NK Čelik Zenica explained

Clubname:Čelik Zenica
Fullname:Nogometni klub Čelik Zenica
Nickname:Crno-crveni (The Black-Reds)
Starac (The Old Man)
Ground:Bilino Polje Stadium, Zenica
Capacity:15,293
Chairman:Denis Mušović
Manager:Dario Damjanović
League:First League of FBiH
Season:2023–24
Position:First League of FBiH, 4th of 16
Website:http://www.nkcelik.ba/
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Nogometni klub Čelik Zenica (English: Football Club Čelik Zenica) is a professional football club based in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The name Čelik means Steel in Bosnian and it symbolizes the strength and power of the club in an industrial city well known for steel production. Throughout its history, the club has been known for the excellent support of its fans at its Bilino Polje Stadium which hosts the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team.

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

In addition, Čelik is the only fan-owned football club in Bosnia and Herzegovina where club members democratically elect its leadership.[1]

Today, Čelik is active in the First League of FBiH, having previously played in the Bosnian Premier League before getting relegated in the 2019–20 season.[2] In order to stabilise the club due to financial difficulties, its General Assembly voted to continue competing in the fourth tier-League of Zenica-Doboj Canton on 13 July 2020.[3]

History

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

Club culture

Over the years, the club developed a strong identification with its hometown, Zenica, becoming one of its symbols. The club has produced many important international players including Elvir Bolić, Mirsad Hibić and Mladen Krstajić.

Grounds

See main article: Bilino Polje.

Čelik plays their home games at the Bilino Polje stadium which is also the biggest stadium in the city. Over the years the club had changed four different stadiums settling at their current ground in 1972.During the first few years of the club's existence, following World War II, Čelik's stadium was located roughly on the place of the current Bilino Polje stadium, close to the Bosna river. The ground was covered in clay, as was the practice of lower-level football grounds at the time. The stadium itself had one wooden stand which was built over time and the club often played in front of full capacity.

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

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

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

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

Supporters

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

Honours

Domestic

League

Cups

European

Recent seasons

SeasonLeagueCupEurope
DivisionPWDLFAPtsPos
1994–95First League
Zenica Group
330013391stWinners
First League
Final Play-off
3300739bgcolor=gold1st
1995–96First League302154652368bgcolor=gold1stbgcolor=goldWinners
1996–97First League301776572358bgcolor=gold1stSF
1997–98First League
Bosniaks First League
3016864830532nd1/8
First League
Play-off
20022706th
1998–99First League30133144747429th1/8
1999–2000First League3013894536559th1/8
Current format of Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina
2000–01Premier League422110117540734thQF
2001–02Premier League30127113930436thSFUEFA Intertoto Cup – R2
2002–03Premier League381610126133585thbgcolor=1/16
2003–04Premier League309101142433712thbgcolor=1/8
2004–05Premier League301321529374113th1/8
2005–06Premier League301051533453514th1/16
2006–07Premier League301231529353914thSF
2007–08Premier League30164103832523rd1/8
2008–09Premier League301251329324110th1/16UEFA Intertoto Cup – R1
2009–10Premier League301051033365013th1/8
2010–11Premier League301171230304010thbgcolor=silverRunners-up
2011–12Premier League30810123139349thQF
2012–13Premier League3014974430514thQF
2013–14Premier League30101373532437thbgcolor=silverRunners-up
2014–15Premier League30101193435667th1/8
2015–16Premier League30121083528466th1/8
2016–17Premier League328111328393510th1/16
2017–18Premier League32842030612811th1/8
2018–19Premier League331110123049437th1/16
2019–20Premier League22551217331711th ↓1/16
2020–21League of Zenica-Doboj Canton181620655501st ↑
2021–22Second League of FBiH - Center3021637921663rd
2022–23Second League of FBiH - Center3026319212811st ↑1/8
2023–24First League of FBiH30121084031464th1/16

European record

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

List of matches

SeasonCompetitionRoundOpponentHomeAwayAgg.
2001UEFA Intertoto Cup1R Denizlispor1–05–36–3
2R Gent1–00–21–2
2008UEFA Intertoto Cup Grbalj3–21–24–4 (a)

Players

Current squad

[7]

Players with multiple nationalities

Club officials

Other information

Notable managers

See main article: List of NK Čelik Zenica managers.

DatesNameHonours
1970–1971 Dušan Varagić 1970–71 Mitropa Cup
1971–1972 Midhat Mujkić1971–72 Mitropa Cup
1974–1975 Marcel Žigante1975 Intertoto Cup (Joint Winner)
1992–1996 Nermin Hadžiahmetović1994–95 Bosnian Championship
1994–95 Bosnian Cup
1995–96 Bosnian Championship
1995–96 Bosnian Cup
1996–1997 Kemal Hafizović1996–97 Bosnian Championship

Notes

  1. Web site: Usvojen novi statut NK Čelik na principu "jedan član-jedan glas". www.aa.com.tr. 24 April 2023. 23 October 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231023204910/https://www.aa.com.tr/ba/sport/usvojen-novi-statut-nk-%C4%8Delik-na-principu-jedan-%C4%8Dlan-jedan-glas/721257. live.
  2. Web site: Zvanično! Sarajevo prvak BiH drugu godinu zaredom, Čelik i Zvijezda ispadaju. 1 June 2020. 1 June 2020. bs. F.Z.. Klix.ba. 3 June 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200603073631/https://www.klix.ba/sport/nogomet/zvanicno-sarajevo-prvak-bih-drugu-godinu-zaredom-celik-i-zvijezda-ispadaju/200601116. live.
  3. Web site: Čelik takmičenje nastavlja u Kantonalnoj ligi, izabrana i nova uprava kluba. 13 July 2020. 13 July 2020. bs. E.M.. Klix.ba. 9 July 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210709185328/https://www.klix.ba/sport/nogomet/celik-takmicenje-nastavlja-u-kantonalnoj-ligi-izabrana-i-nova-uprava-kluba/200713111. live.
  4. Web site: Historija. 24 April 2023. 1 February 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230201181636/https://nkcelik.ba/historija/. live.
  5. Web site: Mitropa Cup 1970/71. RSSSF. 2 February 2023. 29 November 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221129105939/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesm/mit71.html. live.
  6. Web site: Fans of Celik protest against club leadership. 24 July 2020. 25 July 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200725004931/https://www.ultras-tifo.net/news/4111-fans-of-celik-protest-against-club-leadership.html. live.
  7. Web site: Igrači. Players. Bosnian. NK Čelik Zenica. 6 May 2023. 28 May 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230528140241/https://nkcelik.ba/igraci/. dead.

External links