The historic Bosnian city of Mostar has been characterised by division. First by war, second by football.
The city of Mostar (Photo: Ilirjan Hyseni)
With the wounds of the past beginning to heal, there is one footballing occasion that continues to rehash old tensions - The Mostar Derby between HŠK Zrinjski and FK Velež.
Today it is often flooded with tourists from across the world who marvel at its historical architecture, try the local food and take pictures at the city’s famous Stari Most that stands 20 metres above the emerald Neretva River.
The war that ravaged the country between 1992 and 1995 saw 100,000 innocent people die, based on recent estimations made by the United States Holocaust Museum. The violence ended with the signing of the Dayton Agreement that put an end to the pluralist state that Bosnia once was. It saw the country divided into three with the Bosnians, Croats and Serbs living apart and divided.
2003 brought limited change, when schools were integrated; seeing children of all ethnicities studying together for the first time in over a decade. Despite this, divisions continue and especially in Mostar where Croats live on the west bank of the Neretva with Bosnians on the east.
It is often said that football is a reflection of the community it serves. This statement is most true for Bosnia, where the Mostar Derby is the perfect example of the divisions within society. The calamities and tragedies witnessed in Mostar may have ended nearly thirty years ago, however the memories live on in the hearts and minds of the city’s residents.
The pain and hurt is often brought to the fore during Mostar’s Mostarski Gradski Derbi, where HŠK Zrinjski and Fudbalski Klub Velež battle it out for bragging rights and the dignity of the ethnic groups they represent.
Sowing the early rivalry seeds
The two clubs share a long rivalry that dates back to the early 20th century, with the first fixture being played in 1922. Since then, the two teams have experienced very different journeys. Zrijnski (who fly the flag for Croatians in Bosnia) was founded in 1905 by a Croatian professor with the purpose of serving ethnic Croats in Bosnia as well as promoting the idea of a Croatian state. The club bears the colours of Croatia on its crest which has led to the team being banned from competition several times.
Following a series of bans in the 1920’s and 1930’s , Zrinjski’s most protracted absence from football came after World War Two when Yugoslav authorities closed the club in relation to its affiliations with Croatia’s fascist wartime government.
The club was re-established in 1992 against the backdrop of war, which saw Zrinjski move into FK Velež’s historic home, the 9000 seater Bijeli Brijeg stadium in the west side of Mostar. It continues to be a focal point for much of the tension at derbies to this day.
Zrinjski can also boast the fact that Luka Modric once played for them. He moved to the Mostar club on loan from Dinamo Zagreb, scoring 8 goals in 22 appearances as well as being crowned Bosnian Premier League player of the year at the age of 18.
While Zrinjski spent most of the second half of the 20th century in exile, FK Velež were busy going about the business of being one of the most successful teams in Yugoslavia. The club, which is famed for having a diverse fan group; has a long tradition of top flight football in both Bosnia and the former Yugoslavia.
Velež won the Yugoslav Cup on two separate occasions in 1981 and 1986 with the club no strangers to European football either, reaching the quarter finals of the UEFA Cup in 1974/75. The period between 1972-1991 saw the ‘Rodženi’ consistently feature in European football. Their performances gained them a higher coefficient ranking than the likes of Roma, PSG and Manchester United between 1988 and 1991.
The Bosnian war brought a halt to official football until 1994 when Velež resumed by taking part in the newly created First League of Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the same time, Zrinjski had to be content with playing unofficial friendly matches abroad as well as taking part in a parallel league created for Croat teams within Bosnia. This was short-lived, as Zrinjski joined the Bosnian Premijer Liga in 2000.
The return of the Mostar Derby
This was also the year in which FK Velež and Zrinjski played each other for the first time in over 50 years. The match, which was officially labelled as a friendly and played in front of 10,000 fans, ended in a 2-2 draw; setting the stage for what was to become a fiery footballing occasion. To this day the Mostar Derby has witnessed 50 clashes, which have seen Zrinjski win a total of 27 games in comparison to Velež’s 16.
Match days themselves are incredibly tense with even higher stakes at play. While the historical context has certainly contributed to the distrust between the two clubs, the effects of the war continue to fuel the hatred in this hotly contested affair.
As is a regular feature of continental clubs, both teams have sets of organised ultras groups that have taken part in criminal actions on behalf of their respective clubs. On match days it is not out of the ordinary to see graffiti relating to the Ustaše (The Croatian fascist paramilitary group that governed Croatia during WWII) or the swastika painted across walls and statues.
A recent event that drew major criticism and controversy saw the desecration of graves belonging to those who fought in the Bosnian War. As briefly mentioned earlier, another flash-point for violence between the ultras is centered around Zrinjski calling Bijeli Brijeg their home. This is viewed as a major insult in the eyes of Velež who lost their stadium in the events leading up to the siege of Mostar which lasted between 1993 and 1994.
A municipal council, called Jugozapad, that was set up during the war on the Croat side of Mostar; decided to hand the keys to the stadium to Zrinjski. The decision did nothing to help bring peace to the city and continues to provide anger and hurt to this day.
Football, like in many post-conflict societies, has exacerbated tensions at times. Zrinjski have always been a team steeped in nationalist sentiment- one that has consistently promoted Croatian statehood that challenges Bosnia’s territorial integrity. It is a club that is proud of its roots and is not afraid to set itself apart from the mainstream. Zrinjski’s fans are also almost exclusively Croatian, having lost its Bosnian fans in light of its association with Croatian rebels during the war in the 1990s.
On the other hand, FK Velež is continuum of what Bosnia used to be during the Yugoslav years. It is staunchly left wing, even sporting a red star on its crest; a symbol closely affiliated with football clubs during the years of communism (cast your minds to Red Star Belgrade’s badge).
Their fan demographic is also a representation of how diverse Bosnia used to be. It is and always has been a club for people from all walks of life regardless of ethnicity. Indeed, during the Yugoslav years, Bosnians, Croats and Serbs could be seen in arms cheering for their beloved ‘Rodženi’.
Zrinjski are by far the most successful team out of the two in the context of modern day football in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Zrinjski have had to fight for their existence throughout history, which has contributed to its staunch nationalism and angry fan mentality. Whether one agrees or disagrees with the views they espouse, the purpose of Zrinjski’s existence is clear cut.
On the other hand, Velež who have won the Premijer Liga once, have experienced somewhat of an identity crisis in the years after the war. Once the multiethnic and multicultural team of Bosnian football, the club has dealt with years of mismanagement on and off the pitch. It resulted in relegation from the top division, which the club is still reeling from despite bouncing back up immediately.
With the differing fortunes of both clubs, the derby may lose its footballing edge in the coming years. Zrinjski continues to consistently finish in the top 3, while Velež are in a prolonged phase of rebuilding. What is clear however, is that the derby which has both local and ethnic implications will continue to be a flashpoint for tension within the fragile Bosnian state.
*The thumbnail photo is courtesy of the writer’s archive
