List_of_Bosnia_and_Herzegovina_football_champions
The Bosnia and Herzegovina football champions (Bosnian: Bosna i Hercegovina fudbalski prvaci, Championship: Prvenstvo, single: "Prvaci", plural: Prvaci) are the annual winners of Premier League, Bosnia and Herzegovina's premier annual football league competition. The title has been contested since 1923 in varying forms of competition.
In 1923, the first edition of leagues was organised in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia where regional championships were also played, besides the top-level national Yugoslav Football Championship. The clubs of the Drina Banovina, part of Littoral Banovina and Vrbas Banovina, territorially similar to present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina, played within the Sarajevo Football Subassociation League until 1939. The champions of the Subassociation Leagues were granted a place in the qualifiers for the Yugoslav Championship, at the top national level. SAŠK (1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1930/31), Slavija (1929, 1930, 1932/33, 1934/35, 1935/36, 1936/37, 1937/38, 1938/39, 1939/40), FK Krajišnik Banja Luka (1935/36) were the clubs to manage to participate in the national league, first in 1923 when the championship was played in a cup system. In 1939, the Yugoslav league system was changed by creating separate Serbian and Croato-Slovenian Leagues, which would serve as qualifying leagues for the final phase of the Yugoslav Championship.[1] The clubs from the Sarajevo Subassociation played their qualifications to the Serbian League. However, Slavija Sarajevo participated in 1939–40 (3rd place) and 1940–41 (9th place) and played their qualifications to the Croatian-Slovenian League. However, SAŠK managed to participate and did it on both occasions, in 1939–40 (5th place) and 1940–41 (5th place). That became the last season before the beginning of the Second World War.
Royal League
The clubs from the territory of Drina Banovina, part of Littoral Banovina and Vrbas Banovina (belonging to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia) had a league organised by the Sarajevo Football Subassociation. The winner had direct access to the Yugoslav Championship.[2]
| Season | Champion |
|---|---|
| 1921 | Hajduk Sarajevo |
| 1922 | SAŠK Sarajevo |
| 1923 | SAŠK Sarajevo |
| 1924 | SAŠK Sarajevo |
| 1925 | SAŠK Sarajevo |
| 1926 | SAŠK Sarajevo |
| 1927 | SAŠK Sarajevo |
| 1928 | SAŠK Sarajevo |
| 1929 | Slavija Sarajevo |
| 1930 | Slavija Sarajevo |
| 1931 | SAŠK Sarajevo |
| 1932 | Not Finished |
| 1933 | SAŠK Sarajevo |
| 1934 | Not Finished |
| 1935 | Slavija Sarajevo, SAŠK Sarajevo |
| 1936 | Slavija Sarajevo |
| 1937 | SAŠK Sarajevo |
| 1938 | SAŠK Sarajevo |
| 1939 | SAŠK Sarajevo |
| 1940 | Hajduk Sarajevo (Slavija and SAŠK, played in the Serbian and Croatian leagues respectively) |
| 1941 | Hajduk Sarajevo (Slavija and SAŠK, played in the Serbian and Croatian leagues respectively) |
As part of Croatia (WWII)
Source:[3]
| Season | Champion |
|---|---|
| 1941 | Not Finished - SAŠK Sarajevo (9th place) |
| 1942 | SAŠK Sarajevo (Group D) |
| 1943 | SAŠK Sarajevo (Sarajevo championship) HŠK Hrvoje Banja Luka (Banja Luka championship) |
| 1944 | SAŠK Sarajevo (Sarajevo championship) HBŠK Banja Luka (Banja Luka championship) |
Regional League
During this period Bosnia and Herzegovina was part of SFR Yugoslavia and its leading clubs (including FK Sarajevo (43 seasons, title: 1966/67, 1984/85), FK Željezničar (34 seasons, title: 1971/72), FK Velež Mostar (38 seasons), FK Sloboda Tuzla (25 seasons), NK Čelik Zenica (17 seasons) and FK Borac Banja Luka (14 seasons), FK Slavija (11 seasons)) played in the Yugoslav leagues.[3]
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War in Bosnia and Herzegovina
After a breakup of Yugoslavia Bosnia and Herzegovina proclaimed independence in late winter 1992, and already in April same year N/FSBiH applied for membership with FIFA and UEFA.[4] Meanwhile, due to the outbreak of Bosnian War in April 1992 no games were played in the 1992–93 season. In late 1993 some parts of the country re-launched football competitions with reduced scope. But just as the country was divided along ethnic lines, so was football.
In 1993, Bosnian Croats launched the Football Federation of Herzeg Bosnia and its First League of Herzeg-Bosnia, in which only Croatian clubs competed on a parochial scale within the limits of West Herzegovina and few other enclaves. In the same year, Bosnian Serbs organized their own First League of the Republika Srpska on a territory held by the Republika Srpska regime. Only football on territory under the control of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina institutions and the auspices of N/FSBiH, at the time consequently with Bosniak majority, apart from a brief competition for the season 1994–95 (won by Čelik Zenica), came to a standstill. Competition under auspices of N/FSBiH did not resume until the 1995–96 season when the First League of Bosnia and Herzegovina was launched.[4]
Bosnia and Herzegovina Champions
Champions of First League of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- 1994–95 - Čelik - "Champion of BiH"
- 1995–96 - Čelik - "Champion of BiH"
- 1996–97 - Čelik - "Champion of BiH"
- 1997–98 - Bosna Visoko - "Champion of First League of Bosnia and Herzegovina"
- 1998–99 - FK Sarajevo - "Champion of BiH"
- 1999–00 - Jedinstvo Bihać - "Champion of First League of Bosnia and Herzegovina"
Champions of First League of Herzeg-Bosnia
- 1993–94 - Široki Brijeg[5] – Mario Prskalo (10 goals, Široki Brijeg)
- 1994–95 - Široki Brijeg – Anđelko Marušić (15, Široki Brijeg)
- 1995–96 - Široki Brijeg – Mario Marušić (15, Grude), Dejan Džepina (15, Novi Travnik)
- 1996–97 - Široki Brijeg – Anđelko Marušić (21, Široki Brijeg)
- 1997–98 - Široki Brijeg – Stanko Bubalo (31, Široki Brijeg)
- 1998–99 - Posušje – Slađan Filipović (19, Široki Brijeg)
- 1999–00 - Posušje – Robert Ristovski (18, Kiseljak)
Champions of First League of the Republika Srpska
| Season | Champion | Runners Up | Top Goalscorer | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995–96 | Boksit Milići | Rudar Prijedor |  Siniša Đurić Zoran Majstorović | Kozara Gradiška Boksit Milići | 16 Goals 16 Goals |
| 1996–97 | Rudar Ugljevik | Sloga Trn | Mladen Zgonjanin Marić | Sloga Trn Glasinac Sokolac | 14 Goals 14 Goals |
| 1997–98 | Rudar Ugljevik | Borac Banja Luka | Nikola Bala | Rudar Ugljevik | 31 Goals |
| 1998–99 | Radnik Bijeljina | Rudar Ugljevik | Mladen Zgonjanin | Sloga Trn | 23 Goals |
| 1999–00 | Boksit Milići | Rudar Ugljevik | Nedo Zdjelar | Sloboda Novi Grad | 29 Goals |
| 2000–01 | Borac Banja Luka | Sloboda Novi Grad | Milanko Đerić | Boksit Milići | 26 Goals |
| 2001–02 | Leotar Trebinje | Kozara Gradiška |  Pavle DelibašićSiniša Jovanović | Leotar Trebinje Glasinac Sokolac | 21 Goals 21 Goals |
Champions of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Listing seasons (aside of 1998–99 season) before the creation of Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina where the champion was decided via a play-off played between best placed clubs who played in First League of Bosnia and Herzegovina and First League of Herzeg-Bosnia (without clubs from First League of the Republika Srpska).
| Season | Winner of play-off | Runners-up of play-off | Top scorer(s) of play-off | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player(s) (Club) | Goals | |||
| 1997–981 | Željezničar (1) | Sarajevo |  Stanko Bubalo (Široki Brijeg) Hadis Zubanović (Željezničar) |
3 |
| 1998–992 | Sarajevo (1) |
— | — | |
| 1999–003 | Brotnjo (1) | Budućnost | Zikret Kuljaninović (Budućnost) Alen Škoro (Sarajevo) Halim Stupac (Jedinstvo) |
5 |
1 A play-off between the best placed teams of First League of Bosnia and Herzegovina and First League of Herzeg-Bosnia was played; without clubs from First League of Republika Srpska. The best two clubs got the right to play in 1998–99 UEFA Cup.
2 Play-off was scheduled but was later canceled because of stadium issues. Three different leagues played, no play-off contested, therefore no club got the right to play in European competition.
3 A play-off between the best placed teams of First League of Bosnia and Herzegovina and First League of Herzeg-Bosnia was played without clubs from First League of Republika Srpska. Three clubs got the right to play in European competition.
Premier League Champions
Since the 2000–01 season, the first tier of Bosnia and Herzegovina football competition became Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
| 0League champions also won the Bosnia and Herzegovina Football Cup, i.e. the domestic Double.0 |
1 Played without clubs from Republika Srpska entity of BiH which only joined the league since 2002.
Times finished in first three
Counting since when the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina is played and recognized by UEFA, season 2000–01
| Club | Winners | Runner-up | Third place | Times finished in first three |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarajevo | 4 |
4 |
6 |
14 |
| Zrinjski | 8 |
2 |
3 |
13 |
| Željezničar | 5 |
7 |
1 |
13 |
| Široki Brijeg | 2 |
5 |
3 |
10 |
| Borac | 2 |
1 |
4 |
7 |
| Brotnjo | 0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| Slavija | 0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| Sloboda | 0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| Leotar | 1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| Modriča | 1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| Tuzla City | 0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| Čelik | 0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| Velež | 0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
Cities
The following table lists the champions by cities; Counting since when the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina is played and recognized by UEFA, season 2000–01
| City | Titles | Winning clubs |
|---|---|---|
| Sarajevo | 9 |
Željezničar (5), Sarajevo (4) |
| Mostar | 8 |
Zrinjski (8) |
| Banja Luka | 2 |
Borac (2) |
| Široki Brijeg | 2 |
Široki Brijeg (2) |
| Trebinje | 1 |
Leotar (1) |
| Modriča | 1 |
Modriča (1) |
- 2019–20 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina suspended in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Bosnia and Herzegovina; season curtailed and final standings (including Sarajevo as champions) declared by a points-per-game ratio on 1 June 2020.[6]
- Sijić, pag. 117
- Milorad Sijić: "Football in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia" Archived 2012-05-12 at the Wayback Machine, pag. 142 (in Serbian)
- Karel Stokkermans (29 October 2015). "Bosnia-Herzegovina - List of Champions". Retrieved 26 November 2015.
- "N/FSBiH History". www.nfsbih.ba. N/FSBiH. Archived from the original on 30 November 2016. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
- Zlatne godine page 138
- F.Z. (1 June 2020). "Zvanično! Sarajevo prvak BiH drugu godinu zaredom, Čelik i Zvijezda ispadaju" (in Bosnian). Klix.ba. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
- Football Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Official Site (in Bosnian and English)
- League at UEFA (in English)