FK Železnik

Železnik
Full nameFK Železnik 1930
Nickname(s)Lavovi (The Lions)
Founded1930; 94 years ago (1930)
GroundStadion Jusa Bulić
Capacity6,900[citation needed]
PresidentĐorđe Bulić
Head coachMarko Vasić
LeagueBelgrade Intermunicipal League – Group A
2022–23Belgrade Intermunicipal League – Group A, 3rd of 13
Websitefkzeleznik.com

FK Železnik 1930 (Serbian Cyrillic: ФК Железник 1930) is a football club based in Železnik, Belgrade, Serbia. They compete in the Belgrade Intermunicipal League, the sixth tier of the national league system.

The club competed in the First League of Serbia and Montenegro from 1996 to 2005. They made their European debut in the 2004–05 UEFA Cup and went on to win the Serbia and Montenegro Cup later that season, before merging with FK Voždovac.

History

Founded as Železnički SK on 28 May 1930,[1] the club became more organized during the 1950s. They changed their name to FK Železnik in 1961, following a merger with FK Napredak, which was originally created by the Ivo Lola Ribar Institute.[1] Between 1963 and 1967, the club competed in the Serbian League North, the third tier of Yugoslav football. They lost to Sloboda Užice in the promotion playoffs to the Yugoslav Second League in 1965.[2]

The club continued to participate at regional level without notable achievements until 1993, when Jusuf "Jusa" Bulić acquired the club. They won the Serbian League North in the 1994–95 season and took promotion to the Second League of FR Yugoslavia. In the 1995–96 season, the club was promoted to the First League of FR Yugoslavia (I/B League). They finished second in the I/B League in the 1996–97 season, earning them a spot in the I/A League in the 1997–98 season.[3]

After the assassination of his father, Dragan "Aca" Bulić took over the club in May 1998.[4] Led by the youngest club president in the history of FR Yugoslavia football, they continued to progress rapidly, finishing in a higher league position every season. Simultaneously, the club reached the semi-finals of the national cup in two consecutive seasons in 2002 and 2003, but was eliminated by Sartid Smederevo on both occasions.[5][6]

In the 2003–04 season, the club achieved its best league performance by finishing in third place, thus securing a spot in the 2004–05 UEFA Cup. They were eliminated by Romanian club Steaua București in the second qualifying round, losing 5–4 on aggregate. Despite only finishing ninth in the league that season, the club made the biggest success in its history by winning the Serbia and Montenegro Cup.[7][8]

In June 2005, due to financial difficulties, the club was forced to withdraw its participation from the 2005–06 UEFA Cup.[9] They eventually merged with another Belgrade-based club Voždovac, which continued to compete in the 2005–06 Serbia and Montenegro SuperLiga.[10][11]

Refounded as FK Železnik Lavovi, the club started competing in the Belgrade Third League, the seventh tier of Serbian football. They subsequently earned two promotions in two seasons, reaching the Belgrade First League in 2008. After three years in the fifth tier, the club gained promotion to the Belgrade Zone League in 2011. They subsequently secured promotion to the Serbian League Belgrade in 2012. After spending three seasons in the third tier, the club merged with Radnički Beograd in the summer of 2015.[12]

Honours

League

Cup

Seasons

Season League Cup Continental
Division Pld W D L GF GA Pts Pos
 Serbia and Montenegro
1996–97 1 – I/B 33 20 4 9 54 34 64 2nd Round of 32 —
1997–98 1 – I/A 33 9 5 19 43 62 32 10th Round of 32
1998–99 1 24[a] 7 5 12 29 43 26 13th Round of 16
1999–2000 1 40 15 9 16 55 47 54 8th Quarter-finals
2000–01 1 34 12 8 14 49 56 44 8th Round of 16
2001–02 1 34 14 7 13 41 42 49 6th Semi-finals
2002–03 1 34 18 8 8 56 37 62 5th Semi-finals
2003–04 1 30 17 7 6 48 20 58 3rd Quarter-finals
2004–05 1 30 11 5 14 38 45 38 9th[b] Winners UEFA Cup – Second qualifying round
 Serbia
2006–07 7 – Belgrade 20 18 0 2 83 14 54 1st — —
2007–08 6 – Belgrade 34 23 5 6 87 18 74 1st —
2008–09 5 – Belgrade 34 13 5 16 49 45 44 8th —
2009–10 5 – Belgrade 34 23 4 7 64 36 73 3rd —
2010–11 5 – Belgrade 34 27 1 6 109 36 82 1st —
2011–12 4 – Belgrade 34 20 4 10 68 32 64 2nd —
2012–13 3 – Belgrade 30 12 7 11 39 36 43 5th —
2013–14 3 – Belgrade 30 11 8 11 38 33 41 9th —
2014–15 3 – Belgrade 30 12 7 11 30 33 43 8th[c] —
  1. ^ The season was cut short due to the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia.
  2. ^ The club ceased to exist after merging with Voždovac at the end of the 2004–05 season. However, a phoenix club was formed shortly afterwards.
  3. ^ The club ceased to exist after merging with Radnički Beograd at the end of the 2014–15 season.

European record

Season Competition Round Opponent Score Aggregate
2004–05 UEFA Cup Second qualifying round Romania Steaua București 2–4 (H), 2–1 (A) 4–5

Notable players

This is a list of players who have played at full international level.[13]

For a list of all FK Železnik players with a Wikipedia article, see Category:FK Železnik players.

Managerial history

References

  1. ^ a b "FK Zeleznik - Early History". rsssf.org. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  2. ^ "SISTEM TAKMIČENJA U JUGOSLAVIJI 1962.-1968" (in Serbian). fsgzrenjanin.com. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  3. ^ "RAT, RASPAD SFR JUGOSLAVIJE, SANKCIJE" (in Serbian). fsgzrenjanin.com. Retrieved 3 December 2015.
  4. ^ "Porodica Železnik" (in Serbian). glas-javnosti.rs. 5 December 2000. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  5. ^ "Déjà vu for Zvezda and Sartid". uefa.com. 9 April 2003. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  6. ^ "Oklop tvrđi od zuba" (in Serbian). glas-javnosti.rs. 10 April 2003. Retrieved 3 December 2015.
  7. ^ "Famous first for Železnik". uefa.com. 24 May 2005. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  8. ^ "Železnik do trofeja sa igračem manje" (in Serbian). sportskacentrala.com. 24 May 2005. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  9. ^ "Železnik's European dream dies". uefa.com. 15 June 2005. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  10. ^ "Spajanje Železnika i Voždovca" (in Serbian). b92.net. 26 June 2005. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  11. ^ "Železnik merger solves crisis". uefa.com. 29 June 2005. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  12. ^ "BULIĆ PONOVO OSNIVA ŽELEZNIK: "Lavovi" će opet osvajati trofeje!" (in Serbian). informer.rs. 20 November 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  13. ^ "Železnik Beograd". national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 28 September 2016.