Football in Yugoslavia

The football in Yugoslavia had different levels of historical development depending on the geographical regions. Following the extreme popularity the sport was having in Central Europe, it soon became the most popular sport in the territories of Yugoslavia as well.

The first clubs were formed by late 19th century. The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, later in 1929 renamed into Kingdom of Yugoslavia, was formed in 1918. Earlier, the Kingdom of Serbia and the Kingdom of Montenegro existed as independent nations. The Kingdom of Serbia corresponded to the current territory of Central Serbia, Kosovo and Republic of Macedonia, while the Kingdom of Montenegro had its borders similarly as today. The rest of Yugoslavia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia and Vojvodina were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, although the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia enjoyed certain level of autonomy.

After the end of the First World War all these territories were united. The first national league was formed in 1923. The monarchy will be replaced by a socialist country after the Second World War. The Yugoslav league was played between 1923 and 1992, with the only interrumptions in the season 1933-34 because of the assassination of the King Alexander I, and between 1940 and 1945 because of the Second World War.

In 1992 the league was dissolved following the break-up of Yugoslavia and the consequent creation of independent states.

See also

For the correspondent article on each one of the republics, please see:

Others:

References