FK Željezničar Sarajevo

FK Željezničar Sarajevo

Fudbalski Klub Željezničar (English: Football Club Željezničar) is a professional football club based in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The name Željezničar means "railway worker", given because it was established by a group of railway workers.

Željezničar, was founded in September 1921 in Sarajevo and is the most prominent and successful football team in Bosnia and Herzegovina. During the time of the former Yugoslavia, FK Željezničar were champions once in 1971–72 season, finishing as the runner-ups in 1970–71 season, both under the command of Milan Ribar, and also finishing third two times in 1962–63 and 1983–84 season. They also played once in the finals of the Yugoslav Cup in 1980–81, losing to another Bosnian side, Velež. The manager was Ivica Osim, under whose command the club also reached its biggest overall European success in the UEFA Cup semi-final in 1984–85, when they lost to Videoton on away goals rule.

Today Željezničar is one of the most famous members of the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Its success includes winning one title during when the championships were based on ethnic principles in 1997–98 season under the command of Enver Hadžiabdić (who also brought the Bosnian Super Cup in 1998), and four titles in the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina. They claimed also five national cups during this way with the first being in 1999–00 under the second spell of Enver Hadžiabdić but he didn't stay long enough to also claim the Bosnian Super Cup in 2000, which was done by his successor Hajrudin Đurbuzović. This was also his second spell in Željezničar, while in his very short first spell at the end of 1996–97 season he was the runner-up in the national cup.

According to the IFFHS list of the Top 200 European clubs of the 20th century, an organization recognized by FIFA, Željezničar is the highest ranked Bosnian club, sharing the 110th position on the list with AZ Alkmaar and Vitória F.C..