Republika Srpska official football team
The Republika Srpska football team is the official team of Republika Srpska, an entity within Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is not affiliated with FIFA or UEFA.
The football team was formed in 1992, following the creation of Republka Srpska as a political entity. The Football Association of Republika Srpska was established on 5 September 1992 in spite of war in Bosnia and Herzegovina which had escalated earlier that year. The main task of FSRS in that period was to organize and manage competitions in the territory of Republika Srpska. The competitions were played in different league formats throughout wartime.
History
During the last years before the break-up of Yugoslavia, football was experiencing much popularity throughout the country, specially because of the series of successes. Such were Yugoslavia winning the 1987 FIFA World Youth Championship, being runners-up at the 1990 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, an emotional campaign by the senior team in the 1990 FIFA World Cup in which Yugoslavia officially finished 5th after eliminating Spain in 1/8 finals, but losing dramatically in quarters against Argentina on penalties, a Red Star Belgrade winning of the 1990–91 European Cup and the 1991 Intercontinental Cup, and even the local Republika Srpska major club, FK Borac Banja Luka, won the 1992 Mitropa Cup. Football was always the most popular sport in all of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and those results had especially warm reception among Serbs in Bosnia because Yugoslav national team was known for having in Bosnia its strongest percentages of supporters, Red Star Belgrade was highly popular among Bosnian Serbs, and the conquest of Mitropa Cup in 1992 by Borac was the first ever international trophy won by a Bosnian team.However, by the time Borac won the Mitropa title, its echo hardly was heard outside Serbian-inhabited parts of Bosnia. The war had started and Yugoslavia was disintegrating. Like the country itself, so the Yugoslav First League fell apart in stages. In summer 1991 clubs from Slovenia and Croatia left and formed their own leagues, and during the 1991–92 season, so did Macedonian and Bosnian clubs as well. Only Borac Banja Luka refused to leave the league and stayed competing in Yugoslav league system long after Bosnia declared independence, supposedly serving as a symbolic proof that Bosnian Serbs continued to belong to Yugoslavia, now formed by Serbia and Montenegro.
When war started, football was used as an important morale-boosting activity, providing soldiers with distraction from the front, and encouraging interaction with peacekeepers. When Bosnia and Herzegovina became internationally recognised, Bosnian Serbs declared their own state demanding independence from Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republika Srpska. Football soon followed this decision, and the Football Association of Republika Srpska was formed along a senior national team. They played its first match at the Banja Luka City Stadium on 20 December 1992, when the rival to the Srpska team was a team representing the Republic of Serbian Krajina. This match ended 1–1. Srpska scored the first goal in the 16th minute thanks to Zoran Nešković and the equaliser was scored in the 45th minute by Tihomir Žorić. Žorić, then playing for Dinara from Knin, was chosen the best player of that friendly match. There were about 2,000 spectators at the FK Borac stadium. Republika Srpska was coached in that match by Miloš Đurković, assistant coach was Mladen Katić, and the selected players were Nikola Čobanović, Dragan Marković, Neđo Zdjelar, Sretko Vojkić, Zoran Vranješ, Stojan Janjetović, Veljko Salamić, Vlado Jagodić, Borče Sredojević, Ljubiša Kukavica, Borislav Tonković, Danijel Pajić, Jovica Lukić, Milan Miladinović, Stojan Malbašić, Enver Ališić, Mićo Gračanin, Zoran Nešković, Aleksa Marić, Predrag Šobot, Boris Gluhović, Filip Trivan, Drago Lukić and Miro Šarac.
The game had a much greater political meaning than a football one. Afterwards, war intensified, and no more national team matches fof Republika Srpska were played, the FSRS was more focused in organising a proper club championship and cup competitions. The first to be formed was the Republika Srpska Cup in 1993, while, despite all efforts, a united First League of the Republika Srpska only got formed in 1995.
Although the Dayton Agreement allowed the general forming of independent sport organizations in Republika Srpska which would be recognized internationally, FIFA and UEFA allowed FSRS to participate in the international scene only as part of FSBiH. However, a possibility for international friendly matches for national teams of Republika Srpska was left open, but with explicit permission of FIFA. The national team of Republika Srpska had its "international debut" in 2000 against the Greek club Kavala FC which won 6–0. After that, two other "international matches" were played. In 2001, in Germany, there were two matches against Bayern II and Schweinfurt 05. On the other hand, the U21 squad of Republika Srpska takes part in "international" friendly tournaments every year.
In 1995, the First League of Republika Srpska was established as a top division for clubs competition. Also a cup tournament was created, the Republika Srpska Cup. Meanwhile, separate leagues were formed in other parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina which gathered Bosniak and Croatian clubs in the country. The Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina, FSBiH, was created in 1992 and was recognised by FIFA in 1996 and UEFA in 1998. As the FSBiH was the only football federation in Bosnia and Herzegovina recognized by FIFA its clubs alone were allowed to compete internationally and contest the newly formed Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Faced with the fact that clubs from Republika Srpska hadn't been allowed to take part in international competitions, FSRS decided to join FSBiH, on 23 May 2002. After that, the First League of Republika Srpska became one of the two second leagues of the country, with the other, First League of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina joining clubs from the rest of the country, was the other one. Top ranked clubs from the RS First League were promoted to the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which started on 4 August the same year, and has been as such ever since.
The Republika Srpska official football team saw in July 2013 a disputed run over the election of the main coach between 3 candidates; Ilija Petković, Nebojša Gudelj and Željko Buvač. The elected was Buvač who has been keeping the post still by mid-2019. He succeeded Borče Sredojević who ended not leading any game. The first coach was Miloš Đurković, who's assistant was Mladen Katić, and next it was Velimir Sombolac, with Velimir Stojnić as his assistant.
Current status
With similar disputed regions having been granted opportunities to have international matches the FSRS began to receive pressure from the citizens of Republika Srpska to push for more matches for their national team.Following FIFA's decision on 22 May 2012 to approve the Football Federation of Kosovo to play friendly matches, the FSRS President Mile Kovačević announced the next day that the Association would ask FIFA for the same.
Head coaches
- Miloš Đurković
- Velimir Sombolac
- Borče Sredojević
- Nikola Nikić
- Željko Buvač
Assistant coaches
- Mladen Katić
- Velimir Stojnić
Recent results and forthcoming fixtures
Results in the past
| Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals Scored | Goals Against |
| 16 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 39 | 19 |
Republika Srpska played its first senior game in 1992 as the national team of the self-proclaimed Republika Srpska. It was the only game the team played under such circunstances. Its next game was in 1998, 3 years after the signing of the Dayton agreement, and by then the FA of Republika Srpska had already become part of the structure of the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Ever since, it has played unofficial matches against local and foreign clubs. Until 2019 the team has played a total of 15 games.
In recent years, Republika Srpska has planned to play a friendly match against Serbia. Although the Srpska team received the approval of the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina, this match has not been played yet.
Youth competitions
Since 2000, the U19 team regularly takes part in the international Stevan Nešticki Tournament in Novi Sad, Serbia. Republika Srpska won the tournament on two occasions.| Date | Competition | Location | Home Team | Result | Away Team |
 Subotica |  Spartak Subotica | Republic of Srpska U21 | |||
| Trebinje | Republic of Srpska U15 |  Montenegro U15 | |||
| Gacko | Republic of Srpska U15 | Montenegro U15 | |||
| Belgrade | Red Star Belgrade U17 | Republika Srpska U17 | |||
| Šamac | Borac Šamac | Republika Srpska U21 | |||
 Kranj | Kranj | Republika Srpska U19 | |||
| Kranj | Kranj | Republika Srpska U17 | |||
| Bijeljina | Journalist Selection | Republika Srpska U21 | |||
| Rogatica | Mladost Rogatica | Republika Srpska U15 | |||
| Rogatica | Kozara Gradiška U13 | Republika Srpska U13 | |||
 Derventa | Tekstilac Derventa | Republika Srpska U15 | |||
 Jablonec | Hradec Kralove U15 | Republika Srpska U15 | |||
| Jablonec | Pardubice U15 | Republika Srpska U15 | |||
| Jablonec | Hradec Kralove U15 | Republika Srpska U15 | |||
| Jablonec | Usti nad Labem U15 | Republika Srpska U15 | |||
| Jablonec | Slovan Liberec U15 | Republika Srpska U15 | |||
| Jablonec | Hradec Kralove U13 | Republika Srpska U13 | |||
| Jablonec | Slovan Liberec U13 | Republika Srpska U13 | |||
| Jablonec | Jablonec U13 | Republika Srpska U13 | |||
| Jablonec | Usti nad Labem U13 | Republika Srpska U13 | |||
| Jablonec | Banik Most U13 | Republika Srpska U13 | |||
| Bileća | Hercegovac Bileća U15 | Republika Srpska U15 | |||
| Novi Sad |  Puskás Akadémia U17 | Republika Srpska U17 | |||
| Novi Sad |  Slavia Sofia U17 | Republika Srpska U17 | |||
| Novi Sad | Vojvodina U17 | Republika Srpska U17 | |||
 Doboj | FA Doboj U17 | Republika Srpska U17 | |||
| Novi Sad | Vojvodina U16 | Republika Srpska U16 | |||
| Novi Sad | Vojvodina U15 | Republika Srpska U15 | |||
| Jablonec | Admira Prague U14 | Republika Srpska U14 | |||
| Jablonec | Banik Most U12 | Republika Srpska U12 | |||
| Jablonec | Pardubice U14 | Republika Srpska U14 | |||
| Jablonec | Teplice U12 | Republika Srpska U12 | |||
| Jablonec | Usti nad Labem U14 | Republika Srpska U14 | |||
| Jablonec | Baumit Jablonec U12 | Republika Srpska U12 | |||
| Jablonec | Usti nad Labem U14 | Republika Srpska U14 | |||
| Jablonec | Usti nad Labem U12 | Republika Srpska U12 | |||
| Jablonec | Baumit Jablonec U14 | Republika Srpska U14 | |||
| Jablonec | Banik Most U12 | Republika Srpska U12 | |||
| Banja Luka | Olimpija Ljubljana U15 | Republika Srpska U15 | |||
| Novi Sad | Republika Srpska U17 | Vojvodina U17 | |||
| Banja Luka |  RNK Split U15 | Republika Srpska U15 | |||
| Novi Sad | Partizan U17 | Republika Srpska U17 | |||
| Banja Luka | Sloboda Mrkonjić Grad U15 | Republika Srpska U15 | |||
| Novi Sad | Puskás Academia U17 | Republika Srpska U17 | |||
| Bijeljina | Republika Srpska U15 | Serbia U15 | |||
| Bijeljina | Republika Srpska U16 | Serbia U16 | |||
| Bijeljina | Republika Srpska U14 | FA Belgrade | |||
 Geneva | Servette | Republika Srpska U18 | |||
| Banja Luka | Republika Srpska First League | Republika Srpska U21 | |||
| Banja Luka | Republika Srpska U16 | Republika Srpska U17 | |||
| Banja Luka | Republika Srpska U15 | Sloga Doboj U15 | |||
| Banja Luka | Republika Srpska U14 | Kozara Gradiška U14 | |||
| Banja Luka | Republika Srpska U13 | Borac Banja Luka U13 | |||
| Banja Luka | Republika Srpska U12 | Vojvodina U12 | |||
| Novi Sad | Osijek U19 | Republika Srpska U19 | |||
| Novi Sad | Red Star Belgrade U19 | Republika Srpska U19 | |||
| Novi Sad | Puskás Academia | Republika Srpska U19 | |||
| Zemun | Partizan U15 | Republika Srpska U15 | |||
| Zemun | Partizan U15 | Republika Srpska U15 | |||
| Pécs | Hungary U14 | Republika Srpska U14 | |||
| Pécs | Hungary U15 | Republika Srpska U15 |