FK Budućnost Podgorica

Period 1925-1941

The club was founded in June 1925, as a Workers' sports club Zora (RSK Zora). After two years, club was named as RSK Budućnost. In historical - first ever team of RSK Zora / RSK Budućnost, in period between 1925 and 1928, played Musaja Čelebičić, Vaso Vukadinović, Bećo Abdomerović, Vaso Čarapić, Vlado Kirsanov, Đorđe Kešeljević, Vaso Kulić, Blažo Prelević, Duljo Džaferadžović, Blažo Šutulović, Buto Krkanović, Luka Bulatović, Tahir Čelebić, Ilija Ivanović, Milo Pajović, Milovan Radulović, Vuko Vuksanović, Dušan Krcunović, Đorđije Vučeljić, Branko Rajković, Smail Bibezić, Šećir Kapadžić and Arso Marković. First coach was Slovenian-born Karlo Vugrinec.
First game in the history of FK Budućnost was friendly match against local rival GSK Balšić, played at 1925. Budućnost won the game, with result 2-1.
In Autumn 1931, Budućnost for the first time played in final game of Montenegrin football championship, but lost against SK Crnogorac Cetinje (1-2). At 1932, Budućnost played their first international game, against KS Vllaznia away (1-0).
In Autumn 1932, Budućnost won their first title of Montenegrin champion. In the finals, team from Podgorica defeated FK Lovćen (6-3). During that season, FK Budućnost played their first official game against FK Sutjeska (2-1) and that was the first edition of Montenegrin Derby - the greatest rivalry in the history of Montenegrin football. Next season (Spring 1933), Budućnost defended the trophy - opponent in the final game, again, were FK Lovćen (2-0; 2-2). Third trophy of Montenegrin champion before Second World War, FK Budućnost won at 1934. Opponent in the finals, again, was FK Lovćen (2-0, 1-1). Last time, Budućnost played in Championship final at 1935, but this time FK Lovćen won the title (1-2).
At the beginning of 1937, as a team which supported workers' ideas, together with FK Lovćen, FK Budućnost was abandoned by regime of that time. During the next years, the club, under the temporary name RSK Crna Gora, played only few friendly, illegal games, against Lovćen and FK Velež.

Period 1945-1975

After the war, club was refounded under the name FK Budućnost. First game they played on 1 May 1945, against FK Lovćen at Cetinje (4-2). In January 1946, Budućnost played first international friendly game after war, against KF Tirana (6-1) in Podgorica. Soon after that, team from Podgorica won first official football competition after the World War II - 1946 Montenegrin Republic League, which meant placement to the inaugural season of the Yugoslav First League (1946–47).
Historical first game in First Yugoslav League, FK Budućnost played on 25 August 1946 against Dinamo Zagreb (2-2), in front of 5,000 spectators in Podgorica, which was equal with town population of that time. During the season, on 16 March 1947, Budućnost defeated NK Nafta 9-0. Until today, it remained biggest ever home victory of Budućnost in the First League.
During the SFR Yugoslavia era, Budućnost played 26 seasons in top-division. Best placement in Yugoslav First League was sixth place, and Budućnost played successfully in the top-tier competition during the decades. They were most successful Montenegrin team in that era, and among 14 all-time best teams in SFR Yugoslavia.
In the same period, the club reached two Yugoslav Cup finals. First time, Budućnost played on Cup final 1965, as a member of Yugoslav Second League. They lost a game against Dinamo Zagreb (1-2). In their first Cup final, Budućnost played with following team: Hajduković, Folić, Gardašević, Pavlović, Savković, Kovačević, Šaković, Todorović, Šorban, Ćerić, Franović (coach: Božidar Dedović). Next time, they participated in Cup final 1977. Rivals were Budućnost and Hajduk Split, but team from Podgorica again lost the trophy. This time, they were defeated in extra-time (0-2). On final game, Budućnost sterted with the following team: Vujačić, Janković, Folić, J. Miročević, Vukčević, Milošević, Kovačević, Bošković, Radonjić, A. Miročević, Ljumović (coach: Marko Valok). These two appearances in the Yugoslav Cup finals are considered the greatest achievements of FK Budućnost in period 1945-2006.

Period 1975-2006

Period which is known as a golden era of football in Podgorica is 1975-1985. In that time, a majority of First League matches in Podgorica attended more than 10,000 spectators, with the record against Hajduk Split (20,000 - 1975). During the 80's, Budućnost made two future great stars of European football - Dejan Savićević and Predrag Mijatović. Best placement of FK Budućnost in the Yugoslav First League was sixth place on seasons 1978-79 and 1980-81.
Budućnost represented SFR Yugoslavia in the UEFA Intertoto Cup 1981, and in the Balkans Cup 1977 and 1991. The most notable achiviement on the international stage from that time was reaching the final of the Balkans Cup in 1991 which they lost to FC Inter Sibiu, after eliminated Galatasaray.
From 1992 to 2006, Budućnost mostly played in the First League of FR Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro. The club spent 11 seasons in the top-tier, with two seasons in European competitions. At 1995-96, Budućnost played in UEFA Intertoto Cup. Ten years later (2005–06), Budućnost participated in the same competition, with notable win over Deportivo La Coruña (2:1) in Podgorica.

Period 2006-

As a Montenegrin club with greatest results from the period 1945-2006, Budućnost continued with greater successes in Montenegrin First League, after the independence (2006). The club from Podgorica won two championship titles in the seasons 2007–08 and 2011–12. Budućnost, also, finished as a second-placed team six times.
Budućnost has also reached four Montenegrin Cup finals (2007–08, 2009–10, 2012–13 and 2015–16), winning once, against Čelik Nikšić 1–0 (2012–13).
After Montenegrin independence, Budućnost played nine seasons in European competitions. Notable seasons in UEFA Europe League include matches against HNK Hajduk Split (1:1, 0:1 - 2006/07) and K.R.C. Genk (2:0, 0:2 - 2016/17). Budućnost participated twice in UEFA Champions League qualifiers (2008–09, 2012–13).

Evolution of name

During the history, FK Budućnost participated under three different names. Most of the period, they played under today's name.

List of competitive matches (1925-)

Below is an overall score of all matches of FK Budućnost in official competitions since 1925. More details at page List of FK Budućnost seasons.

Note: Including 2016-17 Montenegrin Cup results

Records

Budućnost in European competitions

FK Budućnost is Montenegrin club with most played seasons and matches in European football competitions. Except participation in UEFA competitions, during the history Budućnost played twice in the Balkans Cup.

UEFA competitions

FK Budućnost debuted in European competitions at 1981, when they played in Intertoto Cup. In the next decades, Budućnost played in the same competition twice, with notable victory against Deportivo La Coruña (2:1) at 2006.
After the Montenegrin independence, Budućnost became standard participant of UEFA competitions, and played two seasons in the Champions League qualifiers. In the recent period, most successful European season of Budućnost was 2016/17 in UEFA Europa League. After eliminating Macedonian side Rabotnički, Budućnost almost made surprise against K.R.C. Genk (2:0 in Podgorica after 0:2 in Genk in first match), but lose on penalties.

Balkans Cup

FK Budućnost played two seasons in the Balkans Cup, a regional competition for clubs from Yugoslavia, Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania and Turkey. The club made its debut in 1977 in Group B, with Panathinaikos and Vllaznia. After four legs, they were second in the group with four points. During their second spell in the Balkans Cup, in 1991, Budućnost reached the final losing to FC Inter Sibiu. Before the final game, Budućnost eliminated Galatasaray.

Honours and achievements

National Championships – 2

National Cups – 1

Championships (1922-1940) – 4

International

"Varvari"

Budućnost fans are known as Varvari (Barbarians), a group founded in 1987. The group's traditional colours are blue and white, which are also the colours of all the Budućnost sports clubs. For FK Budućnost Podgorica home games, Varvari occupy the northern stand (Sjever) of the Podgorica city stadium. They also have a reserved stand at the Morača Sports Center, as supporters of KK Buducnost basketball club. The focal point for the group during the late 1990s was the basketball club, which started investing heavily while the football club toiled in the lower half of the table.
Since its foundation years, Varvari gained a reputation of a violent group, and in the recent history they caused some of the biggest accidents that occurred at football matches. At First League 2004-05 game Budućnost - Partizan Belgrade, flares, blocks, construction materials and similar objects were thrown from the North stand to the pitch and match was abandoned for 15 minutes. The following year, the game Budućnost - Crvena Zvezda Belgrade was suspended for two hours after the home supporters (Varvari) sprayed tear gas on the pitch and, after that, attacked visitors' ultras. In spring 2006, there was crowd violence at the local rivals game Budućnost - Zeta. In the Montenegrin First League, numerous matches of FK Budućnost were suspended due to crowd violence or crowd invasion of the pitch. During the latest seasons, there has been an escalation of violence at the Montenegrin Derby games.
They are the best organised and largest fan group in Montenegro. According to many fan magazines from the Balkans they are the only fans in Montenegro who are at the level of the largest fan groups from ex-Yugoslavia.

Rivalries

FK Budućnost is a participant of biggest game in Montenegrin football - Montenegrin Derby, a match against FK Sutjeska from Nikšić. First official game, two teams played at 9 October 1932. As a match of main and strongest clubs from two biggest Montenegrin cities, derby became popular among the citizens from the early history. Some of the highest attendance in Montenegrin football were recorded at the games of Montenegrin Derby. From the 80's, both clubs have organised supporters groups, which gave to a Montenegrin Derby new and often a violent dimension.

Except Montenegrin Derby, in period 1925-1935, there was a big local derby in Podgorica, between FK Budućnost and GSK Balšić. As Budućnost was officially workers' club and Balšić the team of that-time regime, Podgorica derby had big social dimension. Together with Cetinje teams Lovćen and Crnogorac, rivals from Podgorica were among top-4 teams in Montenegrin Football Championship (1922-1940). So, their games made huge interest in Podgorica and nearby places. Two teams played first game at 1925 and Budućnost won 2-1 (friendly game).
During the regime of Kingdom of Yugoslavia, work of RSK Budućnost is prohibited at 1937. After the Second World War, GSK Balšić was not refounded, so derby was alive only in period from 1925 to 1936. Budućnost won four champion titles in period 1925-1935, while GSK Balšić won seven trophies in seasons between 1925 and 1940. Budućnost and Balšić played 11 official games. Budućnost won 8 matches and Balšić 3 games, with goal difference 22-12 (Budućnost goals first).

During the period 1946-2006, especially popular were games of FK Budućnost against big-four of Yugoslav football (Crvena zvezda, Dinamo Zagreb, Hajduk Split and Partizan). Games against Hajduk and Dinamo, FK Budućnost played in Yugoslav First League until the breakup of SFR Yugoslavia, and against Crvena zvezda and Partizan until Montenegrin independence. Below is a table with FK Budućnost all-time score against four teams, including official games in First League, Yugoslav Cup and European competitions.

Podgorica City Stadium

FK Budućnost plays its home games at the Stadion Pod Goricom, in Podgorica. Stadion Pod Goricom, is also the largest football stadium in Montenegro and the home ground of the Montenegro national football team. The stadium's original capacity was about 12,000 spectators, which expanded to 15,230 with the addition of the north and south stands. An eastern stand is planned to be built soon, which will bring the stadium's capacity to over 20,000.
The pitch measures 105 x 70 meters. Stadium is well known for close distance between pitch and stands. Pitch is totally renovated in 2014 and today is among the best football pitches in the Balkans.
Floodlights were installen at the 1989, with the first match in the night-time Budućnost - Rad (First League, 28 May 1989). Twenty years later, new, 1900 lux, floodlights were installen.

FK Budućnost training center

Since 2008, FK Budućnost made their own training center in Camp FSCG, located on Ćemosvko polje, a plain at Podgorica outskirts between the settlements Stari Aerodrom and Konik.
At training center, on area of 18,000 sq meters, FK Budućnost owns administrative building with offices, meeting rooms, press room and technical facilities, and two football grounds. Both pitches have stands with capacity of 1,000 seats. On that grounds, their home games plays all young teams of FK Budućnost and ŽFK Budućnost, too.
For the first time, senior team of FK Budućnost played an official game at training center in November 2016. On Montenegrin Cup match, they hosted FK Kom.

Squad

As of 25 June 2016 Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Records

Notable players

For the list of former and current players with Wikipedia article, please see Category:FK Budućnost Podgorica players.

During the history, a numerous notable players sterted their career or played for FK Budućnost. Most known are Podgorica-born players Dejan Savićević, Predrag Mijatović, Branko Brnović, Željko Petrović, Niša Saveljić or Dragoljub Brnović. Players with most games for Budućnost are Ibrahim Methadžović and Slavko Vlahović. Most goals for FK Budućnost in the First League scored Mojaš Radonjić.
Below is the list of players which, during their career, played for FK Budućnost and represented their countries at national teams.

Sponsors

Women's team

Women's team of FK Budućnost (ŽFK Budućnost) exists from 2005. Until 2016, team was known as ŽFK Palma.
It plays in the Montenegrin Women's League. It's the oldest women's football club in Montenegro. They won two champion titles, on seasons 2008-09 and 2009–10.