What he promised at the beginning of the season, Laktaši director Igor Radeljić has now delivered — the club has won the title and is set to return to the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina next season.
Despite a disastrous start to the championship with two consecutive defeats, things turned around after Slobodan Starčević took over as head coach. With two rounds left in the season, Laktaši secured the championship title in Republika Srpska.
“When I arrived in 2021, the club was on the brink of relegation from the Second League. We managed to stay up, won the title in the West group the next season, and earned promotion to the First League. In our debut season, we finished third and reached the final of the ‘Dr Milan Jelić’ Cup. Last year we were runners-up, and now we’ve claimed the title in dominant fashion,” Radeljić explained.
Laktaši had been waiting 18 years for a second First League title and 15 years for a return to the Premier League.
“We waited, and now we’ve made it. A huge task lies ahead — our top priority is securing a Premier League license. Based on current conditions, we meet almost all requirements. Minor infrastructure updates were needed, primarily adding more seating and covering the eastern stand,” he said.
The club has already built a training pitch with artificial turf, and the main pitch is expected to be replaced with a hybrid surface during the summer break. Although floodlights are not mandatory in the first year of Premier League competition, the club has already started preparations for their installation.
“In all major projects, we have the full support of the City of Laktaši and Mayor Miroslav Bojić, who is also the club president. In parallel, we will work on strengthening the squad, although our primary goal is to keep the current team and make a few key additions in consultation with coach Starčević,” Radeljić added.
Celebration ahead
Laktaši will host Drina HE at 5 PM on Saturday in the penultimate round of the season, and the match is expected to be celebratory.
“It’s already arranged that we will be awarded the championship trophy after the match, and we’re planning a big celebration with fireworks at our stadium. I expect a large turnout from fans and supporters so we can all celebrate this long-awaited achievement together,” said Radeljić.
Youth development success
The success of the senior team has also positively impacted the youth categories, with growing interest from local children.
“We currently have 220 boys in our youth academy. They are working with qualified coaches, which is already showing results. For example, our U19 team is doing extremely well this season and has a real chance of qualifying for the BiH Youth Premier League,” Radeljić concluded.
Source: Glas Srpske
