Bijeli Brijeg Stadium

Stadium of HŠK Zrinjski
(Bijeli Brijeg Stadium)
Full name	Stadion HŠK Zrinjski
Location	Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Coordinates	43°20′44″N 17°47′43″E / 43.34556°N 17.79528°E / 43.34556; 17.79528Coordinates: 43°20′44″N 17°47′43″E / 43.34556°N 17.79528°E / 43.34556; 17.79528
Built	1971
Owner	(disputed): HŠK Zrinjski Mostar, (disputed) FK Velež Mostar
Surface	Grass
Capacity	9,000 (seats), former 25.000 standings
Field dimensions	105x70 m
Tenants
FK Velež Mostar 1971-1992 HŠK Zrinjski Mostar 1992-present

Bijeli Brijeg Stadium, historically officially Stadion pod Bijelim Brijegom of the FK Velež Mostar is a football stadium with a capacity 9,000 seats (former 25.000 standings), in the city of Mostar, in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Because of the ethnic cleansing campaigns of expulsion non-Croatians from the western Mostar by the ultra right-wing Croatian nationalists during the war of the 1990s, FK Velež Mostar is removed from its stadium and today Bijeli Brijeg Stadium is a stolen stadium and officially Stadium HŠK Zrinjski (Croatian: Stadion Hrvatskog športskog kluba Zrinjski). Even though it was built for FK Velež Mostar by the citizens of Mostar of all backgrounds, it was forcefully stolen by the Croatian nationalists during the 1990s war and then subsequently given to HŠK Zrinjski Mostar as Zrinjski was considered ethnically right-wing Croatian club.

During the time when was being used by the FK Velež Mostar Stadium Bijeli Brijeg was the stadium on which FK Velež Mostar accomplished many major footballing accomplishments, including the quarter finals of the UEFA cup in 1974/1975, two time vice-champion of Yugoslavia and two time winner of the Yugoslavia Marshall Tito Cup. However, during the 1990s ethnic cleansing campaigns implemented by the right wing Croatian nationalists, FK Velež Mostar being a club representing the multi-ethnic Mostar fan base (i.e. more than just the Croatians) was targeted by the local Croatian authorities. All of the trophies, memorabilia, property and even stadium of the FK Velež Mostar were confiscated by the Croatian authorities in the 1993 and given to HŠK Zrinjski Mostar, leaving FK Velež Mostar basically homeless. Therefore, the ownership of the stadium by HŠK Zrinjski has often been challenged, since FK Velež Mostar still claims to be the rightful owner of this stadium.

Its unofficial name (Bijeli Brijeg) literally means "The White Hill".

Location

The stadium is situated in the west side of the city of Mostar.

History

The stadium was built in 1971 and served as the home ground for Velež Mostar.

In 1992, during the Bosnian War, the stadium was shelled several times, causing damage to the administration building. In May of 1993, the stadium was used as a detention center for non-Croatian civilians living in the western part of the City. From the stadium, civilians were led to the concentration camps in "Heliodrom" and "Vojno" which were operated by the Croatian HVO forces around the city.

In the same year HŠK Zrinjski Mostar, which had been banned for the duration of Socialist Federal Republics of Yugoslavia, was revived and all the property of FK Velež Mostar was stolen and given to HŠK Zrinjski Mostar as the club's home ground.

FK Velež Mostar remains probably the only professional football club that was stripped of its home stadium and forcefully expelled as a result of an ethnic cleansing campaign.

Importance

Bijeli Brijeg was the second largest stadium (befor placed the chair) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, after Koševo stadium in Sarajevo.

Gallery

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  Aerial view

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  View onto field and central Mostar

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  Lower western stands of stadium

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  Pitch and eastern stands (also known as Standing - hr: Stajanje)

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  Building of board HŠK Zrinjski Mostar

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bijeli Brijeg Stadium.