Flawless start for Zrinjski

By Fuad Krvavac

After five matches in Bosnia-Herzegovina, NK Zrinjski have yet to drop a single point.

Winning run
Having signed eight players in the summer, the Mostar club have shown that their promise to challenge for the title this season was not idle chatter. Victories over FK Sarajevo, NK Travnik, FK Buducnost Banovici, NK Posušje and NK Zepce have put Zrinjski three points clear at the top of the table.

Željeznicar changes
NK Željeznicar are in second place, but have made changes since the start of the season. Having failed to progress through the UEFA Cup qualifying rounds, a 2-1 home defeat against FK Borac Banjaluka proved to be the last straw for club president Faruk Telibecirevic who resigned.

Two-point gap
Since the appointment of his replacement, Narcis Džumhur, Željeznicar have played just one game, but that 1-0 victory at FK Rudar Ugljevik has restored order. The club have now won four of their five games this season, and are two-points clear of cup holders FK Modrica in third place.

Leotar struggling
The great surprise of the season so far has been the form of capital city giants Sarajevo and 2002/03 league champions FK Leotar. With just one win from their five games, Leotar are bottom of the table with Sarajevo occupying the other relegation slot following a 4-2 defeat at home to Travnik last weekend.

Champions off form
Reigning champions NK Široki Brijeg are doing better than those two sides, but having lost at home against Modrica in their last game, they lie in sixth place in the table. Meanwhile, striker Adnan Smajlovic tops the goalscoring charts after netting all four of FK Sloboda Tuzla's goals so far this season.

Crowd problems
Last week, the Bosnia and Herzegovina Football Federation (NSBiH) and police officials agreed a number measures to counter the spate of crowd trouble at recent league and cup games. Twenty-four hours earlier, clashes between supporters and police had caused a 45-minute interruption of the game between Borac and NK Celik in Banja Luka.

National concern
The spirit of co-operation between players and clubs may have been excellent since the start of the season, but problems off the pitch are a major concern.