The Romantičari: How a Belgrade football club survived a century of turbulent history

Cultures · Published 10 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Once a dominant force in Yugoslav football, OFK Beograd has spent decades oscillating between European glory and near-extinction. Known for their elegant style and a legendary youth academy, the club remains a resilient institution, sustained by a fiercely loyal fan base that has stood by them through multiple name changes.

Founded in 1945 as Metalac, the club is the spiritual successor to the Beogradski Sport Klub (BSK), which dominated Serbian football between 1923 and 1941. BSK, which played its first match in 1911, secured five national championships during its peak. Following World War II, the club underwent several transformations, eventually adopting the name OFK Beograd in 1957. This rebranding was a strategic effort to attract younger spectators who were increasingly drawn to the city's larger clubs, Red Star and Partizan.

The club's 'Golden Era' spanned the 1950s and 1960s, marked by four Yugoslav Cup victories and significant European success. They reached the semi-finals of the 1962–63 European Cup Winners' Cup, where they were defeated by Tottenham Hotspur. During this period, the team earned the nickname Romantičari, or 'The Romantics,' for their elegant style of play. However, this success proved difficult to sustain, and the club suffered a sharp decline in the 1980s, frequently fluctuating between the first and second divisions.

The club's recent history has been defined by financial instability and a struggle for survival. After relegation to the third tier in 2016, fans formed the 'Club of Friends of OFK Beograd' in 2018 to prevent the club from folding. Their efforts, combined with a return to form, saw the club secure promotion back to the Serbian First League in 2023. Despite these challenges, the club’s youth academy remains one of the most respected in Serbia, having produced stars like Branislav Ivanović and Aleksandar Kolarov, ensuring that the legacy of the Romantičari continues to influence the national game.

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