Thirteen years since the death of Željezničar and Bosnia and Herzegovina national team legend Suvad Katana

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - On this day 13 years ago, former Željezničar and Bosnia and Herzegovina national team footballer Suvad Katana passed away. 

Suvad Katana was born in 1969 in Delijaš near Trnovo. However, he grew up in Sarajevo, where he began training football in the youth ranks of Željezničar. He progressed through all the selections, making his debut for the first team in the 1987/1988 season against Crvena zvezda.

He played for Željezničar until the beginning of the aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina. He made 112 appearances and scored three goals before leaving Grbavica and going to Belgium. There, he played for Genk, Gent, Anderlecht and Lokeren. He also briefly played in Turkey for the team Adanaspor. He was also a national team player for Bosnia and Herzegovina, making ten appearances.

Katana showed from the very beginning that he was a very strong and persistent player, very good and successful in duels, which immediately secured him a place in the first team after leaving the youth ranks. He was distinguished by the calmness with which he gave confidence to his teammates, and with which he won the sympathy of fans, both of Željezničar and all other clubs he played for.

He ended his career in 2004.

- My Suvad died with an unfulfilled wish to coach children at Grbavica. That was all he thought about when we were making plans after the end of his playing career. We stayed in Belgium for another six months or so, and then Suvad said: “Azra, pack your bags, we are going to Sarajevo! There will surely be some job for me at Želja. I would like to coach children. But, death overtook him, he didn't even get a chance to share his thoughts with the people from Želja. He wasn't in a hurry. After about ten days, my Suvad was gone forever - recalls Suvad's wife, Azra.

Due to a heart attack, Suvad Katana passed away forever at the age of 36 on January 8, 2005.