FK Sarajevo

Fudbalski klub Sarajevo (Serbo-Croatian Cyrillic: Фудбалски клуб Сарајево; IPA: [fûdbalskiː klûːb ˈsarajɛvo], English: Sarajevo Football Club), is a professional football club based in Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina and is one of the most successful clubs in the country.

Founded on 24 October 1946, FK Sarajevo was the most successful club from SR Bosnia and Herzegovina in Yugoslavia, winning two Yugoslav First League titles, finishing runners-up on two other occasions, reaching the Yugoslav Cup final twice and placing 6th in the Yugoslav First League all-time table.

Today, FK Sarajevo is one of the most prominent members of the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina, where it has won five Bosnian championships, eight Bosnian Cups and one Bosnian Supercup. Furthermore, the club finished runners-up in the national championship another seven times. It is ranked first in the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina all-time table. FK Sarajevo is the most popular football club in the country, alongside FK Željezničar, with whom it shares a fierce rivalry in the Sarajevo derby, often called the Eternal derby (Bosnian: Vječiti derbi). This fixture is not only Bosnia’s premier football rivalry, but it has also been recognized internationally, being featured among FourFourTwo’s 50 Biggest Derbies in the World.

The club plays its home matches at the Asim Ferhatović Hase Stadium, also known as the Koševo Stadium, named after legendary club striker Asim Ferhatović, and located in the city's Koševo neighborhood. The stadium has a current capacity of 30,121 and is the largest in the country. FK Sarajevo also operates the Butmir Training Centre in the Ilidža municipality, a state-of-the-art facility spanning 70,000 m² and opened in 2015. The centre includes multiple FIFA-standard pitches, modern fitness and rehabilitation infrastructure, and serves as the training base for the men’s, women’s, and youth teams.

The traditional colours of the club are maroon and white, with the home kit traditionally consisting of a maroon shirt, white shorts, and maroon socks - a combination that has become one of the most iconic and recognizable in Yugoslav and Bosnian sports. The club’s historic nickname is the Maroon-Whites (Bosnian: Bordo-bijeli), in reference to its traditional maroon and white colours. Over the decades, the club has also been affectionately known as the Sarajevan Aghas (Bosnian: Age Sarajlije), a nickname that alludes both to the Ottoman-era aghas and to a well-known sevdalinka, "Vino piju nane age Sarajlije", which nostalgically evokes the city’s cultural identity. In recent years, another popular nickname has emerged: The Giants (Bosnian: Divovi), inspired by Benjamin Isović’s football ballad, "Mi smo divovi" (English: We Are Giants), which subsequently became the club’s official anthem.

In addition to its domestic achievements, FK Sarajevo is widely regarded as the most significant exporter of footballing talent in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The club holds seven out of the ten highest player transfer fees in the history of Bosnian football, underlining its role as an incubator of talent for European leagues. The club’s success in the transfer market is largely attributed to its renowned youth academy, which has consistently produced top-tier talent for both domestic competitions and European clubs.

Beyond its sporting achievements, FK Sarajevo holds a significant role in the social and cultural landscape of the capital. The club reflects Sarajevo’s multicultural character and has a broad support base representing diverse communities within the city and the wider region.