Stadion pod Bijelim Brijegom – stadium description

It’s the largest and most famous stadium in Hercegovina, second in terms of size in Bosnia and Herzegovina. To date host club Zrinjski gives official capacity at 25,000, of which 9,000 are seats installed in 2000s. To the club’s credit, terracing is also constantly used during games.

The stadium’s layout is unique as the west stand is mounting over the field of play. Both ends are empty, while the east side is a low landfill stand used by local ultras. Vast majority of fans are thus located on the massive western terrace, which was incorporated into a natural hill.

In many ways the the “White Bank” (as Bijeli Brijeg is translated) is the proof of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s recent traumatic history. Not only is the stadium to date damaged by bullet holes from 1993, Bijeli Brijeg was reportedly used as a concentration/collection center for Bosnian residents of the western side of Mostar, which was occupied by Croats. Many of these people were forced to flee to the east or even wounded or killed.

Even sport-wise the stadium still shows the east/west divide of Mostar. Hictorically, from the very opening, the Bijeli Brijeg stadium was used by Velež. But in 1992 the team was forced to leave it and only returned to Mostar in 1995, when a new stadium was built on the other bank of Neretva river, in the outskirt of Vrapčići. Despite numerous attempts, Velež have since been banned from hosting games at the larger stadium, only playing here as away team in local derbies. Meanwhile Zrinjski have a lease signed with the municipality until early next century.