Sergej Barbarez has made a name for himself in the Bundesliga, but things have been quiet around him since the end of his career. Now he’s returning to the big stage
330 Bundesliga games for Dortmund, HSV and Leverkusen, scoring 95 goals – he spent the majority of his career at Hamburger SV from 2000 to 2006 (208 games, 73 goals). The former striker played 47 international matches for Bosnia (17 goals) – including as captain.
After the 2007/08 season, Barbarez ended his professional career at the age of 36, having announced his intention to obtain his coaching license. However, he did not coach anywhere, but rather appeared sporadically as a TV pundit and also achieved a certain level of fame as a poker player.
Now, however, the now 52-year-old is returning to soccer and becoming the new national coach of Bosnia-Herzegovina. “It will continue,” he wrote on social media, posting the flag of his home country. Barbarez thus confirmed media reports that he will succeed Savo Milosevic as national coach of the Dragons. Milosevic was defeated by Ukraine in the play-offs for Euro 2024 (1:2).
The contract has not yet been signed, as some details still need to be clarified. However, association president Vico Zeljkovic had already revealed that Barbarez was “closest to the post of national coach” among all possible candidates.
Barbarez is expected to lead the Bosnians, who have only ever reached a final round at the 2014 World Cup, to a major tournament again. It is also said that they are planning to work with him in the long term and would like to offer him a four-year contract. First, however, the Bosnians are Germany’s group opponents in the upcoming Nations League, with the Dragons awaiting the DFB team on October 11 before playing in Germany on November 16.
