First League of Bosnia and Herzegovina

After a breakup of Yugoslavia Bosnia and Herzegovina proclaimed independence in late winter 1992, and already in April same year N/FSBiH applied for membership with FIFA and UEFA.[1] Meanwhile, due to the outbreak of Bosnian War in April 1992 no games were played in the 1992–93 season. In late 1993 some parts of the country re-launched football competitions with reduced scope. But just as the country was divided along ethnic lines, so was football.

In 1993 Bosnian Croats launched the First League of Herzeg-Bosnia in which only Croatian clubs competed on parochial scale within the limits of West Herzegovina and few other enclaves. In the same year Bosnian Serbs also organized their own First League of the Republika Srpska, on a territory held by Republika Srpska regime at the time. Only football on a territory under the control of then Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina institutions and auspices of N/FSBiH, at the time consequently with Bosniak majority, apart from a brief competition for the season 1994–95 (won by Čelik Zenica), came to a standstill.[2] Competition under auspices of N/FSBiH did not resume until 1995–96 season when the First League of Bosnia and Herzegovina was launched.[1]

These three separate football leagues were operating in Bosnia and Herzegovina until 1998, and 2000. Since FIFA and UEFA showed support only for the association operating under patronage of the official and internationally recognized state institutions, during the war and prior to Dayton Peace Agreement as well as after its signedge, they endorsed unification of all three organizations as N/FSBiH. This also came as a consequence of FIFA decision to recognize N/FSBiH already in July 1996, while in the same year UEFA admitted N/FSBiH as an adjacent member until 1998 when they recognized its full membership. This meant that only N/FSBiH clubs and its national team could compete at the international and official level.[1][2]

Final unification has been preceded by several stages. At first was created a playoff where clubs were playing for the champion under N/FSBiH auspices. Idea was that playoff under unified N/FSBiH auspices should bring together clubs competing under three separate organizations for the first time but was rejected by Serb association, leaving clubs from Croat football association and N/FSBiH participating playoff for the seasons 1997–98 and 1999–00, while 1998–99 playoff was canceled due to Croat's association hesitation on the decision on which stadiums games should be played. Next season playoff was resumed for the last time prior to full and final agreement on unified N/FSBiH and its competition, Premier League BiH (Premijer Liga), in the fall 2000.[2]

In a way, since 1997 season until creation of Premier League for the season 2000-2001, First League of Bosnia and Herzegovina became a two divisions league, with Bosnian Croats' football organization First League of Herceg-Bosnia and N/FSBiH's First League of Bosnia and Herzegovina acting as separate divisions until end of the season, after which champion was decided through playoff between four clubs - two first placed form both leagues.

Champions of First League of Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1994 and 2000 under N/FSBiH auspices:[2]

• 1994–95 - Čelik - "Champion of BiH"
• 1995–96 - Čelik - "Champion of BiH"
• 1996–97 - Čelik - "Champion of BiH"
• 1997–98 - Bosna Visoko - "Champion of First League of Bosnia and Herzegovina" (first round)
• 1997–98 - Željezničar - "Champion of First League of Bosnia and Herzegovina" (Play-Offs) - Official champions
• 1998–99 - Sarajevo - "Champion of BiH"
• 1999–2000 - Jedinstvo Bihać - "Champion of First League of Bosnia and Herzegovina" (first round)
• 1999–2000 - Brotnjo - "Champion of First League of Bosnia and Herzegovina" (Play-Offs) - Official champions

Champions of First League of Herzeg-Bosnia under auspices of Bosnian Croats' football organization:

• 1993–94 - Široki Brijeg[3] – Mario Prskalo (10 goals, Široki Brijeg)
• 1994–95 - Široki Brijeg – Anđelko Marušić (15, Široki Brijeg)
• 1995–96 - Široki Brijeg – Mario Marušić (15, Grude), Dejan Džepina (15, Novi Travnik)
• 1996–97 - Široki Brijeg – Anđelko Marušić (21, Široki Brijeg)
• 1997–98 - Široki Brijeg – Stanko Bubalo (31, Široki Brijeg)
• 1998–99 - Posušje – Slađan Filipović (19, Široki Brijeg)
• 1999–00 - Posušje – Robert Ristovski (18, Kiseljak)

Champions of First League of the Republika Srpska under auspices of Bosnian Serbs' football organization:

Season	Champion	Runners Up	Top Goalscorer	Club	Goals
1995–96	Boksit Milići	Rudar Prijedor	Siniša Đurić Zoran Majstorović	Kozara Gradiška Boksit Milići	16 Goals 16 Goals
1996–97	Rudar Ugljevik	Sloga Trn	Mladen Zgonjanin Marić	Sloga Trn Glasinac Sokolac	14 Goals 14 Goals
1997–98	Rudar Ugljevik	Borac Banja Luka	Nikola Bala	Rudar Ugljevik	31 Goals
1998–99	Radnik Bijeljina	Rudar Ugljevik	Mladen Zgonjanin	Sloga Trn	23 Goals
1999–00	Boksit Milići	Rudar Ugljevik	Nedo Zdjelar	Sloboda Novi Grad	29 Goals
2000–01	Borac Banja Luka	Sloboda Novi Grad	Milanko Đerić	Boksit Milići	26 Goals
2001–02	Leotar Trebinje	Kozara Gradiška	Pavle Delibašić Siniša Jovanović	Leotar Trebinje Glasinac Sokolac	21 Goals 21 Goals

At the end of seasons 1997–98 and 1999–2000 (1998–99 season playoff had been canceled) champion was decided through playoff between four clubs - two first placed teams from each league, First League of Bosnia and Herzegovina and First League of Herzeg-Bosnia respectively:[2]

Season	Winner of play-off	Runners-up of play-off	Winning manager	Top scorer(s) of play-off
				Player(s) (Club)	Goals
1997–981	Željezničar	Sarajevo	Enver Hadžiabdić (1)	Stanko Bubalo (Široki Brijeg) Hadis Zubanović (Željezničar)	3
1998–992	Three regional winners (Sarajevo, Posušje and Radnik)
1999–003	Brotnjo	Budućnost	Ivo Ištuk (1)	Zikret Kuljaninović (Budućnost) Alen Škoro (Sarajevo) Halim Stupac (Jedinstvo)	5

¹ A play-off between the best placed teams of First League of Bosnia and Herzegovina and First League of Herzeg-Bosnia was played without clubs from First League of Republika Srpska. The best two clubs got the right to play in 1998–99 UEFA Cup.
² Play-off was scheduled but was later canceled because of stadium issues. Three different leagues played, no play-off contested, therefore no club got the right to play in European competition.
³ A play-off between the best placed teams of First League of Bosnia and Herzegovina and First League of Herzeg-Bosnia was played without clubs from First League of Republika Srpska. Three clubs got the right to play in European competition.