Emir Spahić facts for kids
Spahić with Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2015
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Emir Spahić | ||
| Date of birth | 18 August 1980 | ||
| Place of birth | Dubrovnik, SR Croatia, Yugoslavia | ||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Centre back | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Bosnia and Herzegovina (director) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Krajina Cazin | |||
| –1998 | Čelik Zenica | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1998–1999 | Čelik Zenica | 19 | (1) |
| 1999–2001 | GOŠK Dubrovnik | 22 | (0) |
| 2001–2004 | Zagreb | 38 | (2) |
| 2004–2005 | Shinnik Yaroslavl | 26 | (6) |
| 2005–2006 | Torpedo Moscow | 15 | (0) |
| 2006–2009 | Lokomotiv Moscow | 63 | (3) |
| 2009–2011 | Montpellier | 57 | (3) |
| 2011–2013 | Sevilla | 44 | (1) |
| 2013 | → Anzhi Makhachkala (loan) | 7 | (1) |
| 2013–2015 | Bayer Leverkusen | 49 | (3) |
| 2015–2017 | Hamburger SV | 37 | (0) |
| Total | 377 | (20) | |
| International career | |||
| 2003–2018 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 94 | (6) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Emir Spahić (born 18 August 1980) is a Bosnian football expert and former player. He played as a centre-back, which is a defensive position in football. Currently, he is the director of the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team.
During his career, Spahić played for many teams in different countries. These included his home country, Croatia, Russia, France, Spain, and Germany. He played in 94 international games for his country, scoring 6 goals. He was also the captain of the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team from 2008 until the end of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Emir Spahić played for several well-known football clubs during his career. He was part of teams like Zagreb, Shinnik Yaroslavl, Lokomotiv Moscow, and Anzhi Makhachkala.
He also played in major European competitions. These included the Champions League with Zagreb and Leverkusen, and the Europa League with Montpellier, Sevilla, and Lokomotiv.
Playing for Montpellier
On 24 June 2009, Spahić joined Montpellier, a team that had just been promoted to the top French league. In his very first game for them against Paris Saint-Germain, he scored a goal in the last minute. This goal helped his team get a 1–1 draw, earning them a valuable point.
Time at Sevilla
On 4 July 2011, Spahić moved to the Spanish team Sevilla. He signed a contract until July 2014. His teammate from the national team, Miroslav Stevanović, also joined Sevilla in January 2013. Spahić scored his first goal for Sevilla on 5 January 2013. It was the only goal in a 1–0 win against Osasuna.
Loan to Anzhi Makhachkala
On 26 February 2013, Spahić went on loan from Sevilla to Anzhi Makhachkala in the Russian Premier League. He scored his first goal for this club on 14 April 2013 against Volga Nizhny Novgorod.
Joining Bayer Leverkusen
.jpg)
On 28 June 2013, Spahić signed a two-year contract with Bayer Leverkusen in the German Bundesliga. On 18 February 2014, during a Champions League game, he was sent off. On 20 April, he scored two goals for the club in a 4–1 league win against 1. FC Nürnberg.
On 30 August 2014, Spahić, who was 34 years old, scored a header from a free kick. This goal helped Leverkusen draw 2–2 in a game they eventually won 4–2 against Hertha BSC. This win helped his team stay unbeaten at the start of the season.
On 14 February 2015, he received two yellow cards and was sent off in a home game against VfL Wolfsburg. His team lost that game 4–5.
On 30 March 2015, a sports study center named CIES called Spahić the best defender in Europe. However, his contract was ended on 12 April due to an incident with club security staff.
Moving to Hamburger SV
On 5 July 2015, another Bundesliga team, Hamburger SV, announced that Spahić had joined them. He signed a one-year contract. He was grateful for this second chance after leaving Leverkusen. He left the club on 3 January 2017.
International Career
Emir Spahić made his first appearance for the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team on 7 June 2003. He came on as a substitute against Romania. On 28 February 2006, he scored his first goal for his country in a friendly game against Japan.
He was a very important player for the national team and served as their captain for many years. During the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, he helped his team score a crucial goal against Slovakia. Bosnia and Herzegovina won that game 2–1 and stayed at the top of their qualifying group.
Spahić announced his retirement from international football on 7 August 2014. After he retired, Bosnia lost their first game of Euro 2016 qualifiers. Because of this, the manager asked him to return to the national team on 22 September. He later played a full game against Israel on 16 November.
On 29 May 2016, he scored a goal in a friendly match against Spain. He also received a red card in that game.
Executive Role
On 19 April 2024, Emir Spahić became the director of the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team. He took over this role from his former national teammate, Zvjezdan Misimović.
Personal Life
Emir Spahić is from a Bosniak family. His father is from Sandžak, and his mother is from Gacko. They met in Dubrovnik. Emir has two brothers, Nermin and Alen, who is also a football player. Emir Spahić is also a first cousin of another famous national team player, Edin Džeko.
Spahić enjoys tennis and has watched live matches in different cities. He is also studying sport and physical education at the University of Sarajevo. Besides his native Bosnian, he can speak English, Spanish, French, German, and Russian.
On 30 August 2019, Spahić was in a car accident where his vehicle rolled over. He had several injuries, but they were not life-threatening. He is a practicing Muslim and became the president of the Executive Board of the Islamic Community of Dubrovnik in 2023.
Career Statistics
International Games
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 2003 | 4 | 0 |
| 2004 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2005 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2007 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2009 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 10 | 1 | |
| 2012 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 7 | 3 | |
| 2017 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 94 | 6 | |
- Scores and results list Bosnia and Herzegovina's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Spahić goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 February 2006 | Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund, Germany |  Japan |
2–1 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 2 | 15 October 2008 | Bilino Polje, Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina |  Armenia |
1–0 | 4–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 3 | 15 November 2011 | Estádio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal |  Portugal |
2–3 | 2–6 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying play-offs |
| 4 | 29 May 2016 | AFG Arena, St. Gallen, Switzerland |  Spain |
1–2 | 1–3 | Friendly |
| 5 | 6 September 2016 | Bilino Polje, Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina |  Estonia |
1–0 | 5–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 6 | 5–0 |
Honours and Awards
Emir Spahić won several titles with his clubs:
Zagreb
- Croatian First League: 2001–02
Lokomotiv Moscow
- Russian Cup: 2006–07
See also
In Spanish: Emir Spahić para niños
