The Bosnian footballer of the year, since 2008 renamed to Idol Nacije (English translation: The Idol of the nation), is an annual award given to the best Bosnian football player of the year, as well as recognising and awarding other sports men and women, coaches and game officials in the country. The event was held in 2001 under the BiH banner for the first time, with Sergej Barbarez winning the most prestigious award for best player of the year, and again in 2003.
Since 2008, the show is organized by sports news/media website SportSport.ba and is broadcast on NTV Hayat and is expanded to include many other award categories. Edin Džeko won three Idol Nacije awards in a row. Vedad Ibišević and Asmir Begović were the only other Idol of the nation winners. For the 2010 awards, it was decided that former player Muhamed Konjić would nominate 10 players for the main award of player of the year. In 2008 Sergej Barbarez had this honor, while Mehmed Baždarević received the task in 2009.
The show was not held for 2011, without any official reason being given. Finally, on June 15 it was announced that the ceremony for 2011 would be held before the end of June, and that all future events will take place during the summer, rather than the winter. The awards will therefore be given for performances during the last season, rather than for the last calendar year.
During the days of Yugoslavia, the award was run collectively on the entire former Yugoslavia territory by newspaper Večernji list from 1972 until the breakup of SFRY. Some of the past winners from Socialist Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina in those times include:
Dušan Bajević (1972, Velež),
Enver Marić (1973, Velež),
Josip Katalinski (1974, Željezničar),
Safet Sušić (1979, Sarajevo),
Blaž Slišković (1985, Hajduk Split)
Semir Tuce (1986, Velež).
Past winners from modern-day state of Bosnia and Herzegovina include:
Players in bold are still active.
NFSBiH held its own ceremony (second annual) to award best football players/or game officials of the season in Bosnian leagues.
Best goalkeeper BiH Futsal team: Bahrudin Omerbegović (MNK Centar Sarajevo)Best player Futsal BiH premier league: Srđan Ivanković (Mostar SG Staklorad)Best woman's goalkeeper of BiH premier league: Almina Hodžić (SFK 2000 Sarajevo)Best woman's player of BiH premier league: Armisa Kuč (SFK 2000 Sarajevo)Award for Fair-play: Darko Obradović (BiH premier league referee)Best goalkeeper of Premier League: Goran Karačić (HŠK Zrinjski Mostar)Best player of Premier League: Zajko Zeba, (FK Sloboda Tuzla)NFSBiH held its own ceremony (first annual) to award best football players of the season in Bosnian leagues.
Best goalkeeper BiH Futsal team: Bahrudin Omerbegović (MNK Centar Sarajevo)Best player Futsal BiH premier league: Anel Radmilović (MNK Centar Sarajevo)Best woman's goalkeeper of BiH premier league: Envera Hasanbegović (SFK 2000 Sarajevo)Best woman's player of BiH premier league: Armisa Kuč (SFK 2000 Sarajevo)Award for Fair-play: Dženis Beganović (FK Željezničar Sarajevo)Best goalkeeper of Premier League: Ratko Dujković (HŠK Zrinjski Mostar)Best player of Premier League: Wagner Santos Lago from Brazil, (NK Široki Brijeg)Not Held
Player of the year in the Bosnian League: Saša Kajkut, Čelik ZenicaManager of the year: Safet Sušić, Bosnia and Herzegovina national football teamManager of the year in the Bosnian League: Amar Osim, Željezničar SarajevoForeign player of the year in the Bosnian League: Miloš Vidović, from Serbia, Olimpik SarajevoGoalkeeper of the year in the Bosnian League: Dejan Bandović, FK SarajevoBest organized Bosnian club: NK Široki BrijegReferee of the year: Elmir PilavU21 player of the year: Sead Kolašinac, Schalke 04U19 player of the year: Armin Hodžić, Željezničar SarajevoU17 player of the year: Samir Radovac, FK SarajevoFutsal player of the year: Slaven NovoselacFemale player of the year: Amira Spahić, 2000 SarajevoFootball worker of the year: Elvedin Begić, Football Association of Bosnia and HerzegovinaNewcomer of the year: Sead Kolašinac, Schalke 04Young player of the year in the Bosnian League: Nermin Zolotić, Željezničar SarajevoGoalkeeper of the year: Asmir Begović, Stoke CityPlayer of the year in the Bosnian League: Zajko Zeba, Željezničar SarajevoManager of the year: Amar Osim, Željezničar SarajevoManager of the year in the Bosnian League: Amar Osim, Željezničar SarajevoForeign player of the year in the Bosnian League: Vedran Ješe, from Croatia, Široki BrijegGoalkeeper of the year in the Bosnian League: Adnan Guso, Željezničar SarajevoBest organized Bosnian club: NK Široki BrijegReferee of the year: Elmir PilavU21 player of the year: Miroslav Stevanović, FK VojvodinaU19 player of the year: Nermin Zolotić, Željezničar SarajevoU17 player of the year: Semir Musić, FK Sloboda TuzlaFutsal player of the year: Alen LalićFemale player of the year: Amira Spahić, 2000 SarajevoFootball worker of the year: Dino Selimović, FK SarajevoNewcomer of the year: Mario Kvesić, NK Široki BrijegYoung player of the year in the Bosnian League: Josip Kvesić, Željezničar SarajevoGoalkeeper of the year: Asmir Begović, Stoke CityPlayer of the year in the Bosnian League: Vule Trivunović, Borac Banja LukaManager of the year: Vahid Halilhodžić, Dinamo ZagrebManager of the year in the Bosnian League: Amar Osim, ŽeljezničarForeign player of the year in the Bosnian League: Wagner Santos Lago, from Brazil, Široki BrijegGoalkeeper of the year in the Bosnian League: Ibrahim Šehić, ŽeljezničarBest organized Bosnian club: Olimpic SarajevoReferee of the year: Radosav VukasovićU21 player of the year: Muhamed Subašić, Olimpic SarajevoU19 player of the year: Amer Bekić, Sloboda TuzlaU17 player of the year: Armin Hodžić, ŽeljezničarFutsal player of the year: Nijaz Mulahmetović, Orlić SarajevoFemale player of the year: Alisa Spahić, 2000 SarajevoFootball worker of the year:Nijaz Brković, ŽeljezničarNewcomer of the year: Muhamed Bešić, Hamburger SVYoung player of the year in the Bosnian League: Edin Višća, ŽeljezničarGoalkeeper of the year: Asmir Begović, Stoke CityPlayer of the year in the Bosnian League: Amer Osmanagić, Velež MostarManager of the year: Miroslav Blažević, Bosnia and HerzegovinaManager of the year in the Bosnian League: Abdulah Ibraković, Velež MostarForeign player of the year in the Bosnian League: Juan Manuel Varea, from Argentina, Široki BrijegGoalkeeper of the year in the Bosnian League: Muhamed Alaim, SarajevoBest organized Bosnian club: Široki BrijegReferee of the year: Rusmir MrkovićU21 player of the year: Ermin Zec, ŠibenikU19 player of the year: Haris Seferović, FiorentinaU17 player of the year: Safet Šivšić, Dinamo ZagrebFutsal player of the year: Nijaz Mulahmetović, Orlić SarajevoFemale player of the year: Aida Hadžić, 2000 SarajevoFootball worker of the year: Zlatan Jelić, Široki BrijegPlayer of the year in the Bosnian League: Velibor Đurić, Zrinjski MostarManager of the year: Mehmed Baždarević, Grenoble Foot 38Foreign player of the year in the Bosnian League Darko Spalević, from Serbia, SlavijaGoalkeeper of the year in the Bosnian League: Denis Mujkić, Jedinstvo BihaćBest organized Bosnian club: Široki BrijegReferee of the year: Novo PanićU21 player of the year: Semir Štilić, Lech PoznańU19 player of the year: Haris Handžić, SarajevoU17 player of the year: Dženan Durak, FreiburgFutsal player of the year: Alen Lalić, Potpićan 98Female player of the year: Lidija Kuliš, 2000 SarajevoFootball worker of the year Zlatan Jelić, Široki BrijegFan Group of the year: The Maniacs (FK Željezničar)