Elvir Baljic
Encyclopedia
Elvir Baljić is a retired Bosnian
football
player and current assistant manager in Bosnia-Herzegovina's national team.
, but in 1993, during the war in Bosnia
, he left with FK Sarajevo
on tour, which he played in the first Bosniaks First League
. In FK Sarajevo, he played eleven games, and scored eight goals.
Later, he was transferred to Turkey
where he played for Bursaspor
. He was the best player at the club for several seasons, which made him an interesting target for the best Turkish clubs.
scoring 18 goals in 30 appearances as the club finished the season in third place.
under club president Lorenzo Sanz
during summer 1999 caused a major surprise. The signing was inititiated by Real Madrid's head coach John Toshack
who knew Baljić well from Istanbul
as the Welshman coached Beşiktaş
while the Bosnian starred for Fenerbahçe. For more than a decade, the transfer fee paid by Real to Fenerbahçe for Baljić stood as the biggest sum of money paid for a player from ex-Yugoslavia
, until Edin Džeko
's January 2011 move from Wolfsburg to Manchester City for £27.5 million (€32 million).
Unfortunately, injuries and subsequent loss of form caused Baljić's Real stint to turn sour pretty much immediately. Throughout the 1999-00 season he made only 11 league appearances (8 of them as substitute), scoring just 1 goal. He never managed to secure a first team place, and the November 1999 sacking of Toshack followed by the arrival of new head coach Vicente del Bosque
marginalized Baljić even further. At season's end, del Bosque included Baljić in the 18-man squad he took to Paris
for the 2000 Champions League Final
, but predictably did not give him a single minute of action as Real beat compatriots Valencia CF
.
During summer 2000 transfer window Baljić was sent back to Fenerbahçe in a loan deal.
In the following 2001-02 season he got a chance to showcase his abilities closer to the club that still held his rights as he got loaned to Madrid's Rayo Vallecano
in La Liga. Baljić actually insisted on joining Rayo due to its proximity to Real as he had his eye on getting a fresh opportunity with the big club in the future. For their part, Real Madrid obliged and managed to hammer out a loan deal with Rayo. Also, in Rayo he joined countrymen and friends Elvir Bolić
and Emir Granov
, which Baljić cited as another reason he wanted to be at Rayo. However, the move did not do much to improve Baljić's standing at the Bernabéu
as more injuries, poor form, and even disciplinary issues followed with only 1 league goal from 10 appearances.
In the summer 2002 transfer window, Baljić's Real contract was terminated and he again transferred back to Turkey - this time to Galatasaray
.
Baljić came back to the sport in January 2006, when he signed for Turkish side Ankaragücü
. In 2006/2007 season, he is playing for Istanbulspor.
Baljić had been a prolific part of the Bosnian national team
since its inception, scoring 14 goals in 38 caps. He will be remembered as the only player who scored four goals in single match for Bosnia-Herzegovina. It was a couple of weeks after he signed a contract with Real Madrid, in a game between Estonia
and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The final result was 1-4, and he scored all Bosnian goals. He has not played for the Bosnian national team since 2005.
In February 2010 Bosnia's manager Safet Sušić
revelead that Baljić would be one of his assistants. Sušić had previousy been Baljić's manager in Turkey.
Music is his second love. In 2005, he recorded his first CD
.
Bosnians
Bosnians are people who reside in, or come from, Bosnia and Herzegovina. By the modern state definition a Bosnian can be anyone who holds citizenship of the state. This includes, but is not limited to, members of the constituent ethnic groups of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Bosniaks, Bosnian Serbs and...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player and current assistant manager in Bosnia-Herzegovina's national team.
Club career
His career began in FK ŽeljezničarFK Željeznicar
FK Željezničar is a professional football club from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo.The initial acronym stands for Fudbalski sportski klub , and the name Željezničar means "railway worker," given because it was established by a group of railway workers.Željezničar, alias "Željo," is the most...
, but in 1993, during the war in Bosnia
Bosnian War
The Bosnian War or the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between April 1992 and December 1995. The war involved several sides...
, he left with FK Sarajevo
FK Sarajevo
FK Sarajevo is a professional football club based in Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia-Herzegovina and is one of the most popular clubs in the country. Founded on October 24, 1946, the club was the most successful club from SR Bosnia and Herzegovina in former Yugoslavia, winning two First League...
on tour, which he played in the first Bosniaks First League
Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the top football league in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the country's most prestigious level of football competition currently contested by 16 clubs with last two teams relegated at the end of every season....
. In FK Sarajevo, he played eleven games, and scored eight goals.
Later, he was transferred to Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
where he played for Bursaspor
Bursaspor
Bursaspor is a professional Turkish football club located in the city of Bursa. Formed in 1963, Bursaspor are nicknamed the Yeşil Timsahlar...
. He was the best player at the club for several seasons, which made him an interesting target for the best Turkish clubs.
Fenerbahçe
Fenerbahçe SK signed him in summer 1998 for DM18 million (€9.3million). He spent a seasons at the Şükrü Saracoğlu StadiumSükrü Saracoglu Stadium
Fenerbahçe Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium is a football stadium in the Kadıköy district of Istanbul, Turkey, and is the home venue of Fenerbahçe S.K.. It was inaugurated in 1908 and renovated between 1999 and 2006...
scoring 18 goals in 30 appearances as the club finished the season in third place.
Real Madrid
Baljić's stellar performances at Fenerbahçe made the 25-year-old a target for various European clubs. Still, his DM42 million (€26 million) transfer to Real MadridReal Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
under club president Lorenzo Sanz
Lorenzo Sanz
Lorenzo Sanz Mancebo is a Spanish businessman, former president of Real Madrid Club de Fútbol and former owner of Málaga Club de Fútbol, where his son Fernando served as club's president.- Early life :In his youth, Sanz played as a goalkeeper for several minor league Madrilenian teams, including...
during summer 1999 caused a major surprise. The signing was inititiated by Real Madrid's head coach John Toshack
John Toshack
John Benjamin Toshack OBE is a Welsh former footballer and manager. He is currently the manager of Macedonia. He has also managed several others clubs including Swansea City, who he took from the Fourth Division to the First in four seasons.As a player, he is remembered for being part of the...
who knew Baljić well from Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
as the Welshman coached Beşiktaş
Besiktas J.K.
Beşiktaş Jimnastik Kulübü , or simply Beşiktaş , is a Turkish sports club. The club's football team is one of the major teams in Turkey. The professional sports club, founded in 1903, is based in the Beşiktaş district in Istanbul, Turkey...
while the Bosnian starred for Fenerbahçe. For more than a decade, the transfer fee paid by Real to Fenerbahçe for Baljić stood as the biggest sum of money paid for a player from ex-Yugoslavia
Former Yugoslavia
The former Yugoslavia is a term used to describe the present day states which succeeded the collapse of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia....
, until Edin Džeko
Edin Džeko
Edin Džeko is a Bosnian footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester City and the Bosnian national team. He was named Bosnian Footballer of the Year for 2009 and 2010...
's January 2011 move from Wolfsburg to Manchester City for £27.5 million (€32 million).
Unfortunately, injuries and subsequent loss of form caused Baljić's Real stint to turn sour pretty much immediately. Throughout the 1999-00 season he made only 11 league appearances (8 of them as substitute), scoring just 1 goal. He never managed to secure a first team place, and the November 1999 sacking of Toshack followed by the arrival of new head coach Vicente del Bosque
Vicente Del Bosque
Vicente del Bosque González, 1st Marquis of Del Bosque is a former Spanish footballer He is currently the manager of the Spanish national football team. After taking over from Luis Aragonés who had led Spain to European success in Euro 2008, Del Bosque went on to manage the national team to the...
marginalized Baljić even further. At season's end, del Bosque included Baljić in the 18-man squad he took to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
for the 2000 Champions League Final
2000 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2000 UEFA Champions League Final took place at Stade de France in Saint-Denis, France on 24 May 2000. The match pitted Spanish rivals Real Madrid and Valencia...
, but predictably did not give him a single minute of action as Real beat compatriots Valencia CF
Valencia CF
Valencia Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish Football and European Football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups which was the...
.
During summer 2000 transfer window Baljić was sent back to Fenerbahçe in a loan deal.
Loan spells at Fenerbahçe and Rayo Vallecano
Baljić spent the entire 2000-01 season back at his old stomping grounds. He simultaneously managed to recover some of his old form with 5 goals in 27 league appearances as Fenerbahçe won the Turkish First Football League.In the following 2001-02 season he got a chance to showcase his abilities closer to the club that still held his rights as he got loaned to Madrid's Rayo Vallecano
Rayo Vallecano
Rayo Vallecano de Madrid, S.A.D., often abbreviated to Rayo, is a Spanish football team based in Madrid, in the neighbourhood of Vallecas...
in La Liga. Baljić actually insisted on joining Rayo due to its proximity to Real as he had his eye on getting a fresh opportunity with the big club in the future. For their part, Real Madrid obliged and managed to hammer out a loan deal with Rayo. Also, in Rayo he joined countrymen and friends Elvir Bolić
Elvir Bolic
Elvir Bolić is a former Bosnian football forward. He is the all-time leading scorer for the Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team....
and Emir Granov
Emir Granov
Emir Granov is a former Bosnia and Herzegovina association footballer.-External links:* at Voetbal International.* at LFP.* at Zerozero....
, which Baljić cited as another reason he wanted to be at Rayo. However, the move did not do much to improve Baljić's standing at the Bernabéu
Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
The Estadio Santiago Bernabéu is an all-seater football stadium in Madrid, Spain. It was inaugurated on 14 December 1947 and is owned by Real Madrid Club de Fútbol. It has a current capacity of 85,454 spectators....
as more injuries, poor form, and even disciplinary issues followed with only 1 league goal from 10 appearances.
In the summer 2002 transfer window, Baljić's Real contract was terminated and he again transferred back to Turkey - this time to Galatasaray
Galatasaray S.K. (football team)
Galatasaray Anonim Şirketi is a Turkish football club, part of the Galatasaray S.K. multi-sport club of Istanbul. Galatasaray is a major sports club in Turkey, holding 17 Turkish Super League titles and the highest number of Turkish Cups....
.
Galatasaray
Baljić turned just 28 years of age when he began his Galatasaray stint, but it soon became clear his best days were far behind him. His form was average at best and his overall interest in football seemed to be decreasing by the day. He said that he would retire on several occasions, but every time he would come back.Baljić came back to the sport in January 2006, when he signed for Turkish side Ankaragücü
Ankaragücü
MKE Ankaragücü is a professional Turkish football club located in the city of Ankara. The club wears a yellow and navy kit and play their home matches at Ankara 19 Mayis....
. In 2006/2007 season, he is playing for Istanbulspor.
Baljić had been a prolific part of the Bosnian national team
Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team
The Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team is the national football team of Bosnia and Herzegovina, governed by the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
since its inception, scoring 14 goals in 38 caps. He will be remembered as the only player who scored four goals in single match for Bosnia-Herzegovina. It was a couple of weeks after he signed a contract with Real Madrid, in a game between Estonia
Estonia national football team
The Estonia national football team represents Estonia in international association football. Team members are selected by the head coach of Estonian Football Association . Estonia play their home matches at the A. Le Coq Arena in Tallinn, Estonia....
and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The final result was 1-4, and he scored all Bosnian goals. He has not played for the Bosnian national team since 2005.
In February 2010 Bosnia's manager Safet Sušić
Safet Sušic
Safet "Pape" Sušić is a Bosnian former footballer and current manager of the Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team. In his playing days, he operated as playmaking attacking midfielder...
revelead that Baljić would be one of his assistants. Sušić had previousy been Baljić's manager in Turkey.
Music is his second love. In 2005, he recorded his first CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
.
Honours
- UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
(1):- 1999–002000 UEFA Champions League FinalThe 2000 UEFA Champions League Final took place at Stade de France in Saint-Denis, France on 24 May 2000. The match pitted Spanish rivals Real Madrid and Valencia...
- 1999–00
- Turkish Super League (1):
- 2000–01
External links
- http://www.tff.org/Default.aspx?pageId=526&kisiId=26241