In August 1965, at the beginning of the 1965-66 season FK Željezničar goalkeeper Ranko Planinić came forward with information alleging match-fixing during the 1963-64 season. He claimed his club threw the matches against Hajduk Split and NK Trešnjevka towards the end of the season in order to help those two relegation-threatened teams avoid the drop. Specifically, Planinić claimed that the match played on 31 May 1964 in Split when Hajduk beat Željezničar 4-0 was fixed, as well as the match on 7 June 1964 in Sarajevo when Željezničar and Trešnjevka tied 3-3. He was in Željezničar's goal in both matches. Planinić made the information public fourteen months later in August 1965 by approaching a Večernje novine journalist Alija Resulović who in turn took Planinić's testimony in form of an interview and the piece was published by the paper, which was circulated in 100,000 copies at the time. In his 2006 book Ona vremena, Resulović claims to have contacted FK Željezničar's president Nusret Mahić right before submitting the piece for publishing, informing him of Planinić's allegations, seeking comment, and even offering to sit on the information if he thinks it necessary. Resulović further claims that Mahić's response was: "Publish it all! It's all a lie that Planinić concocted as revenge for being fined for an incident he caused at a training session". The explosive testimony erupted in a nationwide scandal that became known as the 'Planinić Affair'. On many occasions in the years prior, Yugoslav First League had been plagued by rumours of widespread match-fixing, however, this was the first occasion that a player had come forward and substantiated those claims on the record.
Investigation
Right after Planinić's allegations hit the press, the Yugoslav FA disciplinary body began an investigation into the two matches Planinić claimed were fixed. Its findings were summarized in an internal memo that was later obtained by various Yugoslav press outlets: ;NK Hajduk Split vs. FK Željezničar Sarajevo played on Sunday, 31 May 1964
Punishment
On 27 August 1965, the Yugoslav FA's disciplinary body presided over by Svetozar Savić handed out the following penalties:
FK Željezničar's board members, including club president Nusret Mahić, got lifelong bans on performing any football-related official functions.
NK Dinamo Zagreb's general secretaryOto Hofman got a lifetime ban from football for acting as a go-between for Željezničar and Trešnjevka.
Disciplinary body president Svetozar Savić also announced that the investigation had revealed that Željezničar was paid YUD1.5 million by Hajduk Split, and YUD4 million by Trešnjevka for these matches. Some of the money Trešnjevka paid was obtained from the Zagreb Fair where some of Trešnjevka's board members were employed at. As a reference point, the price of a daily newspaper at the time was YUD40.
Appeals
On appeal, the main punishment for the three clubs was reduced to points-deduction. For the 1965-66 season, Željezničar, Hajduk, and Trešnjevka were docked 6, 5, and 5 points, respectively.
