Borac Banja Luka
FK Borac Banja Luka is a Bosnian professional football club founded on July 4, 1926, based in Banja Luka, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The club currently competes in the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina and plays its home matches at the Banja Luka City Stadium, which has a capacity of 10,030 seats. Throughout its history, Borac has achieved significant success, including winning the Yugoslav Cup in 1988, the Mitropa Cup in 1992, and three Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina titles. The name "Borac" means "Fighter" in Serbian, reflecting the club's fighting spirit and connection to local labor movements.
History
Overview
General information about the club
FK Borac Banja Luka is one of the most popular football clubs in Bosnia and Herzegovina and serves as the main part of the Borac Banja Luka Sports Society. The club's name "Borac" means "Fighter," which reflects its historical roots and connection to local labor movements during the first half of the 20th century. The club was originally named Radnički sportski klub Borac, meaning Labour Sports Club Borac.
Most recent season and achievements
In recent years, Borac has established itself as a competitive force in Bosnian football. The club won the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2020–21 and 2023–24, and achieved a historic milestone in 2024 by becoming the first Bosnian club to progress from the group phase of a European competition. They qualified for the last 16 of the 2024–25 UEFA Conference League after defeating NK Olimpija Ljubljana in a playoff.
History
Early years
The football club Borac Banja Luka was founded on July 4, 1926, by a group of football enthusiasts including the writer, activist and People's Hero of Yugoslavia Veselin Masleša, Rudolf "Rudi" Hiter, Savo Novaković, and others. The name "Borac" was given by Masleša who said: "If you are going to fight for workers' rights, why don't you give the club name Borac?" The club's first president was Rudolf Hiter, with Savo Novaković as vice president.
The club's first success came in 1928 when RSK Borac won a tournament played in Sarajevo. A new stadium was built, with the opening ceremony taking place on September 5, 1937, on the ground of the present-day Banja Luka City Stadium. After World War II, Borac replaced ŠK Krajišnik as the city's main club. In 1945, RSK Borac was renamed FK Borac Banja Luka and played in the Yugoslav Third League before being promoted to the Yugoslav Second League in 1948.
Successful period
In 1961, Borac was promoted to the Yugoslav First League for the first time but was relegated after one season. The club returned to the top flight in the 1970–71 season and stayed for four consecutive seasons. In 1974, Borac achieved the Yugoslav Cup final, losing to Hajduk Split in Belgrade. As runners-up, they qualified for the 1975–76 European Cup Winners' Cup, where they recorded a memorable 9–0 victory against US Rumelange from Luxembourg.
The most successful period in Borac's history came between 1988 and 1992. In 1988, under coach Husnija Fazlić, Borac won the Yugoslav Cup, becoming the only second league club to achieve this feat. They defeated Red Star 1–0 in the final at JNA stadium in Belgrade, with the historic goal scored by Senad Lupić. In 1992, Borac won its first international trophy, the Mitropa Cup, defeating BVSC Budapest 5–3 on penalties in the final in Foggia, Italy.
Crisis and recovery
Following the breakup of Yugoslavia and the Bosnian War, Borac faced challenging times. The club competed in the First League of Republika Srpska, winning the championship three times (2001, 2006, and 2008). In 2002, when the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina was created, Borac became part of the unified national competition system.
Current period
In 2010, Borac won the Bosnia and Herzegovina Cup and finished third in the national championship. The following year, they became champions of Bosnia and Herzegovina with only 4 defeats and 15 conceded goals during 30 matches. Recent successes include winning the Premier League titles in 2020–21 and 2023–24. On August 15, 2024, Borac achieved its first-ever participation in a European club competition by defeating Faroese KÍ Klaksvík 4–3 on aggregate, qualifying for the UEFA Conference League.
Achievements and Honors
Domestic competitions
League Titles: - Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Winners (3): 2010–11, 2020–21, 2023–24 - First League of Republika Srpska: Winners (5): 2000–01, 2005–06, 2007–08, 2016–17, 2018–19
Cup Competitions: - Yugoslav Cup: Winners (1): 1987–88; Runners-up (1): 1974 - Bosnia and Herzegovina Cup: Winners (1): 2009–10; Runners-up (3): 2003–04, 2020–21, 2023–24 - Republika Srpska Cup: Winners (7): 1994–95, 1995–96, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2022–23, 2024–25
Continental and global competitions
European Competitions: - Mitropa Cup: Winners (1): 1992
Borac has participated in various European competitions, including the European Cup Winners' Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Conference League. The club has played a total of twelve games in UEFA competitions and has never lost a European match at its home ground.
Symbols and Colors
Current logo and logo history
Borac Banja Luka's present crest contains the name of the club and the name of the City of Banja Luka in the background, formed from sections colored as the Serbian flag. The year of the club's foundation is located at the top of the crest, and the whole crest is framed in gold color.
Traditional home and away kits colors
Borac Banja Luka's traditional home colors are red and blue with white socks, colors that were contained on the Yugoslav flag. The club has maintained the red-blue shirt for its home kit throughout its history. Traditional away colors are all blue or all red. The club's kit is currently manufactured by Diadora, an Italian sports clothing company, after previously being supplied by Serbian company NAAI.
Traditional club anthem
The source material does not provide specific information about a traditional club anthem.
Traditional Rivals
Željezničar-Borac Banja Luka rivalry
Since the 2008–09 season, when Borac became a standard competitor in the Bosnian Premier League, a great rivalry developed between them and FK Željezničar. Starting from the 2009–10 season, the two teams mainly competed against each other for titles, and attendance almost reached the level of the acclaimed Sarajevo derby. The rivalry has roots in the fact that Sarajevo and Banja Luka are the two biggest cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with Sarajevo being the capital of the country and Banja Luka serving as the de facto capital of Republika Srpska. In their 22 meetings since Bosnia's independence, Željezničar has won 12 times, Borac 7 times, with 3 draws, and a goal difference of 31:19 in favor of Željezničar.
Club Traditions and Behind the Scenes
Sponsors
The club's kit is currently manufactured by Diadora, an Italian sports clothing company, after previously being supplied by NAAI, a long-standing Serbian sports clothing company.
Nicknames
The organized supporters of FK Borac are known as Lešinari (Serbian Cyrillic: Лешинари), and they are the oldest organized supporter group in Republika Srpska, established in 1987.
Ownership and finances
The source material does not provide specific information about current ownership structure and detailed financial information.
Traditions and culture
As one of the most successful football clubs in the country, Borac has always had a considerable number of supporters. The gathering point of the club's most loyal and passionate fans was the East stand of Banja Luka City Stadium until 2017, when it was changed to the North stand. Borac supporters have a good relationship with fans of Vojvodina, known as Firma, and friendship with fans of Genoa.
Stadium
The home stadium of Borac is the Banja Luka City Stadium, which has 10,030 seats and is one of the most modern stadiums in the country. The stadium was built in 1937 with its main donor being Bogoljub Kujundžić, the ban of the Vrbas banovina. Since then, the stadium has undergone several expansions and reconstructions in 1973, 1981, 2010, and 2012.
In 2010, the stadium underwent complete reconstruction with new seats installed on east and west stands, renovated locker rooms, a new VIP lounge and media room, new lighting, sound systems, video surveillance, and renovated trophy and technical rooms. In 2012, the new north stand was built with a capacity of 2,492 seats, increasing the total capacity to 9,730. Plans exist for covering the east stand with a roof and constructing a south stand that will increase total capacity to approximately 13,000 seats.
There are also plans for a new stadium with 30,000 seats covering 205,000 square meters, including two additional football fields and tennis, basketball, and volleyball courts. The estimated cost is €50 million and will meet the highest FIFA and UEFA standards.
Borac Banja Luka
Club Information
Official Name
Borac Banja Luka
Founding Year
1926
Tactical Formation
4-3-3
Stadium Information
Stadium Name
Gradski Stadion, Foca
Capacity
4.000
Address
Branka Radičevića bb
City
Foča, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Surface
grass
Key Personnel
Captain
Srđan Grahovac
Captain's Stats
182cm, 75kg
Head Coach
Vinko Marinović
Head Coach Age
55 Age
Coach Nationality
RS
Recent Honours
| Season | Competition | Achievement |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-2025 | VĐQG Bosnia and Herzegovina | 🏆 2 |
| 2023-2024 | VĐQG Bosnia and Herzegovina | 🏆 1 |
| 2023-2024 | VĐQG Bosnia and Herzegovina | 🏆 2 |
| 2023-2024 | Cúp Quốc Gia Bosnia and Herzegovina | 🏆 2 |
| 2022-2023 | VĐQG Bosnia and Herzegovina | 🏆 2 |
Current Season Stats
| Competition | Rank | Matches | W-D-L | Points |
|---|
Goal Statistics
Premier Liga (BIH)
76 Scored - 20 Conceded
Bosnia Cup
2 Scored - 2 Conceded
Premier Liga (BIH)
59 Scored - 13 Conceded
Europa Conference League (UEFA)
4 Scored - 7 Conceded
Premier Liga (BIH)
68 Scored - 26 Conceded