sports
April 1, 2026
SERGEJ IS SERBIAN, CROATIAN AND BOSNIAN: Who is the man who took Bosnia to the World Cup? They wanted to kill his mother, and then he became a legend for them
Usually, coaches/selectors are not in the spotlight when great success happens; instead, players take the glory.
TL;DR
- Sergej Barbarez, born in Mostar, has a mixed heritage with a Serbian father and a mother of Croatian and Bosnian Muslim descent.
- Initially interested in basketball and athletics, Barbarez started his football career at Velež Mostar before moving to Germany due to the war in Yugoslavia.
- He became a successful professional footballer in Germany, playing for clubs like Union Berlin, Hansa Rostock, Borussia Dortmund, Hamburg, and Bayer Leverkusen, where he became a Bundesliga top scorer.
- Barbarez's decision to play for Bosnia and Herzegovina was complicated by threats against his mother, which were resolved through government intervention ensuring her safety.
- He debuted for the national team in 1998 and played until 2006, and in April 2024, he became the coach of the Bosnian national team, leading them to qualification for the World Cup.
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