Zrinjski Mostar

Full name	Hrvatski ?portski klub Zrinjski Mostar
Nickname(s)	Plemi?i (The Noblemen)
Founded	1905; 116 years ago (1905) Restored 1992; 29 years ago (1992)
Ground	Stadion pod Bijelim Brijegom
Capacity	9,000
Chairman	Denis Lasi?
Manager	Sergej Jakirovi?
League	Premier League BH
2019-20	Premier League BH, 3rd
Website	Club website

H?K Zrinjski Mostar (Croatian: Hrvatski ?portski klub Zrinjski Mostar, lit. 'Croat Sports Club Zrinjski Mostar') is a professional football club, based in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The club plays in the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and has been one of the top teams in the country over the last few years.

With six championships won in the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zrinjski is one of the best and most successful football clubs in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The club plays its home matches at Stadion pod Bijelim Brijegom in Mostar. Zrinjski's fans are called Ultras Mostar. Ultras Mostar was founded in 1994.

The club was founded by Croatian youth in 1905 and is the oldest football club in Bosnia and Herzegovina. After World War II, all clubs that had participated in the wartime Croatian league were banned in Yugoslavia, Zrinjski being one of them. The ban lasted from 1945 to 1992. The club was reformed after the independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It played in the First League of Herzeg-Bosnia until 2000 when it joined the Premier League. In 2005, Zrinjski celebrated its first championship crown in the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Today the football team is part of the Zrinjski Mostar sport society.

History

The beginning and early years

The Zrinjski team in Mostar in 1929.

In 1896, several distinguished Herzegovinians from Mostar had an idea to form a youth sports society named Hrvatski sokol (Croatian Falcon). At the time, this was not allowed, but in 1905, Croat youth led by Professor Ku?treb succeeded. With the help of the cultural society Hrvoje they formed ?a?ki ?portski klub (Student Sports Club). In 1912, it evolved into Gimnazijski nogometni klub Zrinjski (Gymnasium Football Club Zrinjski). It was named after the historic Croatian noble family Zrinski. Some of the first games they played were against the sports team Osman from Sarajevo: the games ended 0-3 and 2-1. Club activist and player Ivo ?ori? wrote first reports about the club at that time. He named some of the players: Rudolf Brozovi?, Bruno and Edo Novak, Marko Suton, ?eljko and Ante Merd?o, Abid Pehlivanovi?, Slavko Juki?, Ivan Bo?njak and Karlo ?mit. In 1914, at the outset of World War I, the club was banned. This ban lasted until 1917 when Zrinjski, along with another Croatian sports club from Mostar, Hrvatski radni?ki omladinski ?portski klub (HRO?K), formed a new club called "Hercegovac". Some of the HRO?K players were: Jure Zelenika, Nikola Palad?i?, Miroslav Prpi?, Mirko Vlaho, Ante Pavkovi? and Ka?imir Zubac.

In 1922, the original name Zrinjski was brought back and at that time, the team started to compete more seriously. They played against other Mostar teams, like Yugoslavian Sports Club (J?K), Vele? and Vardar, and also teams from all over Herzegovina, Bosnia and Dalmatia. In 1923, Zrinjski won the Mostar Championship with a 1-0 victory over J?K. The players that played in that game were: Vjekoslav Vran?i?, Kazimir Vlaho, ?ivo Bebek, Rudi Janju?i?, Husein H. Omerovi?, Milivoj Smoljan, Pero Goli?, Mijo Mili?evi?, Muhamed Omeragi?, August Ku?inovi? and Franjo ?timac. In the 1930s Zrinjski played games in Zagreb, Sarajevo, Banja Luka and even Montenegro. In 1936, Yugoslav authorities did not allow Zrinjski to play at a tournament in Dubrovnik because they had Croatian colors on their jersey. In 1938, Zrinjski won a tournament against Vele?, ?K Sloga and ?K Makabi. At that time they also played three night games, with the lights they borrowed from the local mine. Some of the club presidents from 1905 to 1945 were Mi?ko Mikuli?, Drago Turkelj, Jak?a Miljkovi? and Bla? Sli?kovi?.

World War II and ban

In 1941, following the Nazi invasion of Yugoslavia, a fascist puppet state was proclaimed under the name Independent State of Croatia. A football league was also formed, and Zrinjski joined it when it was admitted to FIFA.^[1] In the league Zrinjski played some historic games against Gra?anski Zagreb.

Zrinjski and Gra?anski Zagreb players together in a picture before a game in the early 1940s.

In 1943, Zrinjski played against Jedinstvo, winning that match 2-1, which was probably the last before the club was banned. By the end of the Second World War, the Independent State of Croatia had been defeated by the Yugoslav Partisans resistance movement. Zrinjski was among the clubs banned in 1945 for being nationalist propaganda tools.^[1]

Restoration

After Bosnia and Herzegovina became an independent state in 1992, Zrinjski was reestablished in Me?ugorje. Because of the ongoing war, for the first two years Zrinjski played only friendly games, mostly in Herzegovina and Croatia, but also in Canada and Germany. In 1994, Zrinjski, along with other Croat clubs from Bosnia and Herzegovina helped create the Herzeg-Bosnia Football Federation. The club participated in its league for seven seasons, and was one best teams over the years. Some of the notable players at that time were Bla? Sli?kovi? and Slaven Musa, both FK Vele? Mostar players before that. In 1998, Zrinjski participated in the first playoffs with teams from Bosniak-ruled parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 2000, the Premier League included both clubs from Bosniak-ruled and Croat-ruled parts of the country for the first time, and Zrinjski was one of the clubs competing in the league and still is today. Clubs from Serb-ruled parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina joined in 2002.

Inn the summer of 2000, Zrinjski also participated in a UEFA competition for the first time. They played in the Intertoto Cup against Swedish team Västra Frölunda IF. Zrinjski lost the first game in Sweden 1-0 and in Mostar led 1-0 after 90 minutes. At the beginning of overtime, Zrinjski scored another goal and had the result that would send them to the next round, but the game ultimately ended with 3-2 Zrinjski victory and Vastra Frolunda went through because of away goals.

The new era

Title celebration in 2005.

Before the 2003-04 season, some new board members entered the club, bringing better sponsors. Their primary goal was to make Zrinjski one of the top clubs in the country by its 100th anniversary in 2005. Zrinjski then took four players on loan from Dinamo Zagreb: Luka Modri?, Marko Janjetovi?, Ivica D?idi? and Davor Landeka. After the season D?idi? and Landeka stayed permanently. Although Zrinjski was nowhere near the top, the base for the next season was created. In summer of 2004, the club signed some of the best players in the league, such as Zoran Rajovi?, Du?an Kerkez, Velimir Vidi?, and Sulejman Smaji?. The team, led by manager Franjo D?idi?, won the title easily, with a significant point advantage over runner up ?eljezni?ar. Zoran Rajovi? was the league's leading scorer.

Many of Zrinjski's star players were on one year contracts and left the team after the season. As a result, the team did not play well at the beginning of the season and was surprisingly knocked out of the UEFA Champions League first qualifying round by Luxembourg team F91 Dudelange. Zrinjski won the first game away 1-0, but lost at home after overtime 4-0. Not long after the beginning of the season, Bla? Sli?kovi? was appointed as manager.

Zrinjski finished the 2005-06 season in third place, earning a place in the Intertoto Cup, where Zrinjski knocked out Maltese team Marsaxlokk (3-0 home, 1-1 away) in the first round and lost to Israel team Maccabi Petah Tikva (1-1 away, 1-3 home) in the second round.

In the 2006-07 season, Zrinjski finished in second place, earning a UEFA Europa League berth. During the winter break, Zrinjski lost one of its best players Lamine Diarra, who transferred to Beira-Mar, but it signed former star player Zoran Rajovi? on a free transfer. Zrinjski also signed another former player, an experienced midfielder Mario Ivankovi? from Brotnjo.

In 2007-08, Zrinjski lost in the first qualifying round to FK Partizan of Serbia, 11-1 on aggregate. However, Partizan was expelled from the competition due to crowd trouble, so Zrinjski progressed to the second round where they lost 2-1 on aggregate to FK Rabotni?ki of Macedonia. The domestic campaign saw them finish fourth, but a victory in the Cup of Bosnia and Herzegovina earned them a place in the UEFA Cup once again.

Luka Modri? played for Zrinjski in the 2003-04 season.

In the 2008-09 season, Zrinjski managed a 5-1 aggregate with over FC Vaduz in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Cup, but lost 3-0 to SC Braga the next round. They also won the Premier League for the second time, led by talismanic striker Kre?imir Kordi?, who top scored with 13 league goals.

The league title meant that Zrinjski went into the second round of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League, just their second time in the competition. Unfortunately, the side lost 1-4 on aggregate to ?K Slovan Bratislava despite a 1-0 home leg win. A disappointing 2009-10 season in the league left Zrinjski in fourth place.

Zrinjski's participation in European football lasted longer in the 2010-11 season than in others, with the side beating both FC Tobol and Tre Penne before losing to Odense Boldklub in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League. Zrinjski fell further down the league table and once again managed just a seventh-place finish, meaning the side would not play European football next season. In the 2011-12 season, Zrinjski improved only slightly: a sixth-place finish again meant that the side would not participate in continental football the following season. The 2012-13 season was the worst in almost ten years with the club slumping to a ninth-place finished, but managed to qualify for European football through a strong cup performance, where they reached the semi-final.

The 2013-14 season was one that will long stay in the memories and hearts of Zrinjski supporters. After a season long three-way battle for the title between themselves, NK ?iroki Brijeg and FK Sarajevo, Zrinjski came out victorious to win their third ever Premier League title, their first since 2004-05. The title win in the previous season once again sent Zrinjski to the UEFA Champions League second qualifying stage where they drew NK Maribor.

During the period from 2015 until 2018, Zrinjski dominated the Premier League, winning three league titles in a row, two of them won by manager Bla? Sli?kovi? and one by Vinko Marinovi?. The club also got better in European competitions, participating in the third qualifying rounds of the UEFA Europa League in the 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons. In 2018, Zrinjski got eliminated in the third round by Bulgarian club Ludogorets Razgrad, in 2019 by Swedish club Malmö and in 2020 nearly by Cypriot club APOEL. Interestingly enough, in the first two European "campaigns", the club was led by Croatian managers Ante Mi?e and Hari Vukas respectively. In the third one, Zrinjski was managed by Bosnian manager Mladen ?i?ovi?.

Rivals

Vele?

Zrinjski Mostar's main rival is Vele? Mostar, the other main football team in Mostar. The highly contested game between both teams is called the Mostar derby. Zrinjski first played against Vele? Mostar in the 1920s and 1930s, but when Zrinjski was banned (1945-92) for playing in the fascist league, no games between the rival teams were played. During that period, Vele? became a successful club in former Yugoslavia, and it was supported by a majority of Mostarian inhabitants. After Zrinjski's league ban was lifted, the team became one of the important symbols of the Croatian entity in Mostar, and it was mainly supported by Croats. The rival team, Vele?, is mostly supported by local Bosniaks. The Mostar derby is highly contested, just as the Sarajevo-?eljezni?ar derby. On 1 March 2000, Zrinjski and Vele? played a friendly game for the first time in over 55 years. The game took place in Sarajevo, and ended in a 2-2 draw. The first official game between both teams was played in Premier League of BiH at the Bijeli Brijeg Stadium on 13 August 2000, and was won by Zrinjski with 2-0.

The two fan groups which support each team are:

• H?K Zrinjski supporters: Ultras Mostar
• FK Vele? supporters: Red Army Mostar

Both fanbases still represent a division among ethnic lines, as the Ultras are almost exclusively Croats and the Red Army are mostly Bosniaks. The ethnic connection of both fanbases leads to vigorous clashes at the Mostar derby. Furthermore, some extreme groups of the Red Army are left-wing-inspired, while extreme Ultras are right-wing-inspired, which further exacerbates their rivalry.

Others

Other notable rivals of Zrinjski are Sarajevo clubs Sarajevo and ?eljezni?ar. These clubs with a famous history, along with Zrinjski, are favorites for the top of the table almost every season. One of the other reasons for this rivalry is that Mostar is the center of Herzegovina, while Sarajevo is the center of Bosnia, and the capital of the entire country. There is a rivalry with ?iroki Brijeg as well, the other top team from Herzegovina. This rivalry started during the Herzeg-Bosnia league (1994-00), and continued in the Premier League. The matches between ?iroki Brijeg and Zrinjski are mostly called the Herzegovina derby.

Supporters

Zrinjski's main supporter group Ultras Mostar.

Zrinjski's main supporter group are called Ultras Mostar.

Officially, the Ultras-Zrinjski Fan Club was founded in March 1998, when the Citizens' Associations Act entered into the Registry of Citizens' Associations in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, and exists as an unregistered support group since 1994. They promote all sections of the sports club Zrinjski, but they mostly follow its football department. They got their name in 1998, 6 years after Zrinjski's work was restored. They took the name of the fan-based Ultras Movement in European football. The official song of Ultras, fans of H?K Zrinjski Mostar, is "Gori brate", and they support their club from the grandstand - Stajanje. Colours used by Ultras on transparencies and boards are black, white and red.

Stadium

Stadion pod Bijelim Brijegom in 2009.

Zrinjski plays its games on Stadion pod Bijelim Brijegom (English: White Hill Stadium). The stadium was built in 1971 and was used by city rivals Vele? until 1991. The stadium capacity today is 9,000 seats (former 25,000 standings), but in the 1970s and 1980s some games attracted over 35,000 spectators. It was the second largest stadium in Bosnia and Herzegovina (before the chairs were placed) after Asim Ferhatovi? Hase Stadium in Sarajevo.

Honours

Domestic

League

• Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina:
  • Winners (6): 2004-05, 2008-09, 2013-14, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18
  • Runners-up (2): 2006-07, 2018-19
• First League of Herzeg-Bosnia:
  • Runners-up (2): 1993-94, 1997-98

Cups

• Bosnia and Herzegovina Cup:
  • Winners (1): 2007-08

Players

Current squad

As of 20 January 2021^[2]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  CRO Ivan Brki? (3rd captain) 3 DF  BIH Josip Rado? 4 MF  BIH Bla? Bo?kovi? 5 MF  BIH Ivan Ba?i? 6 DF  BIH Josip ?orluka 7 MF  KVX Suad Sahiti 8 MF  BIH Damir Zlomisli? 9 FW  BIH Petar Kuni? 10 FW  BIH Filip Are?ina 11 MF  CRO Ivan Jajalo 12 GK  BIH Antonio Soldo 14 FW  CRO Josip Ivan?i? 17 MF  BIH Ognjen Todorovi? 18 FW  BIH Anes Ma?i? 19 DF  BIH Almir Beki? 20 MF  BIH Miljan Govedarica

No. Pos. Nation Player 27 DF  SRB Slobodan Jakovljevi? (2nd captain) 28 DF  ARG Luis Ibáñez 30 MF  CRO Dinko Treboti? 35 MF  RUS Ivan Yenin 44 DF  BIH Rijad Sadiku 55 MF  SRB Milo? Filipovi? 91 FW  CRO Mario Ti?inovi? 95 FW  SRB Miljan ?krbi? 99 FW  BIH Nemanja Bilbija (Captain) -- GK  CRO Miro Varvodi? -- DF  CRO Josip Ga?i? -- MF  CRO Zvonimir Vukoja -- MF  BIH Mateo Bo?i? -- MF  CRO Dragan Juranovi? -- FW  BIH An?elo Kordi? -- FW  BIH Domagoj Maru?i?

Players with multiple nationalities

• Ivan Brki?
• Josip Rado?
• Josip ?orluka
• Suad Sahiti
• Petar Kuni?
• Ivan Jajalo
• Slobodan Jakovljevi?
• Luis Ibáñez
• Ivan Yenin
• Zvonimir Vukoja
• Mateo Bo?i?
• An?elo Kordi?
• Domagoj Maru?i?

From youth team

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player -- MF  BIH Nik?a ?ili?

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player -- GK  BIH Vojin Savi? (at Slavija Sarajevo) -- DF  BIH Gabrijel ?oko (at Cibalia)

No. Pos. Nation Player -- MF  BIH Semir Pezer (at Sloboda Tuzla) -- FW  BIH Kristijan Stani? (at GO?K Gabela)

Personnel

Coaching staff

Position	Staff
Head coach	Sergej Jakirovi?
Assistant coach	Nenad Gagro
Goalkeeping coach	Fe?a Kulagli?
Fitness coach	Vacant
Physiotherapist	Marko Pehar

Other information

Chairman of the board	Denis Lasi?
Excutive vice-president	Danko ?ulenta
Chairman of the Assembly	Davor Martinovi?
Director	Ivan Beus (interim)
Head coach	Sergej Jakirovi?
Ground (capacity and dimensions)	Stadion pod Bijelim Brijegom (9,000 / 105 x 70 m)

Source: hskzrinjski.ba

Managerial history

Bla? Sli?kovi? won two Bosnian Premier League titles in a row with Zrinjski in the seasons 2016-17 and 2017-18.

Dragan Peri? managed Zrinjski from 2012 until 2013.

Mi?o Krsti?evi?, former club manager during 2015.

Dates	Name	Notes
1905-1945	Unknown
1945-1992	None	Club banned
1994	Miroslav Kordi?
1995	Jozo Zelenika
1995	Mirko Ga?i?
1995-1996	Franjo Vladi?
1996	Mirko Ga?i?
1996	Miroslav Kordi?
1997	?arko Barbari?
1997-1998	Franjo D?idi?
1998-1999	Bla? Sli?kovi?
1999-2000	Dalibor Cvitanovi?
2000	Vladimir Sko?aji?
2001	Vjeran Simuni?
2002-2003	Ivica Barbari?
2003	Franjo D?idi?
2003-2004	Stjepan Deveri?
2004-2005	Franjo D?idi?
2005-2007	Bla? Sli?kovi?
2007-2010	Dragan Jovi?
2010	Marijan Bloudek
2010-2012	Slaven Musa
2012	Dra?enko Bogdan	Caretaker manager
2012-2013	Dragan Peri?
2013-2014	Branko Kara?i?
2015	Mi?o Krsti?evi?
2015-2016	Vinko Marinovi?
2017	Ivica Barbari?
2017-2018	Bla? Sli?kovi?
2018	Ante Mi?e
2018-2019	Bla? Sli?kovi?
2019	Hari Vukas
2019	Nenad Gagro	Caretaker manager
2019-2020	Mladen ?i?ovi?
2020-present	Sergej Jakirovi?

European record

As of 24 September 2020

Legend: GF = Goals For. GA = Goals Against. GD = Goal Difference.

List of matches

Season	Competition	Round	Club	Home	Away	Agg.
2000	UEFA Intertoto Cup	1R	Västra Frölunda	2-1	0-1	2-2 (a)
2005-06	UEFA Champions League	1Q	Dudelange	0-4 (aet)	1-0	1-4
2006	UEFA Intertoto Cup	1R	Marsaxlokk	3-0	1-1	4-1
		2R	Maccabi Petah Tikva	1-3	1-1	2-4
2007-08	UEFA Cup	1Q	Partizan	1-61	0-5	1-11
		2Q	Rabotni?ki	1-2	0-0	1-2
2008-09	UEFA Cup	1Q	Vaduz	3-0	2-1	5-1
		2Q	Braga	0-2	0-1	0-3
2009-10	UEFA Champions League	2Q	Slovan Bratislava	1-0	0-4	1-4
2010-11	UEFA Europa League	1Q	Tobol	2-1	2-1	4-2
		2Q	Tre Penne	4-1	9-2	13-3
		3Q	Odense	0-0	3-5	3-5
2013-14	UEFA Europa League	1Q	UE Santa Coloma	1-0	3-1	4-1
		2Q	Botev Plovdiv	1-1	0-2	1-3
2014-15	UEFA Champions League	2Q	Maribor	0-0	0-2	0-2
2015-16	UEFA Europa League	1Q	Shirak	2-1	0-2	2-3
2016-17	UEFA Champions League	2Q	Legia Warsaw	1-1	0-2	1-3
2017-18	UEFA Champions League	2Q	Maribor	1-2	1-1	2-3
2018-19	UEFA Champions League	1Q	Spartak Trnava	1-1	0-1	1-2
	UEFA Europa League	2Q	Valletta	1-1	2-1	3-2
		3Q	Ludogorets Razgrad	1-1	0-1	1-2
2019-20	UEFA Europa League	1Q	Akademija Pandev	3-0	3-0	6-0
		2Q	Utrecht	2-1	1-1	3-2
		3Q	Malmö	1-0	0-3	1-3
2020-21	UEFA Europa League	1Q	Differdange 03	3-0	N/A	N/A
		2Q	Olimpija Ljubljana	N/A	3-2 (aet)	N/A
		3Q	APOEL	N/A	2-2 (2-4 p)	N/A

¹ UEFA expelled Partizan from the 2007-08 UEFA Cup due to crowd trouble at their away tie in Mostar, which forced the match to be interrupted for 10 minutes. UEFA adjudged travelling Partizan fans to have been the culprits of the trouble,^[3] but Partizan were allowed to play the return leg while the appeal was being processed.^[4] However, Partizan's appeal was rejected so Zrinjski Mostar qualified.^[5]

Club ranking

UEFA coefficient

2020-21 season

Rank	Team	Points
137	The New Saints	8.500
138	Slovan Liberec	8.000
139	CSKA Sofia	8.000
140	Zrinjski	8.000
141	Hajduk Split	8.000
142	Dudelange	8.000
143	Astra Giurgiu	8.000

As of 17 December 2020. Source

Seasons

Key

League: P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; Pts = Points won; Pos = Final position;

Cup / Europe: PR = Preliminary round; QR = Qualifying round; R1 = First round; R2 = Second round; Group = Group stage; QF = Quarter-final; SF = Semi-final; RU = Runner-up; W = Competition won;

Notes

References

External links

• Official website (in Croatian)
• Zrinjski sports association website (in Croatian)
• Ultras official website (in Croatian)
• H?K Zrinjski Mostar at UEFA.com (in English)