The return of the Yugoslav league

Last update 8 December, 2022 por Alberto Llopis

Early in the years 90, Yugoslavia was a soccer powerhouse. Players like Boban roamed their ranks, Savicevic, Stojković, Prosinecki o Pancic. A generation full of talent that reached the quarterfinals of the World Cup in Argentina and that fed one of the most powerful leagues in Europe, the yugoslav, generator of huge teams like the Partizan in Belgrade or the Red Star in Belgrade, champion in 1991 of the European Cup.

Talented teams, seasoned and above all, competitive were the calling card of a league that divided the country between Croatians, serbs, Slovenes and Macedonians. Sin embargo, a fearsome internal war that ended the disintegration of Yugoslavia wiped out that powerful league and made way for smaller championships that fit the borders of the new states.

Reason for pride at the beginning for the nationalists, slovenian leagues soon, croats and serbs, mainly they began to notice that the war had not only devastated thousands of lives, but also his football. Teams became less powerful, the leagues became uncompetitive and the influx to the stadiums dropped to unsuspected limits. In slovenia, only the Olimpia de Ljubiana is capable of assiduously putting more than 2000 personas, in Croatia only Dinamo Zagreb and Hadjut in Split are saved from burning and something similar happens in Serbia, where only the Red Star is able to put more than 10.000 spectators at their matches.

Bleak outlook, a troubled river fishermen gain that is often said. Foreign teams are favored, being able to find bargains in the form of talented young players but at affordable prices as they are not well known internationally.. Sin embargo, all these problems can have the days numbered. Because? En 2015, there will almost certainly be, yugoslav league. Yes, as read.

After giving UEFA the green light to the idea presented by all the federations, the return of the Yugoslav league next year is already a reality in the absence of closing very few fringes. The idea is to start in the season 2015-16 and have Slovenian teams, Macedonians, serbs, montenegrins, croats and attention: Bulgarians and Hungarians.

And it is that Bulgaria and Hungary are also in situations of clear stagnation of their national championships and have chosen to join a league that seeks the rebirth of Balkan and Eastern European football. The idea is to create a very competitive tournament, where teams are empowered, players stay in the country and people go to stadiums. Por supuesto, there are many who hate this reunifying project, but many others also see in this league the opportunity to unite brother peoples through football and sports.

In Basketball, the Adriatic league has been a reality for a few years, although it does not give access to Europe, something that the new league would give. Nobody knows how the idea will come out, but it is clear that if confirmed, the return of the Yugoslav teams to the competitive foreground would be a fact. And that would make Spaniards tremble, Germans and English, very calm without the rivals of yesteryear.