OFK Spartak 2013 from Banja Luka has secured promotion to the Premier Youth League of Bosnia and Herzegovina after a commanding 10–0 victory over Hercegovac from Bileća in the promotion final played in Doboj.
The achievement marks another milestone for the club, which has steadily developed since its foundation in 2013 under the leadership of brothers Aleksandar and Igor Vrhovac.
A decade of growth
According to club director Igor Vrhovac, the promotion reflects years of dedicated work and a long-term vision focused on youth development.
“When we started in 2013, many people doubted our project. Today we are proud of what we have achieved, but we have no intention of stopping here,” Vrhovac said.
The club now has more than 500 young players coached by 13 youth coaches across different age groups. Vrhovac attributes the club’s success to its player-centred coaching philosophy, combining technical development with a strong pedagogical and psychological approach that encourages learning through mistakes.
Alongside the success of the junior team, Spartak’s women’s senior team has competed in the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina for the past two seasons, while the men’s senior side narrowly missed promotion to the Second League of Republika Srpska.
The club is also preparing a joint development project with FK Budućnost Banja Luka, which includes the construction of an artificial turf pitch aimed at further expanding youth participation.
Dominant junior campaign
Spartak’s juniors dominated the Western Division of the Youth League, scoring 154 goals in 30 matches and finishing ten points clear of second-placed Rudar Kamengrad.
They then eliminated Tekstilac Derventa in the two-legged semi-final before defeating Hercegovac 10–0 in the promotion final to secure a place in the country’s highest youth competition.
Vrhovac noted that several cadet players also contributed to the junior team’s success and stressed that promoting young footballers will remain the club’s primary objective.
Cadets crowned national champions
The club’s cadet team also enjoyed an outstanding season, winning the Bosnia and Herzegovina Youth League title with a convincing 4–1 victory over Igman Ilidža in the final played in Tomislavgrad.
Andrej Belešević scored twice, while Aleksa Lakić and Pavle Barović each added a goal for Spartak.
The cadets first won the Western Division before eliminating Zvijezda 09 in the semi-finals. According to Vrhovac, the squad included not only players born in 2009 and 2010 but also several younger footballers born in 2011 and even 2012, highlighting the club’s strong player development system.
Building for the future
In addition to its competitive success, OFK Spartak 2013 continues to invest heavily in grassroots football. The club annually organises one of the region’s largest youth tournaments for players born between 2015 and 2019, attracting teams from across the region while regularly participating in international tournaments in Austria, Croatia and Serbia.
With both its junior team promoted to the Premier Youth League and its cadets crowned national champions, OFK Spartak 2013 continues to establish itself as one of the leading youth football academies in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Source: Glas Srpske
