Sergej Barbarez

Sergej Barbarez

Personal information
Date of birth	17 September 1971 (1971-09-17)
Place of birth	Mostar, SFR Yugoslavia
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position	Attacking midfielder, Forward
Youth career
1984–1991	FK Velež Mostar
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1991–1993	Hannover 96	18	(2)
1993–1996	Union Berlin	88	(46)
1996–1998	Hansa Rostock	59	(13)
1998–2000	Borussia Dortmund	36	(6)
2000–2006	Hamburger SV	174	(65)
2006–2008	Bayer Leverkusen	61	(11)
National team
1998–2006	Bosnia and Herzegovina	46	(17)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Sergej Barbarez (born 17 September 1971) is a former football attacking midfielder from Bosnia and Herzegovina. He played for Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga from 2006 to 2008. He finished his career after the season 2007–08. Despite being naturally a midfielder, he could also play as an forward or even as an emergency defender.

Biography

Sergej Barbarez was born to father Ljubo and mother Zlata, in the city of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina (then part of Yugoslavia). His father is Bosnian and his mother is half-Croat (Catholic) and half-Bosniak (Muslim).

Here, Barbarez was raised by his parents where he also received his education. As a young child, Sergej Barbarez was actually not very interested in football but in basketball and athletics. However, at the age of eleven, Barbarez started playing football though mostly for fun with friends after school. His father played as a left-back in FK Lokomotivi and his grandfather Milan was also a footballer.

Then, in 1984, Sergej Barbarez took a step further and started playing football for the youth team of FK Velež in his native city of Mostar.

Some six years later, Barbarez signed with the first team of FK Velež at the age of 19. However, briefly after, Barbarez served as a Military police in the Yugoslav People's Army in Zagreb in 1991 before returning to Mostar to continue his career. In 1991, Sergej Barbarez returned to FK Velež and soon after everyone realized that Barbarez was a true talent.

The same year, Barbarez visited his uncle who was living in Germany. Some time later, Barbarez was preparing to return back to Mostar but his uncle surprised him by extending his stay in Germany for two weeks. The uncle had arranged for Barbarez a two weeks try-out practise with Hannover 96. The coach of Hannover 96 was so impressed by Barbarez that he signed him for the club. During those same two weeks the political situation throughout former Yugoslavia was deteriorating by the minute and fighting was even occurring in some places. So Barbarez came to an agreement with his father to stay with the uncle in Germany for the near future.

In April 1992, the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina came to the city of Mostar. A month prior of the actual war, the father and sister of Barbarez fled with his high school sweetheart Ana to the city of Hannover in Germany. Barbarez's mother Zlata stayed in Mostar throughout the whole War in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Barbarez played for Hannover 96 during the second half of the 1991–92 and the whole 1992–93 season. Between 1993 and 1996, Barbarez played for 1. FC Union Berlin at the third level before signing with Hansa Rostock. Barbarez played here between 1996 and 1998.

From 1998, Barbarez played for Borussia Dortmund where he stayed until signing with Hamburger SV in July 2000.

During the first season with Hamburger SV, Barbarez became the top scorer for his club with 22 goals and joint top scorer of the Bundesliga with Ebbe Sand. Though Barbarez could not help Hamburg's elimination from the 2000–01 Champions League at the group stages despite his two goals, when the club qualified for that competition for the first time, after a third place in the previous domestic Bundesliga season.

On 17 May 2006, he signed a two-year deal with Bayer Leverkusen.

International

On 14 May 1998, Barbarez made his debut for the Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team against Argentina in a friendly match.

Before he retired from international football on 13 October 2005, Barbarez was the captain and leader of the Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team.

On 2 December 2005, he announced his comeback to the Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team and played in the EURO 2008 qualifiers. He became captain of the team once again.

On 12 October 2006, Sergej Barbarez officially stepped down from playing for the Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team and retired permanently from professional football in June 2008.

Coaching career

Barbarez announced on 14 December 2009 that he wants to coach the Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team to the UEFA Euro 2012. However, the Football Association of Republika Srpska blocked his entry and later on, Safet Sušić was elected as new coach of Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team.

On 5 January 2010, Barbarez received his UEFA Pro Licence in Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina's educational facility in Jablanica, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Personal life

Sergej is married to his high-school sweetheart Ana, who is from Mostar. They have two sons together, Filip-André (born 1994) and Sergio-Luis (1999).

Sergej is currently a member of the board of directors of the Hamburger SV.

Career statistics

Club performance			League		Cup		Continental		Total
Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Germany			League		DFB-Pokal		Europe		Total
1996–97	Hansa Rostock	Bundesliga	27	2	2	1	0	0	29	3
1997–98			32	11	1	0	0	0	33	11
1998–99	Borussia Dortmund	Bundesliga	22	4	2	0	0	0	24	4
1999–00			14	2	1	0	5	1	20	3
2000–01	Hamburger SV	Bundesliga	31	22	1	0	8	1	40	23
2001–02			24	7	1	0	0	0	25	7
2002–03			24	6	1	0	0	0	25	6
2003–04			32	10	3	0	2	0	37	10
2004–05			30	11	1	0	0	0	31	11
2005–06			33	9	3	3	9	2	45	14
2006–07	Bayer Leverkusen	Bundesliga	32	7	2	0	12	3	46	10
2007–08			29	4	0	0	10	3	39	7
Total	Germany		330	95	18	4	46	10	394	109
Career total			330	95	18	4	46	10	394	109

Honours

Hamburger SV

• German League Cup: 2003

Individual

• German Bundesliga joint top scorer: 2000–01 (with Ebbe Sand)

External links

• Leverkusen who's who
• Article at Welt Online (German)