By Isa Belle
People in the Balkan love football, and Bosnia is no exception.  They play, watch and support big clubs from English Premier League and then fight about it.  There have been several occasions when I was not allowed to leave my house in Mostar because the city’s rival teams were playing against each other and normally resulting in riots.  Local people say that it has less to do with the match than the temperamental Balkans simply need a reason to burst.

Football madness is not only restricted at the regional level but also spreads national-wide.  Bosnian-Croats generally support Croatia’s national team; Bosnian-Serbs cheer on Serbian national team; and you see where I am going with this, Bosniaks pledge their loyalty to the team wearing blue jerseys.  As the qualification round for the World Cup 2010 was coming to and end, I had my share of witnessing the national pride. I was in Mostar on the day of  Bosnia-Turkey and Croatia-England matches. Both games were significant in the way that the outcome could change the pecking order of the groups.  It would strengthen Bosnia’s and Croatia’s 2nd-place status to advance to the play-off round and compete for Europe’s last four spots going to South Africa.  Bosnia tied Turkey which was a very good result for them while Croatia  was crushed by England.  The tension in the city was high with all those pent-up, conflicting emotions on both sides.  I was on my balcony, in the Bosniak side of the town, the whole night watching Mostar becoming a bedlam.  Cars were honking; people were screaming and cheering; fireworks were exploding.  I heard from a policeman later that some policeman was beaten up in that riot.  But it was incredible!  The liveliness of Mostar–I had never experienced such–lasted even hours after the match had finished.

I was in Sarajevo during Bosnia’s next match, an even more important one because it will guarantee them the second place for the play-off.  The spirit was amazing.  People were walking around in their national colours and gathered to watch the match live on big screen television in a square.  Unfortunately I had to take the train back to Mostar before the match started. Back in Mostar awaited me the same uplifting sight of people cheering on the streets in huge masses.  I will definitely return to Sarajevo when the play-off match is played against Portugal, yup the Portugal which produces World Football Best Player in 2008, Christian Ronaldo.  So Bosia needs a lot more than just skills and talent.  I am praying for Bosnia’s uphill win to relieve the spirit of the after-match, and of course to have two teams to root for in the World Cup,  Bosnia and The Netherlands.

Will it be possible that football in Bosnia for once not divide the people but unite them given the national team stellar performance, similar to the divisive Belgians and Spaniards unite behind their national football team.