Sergej Barbarez facts for kids
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Barbarez in 2024
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 17 September 1971 | ||
| Place of birth | Mostar, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia | ||
| Height | 1.88 m | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Bosnia and Herzegovina (manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1984–1989 | Velež Mostar | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1989–1991 | Velež Mostar | ||
| 1992–1993 | Hannover 96 | 18 | (2) |
| 1993–1996 | Union Berlin | 88 | (46) |
| 1996–1998 | Hansa Rostock | 59 | (13) |
| 1998–2000 | Borussia Dortmund | 36 | (6) |
| 2000–2006 | Hamburger SV | 174 | (65) |
| 2006–2008 | Bayer Leverkusen | 61 | (11) |
| Total | 436 | (143) | |
| National team | |||
| 1998–2006 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 47 | (17) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2024– | Bosnia and Herzegovina | ||
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Sergej Barbarez (born 17 September 1971) is a Bosnian football manager and former football player. He is currently the manager of the Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team.
Barbarez played as a forward for many years. He is known for playing in the German Bundesliga, which is a top football league. Many people think he is one of the best players ever for Hamburger SV. He scored 65 goals in 174 games for them. He could play as a second striker, an attacking midfielder, or a left winger. In the 2000–01 season, he was the top scorer in the Bundesliga with 22 goals. He shared this award with Ebbe Sand.
Sergej Barbarez also played for the Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team. He played 47 games and scored 17 goals between 1998 and 2006. He was even the team's captain from 2004 to 2006.
Contents
Early Life and Football Start
Sergej Barbarez was born in Mostar, which is now in Bosnia and Herzegovina. When he was a young child, he was more interested in basketball and athletics than football. But at age eleven, he started playing football for fun with his friends after school.
Joining a Youth Team
In 1984, Barbarez took his football playing more seriously. He joined the youth team of Velež in his hometown of Mostar.
Club Career Highlights
At 19, Barbarez signed with the main team of Velež. Soon after, he had to serve in the army for a short time. When he returned to Velež, everyone could see he was a very talented player.
Moving to Germany
In 1991, Barbarez visited his uncle in Germany. His uncle arranged a two-week try-out with Hannover 96. The coach was so impressed that he signed Barbarez. Around this time, the situation in his home country became difficult. So, Barbarez decided to stay in Germany with his uncle. His family later joined him there.
Barbarez played for Hannover 96 for two seasons. Then, from 1993 to 1996, he played for Union Berlin. After that, he joined Hansa Rostock and played there until 1998.
Success at Hamburger SV
In 1998, Barbarez signed with Borussia Dortmund. He played there until July 2000, when he moved to Hamburger SV.
His first season with Hamburger SV was amazing. He scored 22 goals, becoming the top scorer for his club. He also shared the title of top scorer for the entire Bundesliga league. Even though he scored two goals, his team was knocked out of the 2000–01 UEFA Champions League early.
On 17 May 2006, Barbarez signed a two-year contract with Bayer Leverkusen. He finished his playing career there when his contract ended in June 2008.
International Career
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Sergej Barbarez played his first game for the Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team on 14 May 1998. This was a friendly match against Argentina.
He scored two goals against Liechtenstein in a World Cup qualification game in 2001. He almost scored a third goal from a penalty kick, but the goalkeeper saved it.
Barbarez was the captain of the Bosnian national team before he first retired from international football in October 2005. He later decided to come back and played in the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifiers. He became captain again.
On 12 October 2006, Barbarez officially stopped playing for the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team. He retired completely from professional football in June 2008. His last international game was a European Championship qualification match against Moldova.
Managerial Career
After his playing career, Barbarez wanted to become a coach. On 14 December 2009, he announced he wanted to be the head coach for the Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team. However, another coach, Safet Sušić, was chosen instead.
On 5 January 2011, Barbarez earned his UEFA Pro Licence. This license allows him to coach professional football teams.
On 19 April 2024, Sergej Barbarez was officially named the new head coach of the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team. He signed a four-year contract for this role.
Personal Life
Sergej Barbarez is married to his high-school sweetheart, Ana, who is also from Mostar. They have two sons named Filip-André (born 1994) and Sergio-Luis (born 1999). Barbarez was also a member of the board of directors for Hamburger SV for a short time, from 2009 to 2010.
Career Achievements
Player Honours
Hamburger SV
- DFB-Ligapokal: 2003
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2005
Individual Awards
- Bosnian Footballer of the Year: 2001, 2002, 2003
- Bundesliga top goalscorer: 2000–01 (shared with another player)
Images for kids
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Barbarez playing for Bosnia and Herzegovina against Iran in 2006
See also
In Spanish: Sergej Barbarez para niños
