The 2015–16 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina (known as BH Telecom Premier League for sponsorship reasons) was the sixteenth season of the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the highest football league of Bosnia and Herzegovina, since its original establishment in 2000 and fourteenth as a unified country-wide league. The league began on 25 July 2015 and ended on 14 May 2016, with a winter break between 7 December 2015 and 27 February 2016. The official fixture schedule was released on 10 July 2015.[1] In the 2015–16 season, six teams will be relegated as the league decided to reduce the number of participants from the current 16 to 12 for the 2016–17 season.[2]
| Season | 2015–16 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Zrinjski 4th Premier League title 4th Bosnian title |
| Relegated | Borac Slavija Travnik Rudar (P) Drina Velež |
| Champions League | Zrinjski |
| Europa League | Sloboda Široki Brijeg Radnik |
| Matches played | 240 |
| Goals scored | 551 (2.3 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Leon Benko (18 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Travnik 7-1 Velež (23 April 2016) |
| Biggest away win | 0-3 on several occasions |
| Highest scoring | Travnik 7-1 Velež (23 April 2016) |
| Longest winning run | Željezničar (9) |
| Longest unbeaten run | Željezničar (13) |
| Longest winless run | Velež (18) |
| Longest losing run | Velež (13) |
← 2014–15 2016–17 → | |
The 2015–16 season saw the return of Rudar Prijedor and newcomer Mladost Doboj Kakanj to the top flight as promoted teams, in place of Mladost Velika Obarska who returned to the First League of RS after two seasons in the top flight and Zvijezda Gradačac who were relegated to the First League of FBiH after spending 7 seasons in the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Sarajevo were the defending champions.
Teams edit
A total of 16 teams contested in the league, including the top 14 sides from the 2014–15 season and two promoted sides from each of the second-level leagues.
Stadiums and locations edit
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity[3] |
|---|---|---|---|
| FK Borac Banja Luka | Banja Luka | Gradski Stadion, Banja Luka | 9,730 |
| NK Čelik Zenica | Zenica | Bilino Polje | 15,292 |
| FK Drina Zvornik | Zvornik | Gradski Stadion, Zvornik | 5,000 |
| FK Mladost Doboj Kakanj | Doboj (Kakanj) | Stadion Mladost Kakanj, Doboj (Kakanj) | 1,000 |
| FK Olimpic Sarajevo | Sarajevo | Otoka | 3,000 |
| FK Radnik Bijeljina | Bijeljina | Gradski Stadion, Bijeljina | 6,000 |
| FK Rudar Prijedor | Prijedor | Gradski Stadion, Prijedor | 6,000 |
| FK Sarajevo | Sarajevo | Asim Ferhatović Hase | 35,630 |
| FK Slavija Istočno Sarajevo | Istočno Sarajevo | SRC Slavija | 6,000 |
| FK Sloboda Tuzla | Tuzla | Tušanj | 8,550 |
| NK Široki Brijeg | Široki Brijeg | Pecara | 5,628 |
| NK Travnik | Travnik | Pirota | 3,200 |
| FK Velež Mostar | Mostar | Vrapčići | 5,294 |
| NK Vitez | Vitez | Gradski Stadion, NK Vitez | 3,000 |
| HŠK Zrinjski Mostar | Mostar | Bijeli Brijeg | 20,000 |
| FK Željezničar Sarajevo | Sarajevo | Grbavica | 16,100 |
Personnel and kits edit
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players and Managers may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
League table edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zrinjski Mostar (C) | 30 | 21 | 6 | 3 | 52 | 17 | +35 | 69 | Qualification for the Champions League second qualifying round |
| 2 | Sloboda Tuzla | 30 | 19 | 5 | 6 | 44 | 23 | +21 | 62 | Qualification for the Europa League first qualifying round |
| 3 | Široki Brijeg | 30 | 18 | 7 | 5 | 56 | 21 | +35 | 61 | |
| 4 | Sarajevo | 30 | 18 | 3 | 9 | 56 | 28 | +28 | 57 | |
| 5 | Željezničar | 30 | 16 | 7 | 7 | 36 | 20 | +16 | 55 | |
| 6 | Čelik Zenica | 30 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 35 | 28 | +7 | 46 | |
| 7 | Radnik Bijeljina | 30 | 13 | 6 | 11 | 25 | 25 | 0 | 45 | Qualification for the Europa League first qualifying round[a] |
| 8 | Olimpic | 30 | 11 | 6 | 13 | 36 | 33 | +3 | 39 | |
| 9 | Vitez | 30 | 11 | 6 | 13 | 36 | 41 | −5 | 39 | |
| 10 | Mladost Doboj Kakanj | 30 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 29 | 39 | −10 | 39 | |
| 11 | Borac Banja Luka (R) | 30 | 10 | 6 | 14 | 27 | 33 | −6 | 36 | Relegation to the Prva Liga RS |
| 12 | Slavija (R) | 30 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 25 | 37 | −12 | 35 | |
| 13 | Travnik (R) | 30 | 8 | 5 | 17 | 36 | 47 | −11 | 29 | Relegation to the Prva Liga FBiH |
| 14 | Rudar Prijedor (R) | 30 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 24 | 38 | −14 | 25 | Relegation to the Prva Liga RS |
| 15 | Drina Zvornik (R) | 30 | 7 | 1 | 22 | 24 | 66 | −42 | 22 | |
| 16 | Velež Mostar (R) | 30 | 1 | 6 | 23 | 10 | 55 | −45 | 9 | Relegation to the Prva Liga FBiH |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head points; 5) Head-to-head goal difference; 6) Head-to-head away goals (only if two teams); 7) Head-to-head goals scored; 8) Goal difference; 9) Play-off. (Criteria 2 and 3 are not used to decide champion, UEFA competition qualification, or relegation)[4]
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- ^ Radnik Bijeljina qualified for the Europa League first qualifying round by winning the 2015–16 Bosnia and Herzegovina Football Cup.
Positions by round edit
| Leader | |
| 2015–16 UEFA Europa League First qualifying round | |
| Relegation to 2016–17 Prva Liga FBiH or 2016–17 Prva Liga RS |
Results edit
Clubs season-progress edit
Top goalscorers edit
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Leon Benko
|
Sarajevo | 18 |
| 2 |  Wagner
|
Široki Brijeg | 12 |
| 3 |  Haris Dilaver
|
Mladost Doboj Kakanj | 11 |
| Ivan Krstanović
|
Široki Brijeg | ||
| Jasmin Mešanović
|
Zrinjski | ||
| 6 | Mersudin Ahmetović
|
Sloboda | 10 |
| Zajko Zeba
|
Sloboda | ||
| 8 | Amer Bekić
|
Sarajevo | 9 |
| Mahir Karić
|
Čelik | ||
 Germain Kouadio
|
Travnik | ||
 Marko Obradović
|
Radnik | ||
 Darko Spalević
|
Slavija |
References edit
- ^ "Schedule released". Retrieved 20 August 2015.
- ^ "New rules, 6 clubs relegate". Retrieved 20 August 2015.
- ^ "Capacity of stadiums of the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina". Soccerway. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
- ^ "Premier Liga 2015/2016 – Season Rules". scoresway.com. Archived from the original on 13 December 2018. Retrieved 19 August 2015.