Football

From IBWiki

Football (soccer) is the most popular sport in the Balkans, and many would say, around the world. Proof of the popularity in the Balkans is seen in the fact that every Balkan state has a domestic club competition at various levels. There are also a number of international competitions both at club and national team levels.

Football competition started in the Balkans as early as 1885, with FC Austria Wien winning the first all-Austrian competition. In 1887 SV Hertha Agram became the first team outside Cisleithanian Austria to win the competition, but it wasn't until 1894, when FK Adria Spalatu took the title, that a non-German club won the championship.

In the competition of the former CSDS (1947 to 1989), the army's team based in the capital city, Uzice, was dominant, winning seven straight titles from 1947 to 1954 (the first four as the 19th Division of the Army of Soviet Danubia, whose football section became formalised as a club in 1951 as Armija Uzice - again winning the title, and from 1953 the last three titles were won as Red Star Uzice. Since the independence of Sanjak, this club is known as FK Uzice). Competition became more even after 1954, with only Krila Danubije Uzice (the Air Force-sponsored team) ever establishing a long-lasting dynasty with five championships in a row from 1969 to 1973) after a title in 1960. Other successful clubs in the post-1954 period were CSKA Sofia (four titles), as well as Partizan Belgrade, Red Flag Ljubljana, Dinamo Raguza and Radnicki Nis, each with three titles.

Following the dissolution of the CSDS, club competition continued in the successor states. In Dalmatia, Dinamo Raguza won the first four championships (1990 to 1993), before re-establishing its domaninance in the beginning of the 21st century under the name Gloria Raguza, with titles in 2002, 2003 and 2004. The other most successful clubs in independent Dalmatia are Biafiar Anxiara (4 titles) and Sansku FK (3 titles).

A complete listing of Champions of Austro-Dalmatia, Dalmatian Hercegovina, Danubia, CSDS and Dalmatia can be found at http://www.geocities.com/dalmatesku/s1.html

The most important international competition of club sides in the Balkans is the Balkan Cup. Originally the various national league champions played. Since the 2002 tournament the top two teams in each country (top three from Dalmatia, Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria) take part. Winners before 1990 have been clubs from Austria, Greece, Muntenia and Hungary. The competition was not held between 1990 and 1999, but since 2000 it has been restarted, with Austrian, Bulgarian (2) and Dalmatian teams winning from 2000 to 2003. Full details at http://www.geocities.com/dalmatesku/s2.html

There is also an international competition for national sides in the Balkans, known as the Balkan Football Championship. This is held every three years since 1972. The CSDS won the most times - four - while Turkey and Hungary each hold two titles. Greece, Albania and Oltenia each have won once. Full details at http://www.geocities.com/dalmatesku/s3.html