Sarajevo derby


The Sarajevo derby, also known as the Eternal derby, is the name given to any football match between rival clubs [FK FK Željezničar Sarajevo|Željezničar Sarajevo|Željezničar] and FK Sarajevo, the two primary clubs in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the most viewed annual sporting event in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Željezničar leads in head-to-head results in competitive matches with 48 wins to Sarajevo's 47 with 62 draws. Along with Zrinjski and Široki Brijeg, they are the only clubs in the Bosnian Premier League to have never been relegated.
This fixture is not only Bosnia and Herzegovina's premier football rivalry, but it has also been recognized internationally, being featured among FourFourTwo’s 50 Biggest Derbies in the World.

History

The history of the Sarajevo derby dates back to 1954, but the rivalry began eight years earlier. At the end of the World War II the three major clubs in Sarajevo, Đerzelez, [NK NK SAŠK Napredak|SAŠK Napredak|SAŠK] and [FK FK Slavija Sarajevo|Slavija Sarajevo|Slavija], were disbanded by the new authorities which formed FK Sarajevo in 1946. Since the idea was for this new club to represent the city on a national level, SD Torpedo, as initially FK Sarajevo was called, needed the best players from the city. Numerous notable players were brought to the club, and they received good salaries for that time. On the other side, FK Željezničar Sarajevo is a club which was formed by a group of railway workers much earlier, in 1921. However, until then, during the pre-war period, they were in the shadow of Đerzelez, SAŠK and Slavija and had never managed to qualify to the Yugoslav Championship. Željezničar won the second-tier Bosnian championship title in 1946, as part of the Yugoslav football league system, and that achievement marked the beginning of their climb. After the war, these two clubs became the most prominent and successful clubs in Sarajevo, and since then, the rivalry between the two has been intense.
FK Sarajevo supporters were considered to be upper-class individuals, mainly from Bosniak dominated old and central parts of town. On the other side, supporters of FK Željezničar were usually working-class with a liberal image. Those differences were later partly erased. FK Željezničar still has the image of a liberal club and they are also popular among other supporters in the region, while FK Sarajevo's support outside Sarajevo comes mostly from the Bosniak dominated areas in the region and diaspora.
Since they played in different levels, the first matches between FK Željezničar and FK Sarajevo were friendlies. The first official league match was held in 1954; FK Sarajevo won 6–1. That is still the biggest victory by any team in these matches.
As of 7 December 2025, 137 league matches have been played. Željezničar have won 40 times, Sarajevo have won 39 times, while 58 matches have ended in a draw. Goal difference is 158:154 in Sarajevo's favour. In all competitions, Željezničar and Sarajevo have played 157 times, Željezničar have won 48 times, Sarajevo have won 47 times and 62 games have ended in a draw.

All competitions

The Sarajevo derby is currently played four times a year in the Premier League, but they may also play against one another in other competitions. There are also friendly matches and games played in various tournaments. Although these games are not included in official statistics.

Bosnian Premier League head-to-head ranking

• Total: FK Sarajevo 18 times higher, FK Željezničar 12 times higher.

Records

  • Most appearances: Slobodan Janjuš – 21
  • Best goalscorers: Asim Ferhatović, Dželaludin Muharemović – 6 goals
  • Record win: Željezničar – Torpedo 9:1
  • Biggest attendance: 55,000
  • Double victory : Željezničar ; Sarajevo ;
  • Longest unbeaten run: 11 games
  • Longest unbeaten run : 17 games
  • Longest unbeaten run : 6 games
  • Longest winning run: 3 games
  • Longest winning run : 3 games
  • Longest winning run : Two games by both teams on several occasions;
  • Radmilo Mihajlović is the only player to score a hat-trick.
Note that only league matches are included in statistics. Cup, other tournaments and friendly matches are not included.

Fans

ClubUltrasStand
FK ŽeljezničarThe ManiacsSouth
FK SarajevoHorde ZlaNorth

Sarajevo derby fans are known for their cheering and choreography. Both sides of fans prepare between the matches and make large flags and special messages that are appropriate for that particular occasion that are usually directed towards the opposing side.
FK Željezničar's most passionate fans are called Manijaci because their love for the club is on the edge of insanity, so it is said. They are located on the South side of Grbavica Stadium. The older fans ones are known affectionately as the Košpicari.
FK Sarajevo's most passionate fans are called the Horde Zla after the popular Zagor comic book. At their home games at the Asim Ferhatović - Hase Stadium, they are located on the North stands, while the older fans are known as the Pitari and they are mainly on the East side.

Results 1946–1992

#DateStadiumHomeScoreAwayReportWatch on YouTube
129 December 1946Stadion 6. aprilŽeljezničar9–1Torpedo
230 August 1978GrbavicaŽeljezničar4–0Sarajevo
310 March 1982KoševoSarajevo1–2Željezničar42,000 attn.

League Results 1992–present

#DateStadiumHomeScoreAwayReportWatch on YouTube
114 September 1994Bilino Polje, ZenicaFK Željezničar1–1FK Sarajevo
215 November 1995KoševoFK Sarajevo5–0FK Željezničar
32 May 1996GrbavicaFK Željezničar1–1FK Sarajevo
422 September 1996GrbavicaFK Željezničar1–1FK Sarajevo
516 April 1997KoševoFK Sarajevo1–0FK Željezničar
626 October 1997GrbavicaFK Željezničar1–2FK Sarajevo
73 May 1998KoševoFK Sarajevo1–1FK Željezničar
85 June 1998KoševoFK Sarajevo0–1FK Željezničar
98 August 1998KoševoFK Sarajevo3–1FK Željezničar
1014 March 1999GrbavicaFK Željezničar1–2FK Sarajevo
1110 October 1999GrbavicaFK Željezničar2–0FK Sarajevo
126 May 2000KoševoFK Sarajevo4–1FK Željezničar
1323 September 2000GrbavicaFK Željezničar1–0FK Sarajevo
1428 April 2001KoševoFK Sarajevo0–3FK Željezničar
1511 November 2001KoševoFK Sarajevo2–2FK Željezničar
164 May 2002GrbavicaFK Željezničar1–0FK Sarajevo
1722 September 2002GrbavicaFK Željezničar1–1FK Sarajevo
1813 April 2003KoševoFK Sarajevo1–1FK Željezničar
195 October 2003KoševoFK Sarajevo1–1FK Željezničar
2030 April 2004GrbavicaFK Željezničar2–1FK Sarajevo
2130 October 2004KoševoFK Sarajevo0–1FK Željezničar
2230 April 2005GrbavicaFK Željezničar1–1FK Sarajevo
2315 October 2005KoševoFK Sarajevo0–0FK Željezničar
245 April 2006GrbavicaFK Željezničar0–1FK Sarajevo
2530 September 2006GrbavicaFK Željezničar0–1FK Sarajevo
2621 April 2007KoševoFK Sarajevo2–1FK Željezničar
276 October 2007GrbavicaFK Željezničar0–0FK Sarajevo
2819 April 2008KoševoFK Sarajevo0–0FK Željezničar
298 November 2008KoševoFK Sarajevo0–0FK Željezničar
309 May 2009GrbavicaFK Željezničar2–0FK Sarajevo
317 November 2009GrbavicaFK Željezničar1–2FK Sarajevo
3215 May 2010KoševoFK Sarajevo0–0FK Željezničar
3324 October 2010GrbavicaFK Željezničar0–0FK Sarajevo
347 May 2011KoševoFK Sarajevo0–0FK Željezničar
355 November 2011GrbavicaFK Željezničar1–0FK Sarajevo
3612 May 2012KoševoFK Sarajevo2–2FK Željezničar
373 November 2012KoševoFK Sarajevo1–0FK Željezničar
388 May 2013GrbavicaFK Željezničar0–0FK Sarajevo
3930 October 2013KoševoFK Sarajevo0–0FK Željezničar
404 May 2014GrbavicaFK Željezničar1–1FK Sarajevo
412 November 2014GrbavicaFK Željezničar1–2FK Sarajevo
4216 May 2015KoševoFK Sarajevo0–0FK Željezničar,
434 October 2015GrbavicaFK Željezničar1–0FK Sarajevo,
4424 April 2016KoševoFK Sarajevo0–1FK Željezničar,
4523 July 2016GrbavicaFK Željezničar1–1FK Sarajevo,
4616 October 2016KoševoFK Sarajevo0–0FK Željezničar,
4715 April 2017GrbavicaFK Željezničar0–0FK Sarajevo,
4820 May 2017KoševoFK Sarajevo1–0FK Željezničar,
4919 August 2017KoševoFK Sarajevo0–1FK Željezničar
5027 November 2017GrbavicaFK Željezničar2–1FK Sarajevo
5115 April 2018KoševoFK Sarajevo0–0FK Željezničar
5219 May 2018GrbavicaFK Željezničar2–1FK Sarajevo
5315 August 2018GrbavicaFK Željezničar2–2FK Sarajevo,
543 November 2018KoševoFK Sarajevo2–1FK Željezničar,
556 April 2019GrbavicaFK Željezničar0–3FK Sarajevo,
5631 August 2019GrbavicaFK Željezničar5–2FK Sarajevo
5730 November 2019KoševoFK Sarajevo1–3FK Željezničar,
584 November 2020KoševoFK Sarajevo1–1FK Željezničar
591 March 2021GrbavicaFK Željezničar0–0FK Sarajevo
601 May 2021KoševoFK Sarajevo3–1FK Željezničar
6122 September 2021KoševoFK Sarajevo2–0FK Željezničar
625 March 2022GrbavicaFK Željezničar2–0FK Sarajevo
6310 May 2022KoševoFK Sarajevo1–1FK Željezničar
6426 August 2022GrbavicaFK Željezničar2–2FK Sarajevo
658 March 2023Bosnian FA Training Centre, ZenicaFK Sarajevo0–0FK Željezničar
6612 May 2023KoševoFK Sarajevo2–2FK Željezničar
678 October 2023KoševoFK Sarajevo3–0FK Željezničar
683 March 2024GrbavicaFK Željezničar3–0FK Sarajevo
6914 April 2024GrbavicaFK Željezničar0–0FK Sarajevo
7025 September 2024KoševoFK Sarajevo1–1FK Željezničar
7122 February 2025GrbavicaFK Željezničar0–0FK Sarajevo
7227 April 2025KoševoFK Sarajevo2–1FK Željezničar
7327 September 2025GrbavicaFK Željezničar2–0FK Sarajevo
747 December 2025KoševoFK Sarajevo4–0FK Željezničar

Little derby

Both the two big Sarajevo clubs have a rivalry with Slavija Sarajevo, a club dominated by Bosnian Serbs in eastern Sarajevo.
Another football club from Sarajevo was Olimpik; located in the neighbourhood of Otoka, but their support group was very small.
Olimpik's games between its rivals, FK Sarajevo and FK Željezničar, in town were known as the little town derby .