Muhamed Konjić

Muhamed Konjić

Personal information
Full name	Muhamed Konjić
Date of birth	14 May 1970 (1970-05-14)
Place of birth	Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Height	1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Playing position	Sweeper, Defender
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1989–1992	FK Sloboda Tuzla	21	(0)
1992–1993	NK Belišće	19	(0)
1993–1996	NK Zagreb	63	(5)
1996–1997	FC Zurich	36	(5)
1997–1999	AS Monaco	37	(2)
1999–2004	Coventry City	138	(4)
2004–2006	Derby County	16	(0)
Total		330	(16)
National team
1995–2006	Bosnia-Herzegovina	39	(2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Muhamed Konjić (born 14 May 1970 in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina) is a Bosnian former football player.

Playing career

International

Konjić was an influential player in the Bosnian squad, for which he has been capped 38 times. He was the captain in the first match played by Bosnia-Herzegovina on the 30 November 1995. This match, an immaterial 2–0 defeat to Albania famously came just nine days after the Dayton Peace Agreement brought an end to the Bosnian conflict.

Club

He was a solid defender who has played in many places around Europe in his career. The clubs he played for include FK Sloboda Tuzla, NK Belišće, NK Zagreb, FC Zurich, AS Monaco, Coventry City and Derby County.

Konjić played in Jean Tigana's talented Monaco side which famously dumped Manchester United out of the Champions League in 1998 on away goals after a 1–1 draw at Old Trafford.

Early in 1999 the 6 ft 3 in defender was recruited by Gordon Strachan, manager of English Premiership side Coventry City for a fee of around £2million. Injuries prevented fans from getting a real glimpse of the player though, as he made just 19 appearances before the club's relegation at the end of the 2000–01 season.

In the next three seasons, all of which were spent in the Championship. 'Big Mo' (as he was nicknamed by Sky Blues fans) made 136 appearances, and scored five goals. During this period he became a fans' favourite and was renowned both for his fully committed style of play and also his willingness to bring the ball forward if the midfield and attack were not having any impact. During his time at Coventry he enjoyed spending time with his best mate Nick Maguire.

He was sold at the end of the 2003–04 season to Championship rivals Derby County by then Sky Blues manager Peter Reid. In the 2004–05 season he made 18 appearances in George Burley's Derby side which reached the Football League Championship play-offs. Injuries have continued to hamper his progress, and he has made just one appearance for Derby in the 2005–06 season as a result. He was released at the end of the season and subsequently retired from playing.

Trivia

• Konjić spent the first eight months of the Bosnian war in his country's army. After his military discharge he trained in the streets, often during artillery raids when everybody else was covering in bomb shelters or cellars.

External links

• Muhammed Konjic career stats at Soccerbase
• http://www.national-football-teams.com/v2/player.php?id=926
• http://premiermemories.terapad.com/index.cfm?fa=contentNews.newsDetails&newsID=71230&from=list&directoryId=24917 Footballs Hardest Man

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Gary McAllister	Coventry City Player of the Year 2002-2003	Succeeded by Stephen Warnock