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.

Watching the Manchester Derby at Sarajevo’s Celtic Pub

Looking to watch arguably one of the biggest games of the Premier League season, (I mean even the NY Times had a feature on the run-up to the game,) I ventured into the Celtic Pub, an establishment tucked away in a cul-de-sac off Sarajevo’s main pedestrian drag.

In a place loaded with framed Celtic jerseys, team photos, and a wall with Celtic legend/Swedish demigod, Henrik Larsson, I would never have thought to pick a soundtrack consisting of extended James Brown tracks, the Commodores' "She's a Brick House," Wild Cherry's "Play That Funky Music," and other 70s R & B classics, but hey, who am I?

Henrik Larsson played for Celtic from 1997-2004, scoring 243 goals. He also played for Feyenoord, Barcelona, and briefly, Manchester United.

The kilt-clad bartender/waiter had opted for the Manchester derby on the big screen inside, while the Glasgow derby, between Celtic and recently recovered from financial disgrace, Rangers, played on a smaller screen outside. So inside I went. 

A thick fog created by chain-smoking patrons clung to the low ceiling. But I endured, sipping a few pints while my United succumbed to City. The majority of  the dozen-or-so patrons cheered for City, probably due to Bosnian striker Edin Dzeko's former affiliation with the club.

United looked as if they were playing short-handed for much of the game, always waiting for the ball to come to them, while City players demonstrated superior anticipation.  Debruyne’s sprinting goal in the 15^th minute was a good example, catching a less than flying Dutchman, Daley Blind, ball watching.

After a second City goal in the 36^th minute, netted by the suspended Aguero understudy, Ihenacho, the mighty Zlatan scored for United in the 42^nd minute, volleying a rebound into the back of the net. In first half injury time United should have taken the lead when City’s keeper Claudio Bravo was outmaneuvered by a United breakaway, but the final shot only trickled toward the open net, allowing a defender to clear the danger.

The second half provided no joy, despite a short-lived uptick in energy for United with the entrance of Andres Herrera and speedy wunderkind Rashford who replaced the surprisingly ineffective wingers, Lindgaard and Mkitaryan, after the break.

Chic’s “Freak Out” capped off the afternoon’s funk medley, as I left, determined to return at a later date, to a seat a little closer to the well-ventilated patio.

...I nearly forgot to mention that the menu lists mead, and obscenely large beers, I remember seeing 3 liter beers called "giraffes". So I just had to investigate further. Nermin, one of the bartenders, gave me a tour of the three floor bar, and brought a "giraffe"' so I could see it. He says the place is much more packed during the winter months, and of course, the line to get in goes down the street for their green beer on St. Patrick's Day.

A "giraffe" order of beer is sure to attract a lot of friends.

Bosnia crushes Estonia 5-0 in first Russia 2018 qualifier

Bosnia handily defeated Estonia, asserting their dominance from the opening kickoff. HSV Hamburg defender, Emir Spahic put Bosnia in the lead the 7th minute with a header, Edin Dzeko put away a penalty kick in the 23rd minute, and the team added another three goals after halftime, while the anemic Estonia only forced two saves the entire game.

I had originally planned on attending this game until I realized that it was being played in Zenica, a 45-minute drive northeast of Sarajevo. Therefore, I opted to watch the game from the comfort of my Airbnb flat. When I asked a local why the game wasn’t being played in the capital, he informed me that none of the stadiums in Sarajevo meet UEFA’s international standards, therefore all the national team games are played in Zenica.

The current national squad consists of players who, all but one, play their soccer in other parts of Europe, with half the team playing league ball in either Germany and Italy. Probably the most recognizable players are Roma striker Edin Dzeko, Juventus midfielder Miralem Pjanic, and Chelsea’s backup keeper, Asmir Begovic.

Bosnia, which if one bothers to rely on the idiosyncratic algorithms of the fickle FIFA ratings system, is currently ranked 28th in the world. (As a point of reference, the USMNT is currently tied for 26th with a considerably weaker than normal Dutch side.) They are in Group F for the first round of European qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, along with Belgium(2nd), Greece (surprisingly low-52nd), Cyprus (86th), Estonia (117th) and first-time entry, Gibraltar.

First place in the group earns an automatic trip to Russia, whereas the 2nd place finisher in the group phase plays a home-and-home against another 2nd place team to qualify. So this is a terrific start for Bosnia, giving them a healthy goal differential, which will be beneficial if they are tied on points at the end of the qualifying round.