FK Željezničar

The neighborhood of Grbavica is home to FK Željezničar, one of the two soccer teams that dominate Sarajevo’s soccer scene. The team derives its name from the railroad workers that founded the club back in 1921. In fact, there is a symbolic railroad engine parked on the edge of playing field. Grbavica stadium was partially destroyed during the Siege of Sarajevo, as it was on the front lines of the furthest Bosnian Serb advance into the city of Sarajevo. Check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mYf9GvrmgY

The stadium now has a reduced capacity of approximately 12,000, and looks like it has indeed, been through a war, but that shouldn’t affect the game, as the pitch itself looks pristine.

Bekric, an FK Željezničar midfielder prepares to take a free kick.

Željezničar has been one of the most successful clubs in the Bosnian Premier League’s relatively short history (2000-present) with 5 league championships, and 5 Bosnian Cups. This is also the club where former Manchester City, and current Roma striker Edin Dzeko started his career.

This year though, Željezničar is off to a slow start, with a record of 2-2-3, and only six goals scored, putting it in 8^th place. The squad is predominately Bosnian, including some players from the Republika Srpska, along with a few foreign players: several Serbians, a Croat, a young Italian defender on loan. They have just signed two new players: one Montenegrin, Markovic, and the other, Krizman, a Croat, both who would have an impact on today’s match.

Željezničar’s opponent is FC Krupa, currently in fourth place and the league’s most prolific scoring side to this point in the season, and as the game unfolds, it is easy to see why. Their number 9, Peric, is big, strong, and fast.

Before the start of the game, the crowd sang a rousing team anthem, with everyone in the stands holding their scarves high. This was followed by a minute of silence for a club legend, Josip Bukal (1945-2016). 

By the eighth minute, Krizman, one of FK Željezničar's debutantes, scores the first goal. The fan club, The Maniacs, have been singing the entire game, and get a little louder, but I'm disappointed by the lack of typical "ultra" fireworks...not a single flare! Maybe they're saving them for the upcoming game against their cross-town rivals, FC Sarajevo.

Meanwhile, about five yards from my corner of the pitch ground level seat,  a pair of 40-something youth team coaches, in their blue Željezničar tracksuits are shouting instructions to the ball boys, complaining about the refereeing, chain smoking, and repeatedly ordering coffee from the stadium vendor who carries a tank of coffee in a backpack equipped with a cup dispenser and long filler hose. It's really comical. If I knew how to turn my camera's flash setting to off, I would so photo-stalk these guys!

FC Krupa will tie the game with this penalty kick

Twenty minutes later, and nearly as many cigarettes, the massive forward for Krupa get sandwiched high and low by blue defenders in the penalty area,  earning a PK; which is converted.

The rest of the first half is rather uneventful, other than the unrelated five minutes of fireworks in sky just to the east of the stadium.

 As the second half starts, so does the rain. I'm sensing a pattern here: September means afternoon and early evening showers in Sarajevo, regardless of how sunny the day may have looked earlier. It does little to deter the chain-smoking youth coaches, who are now snacking on some sort of dessert between cigarettes. The rain only lasts fifteen minutes, but I'm glad the stands have a roof. 

Finally, in the 83rd minute, the other debutante, Markovic, volleys in the winning goal for the home team. Allowing team management to breath a sigh of relief that their recent signings are proving to be a good decision.

The winning squad thanks its loyal supporters.