Nogometni klub 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 Bosnia and Herzegovina 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 consecutive seasons (1994 to 1997). The club also won consecutive national cups in 1995 and 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 once a joint winner of the UEFA Intertoto Cup.
In addition, Čelik is the only fan-owned football club in Bosnia and Herzegovina where club members democratically elect its leadership. Today, the club is active in the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
History The club was 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 metallurgical industry.
Čelik was relegated from the Bosnian Premier League for the first time ever in the 2019–20 season. Subsequently, 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. In 2023, Čelik got promoted to the First League of FBiH, the second level of football in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The club then managed to earn promotion back to the Premier League in the 2025–26 season.
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.
Grounds
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).
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 when Fiorentina would unsuccessfully contest the 1971 title holder Čelik, 1–0. The attendance record of 35,000 still stands today due to the introduction of seats in 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 where the pitch was changed with under-soil heating installed. During the renovation, 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
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.
Honours Domestic League First League of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Winners (3): 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97 First League of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Winners (1): 2025–26 Second League of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Winners (1): 2022–23 Yugoslav Second League: Winners (4): 1965–66 (west), 1978–79 (west), 1982–83 (west), 1984–85 (west)
Cups Bosnia and Herzegovina Cup: Winners (2): 1994–95, 1995–96 Runners-up (2): 2010–11, 2013–14
European Intertoto Cup: Winners (1): 1975 (group 10) Mitropa Cup: Winners (2): 1970–71, 1971–72 Runners-up (2): 1972–73, 1979–80
Recent seasons SeasonLeagueCupEuropeDivisionPWDLFAPtsPos1994–95First LeagueZenica Group330013391stWinnersFirst LeagueFinal Play-off33007391st1995–96First League3021546523681stWinners1996–97First League3017765723581stSF1997–98First LeagueBosniaks First League3016864830532ndR16First LeaguePlay-off20022706th1998–99First League30133144747429thQF1999–2000First League3013894536559thR16Current format of Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina2000–01Premier League422110117540734thQF2001–02Premier League30127113930436thSFUEFA Intertoto Cup – R22002–03Premier League381610126133585thR12003–04Premier League309101142433712thR22004–05Premier League301321529374113thR22005–06Premier League301051533453514thR12006–07Premier League301231529353914thSF2007–08Premier League30164103832523rdR22008–09Premier League301251329324110thR1UEFA Intertoto Cup – R12009–10Premier League301051033365013thR22010–11Premier League301171230304010thRunners-up2011–12Premier League30810123139349thQF2012–13Premier League3014974430514thQF2013–14Premier League30101373532437thRunners-up2014–15Premier League30101193435667thR22015–16Premier League30121083528466thR22016–17Premier League328111328393510thR12017–18Premier League32842030612811thR22018–19Premier League331110123049437thR12019–20Premier League22551217331711th ↓R12020–21League of Zenica-Doboj Canton181620655501st ↑ 2021–22Second League of FBiH - Center3021637921663rd 2022–23Second League of FBiH - Center3026319212811st ↑R22023–24First League of FBiH30121084031464thR12024–25First League of FBiH2813694029453rdR22025–26First League of FBiH2617815219591st ↑R2
European record CompetitionPWDLGFGAGDUEFA Intertoto Cup6402119+2Total6402119+2 P = 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 Season Competition Round Opponent Home Away Agg.2001UEFA Intertoto Cup1R Denizlispor1–05–36–32R Gent1–00–21–22008UEFA Intertoto Cup1R Grbalj3–21–24–4 (a)
Players Current squad
Out on loan
Notable managers
DatesNameHonours1970–1971 Dušan Varagić 1970–71 Mitropa Cup1971–1972 Midhat Mujkić1971–72 Mitropa Cup1974–1975 Marcel Žigante1975 Intertoto Cup (Joint Winner)1992–1996 Nermin Hadžiahmetović1994–95 Bosnian Championship 1994–95 Bosnian Cup 1995–96 Bosnian Championship 1995–96 Bosnian Cup1996–1997 Kemal Hafizović1996–97 Bosnian Championship
Notes
References
External links
Čelik at UEFA.com