Soccer as game arrived to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the beginning of the 20th century, to be more specific in 1903 at Mostar, but officially started few years later.

In Sarajevo that happened during the Austria-Hungarian rule, in 1908, when Sarajevo high schoolers were in Zagreb where they were introduced to this marvelous game and its rules.

Soon soccer started to have its place in ever since history of this city, firstly on the play ground of Sarajevo Real Gymnasium.

One of the first clubs to be formed in Sarajevo was soccer club "Osman", but later on reformed. After Osman, there were nationalized clubs: Serbian Sport Society - Slavija, Croatian - SASK, Muslim - Sarajevski, Jewish - Barkohba, and Workers Sport Society - Hajduk. 

In the beginning the soccer in Sarajevo was a privilege, but later on it was very much played by youth, especially workers youth.

In year 1921 a group of Railway workers came to idea to form a club, the club which later would become one of the most popular clubs in Bosnia and Herzegovina, FK Željezničar.

FK Željezničar Sarajevo Champions in season 1971/1972

“The club was formed by poor class in Sarajevo city, workers class, and it was the club which won the National Champioship of former Yugoslavia, in season of 1972, and its European peak was in the season 1984/1985 the UEFA cup semifinals, where Željezničar failed to meet later finals cup winner Real Madrid. The most important of recent results (after the Siege 1992-1995) is 3rd round of qualifications for UEFA Champions League in year 2002.„

Upon formation of Kingdom of SHS, in period between 1918 and 1922 the competition was played in so called sub-alliances, two of them. Later on in 1922 soccer started to be National level game. Two clubs had a place there: Slavija (Sarajevo) and Krajišnik (Banja Luka), where the last National Championship was played in season 1939/1949, because of Alliance break-apart.

Later, War came.

Soon after the World War II new clubs started to arise, Travnik, Čelik, Turbina and FK Sarajevo. 

FK Sarajevo was a club organised firstly under the name sport society "Torpedo", in year 1946, but just a year later reformed under the name Sarajevo, and officially named FK Sarajevo in year 1949.

FK Sarajevo, champions generation

“It is common to be said FK Sarajevo was formed by the wealthy Sarajevo class, opposite to Željezničar. Opposite to Željezničar, Sarajevo had won two National ex Yugoslavian Championships in seasons 1965/66 & 1984/85, but rarely had any significant European success, except always mentioned a aggregate (2:1) defeat to Manchester United in Europe Cup in season 1967/1968, and its belonging myths, and few others.

The result worth mentioning after Sarajevo Siege is 3rd round of qualifications for UEFA Champions League in season 2007/2008.„

Just before the Yugoslavia decay the clubs from Bosnia and Herzegovina were the 1/3 of National league.

On the April 5th 1992, the last game of Yugoslavian championship between FK Željezničar and Belgrade club "Rad" was never played, instead, another players, players of life and death took the game by its own way.

Sarajevo Derby is the most famous one in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and very much popular worldwide. Sarajevo and Željezničar have so far played each other (May 2010) 95 times, both with 29 victories and 34 draws.

Some will often say: "Being fan of Željezničar is matter of philosophy, and being fan of Sarajevo is matter of geography." 

To find out why read a bit more about these two clubs.

Today, after the War, the Game is not the same anymore.

Today on the battlefields of Premier League, for which locals think as one of the most corrupted, it is hard to see good soccer quality, but sometime it really can surprise, and combined with Balkan mentality it is still sometimes worth seeing. Soccer is soccer.

The clubs are competing. Sarajevo even have the new born ones like FK Olimpik, born in 1993, just during the Siege.

Present day, because of the lack old feeling, lack of old kind of competition and some other major issues (corruption, lack of quality, nationalism, hooliganism, etc.) the recurrence of soccer is still on hold.

But we have hope.

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