Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnian Premier League
Premier Liga 2009-10
Founded
1997
Nation
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Relegation To
First League of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, First League of the Republika Srpska
Number of Teams
16
European Qualification
UEFA Champions League UEFA Europa League
Cups
Kup Bosne i Hercegovine
Current Champions
HŠK Zrinjski Mostar
TV Partners
BHT1
Website
[1]

The Premier League BiH (Bosnian/Croatian (Latin script): Premijer Liga BiH) is the top football league in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The league is composed of 16 teams. Two teams are relegated at the end of every season. The winner of the Premier League is seeded into the Champions League. The winner of the Football Cup of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Premier League runners up are seeded into the UEFA Cup.

At the end of the season last two teams are relegated, and winners of First League of Republika Srpska and First League of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina are promoted to Premier League.

The league is operated by the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

BiH Premier League clubs in the 2009-10 season

Team	Venue	Capacity
FK Borac Banja Luka	Gradski Stadion Banja Luka	12,000
NK Čelik Zenica	Bilino Polje	18,000
FK Laktaši	Laktaši Gradski Stadium	10,000
FK Leotar Trebinje	Police Stadium	8,500
FK Modriča	Maxima Stadium	8,000
FK Olimpik Sarajevo	-	-
FK Rudar Prijedor	Gradski Stadion Prijedor	2,000
FK Sarajevo	Asim Ferhatović Hase Stadium	35,360
FK Slavija Istočno Sarajevo	Gradski SRC Slavija Stadium	6,000
FK Sloboda Tuzla	Tušanj Stadium	15,000
NK Široki Brijeg	Pecara Stadium	10,000
NK Travnik	Stadion Pirota	5,000
FK Velež Mostar	Vrapcici Stadium	7,000
FK Željezničar	Grbavica Stadium	20,000
HŠK Zrinjski Mostar	Bijeli Brijeg Stadium	25,000
NK Zvijezda Gradačac	Banja Ilidža	5,000

Progressions and relegations in 2007

FK Borac and FK Radnik Bijeljina are relegated to First League of Republika Srpska. New clubs are FK Laktaši (winner of First League of Republika Srpska) and NK Travnik (winner of First League of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Premier League Champions

Season	Winner
1997-98	FK Željezničar
1998-99	play-off was not held
1999-00	NK Brotnjo
2000-01	FK Željezničar
2001-02	FK Željezničar
2002-03	FK Leotar
2003-04	NK Široki Brijeg
2004-05	HŠK Zrinjski
2005-06	NK Široki Brijeg
2006-07	FK Sarajevo
2007-08	FK Modriča
2008-09	HŠK Zrinjski

Club	Winners	Winning Years
FK Željezničar	3	1998, 2001, 2002
HŠK Zrinjski	2	2005, 2009
NK Široki Brijeg	2	2004, 2006
FK Modriča	1	2008
FK Sarajevo	1	2007
FK Leotar	1	2003
NK Brotnjo	1	2000

Until 2000, there were three separate championships on ethnic principles (Bosniaks, Bosnian Serbs and Bosnian Croats). Every entity had its own champions and cup winners. In 1998. Željezničar became first official champion of Bosnia-Herzegovina after the play-off organized by UEFA and Football Association of Bosnia-Herzegovina. In 2000. second play-off was held, and since 2000/2001 season regular league started (but without Bosnian Serbs' clubs who continued their separated league for two more seasons). Since the 2002/2003 season Premijer liga is being played in the entire country.

Season	NFSBiH League	Herzeg-Bosnia First League	Republika Srpska First League
1994	Čelik Zenica	Mladost Dubint Široki Brijeg	not held
1994-95	not held	Mladost Dubint Široki Brijeg	not held
1995-96	Čelik Zenica	Mladost Široki Brijeg	Boksit Milići
1996-97	Čelik Zenica	Široki Brijeg	Rudar Ugljevik
1997-98	Bosna Visoko	Široki Brijeg	Rudar Ugljevik
1998-99	Sarajevo	Posušje	Radnik Bijeljina
1999-00	Jedinstvo Bihać	Posušje	Boksit Milići
2000-01	discontinued	discontinued	Borac Banja Luka
2001-02	discontinued	discontinued	Leotar Trebinje

Cup Winners

Season	Cup Winner
1997-98	FK Sarajevo
1998-99	NK Bosna Visoko
1999-00	FK Željezničar
2000-01	FK Željezničar
2001-02	FK Sarajevo
2002-03	FK Željezničar
2003-04	FK Modriča
2004-05	FK Sarajevo
2005-06	HNK Orašje
2006-07	NK Široki Brijeg
2007-08	HŠK Zrinjski Mostar
2008-09	FK Slavija

Note from above can be referred to cup competition as well. Three separated cups were organized. In 1998, for the first time, Bosnia-Herzegovina got his official cup winner after the Super final between FK Sarajevo and HNK Orašje (winners of two different cups). In 1999/2000 season, normal cup format was organized for the first time in Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Since, 2001/2002 season, clubs from entire country are competing in cup.

Clubs in Europe for the 2005/2006 season

As the champions of the league in the 2004/2005 season NK Zrinjski Mostar entered the UEFA Champions League. In the first qualifying round, Zrinjski lost to F91 Dudelange the champions of Luxembourg.

FK Željezničar, finished in second place in the league, and qualified for the UEFA Cup as did FK Sarajevo by winning the Football Cup of Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, due to alleged licensing problems neither club was allowed to enter the competition. So NK Široki Brijeg was awarded one of the spots for finishing third in the league and accidentally Široki Brijeg were also the runners-up in the cup by losing to FK Sarajevo in the final.

During the qualification for the main tournament, Široki Brijeg made an impressive run by qualifying and defeating KS Teuta of Albania and FK Zeta of Montenegro.

Clubs in Europe for the 2006/2007 season

Four clubs from Bosnia and Herzegovina will participate in European competitions this year. Finishing first in the league last year, NK Široki Brijeg qualified for the UEFA Champions League. They beat FC Shakhtyor of Belarus in the first qualifying round and later lost to Hearts of Scotland in the second qualifying round. FK Sarajevo, as runner-up in the league, and HNK Orašje, as cup-winner, have entered the UEFA Cup. They played FC Rànger's of Andorra and NK Domžale of Slovenia respectively. HNK Orašje was eliminated, while FK Sarajevo won in both games. In second qualifying round, they lost to Romanian side AFC Rapid Bucureşti.

As third-place finisher NK Zrinjski Mostar entered the UEFA Intertoto Cup. They played Marsaxlokk F.C. of Malta in the first round, defeating them. They have advanced to the second round of the competition where they have lost to Israel's Maccabi Petah Tikva FC.

Clubs in Europe for the 2007/2008 season

Four clubs from Bosnia and Herzegovina will participate in European competitions this year. FK Sarajevo qualified for the UEFA Champions League qualification, and NK Zrinjski and NK Široki Brijeg for UEFA Cup qualification. FK Slavija is playing UEFA Intertoto Cup. An amazing 2006/2007 season finished with Sarajevo winning the league, therefore meaning the team entered the UEFA Champions League.

Sarajevo started its run on July 17 against Maltese champions Marsaxlokk. Sarajevo dominated and stunned the Maltese with a 6-0 away victory - the biggest win in FK Sarajevo's post-war history and won once again in Kosevo stadium 3-1, beating Marsaxlokk with an aggregate score of 9-1. The 'Bordo Team' was faced with a game against Belgian Jupiler League runners-up K.R.C. Genk. Sarajevo pulled of one of the most memorable wins with a 2-1 win over Genk in Belgium. The home leg was less successful with Sarajevo losing 1-0 - Sarajevo qualified on the away goals rule. In the third round, Sarajevo were drawn with Dynamo Kiev. It proved to be a game too far, with the Ukrainian team winning 4-0 on aggregate. FK Sarajevo is the only BiH Premier League team along with FK Željezničar Sarajevo to reach such a stage in Europe.

UEFA Cup 2007/2008

After hard fought battles against Dinamo Kiev which ended Dinamo Kiev's favor of a 4-0 victory in aggregate, They had to settle for Europe's second most cherished prize, the UEFA Cup. FK Sarajevo played a rather attacking style in the first game and almost came about scoring a goal a couple of times, with one actually entering the net but it had to be dealt as an offside.

They lost at home to FC Basel 1-2 pulling up wonderful performances but couldn't net a goal until the 90th minute.

The away leg on October 4 was far less successful. Playing in front of 15,000 fans at St. Jakob Park, Sarajevo were smashed 0-6, losing out 1-8 on aggregate.