Fudbalski klub Veleà ¾ Mostar (; English: Football club Veleà ¾ Mostar) is a professional football club based in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Founded in 1922, the club has a history of being one of the most successful clubs from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The club currently plays at RoÃÂeni Stadium (7,000 capacity), but its historic stadium is the Bijeli Brijeg (9,000 capacity). Due to the divisions between Bosniak and Croat territories, Veleà ¾ lost its previous home ground of Bijeli Brijeg in 1992. That stadium was largely used by Veleà ¾ during the glory days of the club, when they triumphed in the 1981 and 1986 Yugoslav Cups. The club also reached the quarter-final stage of the 1974âÂÂ75 UEFA Cup. Veleà ¾ have a bitter rivalry with city neighbours, Hà  K Zrinjski Mostar.
The club is named after a nearby mountain Veleà ¾, which in itself is named after one of the old Slavic gods, Veles.
During the time of former Yugoslavia, Veleà ¾ was always in the Yugoslav First League and the team often ended the season in the top ten. Veleà ¾ was the most popular and most successful team from Herzegovina to play in the top Yugoslav League. The team was very popular in Herzegovina, but also had fans all over Yugoslavia, and had a mixture of fans from all three main ethnic groups.
Today, Veleà ¾ is in the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina and is active in the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina and regardless of the difficult political situation, still has a mixture of fans from all three main ethnic groups. The team was relegated to the First League of the Federation from the Premier League. However, Veleà ¾ was promoted to the top league of the country in 2019, and won the Bosnian Cup in 2022.
In the summer of 2005, the club's assembly returned the five-pointed red star, also known as the petokraka, to their logo. The red star has been the symbol of the club since its founding in 1922.
At the beginning of 1922, drawing on experiences from other parts of the country, an initiative was proposed to establish a workers' sports society in Mostar. The goal was to unite the city's workers and other football fans, while also serving as a focal point for the working class struggle in defense of social and labor rights.
On 26 June 1922, in a suburb of Mostar called Sjeverni logor, Veleà ¾ Mostar were founded with the prefix Rà  D (RadniÃÂko à ¡portsko druà ¡tvo) or Workers' Sports Club. The initiative came from Gojko VukoviÃÂ, a revolutionary and respected citizen of Mostar who, at that time, enjoyed great authority both among workers and among prominent citizens of the city. There were many suggestions for the name, however according to an urban legend the name Veleà ¾ was picked due to the nearby mountain, as there was nothing higher. Veleà ¾'s first kits were black and white due to destitution and poverty. Veleà ¾ only started playing in red after a board member named Vaso Pucariàbrought them from Zagreb. Veleà ¾'s first derby with another club from Mostar, Zrinjski was canceled after Zrinjski's players wanted Veleà ¾'s players to take off the red stars from their kits and Veleà ¾ refused to do so. The club was sympathetic to worker's rights and socialism, which made it a big target from the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, who frequently harassed players and supporters. Before the war there existed a league for clubs within the city: Veleà ¾, Zrinjski, SK Vardar and the JSK (Jugoslovenski sportski klub). Veleà ¾ had won this competition twice in the 1929 and 1930 seasons. At one point during this time 3,500 people were members of Veleà ¾. On 1 September 1940 Veleà ¾ played a friendly versus a team from Podgorica called Crna Gora. After the game players and those in attendance started a protest against the Yugoslav government on the streets of Mostar. Police shot at demonstrators and in 2 days the club was banned. During the Second World War many members of Veleà ¾ joined the Yugoslav Partisans and 77 footballers from Veleà ¾ were said to have lost their lives during the war. 9 players were awarded the Order of the People's Hero award by the new socialist government, 8 of which posthumously. The only living player given the medal was former captain .
After the war ended, the new socialist government banned clubs that participated in football tournaments organized by the Independent State of Croatia, including Zrinjski. Vardar and JSK also disbanded, which left Veleà ¾ as the only active football club in Mostar, a city of 48,000 people by 1948. Before the war, all teams in Mostar played in Sjeverni logor, which was technically owned by JSK. The stadium was in bad shape, there was no boundary between the pitch and the stands and one newspaper outlet said it should be banned to play games in Mostar. In response the city council decided to build a modern stadium for the time in the Bijeli Brijeg suburb; equipped with a training ground, locker rooms and offices for club officials. Between 1947 and 1956 construction was made possible by youth work actions, with some involvement from unions and independent firms. Work stopped at various intervals due to lack of mechanization, but from June 1956 onwards resources that were necessary for completion were given and development of the stadium finished much faster. On 7 September 1958 Veleà ¾ played their first ever game at the Bijeli Brijeg stadium: a 2âÂÂ1 victory versus FK à ½eljezniÃÂar.
In the 1952âÂÂ53 season for the first time ever, Veleà ¾ appeared in the top flight of any league but were relegated. Veleà ¾'s top scorers were Vladimir Zelenika with 9 goals in 11 games and captain Haldun Hrviàwith 7 goals in 22 games. After 2 seasons in the second tier Veleà ¾ were promoted and competed in the 1955âÂÂ56 Yugoslav First League where they finished seventh out of 14 teams. For the duration of the entire Yugoslav First League Veleà ¾ were never relegated again. During the early days of Veleà ¾ in the top flight, one of the most well respected players was Muhamed MujiÃÂ, who played over 400 games and was joint top scorer for the 1955âÂÂ56 season. Because of this he became Veleà ¾'s first player to receive a call up to the SFR Yugoslavia national football team versus Hungary in 1956. He scored 17 goals in 32 appearances, played in Melbourne for the 1956 Olympics and in Chile for the 1962 World Cup but his career with the national team ended abruptly after a bad foul on Soviet player Eduard Dubinski, which indirectly caused Dubinski's death 7 years later. The Yugoslav Football Association sent Mujiàback home and he never played another international game again.
In the 1957âÂÂ58 Yugoslav Cup, Veleà ¾ became the first Bosnian team to reach the final, after beating RadniÃÂki Beograd, RNK Split and Hajduk Split in previous rounds. In front of a crowd of 30,000 at the Stadion JNA, Veleà ¾ lost 4âÂÂ0 after a lacklustre performance that served more as Rajko MitiÃÂ's farewell game than a cup final.
In 1968, former player Sulejman "Sula" Rebac who had played over 500 games for Veleà ¾ became manager. At this point, Veleà ¾ were a steady midtable-team in the first division however under the guidance of Rebac Veleà ¾ would experience a meteoric rise that culminated in reaching the UEFA cup quarterfinals. His first full season in 1968âÂÂ69 saw an 8th-place finish in which the main focus was Rebac successfully utilizing Veleà ¾'s youth team, a tradition Veleà ¾ held right up until the Bosnian War. The first players to come through the academy were goalkeeper Enver Mariàand striker Duà ¡an BajeviÃÂ. They and midfielder Franjo Vladiàwould make up the famous BMV trio (named after the German car manufacturer) which was one of the most prolific partnerships in the history of Bosnian football. The 1969âÂÂ70 season saw Veleà ¾ finish third and Bajeviàjoint top scorer alongside Slobodan Santraàwith 20 goals each. 1970 also saw BajeviÃÂ's first call-up to the national team, a 1âÂÂ1 draw versus Austria in which he scored on his debut. Bajeviàwould go on to make 37 appearances and score 29 goals, including a hat-trick against Zaire in a 9âÂÂ0 demolition during the 1974 World Cup. In the 1972âÂÂ73 Veleà ¾ placed 2nd in the league, their best position yet and qualified for the UEFA cup, their first ever European competition. They were knocked out in the first round to Tatran Preà ¡ov.
The 1973âÂÂ74 season was one of Veleà ¾'s best. In the league, Veleà ¾ were in a neck and neck race with Hajduk Split. After the 32nd and 33rd round, Hajduk and Veleà ¾ had the same number of points; with Hajduk having the better goal difference. On the final day of the season, both won their games and Hajduk won the league on account of goal difference. In Europe the following season, Veleà ¾ won on away goals against Spartak Moscow in the first round and against Rapid Wien in the second round. In the third round they were faced with Derby County, who would go on to win the First Division that season. They lost 3âÂÂ1 in the first leg at the Baseball Ground. Franjo Vladiàscored Veleà ¾'s only goal that day. The second leg at the Bijeli Brijeg stadium featured a remarkable upset. Boro Primorac, another prodigy of Rebac, scored in the 14th minute with a follow-up goal from Vladimir Pecelj in the 29th minute. Vladiàscored in the 51st minute and Veleà ¾ had a 4âÂÂ3 lead. Kevin Hector scored for Derby in the 75th minute and the aggregate was tied at 4âÂÂ4. In the 85th minute Veleà ¾ were awarded a penalty which Duà ¡an Bajeviàscored. The game ended 5âÂÂ4 on aggregate and Veleà ¾ went on to the quarterfinals. There they faced FC Twente, and lost 2âÂÂ1 on aggregate. After the UEFA Cup run, Rebac resigned, while the core of the team was also leaving. Mariàleft for Schalke 04 in 1976, Bajeviàleft to join AEK Athens in 1977, with Vladiàfollowing him in 1979.
With the trio that Veleà ¾ had depended upon now missing, the rest of Veleà ¾'s squad now had a chance to shine: Dà ¾emal Hadà ¾iabdiÃÂ, his younger brother Mili, Marko ÃÂoliÃÂ, Vladimir Pecelj, Jadranko TopiÃÂ, Blaà ¾ Slià ¡koviàbut none were an integral part of post-BMV Veleà ¾ more than Vahid Halilhodà ¾iÃÂ. He scored 253 goals in 376 matches and solidified himself as one of Veleà ¾'s best ever players. During the 1976 transfer window he was a keen transfer target for many important Yugoslav clubs including Partizan, Dinamo Zagreb and Red Star Belgrade because of his performances for the national team, but ultimately stayed at Veleà ¾. The act did not pay off as Veleà ¾ finished 11th, miles off pace compared to the clubs trying to buy Halilhodà ¾iÃÂ. The next 2 seasons saw some improvement, finishing 7th and 5th, respectively. In the 1979âÂÂ80 season, Veleà ¾ finished 8th and the manager at the time, Vukaà ¡in Vià ¡njevac was sacked and replaced with Miloà ¡ MilutinoviÃÂ, famously known as Plava ÃÂigra.
In the league Veleà ¾ finished a lowly 9th place, but their real shining moment came in the cup that season. Veleà ¾ had beaten Borac Banja Luka in the first round 3âÂÂ2, and after a walkover from Sutjeska Nikà ¡iàin the second round, advanced to the quarterfinals where they faced FK Bregalnica à  tip, a lower league side from North Macedonia, and beat them 2âÂÂ0. Veleà ¾ beat BuduÃÂnost Podgorica 2âÂÂ1 in the semi-final and ensured that they would be in the cup final for the first time in 23 years. Their opponents were à ½eljezniÃÂar, who had finished 14th the same season. This tie resulted in the first and only ever all-Bosnian final in the Yugoslav Cup. Halilhodà ¾iàhad signed a contract with French side FC Nantes and would leave Veleà ¾ after the final, no matter the result, but the game was praised for being one of his finest hours for Veleà ¾. After joining Nantes he became one of their most iconic and legendary players and would go on to manage them in 2018. In the cup final, Dragan Okuka scored the winning goal with a header in the 80th minute, and Veleà ¾ won their first ever major trophy, defeating à ½eljezniÃÂar 3-2.
As a result of winning they were admitted into the Cup Winners' Cup, and played their first game in Europe in 6 years. They also took part in the 1980âÂÂ81 Balkans Cup, which they won 12âÂÂ7 on aggregate against Trakia Plovdiv, later Botev Plovdiv. In the 1981âÂÂ82 Cup Winners' Cup beat Jeunesse Esch 7âÂÂ2 on aggregate in the first round and faced Lokomotiv Leipzig in the second, which they lost on penalties. The 1981âÂÂ82 league season saw Veleà ¾ finish 7th and Milutinoviàleft for FK Partizan. Without him, Veleà ¾ struggled and finished 13th, even with the efforts of Vladimir SkoÃÂajià(14 goals) and Duà ¡an Bajevià(11 goals). Bajeviàeventually became manager in 1984. In the 1984âÂÂ85 season Veleà ¾ finished 11th but the next season saw a huge improvement, with Veleà ¾ finishing 3rd, their best season since 1973âÂÂ74. This was largely due to the efforts of a new golden generation including goalkeeper Vukaà ¡in PetranoviÃÂ, defenders Nenad Bijediàand Vladimir MatijeviÃÂ, midfielder Vladimir SkoÃÂajiàand forwards Predrag JuriÃÂ, Sead Kajtaz and Semir Tuce.
Veleà ¾ had another good cup run in the 1985-86 Yugoslav Cup, first beating lower league à ½eljezniÃÂar Doboj 1âÂÂ5 away from home. Rad from Belgrade were beaten 2âÂÂ0 but in the quarterfinals faced tough opponents Partizan. Veleà ¾ fielded an upset winning 5âÂÂ3 on penalties after the game ended 1âÂÂ1 in normal time. In the semi-finals Veleà ¾ faced yet another team from Belgrade, this time OFK Belgrade, which Veleà ¾ beat 3âÂÂ0 at home. In the final they were faced with Dinamo Zagreb, one of the big 4 teams in Yugoslavia led by famous coach Miroslav "ÃÂiro" Blaà ¾eviÃÂ. Nenad Bijediàscored a penalty in the sixth minute with an additional goal in the 51st minute. Marko Mlinariàof Dinamo quickly scored in the 58th minute, but the final score was settled after Predrag Juriàscored in the 87th minute. The performance of Veleà ¾ was so good it caught the eye of the new Yugoslavia national team coach, Ivica Osim who was the manager of à ½eljezniÃÂar during the 1981 cup final. Predrag Juriàwas capped twice following the final and Semir Tuce was capped 7 times and scored 2 goals. Them and Meho Kodro, who was a youth prospect in 1986 would be the last players to play for the Yugoslavia national team while playing for Veleà ¾.
Veleà ¾ had a fantastic performance in the league that season as well, but it was marred by the final matchday. Veleà ¾ lost 2âÂÂ3 to OFK Belgrade at home and it was suspected that Veleà ¾, along with 13 other teams that day was suspected of match fixing. The claim for Veleà ¾'s game was that Veleà ¾ had confirmed themselves a place in the UEFA Cup next season (but played in the Cup Winners' Cup instead) but OFK needed a win to stay up. They were deducted 6 points the following season but come the end of the season the deduction would be overturned.
Veleà ¾ got to participate in the Cup Winners' Cup again and beat Vasas SC in the first round with a 5âÂÂ4 aggregate victory but lost versus Vitosha Sofia (later Levski Sofia) with the same aggregate. In the league Veleà ¾ originally finished 3rd again however courts rejected that any matchfixing took place on the final day of the season. As charges were dropped Veleà ¾'s 6-point deduction would be overturned and finished 2nd instead. This would be the last time Veleà ¾ finished 2nd in the top flight.
Their UEFA Cup campaign began by disposing of Swiss club Sion 5âÂÂ3 on aggregate in the first round. Their next opponent would be West German powerhouse Borussia Dortmund. Reinhard Saftig, Dortmund's coach at the time decided to watch Veleà ¾ play live before the game. The game was a 5âÂÂ0 victory over Red Star Belgrade which is still regarded as a memorable victory by many Veleà ¾ fans. Veleà ¾ ended up losing 2âÂÂ0 away in the first leg however the second leg would be one of Veleà ¾'s most famous victories. Meho Kodro and Predrag Juriàboth scored goals, Semir Tuce missed a penalty, but Frank Mill scored for Dortmund and ended any chance of Veleà ¾ going through, with Dortmund advancing 3âÂÂ2 on aggregate despite losing 2-1 in the second leg. For the 1988âÂÂ89 season Veleà ¾ played their ever last season in a European competition (namely the UEFA Cup). They beat APOEL 6âÂÂ2 on aggregate in the first round and Belenenses 4âÂÂ3 on penalties after 0âÂÂ0 on aggregate in the second round. In the third round they were faced with Heart of Midlothian. They lost 3âÂÂ0 in the first leg away and couldn't overturn the deficit with a 2âÂÂ1 win at home, ending 15 years and 6 seasons in European competitions. In the league Veleà ¾ finished 11th, their worst position in 5 years. The 1988-89 Yugoslav Cup was also the last time Veleà ¾ would appear in a cup final. Veleà ¾ go on to beat lower league opposition in the early rounds including Sileks Kratovo, HNK à  ibenik, Liria Prizren, and Rudar Ljubija (later Rudar Prijedor). In the final Veleà ¾ were thoroughly beaten by Partizan Belgrade 6âÂÂ1; Veleà ¾'s sole goal came from Zijad Repak in the 65th minute.
In 1989, Veleà ¾'s youth team reached the final of the Yugoslav Youth Football Cup for the fourth time (after losing the final in 1969, 1977 and 1987) and won 4âÂÂ1 versus FK Vardar with a team featuring Franjo Dà ¾idiÃÂ, Slaven Musa and Sergej Barbarez. This would be the only piece of silverware ever won by Veleà ¾'s youth team.
On 15 March 1992, Veleà ¾ would play their last ever game at the Bijeli Brijeg stadium; a 2âÂÂ0 win versus FK Zemun. Shortly after the game the Siege of Mostar started, rendering football a dangerous and logistically impossible task. Veleà ¾ were already on the way out of the Yugoslav First League due to Bosnia voting to leave Yugoslavia in an independence referendum at the beginning of the month, and to make matters worse due to Bosnia being independent, the ban on fascist clubs was lifted, which led to Zrinjski being refounded in 1992. After the war, a new municipality within Mostar called Jugozapad (eng. Southwest) awarded the Bijeli Brijeg stadium to Zrinjski, which would lead to controversy for the next few years. Zrinjski had positioned themselves as a club specifically for Croats, which led to a large number of Veleà ¾'s supporters abandoning them (Veleà ¾ were a multiethnic club for all of their history, including players of Bosniak, Serb and Croat origin). Veleà ¾ didn't play another game until 1994, when they were placed in the "Zenica Group" of the 1994âÂÂ95 First League of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a wartime cuplike competition. Veleà ¾ lost their first game 3âÂÂ0 to Slaven à ½ivinice and things didn't improve, they lost their next 2 games and exited the competition along with NK ÃÂerzelez as the only 2 teams who lost all of their games.
For the 1995âÂÂ96 season which transitioned football in Bosnia to a proper league system (albeit with three leagues competing on ethnic lines) all teams needed to compete on their own stadium. After friendlies in Sjeverni logor and Jablanica Veleà ¾ chose VrapÃÂiÃÂi, on the very outskirts of Mostar. The next few seasons would be rough as Veleà ¾ finished 14th in 1995âÂÂ96 and 10th in 1996âÂÂ97 and 1997âÂÂ98. For the last season mentioned a playoff system was introduced between the Bosniak and Croat clubs where the best of each league played against each other to determine a true champion in Bosnian football. In 1998âÂÂ99 Veleà ¾ pulled off a shock result by qualifying to the playoffs. To mark the occasion Veleà ¾ demanded to play at the Bijeli Brijeg stadium, however after the Office of the High Representative (OHR) rejected the appeal, Veleà ¾ and other teams boycotted the playoff for that season. Veleà ¾ later qualified for the inaugural season of the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the first post-war competition not based on ethnic lines where they finished 5th in their first season. The next season saw an 8th-place finish but the 2002âÂÂ03 season saw a relegation into the second tier for the first time since 1952.
In the second tier Veleà ¾ were a strong contender for promotion, first in the 2003âÂÂ04 season, however a goal in injury time for BuduÃÂnost BanoviÃÂi ensured that they would be promoted instead of Veleà ¾. In 2004âÂÂ05 another title challenge was mounted but a 2âÂÂ1 loss versus Rudar Kakanj made sure Jedinstvo Bihaàwould get promoted. In 2005âÂÂ06 Veleà ¾ were finally promoted, 14 points clear of second placed Rudar Kakanj.
For the next few seasons Veleà ¾ would be a consistent midtable team in the Premier League with no major cup runs until the 2011âÂÂ12 season, when Veleà ¾ defeated Travnik 3âÂÂ2 away in the first round and faced local rivals Zrinjski in the next round. The game originally ended 1âÂÂ0 to Veleà ¾ when Riad Demiàscored in the 93rd minute which resulted in a pitch invasion from Zrinjski fans. This meant the game ended 3âÂÂ0 to Veleà ¾ and the Bijeli Brijeg stadium was suspended for 5 games. The second leg ended 2âÂÂ0 to Veleà ¾ and they would book themselves a place in the quarterfinals versus HNK Branitelj, which they won 3âÂÂ1 on aggregate. As a result, Veleà ¾ appeared in the cup semi-finals for the first time since 1998. They ended up losing 2âÂÂ0 on aggregate to à  iroki Brijeg and Veleà ¾'s best cup run in 15 years was over. In the 2013âÂÂ14 season Veleà ¾ finished in 5th place, 3 points away from European football, the highest since the leagues in Bosnia were reunified.
In June 2015, Veleà ¾ were bought out by president of the Bosnian Social Democratic Party, Nermin Nikà ¡iÃÂ. Things quickly turned worse as the club failed to organize friendlies, pay player's wages, repeatedly fired coaches and fans got involved in brawls with opposing players. Veleà ¾ ended the 2015âÂÂ16 season in last place with only 9 points out of 30 games, which is one of the worst records in any top-flight league. The Nikà ¡iàboard and subsequent emergency board was eventually replaced by a board led by à  emsudin HasiÃÂ, director of local pharmaceutical company Hercegovinalijek. That didn't mean the 2016âÂÂ17 season started off easy. After 8 games Veleà ¾ had not won a single game and were in 15th place out of 16 teams. The previous coach Avdo Kalajdà ¾iàwas sacked and replaced with Ibrahim RahimiÃÂ, who had previously played for and coached Veleà ¾. Veleà ¾ miraculously stayed up on the final day of the season and FK Goraà ¾de were relegated instead of them. Between seasons the stadium "VrapÃÂiÃÂi" changed their name to "Stadion RoÃÂeni" named after fans of Veleà ¾.
For the 2017âÂÂ18 season, thanks to new signings such as Elmir KuduzoviÃÂ, Hamza Meà ¡anoviàand Minel DoljanÃÂiÃÂ, Veleà ¾ wrapped up a 3rd place spot.
For the 2018âÂÂ19 season, Veleà ¾ signed many attackers like attacking midfielder Edo VehaboviÃÂ, right winger Obren Cvijanoviàand striker Nusmir FajiÃÂ. The push to more attacking football worked as Veleà ¾ went the whole first part of the season (15 games) unbeaten and Fajiàhimself scored 18 goals. Things turned sour after a controversial away game versus Goraà ¾de, where multiple refereeing errors lead to Goraà ¾de scoring the only goal of the game and Veleà ¾ losing the unbeaten run record. Multiple former players including Velibor Pudar, Vahid Halilhodà ¾iàand Dà ¾emal Hadà ¾iabdiàexpressed support for overturning the result but the FA adopted the original scoreline and 8.0 rating for the referees (7 or lower would mean suspension). Veleà ¾ overcame this and won the First League 7 points ahead of their nearest rivals Olimpik, who were at one point only 1 point behind Veleà ¾. Veleà ¾ also finished with a record 76 points and Nusmir Fajiàscored a record 28 goals in one season. Another record broken that season was the final game played between Veleà ¾ and Igman Konjic, a match that had an attendance of 7,000, one of the highest in the new stadium.
Veleà ¾'s return to the top flight was not as glamorous as anticipated as they lost their first three games to Mladost Doboj Kakanj, Zrinjski and ÃÂelik Zenica. Rahimiàresigned and FeÃÂa Dudiàwas chosen as the next manager. His first game featured the debut of Macedonian centre-back Kosta Manev, who was cited as one of Veleà ¾'s best players that season. DudiÃÂ's first game as manager was a 0âÂÂ0 draw against Sloboda Tuzla and Veleà ¾ picked up its first point in the season. Veleà ¾ picked up several wins against teams like à  iroki Brijeg, à ½eljezniÃÂar, Borac Banja Luka and Zrinjski in the rematch later that season. The season would ultimately be abandoned after 22 of the planned 33 games had been played due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, the following season saw Veleà ¾'s fortune turn with a return to European competition, finishing 3rd in the league and qualifying for the first iteration of the UEFA Europa Conference League. In the Conference League qualifying rounds, Veleà ¾ eliminated semi-professional Northern Irish club Coleraine and Greek giants AEK Athens, before themselves getting eliminated by Swedish side IF Elfsborg in the third qualifying round. In the 2021âÂÂ22 season, Veleà ¾ won the first Bosnian Cup title in their history, after a penalty shoot-out, following a 0âÂÂ0 draw against Sarajevo.
Following FeÃÂa Dudiàleaving Veleà ¾ at the end of the 2021âÂÂ22 season, the club appointed Amar Osim, one of the most successful Bosnian football managers, as its new manager on 11 June 2022.
FK Veleà ¾'s main rival is Hà  K Zrinjski Mostar, the other team from Mostar. The match between the two Mostar teams is called the Mostar derby. The first match between Veleà ¾ Mostar and Zrinjski was played during the 1920s, but when Zrinjski was banned (from 1945 to 1992) for playing in the fascist league during World War II, the rivalry stopped. During Veleà ¾'s glory days in the Yugoslav First League, they were the only major club from Mostar and were supported by all people from the city of Mostar. After the war Zrinjski was reformed, and they became a symbol of the Croatian side of Mostar (west side) and Veleà ¾ become a symbol of the Bosniak side (east side). On 1 March 2000, Zrinjski and Veleà ¾ played a friendly game, for the first time after Zrinjski was reformed. The game was played in Sarajevo and the result was a 2âÂÂ2 draw. The first official league game was played on 18 August 2000 at the Bijeli Brijeg Stadium. Zrinjski won 2âÂÂ0.
The rivalry is both local and ethnic. FK Veleà ¾ and their fans, called Red Army are predominantly Bosniaks, while Zrinjski and their fans called Ultras are Croats. Making the rivalry bigger is the fact that Zrinjski stadium was Veleà ¾'s stadium during their glory days in Yugoslavia, but because of the war, Veleà ¾ was forced to move from their stadium, which was located in the western part of Mostar, and build a new stadium on the other side of the city.
Veleà ¾ supporters are famous for their loyalty and passion, and they follow their club wherever it plays. There are few groups of Veleà ¾ supporters. The most famous are Red Army Mostar and Mostarski RoÃÂeni.
Since the late 1970s up until the Bosnian War of 1992âÂÂ1995, Veleà ¾ has been consistently ranked on the UEFA Team Rankings. While the club has often reached ranks of top 100âÂÂ200 teams, on some occasions the UEFA has ranked Veleà ¾ among the top 100 teams. In 1989 Veleà ¾ was ranked at the 43rd place on the UEFA Team Ranking List which also marks the highest UEFA ranking achieved by any football club from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
<small>(This summary does not include matches played in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, which was not endorsed by UEFA and is not counted in UEFA's official European statistics.)</small>
<small>Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against</small>
<small>(Veleà ¾ score always listed first. Source:)</small>
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The official anthem of FK Veleà ¾ Mostar is RoÃÂeni, roÃÂeni (RoÃÂeni, RoÃÂeni) by à ½eljko Samardà ¾iÃÂ. The text was written by Milenko Mià ¡o MariÃÂ. The music was composed by Kemal Monteno. The first demo recording was done after the Marshall Tito Yugoslav Cup final in 1981 against à ½eljezniÃÂar. For the first time, the official club anthem was played before the final of the Marshall Tito Yugoslav Cup in 1986 against GNK Dinamo Zagreb. It was also played live at the Bijeli Brijeg Stadium by à ½eljko Samardà ¾iàin 1987 before the Uefa cup game against Borussia Dortmund. The official anthem of the club's ultras group Red Army Mostar is Ili grmi il' se zemlja trese (Ili grmi il' se zemlja trese) by MO Selection Band. Later, a band called Red Army Band recorded seven songs that quickly became popular among Veleà ¾ fans. Other artists did the same too, so today there are a lot of recorded songs about the red club from Mostar.
In 1965, to commemorate 20 years of the liberation of Mostar by Yugoslav partisans, a football tournament was organized by Veleà ¾ and the city's government at the Bijeli Brijeg stadium. It was held every year from 1965 and 1992, ending due to the outbreak of the Bosnian War and Veleà ¾ no longer being able to play on the Bijeli Brijeg stadium. The tournament was revived in 2023 with U-19 youth teams, but the organizers said they hope to return to senior teams as soon as possible.
The tournament featured many notable club and national teams, the latter of which included Poland and the Soviet Union. Veleà ¾ has won 16 editions of the February Tournament, 15 of which with their senior team. That is more than all other winning teams combined. In addition to this, Veleà ¾'s own Duà ¡an Bajeviàholds the record for most appearances, as well as most goals in the tournament.