Barbarez before Cyprus: The idea is to create something new with the young national team

(Patria) - The head coach of the Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team, Sergej Barbarez, held a press conference ahead of the World Cup qualifier against Cyprus and the friendly match against Malta.

He said today's training session was excellent.

"We were very satisfied with what we saw, so we decided to extend it a bit. That is the essence of every preparation – Wednesday is the first day when everyone is together, all 100% ready for training, and that's why we focus especially on that day. Then we try to work on some things, to implement ideas and concepts in short but intense training segments. Ultimately, we strive to set up the team we want to have. From that perspective, I can say we were very satisfied today – both with what we saw and with several tactical details. I think we already have what awaits us in Cyprus in our heads."

He is not happy about the absence of the injured Ermedin Demirović, but must move on:

"Well, that is certainly very bad news. We already had indications earlier about the direction his injury was taking, and this morning, after consultations with several doctors, it was confirmed. That's why I didn't want to talk about it earlier, because we were waiting for more information. Of course, he is a player who, during my era, became extremely important for us, and he showed that week after week, both with us and at his club. Such players are hard to replace, but, as they say, when someone is absent, you have to move on without them. We have a clear idea and plan, we have players who can cover that intense part of his game – the running, pressing, and even goal-scoring contribution. I think with that idea we will be fully ready for Cyprus. We didn't want to call anyone up afterwards because time is too short. We focused on this group, and the idea has long been to try something with a single striker option as well. That's why we stayed with this squad and are satisfied with it."

He reflected on the first match in Zenica, where the Dragons celebrated, but there were also difficulties:

"Of course we had problems, especially in the first half. And when we analyzed that match, we saw that perhaps the approach was wrong in certain moments. But we had a constructive conversation at halftime, and the second half was very good – we showed character and quality. We look at the positive things from that match, but we also highlight what wasn't good. That match will certainly serve as a lesson for us – both because of their system of play and the way they approach the game. I think we are now much further along than we were then, in better momentum, with a team that has been playing together longer and showing it can compete with the best. I would say we are now at least two steps above where we were at that time."

The coach is satisfied that Bosnia and Herzegovina has gone from being a "landmine" to a role where other national teams are waiting for the Dragons to slip up:

"You see, until now many considered us a 'landmine,' and now we are in the role of those who are chasing. And I'm glad we've reached that position. You're right – anything can happen in Cyprus. From day one, I've said this is not a harmless team, especially since they changed their coach and raised their intensity. As Ivan said, they have that southern mentality – if you let them get into their rhythm, they can be very unpleasant."

Bosnia and Herzegovina has one of the youngest teams in Europe. That is a pledge for the future, and the coach claims their idea was courage and faith in such a path:

"Exactly – that is the next step: the maturity and calmness we want them to show. I told them this match will be, so to speak, 'not very attractive,' but the result will be the only thing that counts. And, as we always say, it's just one match – life doesn't end after it. After that, we have two more matches and certainly another opportunity to show what we can do. From the beginning, the idea was to create something new with the young national team – to give this team a fresh face, bring in new people, change the mentality a bit. We knew it wouldn't be easy. We are working with guys who have just stepped into senior football. If you look at football history, you'll hardly find a coach who called up 20 debutants or new players in one year. That's not usual, but our idea was courage and faith in that path. I wanted that, when we leave one day, a system remains behind us, so these guys can continue together and build continuity. That is the greatest wealth – when a generation plays together, matures through matches like these, and grows together with the national team and the country."

He emphasizes that he is not yet thinking about Austria; the focus is on the first "homework":

"Honestly, I'm not used to dwelling too much on those things. I mention the match only because it can make our path easier or harder, but our main focus remains on our 'homework.' We have to get that done. After that, we will sit down, analyze, and see where we are. The weather will be nice too, so we'll have time for discussion and planning."

The coach stressed that Bosnia and Herzegovina will not abandon its idea of play – regardless of whether they start with one or two strikers, the goal is clear: to impose their rhythm and style.

"We always want to impose our style of play. Whether it will be with one or two strikers – we'll see. We are not prone to big changes. Of course, systems change during the game – when you press high, when you defend in a mid or low block, formations adapt. You saw against Austria: against big teams, sometimes you have to have six players in a line, because they push their full-backs forward – and that's normal. We have players on the flanks who can handle that, with excellent intensity and a high number of repetitions, which is perhaps the most important statistic in football today. Our idea remains the same – to play the way we want. We will try to impose ourselves, although no one can press for 90 minutes. There will be phases when we stop, rest through ball possession, drop deeper, and wait for space. We'll see what the match brings, but we are very optimistic."

The match against Cyprus is played on October 9.