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 Bosnian 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 & Herzegovina where club members democratically elect its leadership.[1]
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.
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
Čelik's main supporter group Robijaši in a game against Željezničar on 10 August 2019.
The ultras supporter group of Čelik, established in 1988 in Zenica, is called Robijaši (The Convicts in English) because Zenica is famous for its prison. Widely known for their fanatic support, they have been fighting to preserve the club and support it through difficult financial times.[6]
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Not to be confused with NK Đerzelez Nogometni klub Celik Zenica English Football Club Celik Zenica is a professional football club based in Zenica Bosnia and Herzegovina The name Celik 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 Bosnian national team Celik ZenicaFull nameNogometni klub Celik ZenicaNickname s Crno crveni The Black Reds Starac The Old Man Founded16 June 1945 77 years ago 1945 06 16 GroundBilino Polje Stadium ZenicaCapacity15 293ChairmanDenis MusovicManagerArmin DuvnjakLeagueSecond League of FBIH2021 22Second League of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina 3rdWebsiteClub websiteHome coloursAway coloursNK Celik 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 Celik had played 17 seasons in the Yugoslav First League Celik won the Mitropa Cup two times and was joint winner of the UEFA Intertoto Cup once In addition Celik is the only fan owned football club in Bosnia amp Herzegovina where club members democratically elect its leadership 1 Today Celik is active in the Second League of FBIH having previously played in the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina before getting relegated in the 2019 20 Bosnian Premier League season to the First League of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina 2 In order to stabilise the club due to financial difficulties its General Assembly voted to continue competing in the fourth tier League of Zenica Doboj Canton on 13 July 2020 3 The club advanced from the Cantonal league to the Second league of FBiH for the 2021 22 season Contents 1 History 2 Club culture 3 Grounds 4 Supporters 5 Honours 5 1 Domestic 5 1 1 League 5 1 2 Cups 5 2 European 6 Recent seasons 7 European record 7 1 List of matches 8 Players 8 1 Current squad 8 2 Players with multiple nationalities 9 Club officials 9 1 Other information 10 Notable managers 11 Notes 12 References 13 External linksHistory EditThe 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 EditOver 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 Bolic Mirsad Hibic and Mladen Krstajic Grounds EditMain article Bilino Polje Celik 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 Bilino Polje Stadium During the first few years of the club s existence following World War II Celik 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 Blatusa which was located in the Blatusa neighborhood of Zenica It was there that Celik 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 Celik 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 Celik 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 Celik played two Bosnian Premier League matches as well as one Bosnian Cup match on the Stadion Kamberovica 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 Celik usually play their games at the smaller stadium Kamberovica Polje Supporters Edit Celik s main supporter group Robijasi in a game against Zeljeznicar on 10 August 2019 The ultras supporter group of Celik established in 1988 in Zenica is called Robijasi 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 EditDomestic Edit League Edit First League of Bosnia and Herzegovina Winners 3 1994 95 1995 96 1996 97 Yugoslav Second League Winners 4 1965 66 west 1978 79 west 1982 83 west 1984 85 west League of Zenica Doboj Canton Winners 1 2020 21Cups Edit Bosnia and Herzegovina Cup Winners 2 1994 95 1995 96 Runners up 2 2010 11 2013 14European Edit UEFA Intertoto Cup Winners 1 1975 Joint Winner Mitropa Cup Winners 2 1970 71 1971 72 Runners up 2 1972 73 1979 80Recent seasons EditAs of match played 5 June 2022 Season League Cup EuropeDivision P W D L F A Pts Pos1994 95 First League of Bosnia and HerzegovinaZenica Group 3 3 0 0 13 3 9 1st WinnersFirst League of Bosnia and HerzegovinaFinal Play off 3 3 0 0 7 3 9 1st1995 96 First League of Bosnia and Herzegovina 30 21 5 4 65 23 68 1st Winners1996 97 First League of Bosnia and Herzegovina 30 17 7 6 57 23 58 1st SF1997 98 First League of Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosniaks First League 30 16 8 6 48 30 53 2nd R16First League of Bosnia and HerzegovinaPlay off 2 0 0 2 2 7 0 6th1998 99 First League of Bosnia and Herzegovina 30 13 3 14 47 47 42 9th R161999 2000 First League of Bosnia and Herzegovina 30 13 8 9 45 36 55 9th QFCurrent format of Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina2000 01 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina 42 21 10 11 75 40 73 4th QF2001 02 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina 30 12 7 11 39 30 43 6th SF UEFA Intertoto Cup R22002 03 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina 38 16 10 12 61 33 58 5th R322003 04 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina 30 9 10 11 42 43 37 12th R162004 05 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina 30 13 2 15 29 37 41 13th R162005 06 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina 30 10 5 15 33 45 35 14th R322006 07 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina 30 12 3 15 29 35 39 14th SF2007 08 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina 30 16 4 10 38 32 52 3rd R162008 09 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina 30 12 5 13 29 32 41 10th R32 UEFA Intertoto Cup R12009 10 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina 30 10 5 10 33 36 50 13th R162010 11 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina 30 11 7 12 30 30 40 10th Runners up2011 12 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina 30 8 10 12 31 39 34 9th QF2012 13 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina 30 14 9 7 44 30 51 4th QF2013 14 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina 30 10 13 7 35 32 43 7th Runners up2014 15 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina 30 10 11 9 34 35 66 7th R162015 16 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina 30 12 10 8 35 28 46 6th R162016 17 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina 32 8 11 13 28 39 35 10th R322017 18 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina 32 8 4 20 30 61 28 11th R162018 19 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina 33 11 10 12 30 49 43 7th R322019 20 nb 1 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina 22 5 5 12 17 33 17 11th R322020 21 League of Zenica Doboj Canton nb 2 18 16 2 0 65 5 50 1st 2021 22 Second League of FBIH Center 30 21 6 3 79 21 66 3rdEuropean record EditCompetition P W D L GF GA GDUEFA Intertoto Cup 6 4 0 2 11 9 2Total 6 4 0 2 11 9 2P 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 Edit Season Competition Round Opponent Home Away Agg 2001 UEFA Intertoto Cup 1R Denizlispor 1 0 5 3 6 32R Gent 1 0 0 2 1 22008 UEFA Intertoto Cup 1R Grbalj 3 2 1 2 4 4 a Players EditCurrent squad Edit As of 6 May 2023 7 Note Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules Players may hold more than one non FIFA nationality No Pos Nation Player1 GK BIH Emel Mlaco2 DF BIH Haris Sehic3 DF BIH Davud Arnautovic4 DF BIH Amar Muslic5 MF BIH Harun Vardo6 MF BIH Mahir Mehic7 MF BIH Filip Arezina8 FW BIH Ali Međuseljac9 DF BIH Aladin Isakovic10 FW BIH Fenan Salcinovic11 FW BIH Emir Karalic No Pos Nation Player15 FW BIH Tarik Zukic16 MF BIH Selim Zuna17 MF BIH Mahir Karic18 FW BIH Besim Kolic20 DF BIH Mirsad Sijerkic21 MF BIH Eldar Sivac23 GK BIH Adi Durmo25 FW BIH Aidin Mahmutovic captain 26 DF BIH Aner Mujic31 MF BIH Edin Durmis99 DF BIH Dzenan SmajicPlayers with multiple nationalities Edit Dzenan SmajicClub officials EditPosition StaffHead coach Armin DuvnjakGoalkeeping coach Adis NurkovicPhysiotherapist Dario ZrnicLast updated 16 July 2020Source NK Celik Zenica at sportsport ba Other information Edit Chairman of the board Denis MusovicSporting director Husnija ArapovicHead coach Pavle SkocibusicSource NK Celik Zenica at sportsport baNotable managers EditMain article List of NK Celik Zenica managers Dates Name Honours1970 1971 Dusan Varagic 1970 71 Mitropa Cup1971 1972 Midhat Mujkic 1971 72 Mitropa Cup1974 1975 Marcel Zigante 1975 Intertoto Cup Joint Winner 1992 1996 Nermin Hadziahmetovic 1994 95 Bosnian Championship 1994 95 Bosnian Cup 1995 96 Bosnian Championship 1995 96 Bosnian Cup1996 1997 Kemal Hafizovic 1996 97 Bosnian ChampionshipNotes Edit 2019 20 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina suspended in March 2020 due to the COVID 19 pandemic in Bosnia and Herzegovina season curtailed and final standings including Sarajevo as champions declared by a points per game ratio on 1 June 2020 2 Celik were initially relegated to the Prva Liga FBiH but were then excluded from the league on 13 July 2020 3 References Edit Usvojen novi statut NK Celik na principu jedan clan jedan glas www aa com tr Retrieved 24 April 2023 a b F Z 1 June 2020 Zvanicno Sarajevo prvak BiH drugu godinu zaredom Celik i Zvijezda ispadaju in Bosnian Klix ba Retrieved 1 June 2020 a b E M 13 July 2020 Celik takmicenje nastavlja u Kantonalnoj ligi izabrana i nova uprava kluba in Bosnian Klix ba Retrieved 13 July 2020 Historija Retrieved 24 April 2023 Mitropa Cup 1970 71 RSSSF Fans of Celik protest against club leadership Igraci Players in Bosnian NK Celik Zenica Retrieved 14 August 2021 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to NK Celik NK Celik Zenica on Facebook Celik at UEFA com Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title NK Celik Zenica amp oldid 1153449165, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
