Prodigy Postpones Sarajevo Derby: Željo and Sarajevo Play Only in September
Due to The Prodigy concert at Grbavica and high temperatures hampering pitch repair, the city derby between Željezničar and Sarajevo has been moved back by nearly a month.
Due to The Prodigy concert at Grbavica and high temperatures hampering pitch repair, the city derby between Željezničar and Sarajevo has been moved back by nearly a month.
The long-awaited Sarajevo derby between FK Željezničar and FK Sarajevo will not take place as originally scheduled. The match of the second round of the WWin League of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was set to be played this coming weekend at Grbavica Stadium, has been officially postponed due to the announced The Prodigy concert.
The reason for the postponement is not only the fact that the major music event takes place just a few days before the planned match date. The Prodigy will perform at Grbavica on Thursday, August 13, 2026, and the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina has assessed that the pitch will need significantly more time to recover.
High temperatures further complicate the situation, so repairing the turf and bringing it back to optimal condition for league matches required a longer period than usual.
The new date for the clash between the two biggest Sarajevo clubs was agreed upon in cooperation between the clubs and the governing football body. Željezničar and Sarajevo will meet on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, meaning fans will have to wait nearly a month longer than planned for this showdown.
The Football Association of BiH also issued an official explanation for the decision. "The decision was made after considering the reasoned request from FK Željezničar Sarajevo. A concert by The Prodigy will be held at Grbavica Stadium on August 13, and due to high temperatures, it was assessed that adequate pitch repair and restoration to optimal condition for matches would require a longer period," the association's statement reads.
While waiting for their head-to-head clash, both clubs have already played the first round of the new season. Željezničar opened with a win, beating BSK 2:1, while Sarajevo played 0:0 against Radnik. Due to the derby postponement, the Sarajevo rivals will be idle this coming weekend.
