FK Sarajevo
|
|
Template:Football club infobox FK Sarajevo stands for Fudbalski Klub Sarajevo (Football Club Sarajevo), historically one of the most prominent and successful football teams in Bosnia and Herzegovina. During the time of the former Yugoslavia, FK Sarajevo was a prominent member of the Yugoslav First League. Today, FK Sarajevo is one of the most famous teams in the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
| Contents |
History
FK Sarajevo was established less than a year after the liberation of Sarajevo from Nazi rule by Partisan forces. The result of a combination between football teams Udarnik (roughly translated: forefronters) and Sloboda (freedom), the club first appeared on the Yugoslav sports scene in 1946 under the name S.D. Torpedo. It played its first match on November 3rd 1946. By 1947, the name was changed to S.D. Metalaca Sarajevo, before being simplified to FK Sarajevo in 1949.
FK Sarajevo first entered the renowned First League of Yugoslavia after eliminating Sloga from Novi Sad. FK Sarajevo drew the first match 3-3 in Novi Sad, but then dominated the second match in Sarajevo 5-1. FK Sarajevo lasted only one season in the First League before falling out, but made it back in 1950. From there, FK Sarajevo remained a stable component of the First League every year except the 1957-1958 season.
FK Sarajevo quickly gained world-wide fame, making various international appearances, and playing in a number of prominent European tournaments. The years 1957-1967 were some of the more prosperous times for the team. Backed by stars such as Mirsad Fazlagić, Vahidin Musemić, and Asim Ferhatović (who is widely remembered as the best Bosnian football player ever), the team enjoyed great success. In 1967 FK Sarajevo were Champions of the Yugoslav First League, breaking a long trend of Croatian and Serbian football dominance.
Asim Hase Ferhatović's retirement in 1968 was one of the most important events in Sarajevo Sport history. The day itself has become something of a legend, glorified in the notable 80's song Dan Kad Je Otišao Hase (The Day That Hase Left) by popular Sarajevo garage rock band Zabranjeno Pušenje (No Smoking). The day that Asim Hase Ferhatović played his last game, the famous Sarajevo newspaper the Oslobođenje ran the headline Jedan Je Hase! (There is Only One Hase!). The success did not stop with Hase's leaving however. From 1948 to 1982, FK Sarajevo played 226 international matches on four continents. Of these it won 107, drew, 58, and lost 61 with a goal differential of 570 for to 383 against.
The early 80's turned out to be FK Sarajevo's second golden age. In 1980 FK Sarajevo were runners up for the Yugoslav First League Championship. By 1982 the team went 2 rounds into the esteemed UEFA Cup before falling to the eventual runner up R.S.C. Anderlecht. In 1985, FK Sarajevo dominated the traditional Yugoslavian heavyweights and qualified for the UEFA Champions League, behind such stars as the legendary Safet Sušić. The good times did not last however. The next few years saw the decline of FK Sarajevo, distinguished by the loss of Sušić and poor results.
These difficulties however were minuscule compared to what was to come. The aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina and siege of Sarajevo in the early 90's stopped almost all cultural life in the capital. For its part, FK Sarajevo did what it could. Many of FK Sarajevo's supporters, including the infamous Horde Zla (Hordes of Evil) joined the Bosnian army to defend their homeland against the aggressors, and despite all difficulties FK Sarajevo played a friendly game against the local peacekeepers in 1994, which it won 4-1.
Since the end of the war, FK Sarajevo have been in the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina. There they have been one of the most successful and dominant club's in the league's short history, even making several brief appearances in European competition. In 2004, FK Sarajevo legend Safet Sušić was voted Bosnia and Herzegovina's best player of the last 50 years to mark UEFA's Golden Jubilee.
Current Squad
- Goalkeepers
- Defenders
- Midfielders
- Forwards
Achievements
- Yugoslavian First League Champions: 2
- 1967, 1985
- Yugoslavian First League Runners Up: 2
- 1965, 1980
- Yugoslavian Cup Runners Up: 2
- 1967, 1982
- Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina Champions: 1
- 1999
- Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina Runners Up: 2
- 1997, 1998
- Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina Cup: 4
- 1997, 1998, 2002, 2005
- Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina Cup Runners Up: 2
- 1999, 2000
- Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina Super Cup: 1
- 1997
Notable Figures
Team Organization
As of the 2003-2004 Season
- President: Faruk Hadžibegić
- Vice President: Nijaz Ferhatović
- General Manager: Predrag Pašić
- Chief of Staff: Mirsad Alihodžić
- Spokesman: Eldin Baković
- Chief of Marketing: Nihad Baljak
- Accounting: Salko Cimić, Darko Sejfert
- Secretary: Sabina Cako
- Economist: Husein Sikira
- Chief of Youth Program: Marko Bilić
- Secretary of Youth Program: Smajo Hadžimahović
- President of Youth Program: Adnan Džemidžić
- Team Executives: Miloš Djurković, Nijaz Ferhatović, Faruk Hadžibegić, Mirza Kapetanović, Sefik Lojo, Zoran Lukić, Husref Musemić, Predrag Pašić, Amir Puzić, Anto Rajković, Safet Sušić, Mirza Varesanović, Muhidin Zukić
- Honorary Executives: Ibrahim Biogradlić, Miroslav Brozović, Kemal Hujić, Sefik Lojo, Vaso Radić, Salko Selimović
- Coach: Husref Musemić
- Assistant Coaches: Sead Jasenković, Abdulah Oruc, Edin Prljaća
Supporters
Hordezla.JPG
The supporters of the team are known as Horde Zla (Hordes of Evil). The team's supporters were historically called Pitari while an individual was, and is still, known as a Pitar. Their rowdyness during the matches of the time provoked accusations of being dangerous. The Horde Zla originated after a game in the late 80's, when several members of the Pitars created a new identity based on a Zagor comic book of the same name. Today, Pitari and Horde Zla are interchangeable.
Supporters of FK Sarajevo come from many parts of the city and country. The older parts of Sarajevo are particularly known as a fan base, as are many Bosniak neighbourhoods (although the team's supporters are not limited to any one religion, and have always included fans from all three of Bosnia and Herzegovina's major ethnicities).
External links
- FK Sarajevo Official Website (http://www.fcsarajevo.com/) (Bosnian)
- FK Sarajevo Supporters Site (http://www.hordezla.org/) (Bosnian)