Fudbalski klub Novi Pazar (Serbian Cyrillic: Фудбалски клуб Нови Пазар) is a Serbian professional football club based in the city of Novi Pazar, which competes in the Serbian SuperLiga. The team plays their home games at the Novi Pazar City Stadium.
The club was formed in 1928 as FK Sandžak and has achieved its greatest successes since Serbia has become an independent country, reaching the top tier of national competition for the first time ever in 2011. Novi Pazar was granted promotion after 2010–11 Serbian First League champions BASK withdrew from the SuperLiga due to limited funds and not meeting the required stadium criteria set out by the Football Association of Serbia.
In 2019–20 Serbian First League they finished mid-table but due to the Football Association of Serbia re-structuring the Serbian SuperLiga, they were awarded a place/took the place of RFK Grafičar, a Belgrade club that had to withdraw from the Serbian SuperLiga due to limited funds and not meeting the required stadium criteria set out by the Football Association of Serbia.
Recently, the club's biggest success was finishing 3rd out of 16 teams in the 2024–25 Serbian SuperLiga, and thus securing a spot in the Conference League second qualifying round. It is the club's first ever European football appearance. Adem Ljajić, a Novi Pazar native, played a key role in the teams success in the 2024-2025 season.
Contents
History
Yugoslav period
The club was founded in 1928, under the name FK Sandžak, which later changed to FK Deževa. The club has played under its current name since 1962, when FK Deževa and another local football club, the FK Ras, merged under the name FK Novi Pazar. The club was a Yugoslav amateur-leagues champion, and was later a member of the Yugoslav Second League.
Its first notable achievement happened in 1984 when the club won the Serbian Republic League, at time one of Yugoslav third tiers, and were promoted to the Yugoslav Second League for the first time in 56 years of existence till then. They finished the season with 43 points (at time it was two points per victory) with 17 wins, 9 draws and 4 losses, and a score balance of 42–14. The Serbian Republic League at time was very competitive and Novi Pazar that season finished top of teams such as Radnički Kragujevac, Čukarički, Obilić, Sinđelić, Jagodina, Sloga Kraljevo, Loznica, Dubočica, Radnički Obrenovac, Budućnost Valjevo, Rudar Kostolac, Kristal Zaječar, Majdanpek, Đerdap Kladovo and 7. Juli Vrčin. The celebration of the promotion to the Second League happened in the last round in the 2–1 home victory over 7. Juli, but the major celebration happened two rounds earlier when Novi Pazar secured the league title at the 1–1 draw away in Belgrade against Sinđelić. The game was attended by 3.000 spectators of which 2.500 were Novi Pazar fans that had travelled to Belgrade. The goal for Novi Pazar was scored by Milan Glavčić who scored 23 goals overall that season and was the club's top scorer. The players that formed that notorious generation of Novi Pazar that season were goalkeepers Novica Jovanović, Dragan Goševac, Naser Halitović, defenders Dragan Kostić, Bajro Župić, Darko Vujović, Esad Karišik, Nazim Izberović, Ratko Šarac, Radojica Milojević, Salih Detanac, Izet Ljajić, Ljutvo Bogućanin, midfielders Ferid Ganić, Rizo Tutić, Mirsad Karišik, Adnan Numanović, Ismail Bihorac, Nermin Ukić, and forwards Ismet Ugljanin, Milan Glavčić, Gmitar Vukadinović, Šerif Izberović and Naser Salihu. The club president was Amir Beširović while the coach was Dušan Radonjić and his assistant was Aćif Klimenta.
The generation of 1984 also managed to win the Yugoslav amateur-league leagues championship, which was played between the winners of all eight leagues forming the Yugoslav third tier, those in the six republics (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia) and in the two autonomous provinces (Kosovo and Vojvodina). As winner of the 1983–84 Serbian Republic League, FK Novi Pazar represented Serbia that year and won the tournament. After beating Liria away in Prizren by 3–0, Novi Pazar played the final at home at the City Stadium where they beat Crvenka by 2–0 with goals from Esad Karišik and Ismet Ugljanin. A member of that generation, Enver Gusinac, who became club captain in the seasons that followed, but missed the season because of the Yugoslav People's Army conscription, made his return in the final.
Stadium
Novi Pazar City Stadium (Serbian Cyrillic: Градски стадион у Новом Пазару), located in the eastern part of the city, is the home venue of FK Novi Pazar. The stadium was officially opened on 12 April 2012 after one-year reconstruction and it can hold 12,000 people at full capacity.
The stadium began undergoing complete reconstruction during the first half of 2011 in an ambitious project by the Football Association of Serbia and the city of Novi Pazar. The project includes the renovation of the eastern, west and northern stands. The project includes also the covering of the whole stadium, new floodlights, new locker and press room, new ambulance, parking area, ticket office. After reconstruction, the stadium fulfill the most up to date UEFA standards. The cost of the project was estimated to be over 230 million Serbian dinars (2 million euros).
Supporters
The three largest supporters groups of FK Novi Pazar are known as Torcida Sandžak, Ultra Azzurro and Ekstremi. Organized tifo support for FK Novi Pazar was first established in the late 1980s. Ultras of Fenerbahçe first recognized the fans of FK Novi Pazar in 2011, and a friendship now exists between the ultras of the clubs from Istanbul and Novi Pazar.
Ultras in Novi Pazar have Right-Wing views and have a recent history of both scandalous and disrespectful displays. In October 2012, Ekstremi held up a mocking display about the illegal organ harvesting in Kosovo as a provocation to Rad, a team from outside of Novi Pazar from where the supporters were mostly Christian Serbs. The incident garnered shocked reactions from media and government officials both in Serbia and in other countries. However, ultras in Novi Pazar are also known to act respectfully to visiting teams from outside of Novi Pazar.
In April 2013, during a home match against Partizan Belgrade, a supporter of FK Novi Pazar threw an activated homemade explosive device to the visiting supporters, which fell to the athletic field and did not explode. The explosive device was wrapped with tape and filled with nails. It was the same person who caused, on 26 November 2011, a false bomb alarm in the Novi Pazar City Stadium, leading to a criminal charge against him of causing panic. FK Novi Pazar club management sharply condemned the action.
Torcida Sandžak, on a different note, earned worldwide recognition when the group organized a protest in the form of a public march which was attended by thousands of people. The protest was held in a peaceful manner without negative incidents.
Novi Pazar in Europe
Novi Pazar scores are given first in all scorelines.
Players
Current squad
As of 2 September 2026
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Technical staff
As of 15 June 2026
Management
As of 26 January 2025
Notable players
To appear in this section a player must have either:
Played at least 80 games for the club.
Set a club record or won an individual award while at the club.
Played at least one international match for their national team at any time.
For the list of current and former players with Wikipedia article, please see: Category:FK Novi Pazar players.