NK Čelik Zenica

Nogometni klub Čelik Zenica (English: Football Club Čelik Zenica) is a professional football club based in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The name Čelik means Steel in Bosnian and it symbolizes the strength and power of the club city since Zenica is an industrial city well-known for its steelworks.

Čelik Zenica
Full nameNogometni klub Čelik Zenica
Nickname(s)Crno-crveni (The Black-Reds)
Starac (The Old Man)
Founded16 June 1945 (1945-06-16)
GroundBilino Polje Stadium, Zenica
Capacity15,292
ChairmanDenis Mušović
ManagerPavle Skočibušić
LeagueLeague of Zenica-Doboj Canton
2019–20Premier League BH, 11th (moved to League of Zenica-Doboj Canton)
WebsiteClub website

NK Čelik is one of the most prominent and successful football teams in Bosnia and Herzegovina being one of only two Bosnian clubs to win the national championship three times in a row – from 1994 to 1997. The club also won two national cups in a row – from 1995 to 1996. During the time of the former Yugoslavia, Čelik had played 17 seasons in the Yugoslav First League.

It is known for the strong support of its fans and its Bilino Polje stadium which hosts the Bosnian national team. In addition, Čelik is the only fan-owned football club in Bosnia & Herzegovina where club members democratically elect its leadership.[1]

Čelik won the Mitropa Cup two times, and was joint winner of the UEFA Intertoto Cup once. Today, Čelik is in the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina and is active in the League of Zenica-Doboj Canton having previously played in the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina before getting relegated in the 2019–20 Bosnian Premier League season to the First League of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.[2] In order to stabilise the club due to financial difficulties, its General Assembly voted to continue competing in the League of Zenica-Doboj Canton on 13 July 2020.[3]

The club has produced many important players including Elvir Bolić, Mirsad Hibić and Mladen Krstajić.

History

The club had been founded on 16 June 1945 by a group of World War II veterans. The name of the club had been proposed by one of the founders, Zdenko Mazanek, to symbolize the strength of their club and the its link to the workers of the city's metallurgic industry. [4]

Grounds

Čelik play their home games at the Bilino Polje stadium which is also the biggest stadium in the city. Over the years the club had changed four different stadiums settling at their current ground in 1972.

During the first few years of the club's existence, following World War II, Čelik's stadium was located roughly on the place of the current Bilino Polje stadium, close to the Bosna river. The ground was covered in clay, as was the practice of lower-level football grounds at the time. The stadium itself had one wooden stand which was built over time and the club often played in front of full capacity.

However, due to the increased popularity of the club and the need for a better surface, during the early 1950s the club moved to the nearby Stadion Blatuša which was located in the Blatuša neighborhood of Zenica. It was there that Čelik started its first run of successes when they had reached promotion to the Yugoslav First League in 1966 and won the Mitropa Cup in 1971 (the final was played on neutral ground in Gorizia, Italy[5]).

Shortly after the first Mitropa Cup victory, plans were made for a new, modern stadium, built in place of Čelik's first stadium. The construction took 8 months to complete and it was officially opened on 4 October 1972 for the second leg of the 1972 Mitropa Cup final against Fiorentina which Čelik won 1–0 to claim their second title in a row. The attendance record of 35,000 still stands today due to the introduction of seats on the stadium over the years. The stadium went through a number of renovations and reconstructions, the most recent being in 2012.

From July to August 2012, the stadium went through another renovation process where the pitch had been changed and under-soil heating installed beneath. During the reconstruction, Čelik played two Bosnian Premier League matches as well as one Bosnian Cup match on the Stadion Kamberovića Polje, winning all of them. In the second part of the same season, the club played one more game there which ended in a draw.

The youth squads of Čelik usually play their games at the smaller stadium Kamberovića Polje.

Supporters

Čelik's main supporter group Robijaši in a game against Željezničar on 10 August 2019.

The ultras supporter group of Čelik, established in 1988 in Zenica, is called Robijaši (The Convicts in English) because Zenica is famous for its prison. Widely known for their fanatic support, they have been fighting to preserve the club and support it through difficult financial times.[6]

Honours

League

Cups

European

Recent seasons

As of match played 12 September 2020.
Season League Cup Europe
Division P W D L F A Pts Pos
1994–95 First League of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Zenica Group
330013391stWinners
First League of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Final Play-off
33007391st
1995–96 First League of Bosnia and Herzegovina3021546523681stWinners
1996–97 First League of Bosnia and Herzegovina3017765723581stSF
1997–98 First League of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosniaks First League
3016864830532ndR16
First League of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Play-off
20022706th
1998–99 First League of Bosnia and Herzegovina30133144747429thR16
1999–2000 First League of Bosnia and Herzegovina3013894536559thQF
Current format of Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina
2000–01 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina422110117540734thQF
2001–02 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina30127113930436thSFUEFA Intertoto Cup R2
2002–03 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina381610126133585thR32
2003–04 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina309101142433712thR16
2004–05 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina301321529374113thR16
2005–06 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina301051533453514thR32
2006–07 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina301231529353914thSF
2007–08 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina30164103832523rdR16
2008–09 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina301251329324110thR32UEFA Intertoto Cup R1
2009–10 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina301051033365013thR16
2010–11 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina301171230304010thRunners-up
2011–12 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina30810123139349thQF
2012–13 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina3014974430514thQF
2013–14 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina30101373532437thRunners-up
2014–15 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina30101193435667thR16
2015–16 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina30121083528466thR16
2016–17 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina328111328393510thR32
2017–18 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina32842030612811thR16
2018–19 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina331110123049437thR32
2019–20[nb 1] Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina22551217331711th ↓R32
2020–21 League of Zenica-Doboj Canton[nb 2]50014151st

European record

CompetitionPWDLGFGAGD
UEFA Intertoto Cup 6402119+2
Total 6 4 0 2 11 9 +2

P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goals difference. Defunct competitions indicated in italics.

List of matches

Season Competition Round Opponent Home Away Agg.
2001 UEFA Intertoto Cup 1R Denizlispor 1–0 5–3 6–3
2R Gent 1–0 0–2 1–2
2008 UEFA Intertoto Cup 1R Grbalj 3–2 1–2 4–4 (a)

Players

Current squad

As of 11 September 2020

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  BIH Haris Jupić
6 DF  BIH Gabrijel Popović
11 FW  BIH Davud Čičak
13 GK  KVX Adis Nurković
16 MF  BIH Selim Žuna
25 FW  BIH Aidin Mahmutović (Captain)
30 GK  BIH Hanan Sejmen
DF  BIH Maid Horić
No. Pos. Nation Player
MF  BIH Anes Hukić
MF  BIH Hasan Husejnović
MF  BIH Samid Smriko
MF  BIH Harun Ibraković
MF  BIH Amar Šišić
MF  BIH Sulejman Salkić
FW  BIH Adnan Mašić

Players with multiple nationalities

Club officials

Position Staff
Head coach Pavle Skočibušić
Goalkeeping coach Adis Nurković
Physiotherapist Dario Zrnić

Last updated: 16 July 2020
Source: NK Čelik Zenica at sportsport.ba

Other information

Chairman of the board Denis Mušović
Sporting director Husnija Arapović
Head coach Pavle Skočibušić

Source: NK Čelik Zenica at sportsport.ba

Notable managers

Dates Name Honours
1970–1971 Dušan Varagić 1970–71 Mitropa Cup
1971–1972 Midhat Mujkić 1971–72 Mitropa Cup
1974–1975 Marcel Žigante 1975 Intertoto Cup (Joint Winner)
1992–1996 Nermin Hadžiahmetović 1994–95 Bosnian Championship, 1994–95 Bosnian Cup, 1995–96 Bosnian Championship, 1995–96 Bosnian Cup
1996–1997 Kemal Hafizović 1996–97 Bosnian Championship

Notes

  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.[7]
  2. Čelik were initially relegated to the Prva Liga FBiH, but were then excluded from the league on 13 July 2020.[8]

References

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