloperović, Napredak finished the championship as 4th and this in front of several Yugoslav top clubs, and qualified finally for the first time for a European competition, the 1980–81 UEFA Cup season, but they were eliminated already in the first round by Eastern Germany's club Dynamo Dresden.It got even worse, because in the same season the club finished the league unexpectedly in the last place and relegated to the Yugoslav Second League and competed there until 1988.In the season 1987–88, Napredak won the East Division of the second league and was promoted to the top tier, but the club could not keep in the first league and relegated for the third time in its history again in the debut season.