Mehmed Baždarević new coach of BiH

Mehmed Baždarević is the new coach of the BiH national football team, it was unanimously decided at the session of the Executive Board of the Football Association of BiH, writes the BiH news agency Patria.

FROM BIOGRAPHY

Mehmed Baždarević was born on September 28, 1960, in Višegrad. He started his football career at FK Željezničar, where he played over 300 games in nine years. During that time, he was twice chosen as the best player in Yugoslavia. In the summer of 1987, he moved to French FC Sochaux, where in 1989 he was chosen as the best foreign player in the French first league. He stayed there until 1996, and spent the next season at Nimes. He finished his football career in 1998 at Swiss Étoile Carouge.

Regarding his representative career, he played for the Yugoslav U-18, U-21, Olympic U-23, and senior national teams. He was the captain of the Yugoslav U-21 team that won the European Championship for under-21s in 1978. He debuted for the senior national team in 1983 at the age of 23, and made 54 appearances with 4 goals. He was the first captain of the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team, for which he played 11 games.

COACHING CAREER

He began his coaching career as an assistant coach at FC Sochaux, and then as the coach of the reserve team. After that, in 2003, he became the coach of the French club FC Istres, which was then competing in the 2nd league. In the 2003/04 season, he led the club to the French 1st league, achieving the greatest success in the club's history. In the same year, he was chosen as the best coach of the French 2nd league.

In July 2005, he went to Tunisia and took over Étoile du Sahel, with whom he played in the final of the African Champions League that same year. However, in 2006, after a 0-1 home defeat, which ultimately cost them the Tunisian league title, he was fired. He went to Qatar, where he took over Al-Wakrah. After a year in Qatar, he returned to France, where in December 2007 he took over Grenoble Foot 38.

In the 2007/08 season, he achieved success and entered the French 1st league. After less than three years, in September 2010, he resigned. In June 2011, he took over FC Sochaux. After one season, he returned to Al-Wakrah, but left the club after one season.

A DIFFICULT JOB

As coach, Baždarević faces a very responsible task of securing the Dragons' qualification for the 2016 European Championship. Although it now seems unattainable, it will become clear in the coming period what the popular Meša has planned for the Dragons. Their next match awaits them in March 2015.

Baždarević is happy about this decision, but also stated that a lot of work awaits him in the coming period.

- We must be united, we must all fight, including everyone in the national team, you journalists, and the fans are extremely important. I want them to be with us as they have always been with this national team - said Baždarević in an interview with sportsport.ba, Patria reports.

The next session of the Executive Board is scheduled for December 27 in Zenica, when the assistants to the new coach will be elected.