Emir Spahić facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Emir Spahić

Spahić with Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2015
Personal information
Date of birth	(1980-08-18) 18 August 1980 (age 44)
Place of birth	Dubrovnik, SR Croatia, SFR Yugoslavia
Height	1.86 m
Playing position	Centre back
Club information
Current club	Bosnia and Herzegovina (director)
Youth career
	Krajina Cazin
0000–1998	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)
National team
2003–2018	Bosnia and Herzegovina	94	(6)
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Emir Spahić (born August 18, 1980) is a football expert and former player from Bosnia and Herzegovina. He played as a centre-back, which is a defensive position in football. Today, he works as the director for 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 and scored 6 goals. He was also the captain of the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team from 2008 until the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Club Career

Emir Spahić played for several well-known football clubs. He played for Zagreb in Croatia and for Shinnik Yaroslavl, Lokomotiv Moscow, and Anzhi Makhachkala in Russia.

He also played in big European tournaments. He was part of the Champions League with Zagreb and Leverkusen. He also played in the Europa League with Montpellier, Sevilla, and Lokomotiv.

Playing for Montpellier

On June 24, 2009, Spahić joined Montpellier, a team that had just moved up to the top French league. In his very first game 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.

Playing for Sevilla

On July 4, 2011, Spahić moved to the Spanish team Sevilla. He signed a contract until July 2014. His teammate from Bosnia, Miroslav Stevanović, also joined Sevilla later. Spahić scored his first goal for Sevilla on January 5, 2013. It was the only goal in a 1–0 win against Osasuna.

Playing for Anzhi Makhachkala

On February 26, 2013, Spahić went on loan from Sevilla to Anzhi Makhachkala. This team plays in the top Russian league. He scored his first goal for Anzhi on April 14, 2013, in a game against Volga Nizhny Novgorod.

Playing for Bayer Leverkusen

Spahić with Bayer Leverkusen in November 2014

On June 28, 2013, Spahić signed a two-year contract with Bayer Leverkusen. This team plays in the German Bundesliga. On February 18, 2014, he was sent off during a Champions League game against Paris Saint-Germain. On April 20, he scored two goals for the club in a 4–1 league win against 1. FC Nürnberg.

On August 30, 2014, Spahić, who was 34 years old, scored a goal from a free kick. This goal helped Leverkusen tie the score at 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.

Spahić was sent off again on February 14, 2015, in a home game against VfL Wolfsburg. His team lost that game 4–5.

In March 2015, a sports study center named Spahić as one of the best defenders in Europe. On April 12, his contract with Bayer Leverkusen was ended early due to a disagreement.

Playing for Hamburger SV

On July 5, 2015, Spahić joined another Bundesliga team, Hamburger SV. He signed a one-year contract. He said that his friend, former Hamburg player Sergej Barbarez, helped him make the move. Spahić was happy to get a second chance after leaving Leverkusen. He left the club on January 3, 2017.

International Career

Spahić playing for Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2015

Emir Spahić played his first game for the national team on June 7, 2003. He came in as a substitute against Romania. On February 28, 2006, he scored his first goal for his country in a friendly game against Japan.

From his first game, he was a very important player for the national team. He was also their captain for many years. In a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Slovakia, he helped set up a crucial goal. 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 August 7, 2014. However, after Bosnia lost their first game of Euro 2016 qualifiers without him, the manager asked him to come back. He returned to play against Israel on November 16, playing the whole game.

On May 29, 2016, he scored a goal in a friendly game against Spain. He was sent off during the game.

Executive Career

On April 19, 2024, Spahić became the director of the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team. He took over this role from his former teammate, Zvjezdan Misimović.

Personal Life

Emir Spahić is from a group of people called Bosniaks. His father is from Sandžak, and his mother is from Gacko. They met in Dubrovnik, where Emir was born. He has two brothers, Nermin and Alen, who also plays football. Emir Spahić is also the first cousin of famous football player Edin Džeko.

Spahić enjoys watching tennis. He has attended live matches in places like Dubai, Barcelona, Montpellier, and Paris.

He is also studying at the University of Sarajevo. He is learning about sport and physical education.

Besides his native Bosnian, Spahić can speak English, Spanish, French, German, and Russian.

In 2019, Spahić was in a car accident. He had some injuries, but they were not life-threatening.

He is a practicing Muslim. In 2023, he became the president of the Executive Board of the Islamic Community of Dubrovnik.

Career Statistics

International Goals

Scores and results list Bosnia and Herzegovina's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Spahić goal.

List of international goals scored by Emir Spahić

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

Zagreb

• Croatian First League: 2001–02

Lokomotiv Moscow

• Russian Cup: 2006–07

See also

In Spanish: Emir Spahić para niños