Baždarević: I had honest conversations with the players and we will restore the shaken trust

A little more than a month has passed since the election of Mehmed Baždarević as the head coach of the Bosnia and Herzegovina senior national team. There is a lot of work and activities ahead of him, and about how he spent his first working month, Baždarević spoke for the official website of the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina, reports the Bosnian news agency Patria.

- It went extremely quickly; I did everything I had planned and promised from the start, which was to visit as many players as possible and watch as many matches as possible. There was a lot of travel, Italy, England, Belgium, France, in addition to these visits to Sarajevo and meetings here. The month was dynamic, and I believe it will continue that way. I am glad that I met some players and that we had the opportunity to talk even before the preparations begin - says Baždarević.

The coach is satisfied with how the players reacted to his visits.

- Usually when a new coach arrives, it takes a little time to adjust. They all know who I am, how I function, and how I live. I think these were honest conversations, because they are all good guys, good footballers who are aware of the situation we are in. The play in the qualifiers was not at their level, and they probably expect me to restore their confidence, but also for them to show confidence in me, and together we try to bring back that "color" to the national team, peace, and the shaken trust - says Baždarević.

Baždarević expects his players to play well, return to competitive form, and for those who are injured to recover as soon as possible.

- To those I met a month ago, I said to think about the national team and the matches. It is important to prepare mentally, that is, psychologically as well. We must exchange information among ourselves. If players have problems, they should talk to me and the coaching staff, and we will try to solve them together. I expect a lot from them, just as they expect a lot from me - emphasizes Meša.

The coach explains that he prefers a friendly relationship between coach and player, but it will still have to be clear who is "in charge".

- It cannot be otherwise. We are doing a common job, and there must be some distance, but I would like to step out of some cliché and give them some of my energy that I have lived through these 30-odd years of football. It must be known who is the coach and who is the player, however, if I succeed, and I hope I will, in having complete trust, and even friendship, I would like that. I care about how they feel, what they do, how their families are, etc., because I think that is important and can help us work well on the field and do the job together - states Baždarević.

The workday at the Association is not something that Meša Baždarević enjoys, but it is also an integral part of the job he does.

- There are a lot of meetings, conversations, but I managed to see a few training sessions of Sarajevo clubs, Željezničar, Sarajevo, Olimpik, and some younger teams. I miss working on the field, but that will come soon. I have also watched all the matches the team played in the current qualification cycle and I follow the form of our players daily. Still, the field is where I feel best - concluded Baždarević.

Our national team plays its next match in the qualifiers for Euro 2016 on March 28, 2015, against Andorra. Let us recall, in Group B, besides Bosnia and Herzegovina and Andorra, there are also Israel, Belgium, Wales, and Cyprus.