The 2024/25 European season is quickly approaching, with 236 clubs set to compete in UEFA’s continental club competitions this season.
With the first qualifying round draws two weeks away, Extratime Talk will be providing a comprehensive coefficient preview. Between now and then, each country will be previewed, and all clubs discussed.
In these articles, we will provide an analyses of what to expect from each country in Europe. We will all explore what is on the line from a coefficient standpoint, and the keys to succeeding, in that country’s case.
We are now in the fourth piece of this preview series, where we will take a look at the clubs from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Bosnia and Herzegovina In Europe: Country Profile
| Previous Season Coefficient (Rank) | 2.250 (34th) |
| Previous Season’s 5-Year Coefficient (Rank) | 10.000 (39th) |
| Starting 5-Year Coefficient (Rank) | 8.500 (37th) |
Having just been pipped to 38th spot in last year’s five-year rankings, Bosnia and Herzegovina will be back for more. This time, they start in 37th place, and will be in the thick of another fierce battle for a coveted top 33 spot.
In what is nearly the same lineup of Bosnian sides from last year, it will be interesting to see what the four clubs can do this time around. They are 1.125 coefficients behind 33rd place Republic of Ireland to start the year. While that is by no means a difficult deficit to overcome, Bosnia will have to weary of the countries around them.
Bosnia and Herzegovina In Europe: Club Profile
| Club | Qualified As | Round of Entry | Total European Seasons | Last Season’s Performance | 5-Year Club Coefficient (2023/24) | 5-Year Country Coefficient Contribution, 2023/24 (%) |
| Borac Banja Luka | Domestic Champion | UCL Q1 | 8 | UECL Q2 | 5.500 | 1.125 (11.25%) |
| Zrinjski | Cup Winner | UECL Q2, Main Path | 16 | UECL LP | 9.500 | 4.875 (48.75%) |
| Velež Mostar | Domestic Third Place | UECL Q1 | 3 | N/A | 3.500 | 0.875 (8.75%) |
| FK Sarajevo | Domestic Fourth Place | UECL Q1 | 19 | UECL Q1 | 6.500 | 1.500 (15%) |
For the third time, Borac Banja Luka is the champion of Bosnia. They make a return to Champions League qualifying three years after their last appearance in the competition. Once again, they will start in the first qualifying round. Progressing just once this summer would see them go farther than they ever have in Europe.
Zrinjski made history for Bosnia last year, becoming the first side from the Balkan country to make the group stage of a UEFA club competition. After losing out on the title, the cup winners will enter Q2 of the Conference League. The side from Mostar has made at least the playoff round of the UECL in both of their two previous appearances. That has resulted in their club coefficient increasing to the point where they will be seeded in the Q2 and Q3 draws. That could come in handy.
The other Mostar-based team in Europe this term is Velež. A third place finish in Bosnia last year sees them return to continental play after a year away. They have the lowest club coefficient of the four Bosnian sides, but will certainly fancy their chances at a run this summer.
Rounding out the Bosnian representatives is FK Sarajevo, who overtook Posusje for fourth place. No Bosnian side has more European campaigns than the capital club, who will feature in a UEFA club competition for the 19th time. Both of FK Sarejvo’s previous UECL journeys ended at the first hurdle. However, as they are once again seeded in Q1, they will look to end that unwanted record.
Bosnia’s Season Ambitions
Bosnia and Herzegovina, along with of the other countries near them in the coefficient ranking, will have the same goal: finishing in the top 33. As previously mentioned, the distance between them and Ireland is not very big, and can easily be overturned.
With that said, a top 33 finish, which awards a UEL spot for the 2026/27 season, is quite the challenge. Bosnia has every reason to believe they can push for a place in the top 33. To end the summer in 33rd spot or better, at least 3.000 coefficient points will likely be needed for Bosnia. Whether the four clubs can make that happen is another matter.
What a Successful Season Would Be for Bosnian Football
Bosnia could not have asked for a better situation. With their four highest contributors to the country coefficient (over the last five seasons) all involved, they have no reason not to believe in they can earn a top 33 place.
A successful European campaign would see the three UECL teams make at least Q3, while Borac makes the most of being seeded in UCL Q1. If they do so, then it will be at least the UECL playoff round for them, or quite possibly the league phase.
Having earned at least 2.000 points in three of their last four seasons, reaching 3.000 should be the goal for Bosnia. If they have at least three teams in Q3, anything could happen.
What to Expect From Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2024/25
It will be a difficult task for the four Bosnian sides to live up to last year’s performance. This is particularly true for Zrinjski, who made the UEL playoff round last August. They do not have the protected champion status like a year ago. Moreover, as they made the UECL group stage in 2023/24, they will have a target on their backs.
That leaves Borac with the responsibility of trying to (at least) match Zrinjski. While it is certainly possible for them to do so, it is hard to see them being successful.
Velež and FK Sarajevo should have the objective of making it to Q3. The latter will be seeded in both Q1 and Q2, which could help. However, any points these two clubs earn for the Bosnian coefficient, especially Velež, will likely be a bonus.
Overall, expect Bosnia to miss out on both 33rd and 38th spot by just a hair. The potential may be there to earn a top 33 place, but there is a lot of pressure to build off last year’s showing. In the end, it will be up to Borac and Zrinjski in particular to help Bosnia finish higher than they did last term.