FK Velež Mostar
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Fudbalski klub Velež Mostar ( sh-Cyrl, Фудбалски клуб Beлеж Мостар;
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
: Football club Velež Mostar) is a professional
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
club based in
Mostar Mostar (, ; sr-Cyrl, Мостар, ) is a city and the administrative center of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the historical capital of Herzegovina. Mostar is sit ...
,
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
. The club has a history of being one of the most successful clubs from Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was founded on 26 June 1922. The club currently plays at Rođeni Stadium (7,000 capacity), but its historic stadium is the Bijeli Brijeg (9,000 capacity). Due to the divisions between Bosniak and Croat territories, Velež lost its previous home ground of Bijeli Brijeg. That stadium was largely used by Velež during the glory days of the club, when they triumphed in the
1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...
and 1986 Yugoslav Cups. The club also reached the quarter-final stage of the 1974–75 UEFA Cup. The club is named after a nearby mountain Velež, which in itself is named after one of the old
Slavic gods The pagan Slavs were polytheistic, which means that they worshipped many gods and goddesses. The gods of the Slavs are known primarily from a small number of chronicles and letopises, or not very accurate Christian sermons against paganism. ...
, Veles. During the time of
former Yugoslavia The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yu ...
, Velež was always in the
Yugoslav First League The Yugoslav First Federal Football League ( Serbian: Прва савезна лига у фудбалу / ''Prva savezna liga u fudbalu'', hr, Prva savezna liga u nogometu, sl, Prva zvezna nogometna liga, mk, Прва сојузна лига, ...
and the team often ended the season in the top ten. Velež was the most popular and most successful team from
Herzegovina Herzegovina ( or ; sh-Latn-Cyrl, Hercegovina, separator=" / ", Херцеговина, ) is the southern and smaller of two main geographical region of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being Bosnia. It has never had strictly defined geogra ...
to play in the top Yugoslav League. The team was very popular in Herzegovina, but also had fans all over Yugoslavia, and had a mixture of fans from all three main ethnic groups. Today, Velež is in the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina and is active in the
Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina The m:tel Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( bs, m:tel Premijer liga Bosne i Hercegovine / м:тел Премијер лига Босне и Херцеговине), also known as Liga 12, is the top tier football league in Bosnia and Herz ...
and regardless of the difficult and divisive political situation, still has a mixture of fans from all three main ethnic groups. The team was relegated to the First League of the Federation from the
Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
. However, Velež was promoted to the top league of the country in 2019. In the summer of 2005, the club's assembly returned the five-pointed red star, also known as the ''petokraka'', to their logo. The red star has been the symbol of the club since its founding in 1922.


History


Before World War II (1922–1941)

On 26 June 1922, in a suburb of
Mostar Mostar (, ; sr-Cyrl, Мостар, ) is a city and the administrative center of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the historical capital of Herzegovina. Mostar is sit ...
called Sjeverni logor, Velež Mostar were founded with the prefix RŠD ''(Radnički Športski Klub)'' or Workers' Sports Club. There were many suggestions for the name, however according to an urban legend the name Velež was picked due to the nearby
mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited Summit (topography), summit area, and ...
, as there was nothing higher. Velež's first kits were black and white due to destitution and poverty. Velež only started playing in red after a board member named Vaso Pucarić brought them from
Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...
. Velež's first derby with an older club from Mostar, Zrinjski was canceled after Zrinjski's players wanted Velež's players to take off the red stars from their kits and Velež refused to do so. The club was sympathetic to
worker's rights Labor rights or workers' rights are both legal rights and human rights relating to labor relations between workers and employers. These rights are codified in national and international labor and employment law. In general, these rights influ ...
and
socialism Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...
, which made it a big target from the
Kingdom of Yugoslavia The Kingdom of Yugoslavia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Kraljevina Jugoslavija, Краљевина Југославија; sl, Kraljevina Jugoslavija) was a state in Southeast Europe, Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 unt ...
, who frequently harassed players and supporters. Before the war there existed a league for clubs within the city: Velež, Zrinjski, SK Vardar and the JSK ''(Jugoslovenski sportski klub)''. Velež had won this competition twice in the 1929 and 1930 seasons. At one point during this time 3,500 people were members of Velež. On 1 September 1940 Velež played a friendly versus a team from
Podgorica Podgorica (Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Подгорица, ; Literal translation, lit. 'under the hill') is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Montenegro, largest city of Montenegro. The city was formerly known as Titograd ...
called Crna Gora. After the game players and those in attendance started a protest against the Yugoslav government on the streets of Mostar. Police shot at demonstrators and in 2 days the club was banned. During the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
many members of Velež joined the
Yugoslav Partisans The Yugoslav Partisans,Serbo-Croatian, Macedonian, Slovene: , or the National Liberation Army, sh-Latn-Cyrl, Narodnooslobodilačka vojska (NOV), Народноослободилачка војска (НОВ); mk, Народноослобод ...
and 77 footballers from Velež were said to have lost their lives during the war. 9 players were awarded the
Order of the People's Hero The Order of the People's Hero or the Order of the National Hero ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Orden narodnog heroja, Oрден народног хероја; sl, Red narodnega heroja, mk, Oрден на народен херој, Orden na ...
award by the new socialist government, 8 of which posthumously. The only living player given the medal was former captain Mehmed Trbonja.


Velež in SFR Yugoslavia (1945–1992)


Early days in the top flight (1945–1968)

After the war ended, the new socialist government banned clubs that participated in football tournaments organized by the
Independent State of Croatia The Independent State of Croatia ( sh, Nezavisna Država Hrvatska, NDH; german: Unabhängiger Staat Kroatien; it, Stato indipendente di Croazia) was a World War II-era puppet state of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy (1922–1943), Fascist It ...
, including Zrinjski. Vardar and JSK also disbanded, which left Velež as the only active football club in Mostar, a city of 48,000 people by 1948. Before the war, all teams in Mostar played in Sjeverni logor, which was technically owned by JSK. The stadium was in bad shape, there was no boundary between the pitch and the stands and one newspaper outlet said it should be banned to play games in Mostar. In response the city council decided to build a modern stadium for the time in the Bijeli Brijeg suburb; equipped with a training ground, locker rooms and offices for club officials. Between 1947 and 1956 construction was made possible by youth work actions, with some involvement from unions and independent firms. Work stopped at various intervals due to lack of mechanization, but from June 1956 onwards resources that were necessary for completion were given and development of the stadium finished much faster. On 7 September 1958 Velež played their first ever game at the Bijeli Brijeg stadium: a 2–1 victory versus
FK Željezničar FK or fk may refer to: In arts and entertainment: * Flyer Killer, fictional automated robots in the ''Terminator'' film franchise. * Fox Kids, a former American children's television programming block. * Funky Kong, a video game character. Place: ...
. In the 1952–53 season for the first time ever, Velež appeared in the top flight of any league but were relegated. Velež's top scorers were Vladimir Zelenika with 9 goals in 11 games and captain Haldun Hrvić with 7 goals in 22 games. After 2 seasons in the second tier Velež were promoted and competed in the 1955–56 Yugoslav First League where they finished seventh out of 14 teams. For the duration of the entire
Yugoslav First League The Yugoslav First Federal Football League ( Serbian: Прва савезна лига у фудбалу / ''Prva savezna liga u fudbalu'', hr, Prva savezna liga u nogometu, sl, Prva zvezna nogometna liga, mk, Прва сојузна лига, ...
Velež were never relegated again. During the early days of Velež in the top flight, one of the most well respected players was
Muhamed Mujić Muhamed Mujić (25 April 1933 – 20 February 2016) was a Yugoslav footballer of Bosnian ethnicity. Mujić played for Velež Mostar for most of his career and made his international debut in an April 1956 Central European International Cup ...
, who played over 400 games and was joint top scorer for the 1955–56 season. Because of this he became Velež's first player to receive a call up to the
SFR Yugoslavia national football team The Yugoslavia national football team; hr, Jugoslavenska nogometna reprezentacija; sl, Jugoslovanska nogometna reprezentanca; mk, Фудбалска репрезентација на Југославија, Fudbalska reprezentacija na Jugosl ...
versus
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
in 1956. He scored 17 goals in 32 appearances, played in
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
for the 1956 Olympics and in
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
for the 1962 World Cup but his career with the national team ended abruptly after a bad foul on
Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
player Eduard Dubinski, which indirectly caused Dubinski's death 7 years later."ESPN Top Tenner: Notorious Fouls"
Retrieved May 20, 2014.
The Yugoslav Football Association sent Mujić back home and he never played another international game again. In the 1957–58 Yugoslav Cup, Velež became the first Bosnian team to reach the final, after beating Radnički Beograd,
RNK Split Radnički nogometni klub Split, commonly known as RNK Split, is a Croatian football club based in the city of Split. History The club had a strong fanbase in the Split's shipyard. The club was founded on 16 April 1912 as Anarch, but has had se ...
and
Hajduk Split Hrvatski nogometni klub Hajduk Split, commonly referred to as Hajduk Split () or simply Hajduk, is a Croatian professional football club based in Split, that competes in the Croatian First League, the top tier in Croatian football. Since 1979, t ...
in previous rounds. In front of a crowd of 30,000 at the Stadion JNA, Velež lost 4–0 after a lacklustre performance that served more as
Rajko Mitić Rajko Mitić ( sr-Cyrl, Рајко Митић, ; 19 November 1922 – 29 March 2008) was a Serbian footballer, coach, executive and journalist. Mitić is considered one of the most important players in the history of Red Star Belgrade as he is th ...
's farewell game than a cup final.


Sulejman Sula Rebac becomes manager (1968–1976)

In 1968, former player Sulejman "Sula" Rebac who had played over 500 games for Velež became manager. At this point, Velež were a steady midtable-team in the first division however under the guidance of Rebac Velež would experience a meteoric rise that culminated in reaching the
UEFA cup A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store Solid, solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, porcela ...
quarterfinals. His first full season in 1968–69 saw an 8th-place finish in which the main focus was Rebac successfully utilizing Velež's youth team, a tradition Velež held right up until the
Bosnian War The Bosnian War ( sh, Rat u Bosni i Hercegovini / Рат у Босни и Херцеговини) was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. The war is commonly seen as having started ...
. The first players to come through the academy were goalkeeper
Enver Marić Enver Marić (born 16 April 1948) is a Bosnian former professional football goalkeeper and retired football manager. Club career He started his career playing for FK Velež Mostar from 1967 to 1976, for who he played a record 600 games in his ni ...
and striker
Dušan Bajević Dušan "Duško" Bajević ( sr-Cyrl, Душан Бајевић, ; gr, Ντούσαν Μπάγεβιτς, ''Doúsan Báyevits''; born 10 December 1948) is a Bosnian professional Manager (association football), football manager and former player. H ...
. They and midfielder
Franjo Vladić Franjo Vladić (born 19 October 1950) is a Bosnian former international football player who played as a midfielder and a manager. Club career Vladić began his club career with the then-largest regional side in Herzegovina, Velež Mostar, wh ...
would make up the famous BMV trio (named after the German car manufacturer) which was one of the most prolific partnerships in the history of Bosnian football. The 1969–70 saw Velež finish third and Bajević joint top scorer alongside
Slobodan Santrač Slobodan Santrač (, ; 1 July 1946 – 13 February 2016) was a Serbian football manager and player. He is the all-time top scorer of the Yugoslav First League with a total of 218 goals, as well as the top scorer in the history of OFK Beograd. A ...
with 20 goals each. 1970 also saw Bajević's first call-up to the national team, a 1–1 draw versus
Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
in which he scored on his debut. Bajević would go on to make 37 appearances and score 29 goals, including a hat-trick against
Zaire Zaire (, ), officially the Republic of Zaire (french: République du Zaïre, link=no, ), was a Congolese state from 1971 to 1997 in Central Africa that was previously and is now again known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Zaire was, ...
in a 9–0 demolition during the 1974 World Cup. In the 1972–73 Velež placed 2nd in the league, their best position yet and qualified for the
UEFA cup A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store Solid, solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, porcela ...
, their first ever European competition. They were knocked out in the first round to Tatran Prešov. The 1973–74 season was one of Velež's best. In the
league League or The League may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band * ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football Sports * Sports league * Rugby league, full contact footba ...
, Velež were in a neck and neck race with
Hajduk Split Hrvatski nogometni klub Hajduk Split, commonly referred to as Hajduk Split () or simply Hajduk, is a Croatian professional football club based in Split, that competes in the Croatian First League, the top tier in Croatian football. Since 1979, t ...
. After the 32nd and 33rd round, Hajduk and Velež had the same number of points; with Hajduk having the better goal difference. On the final day of the season, both won their games and Hajduk won the league on account of goal difference. In
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
the following season, Velež won on away goals against
Spartak Moscow Spartak Moscow may refer to the following teams based or formerly based in Moscow, Russia: * FC Spartak Moscow, an association football club * HC Spartak Moscow, a professional ice hockey team * Spartak GM Moscow, a semi-professional rugby club * WB ...
in the first round and against
Rapid Wien Sportklub Rapid Wien (), commonly known as Rapid Vienna, is an Austrian football club playing in the country's capital city of Vienna. Rapid has won the most Austrian championship titles (32), including the first title in the season 1911–12, ...
in the second round. In the third round they were faced with
Derby County Derby County Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Derby, Derbyshire, England. In 2022, it was announced that DCFC was acquired by Clowes Developments (UK) Ltd, a Derbyshire-based property group. Founded in 188 ...
, who would go on to win the First Division that season. They lost 3–1 in the first leg at the
Baseball Ground The Baseball Ground (sometimes referred to as the BBG) was a stadium in Derby, England. It was first used for baseball as the home of Derby Baseball Club from 1890 until 1898 and then for football as the home of Derby County from 1895 until 19 ...
.
Franjo Vladić Franjo Vladić (born 19 October 1950) is a Bosnian former international football player who played as a midfielder and a manager. Club career Vladić began his club career with the then-largest regional side in Herzegovina, Velež Mostar, wh ...
scored Velež's only goal that day. The second leg at the Bijeli Brijeg stadium featured a remarkable upset.
Boro Primorac Boro Primorac (; born 5 December 1954) is a Bosnian professional football manager and former player who most recently managed Croatian First Football League club Hajduk Split. Playing career Club Primorac featured as a centre half with Yugosl ...
, another prodigy of Rebac, scored in the 14th minute with a follow up goal from
Vladimir Pecelj Vladimir may refer to: Names * Vladimir (name) for the Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Macedonian, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak and Slovenian spellings of a Slavic name * Uladzimir for the Belarusian version of the name * Volodymyr for the Ukr ...
in the 29th minute. Vladić scored in the 51st minute and Velež had a 4–3 lead.
Kevin Hector Kevin James Hector (born 2 November 1944 in Leeds) is an English former footballer who scored 268 goals from 662 appearances in the Football League playing for Bradford Park Avenue and Derby County. His 486 League appearances for Derby County i ...
scored for Derby in the 75th minute and the aggregate was tied at 4–4. In the 85th minute Velež were awarded a penalty which
Dušan Bajević Dušan "Duško" Bajević ( sr-Cyrl, Душан Бајевић, ; gr, Ντούσαν Μπάγεβιτς, ''Doúsan Báyevits''; born 10 December 1948) is a Bosnian professional Manager (association football), football manager and former player. H ...
scored. The game ended 5–4 on aggregate and Velež went on to the quarterfinals. There they faced
FC Twente Football Club Twente () is a Dutch professional football club from the city of Enschede, sometimes known internationally as Twente Enschede. The club was formed in 1965 by the merger of 1926 Dutch champions Sportclub Enschede with Enschedese Bo ...
, and lost 2–1 on aggregate. After the UEFA Cup run, Rebac resigned, while the core of the team was also leaving. Marić left for
Schalke 04 Fußballclub Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04 e. V., commonly known as FC Schalke 04 (), Schalke 04 (), or abbreviated as S04 (), is a professional German football and multi-sports club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine ...
in 1976, Bajević left to join
AEK Athens A.E.K ( el, AEK , formally Αθλητική Ένωσις Κωνσταντινουπόλεως; Athlitikí Énosis Konstantinoupόleos, ''Athletic Union of Constantinople''), known as A.E.K, is a major Greek multi-sport club based in Nea Filadel ...
in 1977, with Vladić following him in 1979.


Rebuilding and first trophies (1976–1992)

With the trio that Velež had depended upon now missing, the rest of Velež's squad now had a chance to shine:
Džemal Hadžiabdić Džemaludin "Džemal" Hadžiabdić, commonly known as Čorba or Jamal Haji (born 25 July 1953), is a Bosnian professional football manager and former professional footballer who played as a defender. Playing career International He made his debu ...
, his younger brother Mili,
Marko Čolić Marko Csollich (Marko Čolić) also spelled Markus Freiherr von Csollich (15 April 1766 14 September 1844) was a senior general in the Austrian Imperial Army with the rank of feldzeugmeister. His brother Pavao Csollich (1768-1838) was a general ...
,
Vladimir Pecelj Vladimir may refer to: Names * Vladimir (name) for the Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Macedonian, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak and Slovenian spellings of a Slavic name * Uladzimir for the Belarusian version of the name * Volodymyr for the Ukr ...
,
Jadranko Topić Jadranko Topić (born 20 August 1949) is a Yugoslavian former professional footballer who played as a striker. Career Topić played for FK Velež Mostar. He also spent one season in the North American Soccer League, making six appearances for ...
,
Blaž Slišković Blaž "Baka" Slišković (; born 30 May 1959) is a Bosnian professional football manager and former player. He is regarded as one of the most successful Bosnian football managers. As a player, Slišković was capped 26 times for Yugoslavia in th ...
but none were an integral part of post-BMV Velež more than
Vahid Halilhodžić Vahid Halilhodžić (; born 15 October 1952) is a Bosnian professional football manager and former player. He is regarded as one of the most controversially successful Bosnian football managers, due to his successful tenure in coaching various na ...
. He scored 253 goals in 376 matches and solidified himself as one of Velež's best ever players. During the 1976 transfer window he was a keen transfer target for many important Yugoslav clubs including
Partizan Partizan may refer to: Sport * JSD Partizan, a sports society from Belgrade, Serbia, which includes the following clubs: **AK Partizan, athletics ** Biciklistički Klub Partizan, cycling ** Džudo Klub Partizan, judo **FK Partizan, association fo ...
,
Dinamo Zagreb Građanski nogometni klub Dinamo Zagreb ( en, Dinamo Zagreb Citizens' Football Club, link=yes, italics=yes), commonly referred to as GNK Dinamo Zagreb or simply Dinamo Zagreb (), is a Croatian professional football club based in Zagreb. Dinamo ...
and
Red Star Belgrade Fudbalski klub Crvena zvezda ( sr-Cyrl, Фудбалски клуб Црвена звезда, lit=Red Star Football Club, ), commonly known as Red Star Belgrade in English-language media, is a Serbian professional football club based in Bel ...
because of his performances for the national team, but ultimately stayed at Velež. The act did not pay off as Velež finished 11th, miles off pace compared to the clubs trying to buy Halilhodžić. The next 2 seasons saw some improvement, finishing
7th 7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube (algebra), cube. As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has greatly symbolic associations in religion ...
and 5th, respectively. In the 1979–80 season, Velež finished 8th and the manager at the time,
Vukašin Višnjevac Vukašin Višnjevac ( sr-Cyrl, Вукашин Вишњевац; 15 June 1939 – 26 September 2019) was a Yugoslav football manager and player. Višnjevac played for Sarajevo, Igman Konjic, Sloga Doboj, Istra 1961 and Rovinj, while he managed ...
was sacked and replaced with
Miloš Milutinović Miloš Milutinović ( sr-Cyrl, Милош Милутиновић; 5 February 1933 – 28 January 2003) was a Serbian professional footballer and manager from Yugoslavia. Milutinović is regarded as one of the most talented players in his country ...
, famously known as ''Plava čigra''. In
the league ''The League'' is an American sitcom that aired on FX and later FXX from October 29, 2009, to December 9, 2015, for a total of seven seasons. The series, set in Chicago, Illinois, is a semi-improvised comedy show about a fantasy football league ...
Velež finished a lowly 9th place, but their real shining moment came in the cup that season. Velež had beaten
Borac Banja Luka Fudbalski klub Borac Banja Luka (Serbian Cyrillic: Фудбалски клуб Бopaц Бања Лука, ) is a Bosnian professional association football club, based in the city of Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is the major part of th ...
in the first round 3–2, and after a
walkover John_Carpenter_was_disqualified,_prompting_his_teammates_John_Taylor_(athlete).html" ;"title="John_Carpenter_(athlete).html" "title="Athletics at the 1908 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metres">men's 400 metres running in a walkover. Americ ...
from Sutjeska Nikšić in the second round, advanced to the quarterfinals where they faced
FK Bregalnica Štip FK Bregalnica Štip ( mk, ФК Брегалница Штип) is a football club based in Štip, North Macedonia. They are currently competing in the Macedonian First League. History FK Bregalnica was formed in 1921 and currently plays in the Mace ...
, a lower league side from
North Macedonia North Macedonia, ; sq, Maqedonia e Veriut, (Macedonia before February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia,, is a country in Southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Socialist Feder ...
, and beat them 2–0. Velež beat Budućnost Podgorica 2–1 in the semi-final and ensured that they would be in the cup final for the first time in 23 years. Their opponents were Željezničar Sarajevo, who had finished 14th the same season. This tie resulted in the first and only ever all-Bosnian final in the Yugoslav Cup. Halilhodžić had signed a contract with French side
FC Nantes Football Club de Nantes (; Gallo: ''Naunnt''), commonly referred to as FC Nantes or simply Nantes (), is a French professional football club based in Nantes in Pays de la Loire. The club was founded on 21 April 1943, during World War II, a ...
and would leave Velež after the final, no matter the result, but the game was praised for being one of his finest hours for Velež. After joining Nantes he became one of their most iconic and legendary players and would go on to manage them in 2018. In the cup final, the first goal came in the 36th minute after a penalty was given to Željezničar.
Mehmed Baždarević Mehmed Baždarević (born 28 September 1960) is a Bosnian professional football manager and former player. He was most recently the manager of Ligue 2 club Guingamp. Baždarević played for Bosnian side Željezničar and French outfit Sochaux, ...
scored and by the end of the first half the score remained 1–0 to Željezničar. Halilhodžić scored a brace in the space of 3 minutes and Velež were in the lead. In the 62nd minute another penalty was called for Željezničar, which Baždarević converted again.
Dragan Okuka Dragomir "Dragan" Okuka (; born 2 April 1954) is a Serbian football coach and former player. As a player, he was predominantly associated with his time with Velež Mostar where he won the 1981 Yugoslav Cup before joining Swedish club Örebro SK, ...
scored the winning goal with a header in the 80th minute, and Velež won their first ever major trophy. As a result of winning they were admitted into the
Cup Winners' Cup The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a European football club competition contested annually by the winners of domestic cup competitions. The cup was, chronologically, the second seasonal inter-European club competition organised by UEFA. The tournam ...
, and played their first game in Europe in 6 years. They also took part in the 1980–81 Balkans Cup, which they won 12–7 on aggregate against Trakia Plovdiv, later Botev Plovdiv. In the 1981–82 Cup Winners' Cup beat
Jeunesse Esch Jeunesse Esch (full name ''Association Sportive la Jeunesse d'Esch/Alzette'') is a football club, based in Esch-sur-Alzette, in south-western Luxembourg. The side play in the National Division, the highest league in the country, and have won th ...
7–2 on aggregate in the first round and faced Lokomotiv Leipzig in the second, which they lost on penalties. The 1981–82 league season saw Velež finish 7th and Milutinović left for
FK Partizan Fudbalski klub Partizan ( sr-Cyrl, Фудбалски клуб Партизан, ; en, Partizan Football Club), sometimes known as Partizan Belgrade in English, is a Serbia, Serbian professional football club (association football), football ...
. Without him, Velež struggled and finished 13th, even with the efforts of Vladimir Skočajić (14 goals) and
Dušan Bajević Dušan "Duško" Bajević ( sr-Cyrl, Душан Бајевић, ; gr, Ντούσαν Μπάγεβιτς, ''Doúsan Báyevits''; born 10 December 1948) is a Bosnian professional Manager (association football), football manager and former player. H ...
(11 goals). Bajević eventually became manager in 1984. In the 1984–85 season Velež finished 11th but the next season saw a huge improvement, with Velež finishing 3rd, their best season since 1973–74. This was largely due to the efforts of a new golden generation including goalkeeper
Vukašin Petranović Vukašin Petranović (born 6 December 1962) is a Montenegrin professional football goalkeeping coach and former player. Petranović was a product of the Dinamo Zagreb youth system but failed to achieve playing for the first team. During his ca ...
, defenders Nenad Bijedić and
Vladimir Matijević Vladimir Matijević ( sr-Cyrl, Владимир Матијевић; 3 August 1854 – 7 September 1929) was a Serbian businessman and philanthropist. Biography He was born in Kordun's Gornji Budački near Krnjak, at the time in Austria-Hungar ...
, midfielder Vladimir Skočajić and forwards
Predrag Jurić Predrag Jurić (born 4 November 1961) is a Bosnia and Herzegovina-born Croatian retired association footballer. International career He made his debut for Yugoslavia in a November 1986 European Championship qualification match away against Engla ...
,
Sead Kajtaz Sead Kajtaz (born 14 February 1963) is a Bosnian retired footballer and manager. He was capped once for the Yugoslavia national football team. He is the father of Croatian swimmer Amina Kajtaz. International career He made his debut for Yug ...
and
Semir Tuce Semir Tuce (born 11 February 1964) is a Bosnian retired association football, footballer, who played as left winger. He was part of the Velež Mostar ''second golden era'', which won the 1985–86 Yugoslav Cup. Club career Velež Mostar Tuce wa ...
. Velež had another good cup run in the 1985-86 Yugoslav Cup, first beating lower league Željezničar Doboj 1–5 away from home.
Rad RAD or Rad may refer to: People * Robert Anthony Rad Dougall (born 1951), South African former racing driver * Rad Hourani, Canadian fashion designer and artist * Nickname of Leonardus Rad Kortenhorst (1886–1963), Dutch politician * Radley R ...
from Belgrade were beaten 2–0 but in the quarterfinals faced tough opponents
Partizan Partizan may refer to: Sport * JSD Partizan, a sports society from Belgrade, Serbia, which includes the following clubs: **AK Partizan, athletics ** Biciklistički Klub Partizan, cycling ** Džudo Klub Partizan, judo **FK Partizan, association fo ...
. Velež fielded an upset winning 5–3 on penalties after the game ended 1–1 in normal time. In the semi-finals Velež faced yet another team from Belgrade, this time
OFK Belgrade OFK Beograd ( sr-Cyrl, ОФК Београд – Омладински фудбалски клуб Београд, English: ''Belgrade Youth Football Club'') is a Serbian professional football club based in Belgrade, more precisely in Karaburma ...
, which Velež beat 3–0 at home. In the final they were faced with
Dinamo Zagreb Građanski nogometni klub Dinamo Zagreb ( en, Dinamo Zagreb Citizens' Football Club, link=yes, italics=yes), commonly referred to as GNK Dinamo Zagreb or simply Dinamo Zagreb (), is a Croatian professional football club based in Zagreb. Dinamo ...
, one of the big 4 teams in Yugoslavia led by famous coach Miroslav "Ćiro" Blažević. Nenad Bijedić scored a penalty in the sixth minute with an additional goal in the 51st minute.
Marko Mlinarić Marko Mlinarić (born 1 September 1960) is a Croatian retired footballer who played as a midfielder. Club career Nicknamed ''Mlinka'', he was part of the Dinamo Zagreb squad that won the 1981–82 Yugoslav First League. He made his debut for ...
of Dinamo quickly scored in the 58th minute, but the final score was settled after
Predrag Jurić Predrag Jurić (born 4 November 1961) is a Bosnia and Herzegovina-born Croatian retired association footballer. International career He made his debut for Yugoslavia in a November 1986 European Championship qualification match away against Engla ...
scored in the 87th minute. The performance of Velež was so good it caught the eye of the new Yugoslavia national team coach,
Ivica Osim Ivan Osim (6 May 1941 – 1 May 2022), best known as Ivica Osim, was a Bosnian professional footballer and football manager. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Bosnian football managers of all time and as one of the most influential foo ...
who was the manager of Željezničar during the 1981 cup final.
Predrag Jurić Predrag Jurić (born 4 November 1961) is a Bosnia and Herzegovina-born Croatian retired association footballer. International career He made his debut for Yugoslavia in a November 1986 European Championship qualification match away against Engla ...
was capped twice following the final and Semir Tuce was capped 7 times and scored 2 goals. Them and
Meho Kodro Mehmed "Meho" Kodro (born 12 January 1967) is a Bosnian professional football manager and former player who played as a forward. He spent most of his 16-year senior career in Spain, mostly with Real Sociedad (four seasons) and Tenerife (three) ...
, who was a youth prospect in 1986 would be the last players to play for the Yugoslavia national team while playing for Velež. Velež had a fantastic performance in
the league ''The League'' is an American sitcom that aired on FX and later FXX from October 29, 2009, to December 9, 2015, for a total of seven seasons. The series, set in Chicago, Illinois, is a semi-improvised comedy show about a fantasy football league ...
that season as well, but it was marred by the final matchday. Velež lost 2–3 to
OFK Belgrade OFK Beograd ( sr-Cyrl, ОФК Београд – Омладински фудбалски клуб Београд, English: ''Belgrade Youth Football Club'') is a Serbian professional football club based in Belgrade, more precisely in Karaburma ...
at home and it was suspected that Velež, along with 13 other teams that day was suspected of match fixing. The claim for Velež's game was that Velež had confirmed themselves a place in the
UEFA Cup A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store Solid, solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, porcela ...
next season (but played in the
Cup Winners' Cup The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a European football club competition contested annually by the winners of domestic cup competitions. The cup was, chronologically, the second seasonal inter-European club competition organised by UEFA. The tournam ...
instead) but OFK needed a win to stay up. They were deducted 6 points the following season but come the end of the season the deduction would be overturned. Velež got to participate in the Cup Winners' Cup again and beat
Vasas SC Vasas may refer to: *Vasas SC, Hungarian sports club *Győri Vasas, former name of Hungarian sports club Győri ETO (1950-65) *Mihály Vasas (born 1933), Hungarian footballer and manager *Zoltán Vasas Zoltán Vasas (born 5 November 1977) is a ...
in the first round with a 5–4 aggregate victory but lost versus Vitosha Sofia (later Levski Sofia) with the same aggregate. In
the league ''The League'' is an American sitcom that aired on FX and later FXX from October 29, 2009, to December 9, 2015, for a total of seven seasons. The series, set in Chicago, Illinois, is a semi-improvised comedy show about a fantasy football league ...
Velež originally finished 3rd again however courts rejected that any matchfixing took place on the final day of the season. As charges were dropped Velež's 6-point deduction would be overturned and finished 2nd instead. This would be the last time Velež finished 2nd in the top flight. They beat
FC Sion Football Club de Sion, commonly known as simply FC Sion or Sion, is a Swiss football team from the city of Sion. The club was founded in 1909, and play their home matches at the Stade Tourbillon. They have won the Swiss Super League twice, and ...
of Switzerland in the first round 5–3 on aggregate in the
UEFA cup A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store Solid, solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, porcela ...
first round. Their next opponent would be
West German West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
powerhouse
Borussia Dortmund Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e. V. Dortmund, commonly known as Borussia Dortmund (), BVB (), or simply Dortmund (), is a German professional sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is best known for its men's professional footb ...
. Reinhard Saftig, Dortmund's coach at the time decided to watch Velež play live before the game. The game was a 5–0 victory over
Red Star Belgrade Fudbalski klub Crvena zvezda ( sr-Cyrl, Фудбалски клуб Црвена звезда, lit=Red Star Football Club, ), commonly known as Red Star Belgrade in English-language media, is a Serbian professional football club based in Bel ...
which is still regarded as a memorable victory by many Velež fans. Velež ended up losing 2–0 away in the first leg however the second leg would be one of Velež's most famous victories.
Meho Kodro Mehmed "Meho" Kodro (born 12 January 1967) is a Bosnian professional football manager and former player who played as a forward. He spent most of his 16-year senior career in Spain, mostly with Real Sociedad (four seasons) and Tenerife (three) ...
and
Predrag Jurić Predrag Jurić (born 4 November 1961) is a Bosnia and Herzegovina-born Croatian retired association footballer. International career He made his debut for Yugoslavia in a November 1986 European Championship qualification match away against Engla ...
both scored goals,
Semir Tuce Semir Tuce (born 11 February 1964) is a Bosnian retired association football, footballer, who played as left winger. He was part of the Velež Mostar ''second golden era'', which won the 1985–86 Yugoslav Cup. Club career Velež Mostar Tuce wa ...
missed a penalty, but
Frank Mill Frank Mill (born 23 July 1958) is a German former professional footballer who was a member of the 1990 FIFA World Cup winning squad of West Germany. Further, he participated at the 1984 and at the 1988 Summer Olympics, where he won the bronze ...
scored for Dortmund and ended any chance of Velež going through with 3–2 on aggregate for Dortmund and 2–1 only counting the game played at the Bijeli Brijeg Stadium. For the 1988–89 season Velež played their ever last season in a European competition (namely the UEFA Cup). They beat
APOEL APOEL FC ( el, ΑΠΟΕΛ; short for Αθλητικός Ποδοσφαιρικός Όμιλος Ελλήνων Λευκωσίας, ''Athletikos Podosferikos Omilos Ellinon Lefkosias'', literally "Athletic Football Club of Greeks of Nicosia") ...
6–2 on aggregate in the first round and Belenenses 4–3 on penalties after 0–0 on aggregate in the second round. In the third round they were faced with Hearts of Midlothian. They lost 3–0 in the first leg away and couldn't overturn the deficit with a 2–1 win at home, ending 15 years and 6 seasons in European competitions. In the league Velež finished 11th, their worst position in 5 years. The 1988-89 Yugoslav Cup was also the last time Velež would appear in a cup final. Velež only beat lower league opposition in the previous rounds including Sileks Kratovo,
HNK Šibenik Hrvatski nogometni klub Šibenik ( en, Croatian Football Club Šibenik), better known as HNK Šibenik or simply Šibenik (), is a Croatian professional football club based in Šibenik. It competes in the Croatian Football League, and plays their ...
, Liria Prizren, and Rudar Ljubija (later Rudar Prijedor). In the final itself Velež were trashed by First League opposition
FK Partizan Fudbalski klub Partizan ( sr-Cyrl, Фудбалски клуб Партизан, ; en, Partizan Football Club), sometimes known as Partizan Belgrade in English, is a Serbia, Serbian professional football club (association football), football ...
6–1 with goals from
Nebojša Vučićević Nebojša "Uške" Vučićević (; 29 June 1962 – 11 March 2022) was a Serbian football manager and player. Club career Vučićević started out at OFK Beograd, before transferring to Partizan in 1984. He spent the following five seasons with ...
,
Goran Milojević Goran Milojević (; born 6 December 1964) is a Serbian retired footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. Club career Milojević was born in Aranđelovac, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia. In his country he represented both major clubs, Belgrad ...
,
Fadil Vokrri Fadil Avdullah Vokrri ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Fadilj Avdulah Vokri, Фадиљ Авдулах Вокри; 23 July 1960 – 9 June 2018) was a yugoslavian football player and administrator of albanian origin. Arguably one of the greate ...
,
Vladimir Vermezović Vladimir Vermezović (Serbian Cyrillic: Владимир Вермезовић; born 30 June 1963) is a Serbian football manager and former player who is the head coach of Slovenian PrvaLiga club Mura. Playing career Vermezović started playing ...
and
Zoran Batrović Zoran Batrović (Cyrillic: Зоран Батровић; born 4 February 1958) is a Yugoslav and Montenegrin retired footballer who played as a striker. International career Batrović made his debut for Yugoslavia in a September 1984 friendly m ...
. Velež's sole goal came from Zijad Repak in the 65th minute. In 1989, Velež's youth team reached the final of the
Yugoslav Youth Football Cup The Yugoslav Youth Football Cup was the most important youth football tournament in Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iug ...
for the fourth time (after losing the final in 1969, 1977 and 1987) and won 4–1 versus
FK Vardar FK Vardar Skopje ( mk, ФК Вардар Скопје), or simply Vardar, is a football club based in the capital city of Skopje, North Macedonia, North Macedonia. The club was founded in 1947 and currently competes in the Macedonian Second Foo ...
with a team featuring
Franjo Džidić Franjo Džidić (born 25 October 1939) is a Bosnian retired professional football manager and former player. He is inscribed in Zrinjski Mostar history as the manager who "brought" the first Bosnian Premier League title to the club. The victor ...
,
Slaven Musa Slaven Musa (born 21 June 1971) is a Bosnian professional football manager and former player. He is mostly known for playing for Zrinjski Mostar, spending 6 years in total at the club, from 1992 to 1993 and from 1997 to 2002. Playing career Born ...
and
Sergej Barbarez Sergej Barbarez (born 17 September 1971) is a Bosnian former professional footballer who played as a forward. Barbarez played for several clubs in the German Bundesliga and the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team. He is considered one of the a ...
. This would be the only piece of silverware ever won by Velež's youth team.


Velež in an independent Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992–present)


Rebuilding and instability (1992–2006)

On 15 March 1992, Velež would play their last ever game at the Bijeli Brijeg stadium; a 2–0 win versus
FK Zemun Fudbalski klub Zemun (Serbian Cyrillic: Фудбалски клуб Земун) is a Serbian professional football club based in Zemun, Belgrade, that competes in the Serbian League Belgrade. History Immediately after the end of the Second ...
. Shortly after the game the
Siege of Mostar The siege of Mostar was fought during the Bosnian War first in 1992 and then again later in 1993 to 1994. Initially lasting between April 1992 and June 1992, it involved the Croatian Defence Council (HVO) and the Army of the Republic of Bosnia a ...
started, rendering football a dangerous and logistically impossible task. Velež were already on the way out of the
Yugoslav First League The Yugoslav First Federal Football League ( Serbian: Прва савезна лига у фудбалу / ''Prva savezna liga u fudbalu'', hr, Prva savezna liga u nogometu, sl, Prva zvezna nogometna liga, mk, Прва сојузна лига, ...
due to Bosnia voting to leave Yugoslavia in an
independence referendum An independence referendum is a type of referendum in which the residents of a territory decide whether the territory should become an independent sovereign state. An independence referendum that results in a vote for independence does not alwa ...
at the beginning of the month, and to make matters worse due to Bosnia being independent, the ban on fascist clubs was lifted, which led to Zrinjski being refounded in 1992. After the war, a new municipality within Mostar called Jugozapad (eng. ''Southwest'') awarded the Bijeli Brijeg stadium to Zrinjski, which would lead to controversy for the next few years. Zrinjski had positioned themselves as a club specifically for
Croats The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic, G ...
, which led to a large number of Velež's supporters abandoning them (Velež were a multiethnic club for all of their history, including players of
Bosniak The Bosniaks ( bs, Bošnjaci, Cyrillic: Бошњаци, ; , ) are a South Slavic ethnic group native to the Southeast European historical region of Bosnia, which is today part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who share a common Bosnian ancestry, cu ...
,
Serb The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language. The majority of Serbs live in their na ...
and
Croat The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic, Ge ...
origin). Velež didn't play another game until 1994, when they were placed in the "Zenica Group" of the 1994–95 First League of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a wartime cuplike competition. Velež lost their first game 3–0 to Slaven Živinice and things didn't improve, they lost their next 2 games and exited the competition along with
NK Đerzelez NK Đerzelez was a Bosnian football club from Sarajevo during the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and in more recent times, Zenica. History The football club was formed in 1912 as Đerzelez Sarajevo. Đerzelez (also known as ''Sarajevski''), was one ...
as the only 2 teams who lost all of their games. For the 1995–96 season which transitioned football in Bosnia to a proper league system (albeit with three leagues competing on ethnic lines) all teams needed to compete on their own stadium. After friendlies in Sjeverni logor and Jablanica Velež chose Vrapčići, on the very outskirts of Mostar. The next few seasons would be rough as Velež finished 14th in 1995–96 and 10th in 1996–97 and 1997–98. For the last season mentioned a playoff system was introduced between the Bosniak and Croat clubs where the best of each league played against each other to determine a true champion in Bosnian football. In 1998–99 Velež pulled off a shock result by qualifying to the playoffs. To mark the occasion Velež demanded to play at the Bijeli Brijeg stadium, however after the
Office of the High Representative The High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, together with the Office of the High Representative (OHR) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, were created in 1995 immediately after the signing of the Dayton Agreement which ended the 1992–1995 Bos ...
(OHR) rejected the appeal, Velež and other teams boycotted the playoff for that season. Velež later qualified for the inaugural season of the
Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina The m:tel Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( bs, m:tel Premijer liga Bosne i Hercegovine / м:тел Премијер лига Босне и Херцеговине), also known as Liga 12, is the top tier football league in Bosnia and Herz ...
, the first post-war competition not based on ethnic lines where they finished 5th in their first season. The next season saw an 8th-place finish but the 2002–03 season saw a relegation into the second tier for the first time since 1952. In the second tier Velež were a strong contender for promotion, first in the 2003–04 season, however a goal in injury time for Budućnost Banovići ensured that they would be promoted instead of Velež. In 2004–05 another title challenge was mounted but a 2–1 loss versus Rudar Kakanj made sure Jedinstvo Bihać would get promoted. In 2005–06 Velež were finally promoted, 14 points clear of second placed Rudar Kakanj.


Comeback and collapse (2006–2017)

For the next few seasons Velež would be a consistent midtable team in the Premier League with no major cup runs until the 2011–12 season, when Velež defeated
Travnik Travnik is a town and a municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the administrative center of Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in central Bosnia and Herzegovina, west of Sarajevo. As of 201 ...
3–2 away in the first round and faced local rivals Zrinjski in the next round. The game originally ended 1–0 to Velež when Riad Demić scored in the 93rd minute which resulted in a pitch invasion from Zrinjski fans. This meant the game ended 3–0 to Velež and the Bijeli Brijeg stadium was suspended for 5 games. The second leg ended 2–0 to Velež and they would book themselves a place in the quarterfinals versus
HNK Branitelj HNK Branitelj ( hr, Hrvatski nogometni klub Branitelj) is a football club based in Rodoč, Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina. They played the 2020-21 season at the 4th level of the Bosnia-Herzegovina football pyramid. Their home ground is Stadion ...
, which they won 3–1 on aggregate. As a result, Velež appeared in the cup semi-finals for the first time since 1998. They ended up losing 2–0 on aggregate to
Široki Brijeg , , nickname = , motto = , image_map = BiH municipality location Široki Brijeg.svg , map_alt = , map_caption = Location o ...
and Velež's best cup run in 15 years was over. In the 2013–14 season Velež finished in 5th place, 3 points away from European football, the highest since the leagues in Bosnia were reunified. In June 2015, Velež were bought out by president of the Bosnian
Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties For ...
,
Nermin Nikšić Nermin Nikšić (; born 27 December 1960) is a Bosnian politician who served as the 8th Prime Minister of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2011 to 2015. He is the current president of the Social Democratic Party and is a former membe ...
. Things quickly turned worse as the club failed to organize friendlies, pay player's wages, repeatedly fired coaches and fans got involved in brawls with opposing players. Velež ended the 2015–16 season in last place with only 9 points out of 30 games, which is one of the worst records in any top-flight league. The Nikšić board and subsequent emergency board was eventually replaced by a board led by Šemsudin Hasić, director of local pharmaceutical company Hercegovinalijek. That didn't mean the 2016–17 season started off easy. After 8 games Velež had not won a single game and were in 15th place out of 16 teams. The previous coach Avdo Kalajdžić was sacked and replaced with
Ibrahim Rahimić Ibrahim "Ibro" Rahimić (born 17 April 1963) is a Bosnian professional football manager and former player. He played as a defender. Playing career Rahimić played for hometown club Velež Mostar on two occasions and also for Leotar. Thought t ...
, who had previously played for and coached Velež. Velež miraculously stayed up on the final day of the season and
FK Goražde Fudbalski klub Goražde is a professional association football club based in the city of Goražde in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The club was founded in 1918. Goražde plays in the First League of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the secon ...
were relegated instead of them. Between seasons the stadium "Vrapčići" changed their name to "Stadion Rođeni" named after fans of Velež.


New comeback (2017–present)

For the 2017–18 season, thanks to new signings such as Elmir Kuduzović, Hamza Mešanović and Minel Doljančić, Velež wrapped up a 3rd place spot. For the 2018–19 season, Velež signed many attackers like attacking midfielder Edo Vehabović, right winger Obren Cvijanović and striker Nusmir Fajić. The push to more attacking football worked as Velež went the whole first part of the season (15 games) unbeaten and Fajić himself scored 18 goals. Things turned sour after a controversial away game versus Goražde, where multiple refereeing errors lead to Goražde scoring the only goal of the game and Velež losing the unbeaten run record. Multiple former players including
Velibor Pudar Velibor Pudar ( sr-Cyrl, Велибор Пудар; born 22 November 1964) is a Bosnian football manager and former goalkeeper. Playing career Born in Mostar, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina of Serb parents, he played with FK Lokomotiva Mostar from wh ...
,
Vahid Halilhodžić Vahid Halilhodžić (; born 15 October 1952) is a Bosnian professional football manager and former player. He is regarded as one of the most controversially successful Bosnian football managers, due to his successful tenure in coaching various na ...
and
Džemal Hadžiabdić Džemaludin "Džemal" Hadžiabdić, commonly known as Čorba or Jamal Haji (born 25 July 1953), is a Bosnian professional football manager and former professional footballer who played as a defender. Playing career International He made his debu ...
expressed support for overturning the result but the FA adopted the original scoreline and 8.0 rating for the referees (7 or lower would mean suspension). Velež overcame this and won the First League 7 points ahead of their nearest rivals Olimpik, who were at one point only 1 point behind Velež. Velež also finished with a record 76 points and Nusmir Fajić scored a record 28 goals in one season. Another record broken that season was the final game played between Velež and Igman Konjic, a match that had an attendance of 7,000, one of the highest in the new stadium. Velež's return to the top flight was not as glamorous as anticipated as they lost their first three games to Mladost Doboj Kakanj, Zrinjski and Čelik Zenica. Rahimić resigned and
Feđa Dudić Feđa Dudić (born 1 February 1983) is a Bosnian professional football manager and former player who is the manager of Serbian SuperLiga club Radnički 1923. Born in Sarajevo, Dudić played for both hometown clubs FK Sarajevo and Željezniča ...
was chosen as the next manager. His first game featured the debut of Macedonian centre-back Kosta Manev, who was cited as one of Velež's best players that season. Dudić's first game as manager was a 0–0 draw against Sloboda Tuzla and Velež picked up its first point in the season. Velež picked up several wins against teams like
Široki Brijeg , , nickname = , motto = , image_map = BiH municipality location Široki Brijeg.svg , map_alt = , map_caption = Location o ...
, Željezničar,
Borac Banja Luka Fudbalski klub Borac Banja Luka (Serbian Cyrillic: Фудбалски клуб Бopaц Бања Лука, ) is a Bosnian professional association football club, based in the city of Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is the major part of th ...
and Zrinjski in the rematch later that season. The season would ultimately be abandoned after 22 of the planned 33 games had been played due to the ongoing
COVID-19 pandemic in Bosnia and Herzegovina The COVID-19 pandemic in Bosnia and Herzegovina is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). The virus was confirmed to have reached Bosnia and Herzegovina o ...
. However, the following season saw Velež's fortune turn with a return to European competition, finishing 3rd in the league and qualifying for the first iteration of the
UEFA Europa Conference League The UEFA Europa Conference League (abbreviated as UECL) is an annual football club competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. Clubs qualify for the competition based on their ...
. In the Conference League qualifying rounds, Velež eliminated semi-professional Northern Irish club
Coleraine Coleraine ( ; from ga, Cúil Rathain , 'nook of the ferns'Flanaghan, Deirdre & Laurence; ''Irish Place Names'', page 194. Gill & Macmillan, 2002. ) is a town and civil parish near the mouth of the River Bann in County Londonderry, Northern I ...
and Greek giants
AEK Athens A.E.K ( el, AEK , formally Αθλητική Ένωσις Κωνσταντινουπόλεως; Athlitikí Énosis Konstantinoupόleos, ''Athletic Union of Constantinople''), known as A.E.K, is a major Greek multi-sport club based in Nea Filadel ...
, before themselves getting eliminated by Swedish side
IF Elfsborg Idrottsföreningen Elfsborg, more commonly known as IF Elfsborg or simply Elfsborg (), is a professional football club based in Borås, Sweden, and is affiliated to the Västergötlands Fotbollförbund. They play in the Allsvenskan and have spent ...
in the
third qualifying round Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute'' Places * 3rd Street (disambiguation) * Third Avenue (disambiguation) * Hig ...
. In the 2021–22 season, Velež won the first
Bosnian Cup The Bosnia and Herzegovina Football Cup ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Kup Bosne i Hercegovine, Куп Босне и Херцеговине) is a knock-out football competition contested annually by clubs from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The winner ...
title in their history, after a
penalty shoot-out The penalty shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to pe ...
, following a 0–0 draw against
Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its a ...
. Following Feđa Dudić leaving Velež at the end of the 2021–22 season, the club appointed
Amar Osim Amar Osim (born 18 July 1967) is a Bosnian professional football manager and former player. He is regarded as one of the most successful Bosnian football managers. Osim was a talented player during his teens. However, he did not transfer his tale ...
, one of the most successful Bosnian football managers, as its new manager on 11 June 2022.


Yugoslav Cup winners and Road to Europe

FK Velež Mostar were the only Bosnian side that appeared 4 times in the Yugoslav Cup Grand Final, having won 2; an
1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...
and 1986 Yugoslav cup; and lost 2. ; 1980–81 Yugoslav Cup Final:
1985–86 Yugoslav Cup The 1985–86 Yugoslav Cup was the 38th season of the top football knockout competition in SFR Yugoslavia, the Yugoslav Cup ( sh, Kup Jugoslavije), also known as the "Marshal Tito Cup" (''Kup Maršala Tita''), since its establishment in 1946. It w ...
Final: ; 1988–89 Yugoslav Cup Final: 1957–58 Yugoslav Cup Final: In the 1974–75 season, Velež reached Cup UEFA quarter finals. In the earlier rounds of the UEFA Cup, Velež eliminated
Spartak Moscow Spartak Moscow may refer to the following teams based or formerly based in Moscow, Russia: * FC Spartak Moscow, an association football club * HC Spartak Moscow, a professional ice hockey team * Spartak GM Moscow, a semi-professional rugby club * WB ...
, by losing in Russia 3–1 and winning in Mostar 2–0. Velež then eliminated
Rapid Vienna Rapids are sections of a river where the river bed has a relatively steep gradient, causing an increase in water velocity and turbulence. Rapids are hydrological features between a ''run'' (a smoothly flowing part of a stream) and a ''cascade''. ...
, by drawing in Vienna 1–1, and winning in Mostar 1–0. Velež then eliminated
Derby County Derby County Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Derby, Derbyshire, England. In 2022, it was announced that DCFC was acquired by Clowes Developments (UK) Ltd, a Derbyshire-based property group. Founded in 188 ...
of England by beating them 3–1 in England and 4–1 in Mostar. Velež was finally defeated in the quarter finals by Dutch team
Twente Twente ( nl, Twente , Tweants dialect: ''Tweante'') is a region in the eastern Netherlands. It encompasses the most urbanised and easternmost part of the province of Overijssel. Twente is most likely named after the Tuihanti or Tvihanti, a Germ ...
by winning 1–0 in Mostar, but losing 2–0 in the Netherlands 2–0. Overall, a successful year for the Mostar Reds. Twente then went on to beat Italian giants
Juventus Juventus Football Club (from la, iuventūs, 'youth'; ), colloquially known as Juve (), is a professional Association football, football club based in Turin, Piedmont, Italy, that competes in the Serie A, the top tier of the Italian football leagu ...
3–1, 1–0 to reach the UEFA Cup Finals and face
Borussia Mönchengladbach Borussia Verein für Leibesübungen 1900 e. V. Mönchengladbach, commonly known as Borussia Mönchengladbach (), Mönchengladbach () or Gladbach (; abbreviated as Borussia MG, BMG), is a professional Association football, football club based in ...
(0–0, 5–1). In the 1987–88 season, Velež once again did well in the UEFA Cup. In the first round Velež eliminated
FC Sion Football Club de Sion, commonly known as simply FC Sion or Sion, is a Swiss football team from the city of Sion. The club was founded in 1909, and play their home matches at the Stade Tourbillon. They have won the Swiss Super League twice, and ...
from Switzerland. In Mostar, Velež came away with an easy win 5–0, while in the second leg they were beaten 0–3. In the second round Velež drew
Borussia Dortmund Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e. V. Dortmund, commonly known as Borussia Dortmund (), BVB (), or simply Dortmund (), is a German professional sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is best known for its men's professional footb ...
from Germany, in the first leg Dortmund defeated Velež 2–0, while in the return leg Velež won 2–1, which was not enough to go through. In the 1988–89 season, Velež once again did well in the UEFA Cup, this time falling short of qualifying for the quarter finals. First, Velež eliminated Apoel from Cyprus (1–0, 5–2). Then Velež defeated FC Os. Belenense from Portugal in dramatic penalty shootouts (5–4). In the third round Velež faced Heart of Midlothian of Edinburgh, Scotland, where Velež was defeated 3–0 in Edinburgh, while in Mostar Velež won 2–1, which was not enough to go through.


UEFA Team rankings

Since the late 1970s up until the
Bosnian War The Bosnian War ( sh, Rat u Bosni i Hercegovini / Рат у Босни и Херцеговини) was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. The war is commonly seen as having started ...
of 1992–1995, Velež has been consistently ranked on the UEFA Team Rankings. While the club has often reached ranks of top 100–200 teams, on some occasions the UEFA has ranked Velež among the top 100 teams. In 1989 Velež was ranked at the 43rd place on the UEFA Team Ranking List which also marks the highest UEFA ranking achieved by any football club from Bosnia and Herzegovina. *In 1988, Velež was ranked ''88th'' on the UEFA's Team Ranking List, ahead of clubs like Everton (ranked 100), Olympique Marseille (ranked 115), Espanyol (ranked 121), Napoli (ranked 125), Young Boys (ranked 126), Dinamo Zagreb and Borussia Dortmund (ranked 158), Aston Villa (ranked 200) and many others, as cited in the UEFA Team Ranking database for 1988. *In 1989, Velež was ranked ''43rd'' on the UEFA's Team Ranking List, ahead of clubs like Hamburger SV (ranked 45), AC Milan (ranked 51), CSKA Sofia (ranked 57), Napoli (ranked 62), Dinamo Moscow (ranked 67), AS Roma (ranked 74), Real Sociedad (ranked 80), AEK Athens (ranked 105), FC Nantes (ranked 121), Manchester United (ranked 126), Tottenham Hotspur (ranked 141), Paris Saint-Germain (143), Dinamo Zagreb (195) and many others, as cited in the UEFA Team Ranking database for 1989. :''*The highest UEFA ranking achieved by any football club from Bosnia and Herzegovina.'' *In 1990, Velež was ranked ''51st'' on the UEFA's Team Ranking List, ahead of clubs like VfB Stuttgart (ranked 55), Hamburger SV (ranked 56), AS Monaco (ranked 60), AEK Athens (ranked 73), Real Sociedad (ranked 79), Levski Sofia (ranked 92), Borussia Dortmund (ranked 94), Lech Poznan (ranked 100), Paris Saint Germain (ranked 139), Dinamo Zagreb (192) and many others, as cited in the UEFA Team Ranking database for 1990. *In 1991, Velež was ranked ''53rd'' on the UEFA's Team Ranking List, ahead of clubs like AS Roma (ranked 55), AS Monaco (ranked 57), Fiorentina (ranked 80), Valencia (ranked 86), Manchester United (ranked 92), Young Boys (ranked 103), Dinamo Zagreb (105), Espanyol (ranked 111), Sevilla (ranked 147), Sturm Graz (ranked 206) and many others, as cited in the UEFA Team Ranking database for 1991. *In 1992, when the war started and when Mostar was being bombed and under siege, Velež was even then still ranked ''81st'' club on the UEFA's Team Ranking List, still ahead of clubs like Dinamo Moscow (ranked 85), Torino (ranked 99), Espanyol (ranked 107), Aston Villa (ranked 111), Sevilla (ranked 147) and many others, as cited in the UEFA Team Ranking database for 1992.


Rivalry

FK Velež's main rival is
HŠK Zrinjski Mostar HŠK Zrinjski Mostar ( hr, Hrvatski športski klub Zrinjski Mostar, lit=Croat Sports Club Zrinjski Mostar) is a professional football club, based in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The club plays in the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina, ...
, the other team from
Mostar Mostar (, ; sr-Cyrl, Мостар, ) is a city and the administrative center of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the historical capital of Herzegovina. Mostar is sit ...
. The match between the two Mostar teams is called the
Mostar derby The Mostar derby ( Bosnian: ''Mostarski gradski derbi'') is a football rivalry in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina between HŠK Zrinjski and FK Velež. The derby took place for the first time in 1922 and is the oldest major football derby in Bosni ...
. The first match between Velež Mostar and ''Zrinjski'' was played during the 1920s, but when Zrinjski was banned (from 1945 to 1992) for playing in the fascist league during World War II, the rivalry stopped. During Velež's glory days in the
Yugoslav First League The Yugoslav First Federal Football League ( Serbian: Прва савезна лига у фудбалу / ''Prva savezna liga u fudbalu'', hr, Prva savezna liga u nogometu, sl, Prva zvezna nogometna liga, mk, Прва сојузна лига, ...
, they were the only major club from
Mostar Mostar (, ; sr-Cyrl, Мостар, ) is a city and the administrative center of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the historical capital of Herzegovina. Mostar is sit ...
and were supported by all people from the city of Mostar. After the
war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
Zrinjski was reformed, and they became a symbol of the Croatian side of Mostar (west side) and Velež become a symbol of the Bosniak side (east side). On 1 March 2000, Zrinjski and Velež played a friendly game, for the first time after Zrinjski was reformed. The game was played in
Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its a ...
and the result was a 2–2 draw. The first official league game was played on 18 August 2000 at the Bijeli Brijeg Stadium. Zrinjski won 2–0. The rivalry is both local and ethnic. FK Velež and their fans, called
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...
are predominantly Bosniaks, while Zrinjski and their fans called
Ultras Ultras are a type of association football fans who are renowned for their fanatical support. The term originated in Italy, but is used worldwide to describe predominantly organised fans of association football teams. The behavioural tende ...
are Croats. Making the rivalry bigger is the fact that Zrinjski stadium was Velež's stadium during their glory days in Yugoslavia, but because of the war, Velež was forced to move from their stadium, which was located in the western part of Mostar, and build a new stadium on the other side of the city.


Supporters

Velež supporters are famous for their loyalty and passion, and they follow their club wherever it plays. There are few groups of Velež supporters. The most famous are
Red Army Mostar Red Army Mostar is a FK Velež Mostar supporters' group in Bosnia and Herzegovina. History Red Army was founded in 1981 in Mostar under the name Crveni šejtani (Red Devils), after FK Velež Mostar won its first 1980–81 Yugoslav Cup, Yugoslav ...
and Mostarski Rođeni.


Honours


Domestic


League

*
Yugoslav First League The Yugoslav First Federal Football League ( Serbian: Прва савезна лига у фудбалу / ''Prva savezna liga u fudbalu'', hr, Prva savezna liga u nogometu, sl, Prva zvezna nogometna liga, mk, Прва сојузна лига, ...
: **Runners-up (3): 1972–73, 1973–74, 1986–87 **Third place (4): 1965–66, 1969–70, 1985–86, 1987–88 *
Yugoslav Second League Yugoslav or Yugoslavian may refer to: * Yugoslavia, or any of the three historic states carrying that name: ** Kingdom of Yugoslavia, a European monarchy which existed 1918–1945 (officially called "Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes" 1918–1 ...
: **Winners (2): 1952, 1954–55 *
First League of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina The m:tel First League of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, m:tel Prva liga Federacije Bosne i Hercegovine, м:тел Прва лига Федерације Босне и Херцеговине) is a football league in Bosni ...
: **Winners (2): 2005–06, 2018–19 **Runners-up (2): 2003–04, 2004–05


Cups

*
Yugoslav Cup The Yugoslav Cup ( hr, Pokal Jugoslavije; sr, Куп Југославије; sl, Pokal Jugoslavije, mk, Куп на Југославија), officially known between 1923 and 1940 as the King Alexander Cup ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Kup kralja Aleksandra, ...
: **Winners (2): 1980–81, 1985–86 **Runners-up (2): 1957–58, 1988–89 * Bosnia and Herzegovina Cup: **Winners (1): 2021–22


European

*
Mitropa Cup The Mitropa Cup, officially called the La Coupe de l'Europe Centrale or Central European Cup, was one of the first international major European football cups for club sides. It was conducted among the successor states of the former Austria-Hungar ...
: **Runners-up (1): 1975–76 *
Balkans Cup The Balkans Cup was an international football competition for clubs from Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Turkey, and Yugoslavia. It was introduced in 1961 and was very popular in the 1960s (the 1967 final attracted 42,000 spectators), being t ...
: **Winners (1): 1980–81 *
UEFA Cup A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store Solid, solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, porcela ...
: **Quarter-finals (1): 1974–75


Recent seasons


European record


Summary

(This summary does not include matches played in the
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, sometimes referred to as the European Fairs Cup, Fairs Cities' Cup, or simply as the Fairs Cup, was a European Association football, football competition played between 1955 and 1971. It is often considered the predecess ...
, which was not endorsed by
UEFA Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; french: Union des associations européennes de football; german: Union der europäischen Fußballverbände) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs f ...
and is not counted in UEFA's official European statistics.)
Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against


By season

(Velež score always listed first. Source:)


European campaigns – Finals achievements


Player records

*Most appearances in UEFA club competitions: 14 appearances: **
Vukašin Petranović Vukašin Petranović (born 6 December 1962) is a Montenegrin professional football goalkeeping coach and former player. Petranović was a product of the Dinamo Zagreb youth system but failed to achieve playing for the first team. During his ca ...
** Mili Hadžiabdić ** Vladimir Gudelj *Top scorer in UEFA club competitions: 10 goals –
Semir Tuce Semir Tuce (born 11 February 1964) is a Bosnian retired association football, footballer, who played as left winger. He was part of the Velež Mostar ''second golden era'', which won the 1985–86 Yugoslav Cup. Club career Velež Mostar Tuce wa ...


Players


Current squad


Players with multiple nationalities

* Antonio Pavić * Amar Kvakić * Dženan Zajmović * Marko Jovičić * Alen Dejanović * Arman Džanković * Slaviša Bogdanović * Elvir Muminović


Out on loan


Club officials


Coaching staff

, - , - , - , - , - , - , - , - , -


Other information


Managerial history

* Bernard Hügl (1953–55) *
Ratomir Čabrić Ratomir Čabrić (Serbian Cyrillic: Ратомир Чабрић; 19 September 1918 – 13 April 1990) was a Serbian football player and coach. Career Playing career Čabrić, who played as a striker, spent his professional career in Yugoslavia ...
(1955–59) *
Gustav Lechner Gustav Lechner (17 February 1913 – 5 February 1987) was a footballer who represented both the Yugoslavian and Croatian national sides. Club career Born in Osijek and nicknamed ''Lembika'',
(1959–60) *
Ratomir Čabrić Ratomir Čabrić (Serbian Cyrillic: Ратомир Чабрић; 19 September 1918 – 13 April 1990) was a Serbian football player and coach. Career Playing career Čabrić, who played as a striker, spent his professional career in Yugoslavia ...
(1960–61) * Haldun Leo Hrvić (1961–64) * D. Filipović (1964–65) *
Domagoj Kapetanović Domagoj Kapetanović (30 January 1926 – 2005) was a Yugoslav football player and manager best known for winning the 1976 NASL Championship with Toronto Metros-Croatia. Playing career Club Kapetanović started his playing career with Građ ...
(1965–66) *
Mirko Kokotović Mirko Kokotović (; 15 April 1913 – 15 November 1988) was a Bosnian/Croatian footballer who played international football for both the Croatian and Royal Yugoslavian national teams. Club career He became national champion of the Kingdom of Yu ...
(1966–67) * Haldun Leo Hrvić (1967–68) *
Sulejman Rebac Sulejman "Sula" Rebac (29 March 1929 – 17 November 2006) was a Bosnian footballer and manager. Playing career Club He started playing football at FK Velež Mostar in 1947. In 1954, he moved to HNK Hajduk Split where he stayed for several seaso ...
(1968–76) *
Muhamed Mujić Muhamed Mujić (25 April 1933 – 20 February 2016) was a Yugoslav footballer of Bosnian ethnicity. Mujić played for Velež Mostar for most of his career and made his international debut in an April 1956 Central European International Cup ...
(1976–77) *
Vukašin Višnjevac Vukašin Višnjevac ( sr-Cyrl, Вукашин Вишњевац; 15 June 1939 – 26 September 2019) was a Yugoslav football manager and player. Višnjevac played for Sarajevo, Igman Konjic, Sloga Doboj, Istra 1961 and Rovinj, while he managed ...
(1977–80) *
Miloš Milutinović Miloš Milutinović ( sr-Cyrl, Милош Милутиновић; 5 February 1933 – 28 January 2003) was a Serbian professional footballer and manager from Yugoslavia. Milutinović is regarded as one of the most talented players in his country ...
(1980–82) *
Muhamed Mujić Muhamed Mujić (25 April 1933 – 20 February 2016) was a Yugoslav footballer of Bosnian ethnicity. Mujić played for Velež Mostar for most of his career and made his international debut in an April 1956 Central European International Cup ...
(1982–83) *
Dušan Bajević Dušan "Duško" Bajević ( sr-Cyrl, Душан Бајевић, ; gr, Ντούσαν Μπάγεβιτς, ''Doúsan Báyevits''; born 10 December 1948) is a Bosnian professional Manager (association football), football manager and former player. H ...
(1983–87) *
Enver Marić Enver Marić (born 16 April 1948) is a Bosnian former professional football goalkeeper and retired football manager. Club career He started his career playing for FK Velež Mostar from 1967 to 1976, for who he played a record 600 games in his ni ...
(1987–90) *
Franjo Džidić Franjo Džidić (born 25 October 1939) is a Bosnian retired professional football manager and former player. He is inscribed in Zrinjski Mostar history as the manager who "brought" the first Bosnian Premier League title to the club. The victor ...
(1990–92) * Zejnil Selimotić (1994–96) * Sedin Tanović (1996–98) * Avdo Kalajdžić (1998–00) *
Kemal Hafizović Kemal Hafizović (born 12 May 1950) is a Bosnian professional football manager and former player, best known for his playing and managerial career with hometown club Čelik Zenica. Apart from his 1996–97 title winning season with Čelik, Haf ...
(2002–03) * Avdo Kalajdžić (2003) *
Husnija Arapović Husnija Arapović (7 August 1944 – 25 October 2022) was a Bosnian professional player and football manager. Career He was the sporting director of Bosnian club Čelik Zenica, where he has also played and managed with. Arapović died on 25 O ...
(2003–05) *
Kemal Hafizović Kemal Hafizović (born 12 May 1950) is a Bosnian professional football manager and former player, best known for his playing and managerial career with hometown club Čelik Zenica. Apart from his 1996–97 title winning season with Čelik, Haf ...
(2005) * Milomir Šešlija (2005–07) *
Anel Karabeg Anel Karabeg (born 7 March 1962) is a Bosnian professional football manager and former player who is currently working as an assistant manager of Croatian First Football League club HNK Šibenik. Club career His playing career started in the 198 ...
(2007–08) * Emir Tufek (2008) *
Abdulah Ibraković Abdulah Ibraković (born 22 July 1970) is a Bosnian professional football manager and former player. Club career Born in the town of Doboj, SR Bosnia-Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia, Ibraković began his career playing in the local club Sloga Dobo ...
(2008–10) * Veselin Đurasović ''(interim)'' (2010) * Demir Hotić (2010) * Enes Spahić ''(interim)'' (2010) *
Milomir Odović Milomir Odović (26 March 1955 – 14 December 2020) was a Bosnian professional football manager and player, best known for his playing and managing days at Bosnian Premier League club Željezničar, where he is a club legend. As a player, Odov ...
(2011) * Mirza Varešanović (2011–12) * Adnan Dizdarević ''(interim)'' (2012) * Asmir Džafić (2012) *
Ibrahim Rahimić Ibrahim "Ibro" Rahimić (born 17 April 1963) is a Bosnian professional football manager and former player. He played as a defender. Playing career Rahimić played for hometown club Velež Mostar on two occasions and also for Leotar. Thought t ...
(2012–13) * Nedim Jusufbegović (2013–15) *
Dželaludin Muharemović Dželaludin Muharemović (born 23 March 1970) is a Bosnian professional football manager and former player. Club career As a kid, Muharemović started playing football for his hometown club Željezničar. He was considered to be one of the bigg ...
(2015) *
Adis Obad Adis Obad (born 12 May 1971) is a Bosnian professional football manager and former player. Club career Obad was born in Mostar, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yugoslavia and began his football career with local side FK Velež Mostar. He also played ...
''(interim)'' (2015) *
Dženan Zaimović Dženan Zaimović (born September 25, 1973) is a Bosnian professional football manager and former player who is the manager of First League of FBiH club TOŠK Tešanj. Playing career International He made his debut for Bosnia and Herzegovina ...
''(interim)'' (2015) *
Dragi Kanatlarovski Dragi Kanatlarovski - Capar ( mk, Драги Канатларовски - Цапар; born 8 November 1960) is a Macedonian football manager and former player. He represented the Yugoslav national team and the Macedonian national team. Nam ...
(2015) *
Dženan Zaimović Dženan Zaimović (born September 25, 1973) is a Bosnian professional football manager and former player who is the manager of First League of FBiH club TOŠK Tešanj. Playing career International He made his debut for Bosnia and Herzegovina ...
''(interim)'' (2015) * Zijo Tojaga (2015–16) * Avdo Kalajdžić (2016) *
Ibrahim Rahimić Ibrahim "Ibro" Rahimić (born 17 April 1963) is a Bosnian professional football manager and former player. He played as a defender. Playing career Rahimić played for hometown club Velež Mostar on two occasions and also for Leotar. Thought t ...
(2016–19) *
Feđa Dudić Feđa Dudić (born 1 February 1983) is a Bosnian professional football manager and former player who is the manager of Serbian SuperLiga club Radnički 1923. Born in Sarajevo, Dudić played for both hometown clubs FK Sarajevo and Željezniča ...
(2019–22) *
Amar Osim Amar Osim (born 18 July 1967) is a Bosnian professional football manager and former player. He is regarded as one of the most successful Bosnian football managers. Osim was a talented player during his teens. However, he did not transfer his tale ...
(2022) * Nedim Jusufbegović (2022–present)


Songs

The official anthem of FK Velež Mostar i
Rođeni, Rođeni
by Željko Samardžić. The text was written by Milenko Mišo Marić. The music was composed by
Kemal Monteno Kemal Monteno (17 September 1948 – 21 January 2015) was a Bosnian recording artist and singer-songwriter whose career stretched from the 1960s to the 2010s. Early life Monteno's father Osvaldo was an Italian from Monfalcone. During World War ...
. The first demo recording was done after the
Marshall Tito Josip Broz ( sh-Cyrl, Јосип Броз, ; 7 May 1892 – 4 May 1980), commonly known as Tito (; sh-Cyrl, Тито, links=no, ), was a Yugoslav communist revolutionary and statesman, serving in various positions from 1943 until his death ...
Yugoslav Cup The Yugoslav Cup ( hr, Pokal Jugoslavije; sr, Куп Југославије; sl, Pokal Jugoslavije, mk, Куп на Југославија), officially known between 1923 and 1940 as the King Alexander Cup ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Kup kralja Aleksandra, ...
final in 1981 against FK Željezničar Sarajevo. For the first time, the official club anthem was played before the final of the
Marshall Tito Josip Broz ( sh-Cyrl, Јосип Броз, ; 7 May 1892 – 4 May 1980), commonly known as Tito (; sh-Cyrl, Тито, links=no, ), was a Yugoslav communist revolutionary and statesman, serving in various positions from 1943 until his death ...
Yugoslav Cup The Yugoslav Cup ( hr, Pokal Jugoslavije; sr, Куп Југославије; sl, Pokal Jugoslavije, mk, Куп на Југославија), officially known between 1923 and 1940 as the King Alexander Cup ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Kup kralja Aleksandra, ...
in 1986 against
GNK Dinamo Zagreb Građanski nogometni klub Dinamo Zagreb ( en, Dinamo Zagreb Citizens' Football Club, link=yes, italics=yes), commonly referred to as GNK Dinamo Zagreb or simply Dinamo Zagreb (), is a Croatian professional football club based in Zagreb. Dinamo ...
. It was also played live at the
Bijeli Brijeg Stadium Stadion pod Bijelim brijegom ( en, Bijeli Brijeg Stadium), also known as ''HŠK Zrinjski Stadium'', is a City of Mostar owned association football stadium, located in the city of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The venue is currently home of HŠK ...
by Željko Samardžić in 1987 before the
Uefa cup A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store Solid, solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, porcela ...
game against
Borussia Dortmund Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e. V. Dortmund, commonly known as Borussia Dortmund (), BVB (), or simply Dortmund (), is a German professional sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is best known for its men's professional footb ...
. The official anthem of the club's ultras group
Red Army Mostar Red Army Mostar is a FK Velež Mostar supporters' group in Bosnia and Herzegovina. History Red Army was founded in 1981 in Mostar under the name Crveni šejtani (Red Devils), after FK Velež Mostar won its first 1980–81 Yugoslav Cup, Yugoslav ...
i
Ili grmi il' se zemlja trese
by MO Selection Band. Later, a band called Red Army Band recorded seven songs that quickly became popular among Velež fans. Other artists did the same too, so today there are a lot of recorded songs about the red club from
Mostar Mostar (, ; sr-Cyrl, Мостар, ) is a city and the administrative center of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the historical capital of Herzegovina. Mostar is sit ...
.


References


External links


FK Velež Mostar Official website


at
UEFA.com Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; french: Union des associations européennes de football; german: Union der europäischen Fußballverbände) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs f ...

FK Velež Mostar
at N/FSBiH
UG Mostarski Rođeni

KN Red Army Mostar

Rođeni.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Velez Mostar Association football clubs established in 1922 Football clubs in Bosnia and Herzegovina Football clubs in Yugoslavia Sport in Mostar 1922 establishments in Bosnia and Herzegovina