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Miralem Pjanić

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Miralem Pjanić
Personal information
Full name Miralem Pjanić
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Lyon
Number 8
Youth career
2000–2004 FC Schifflange 95
2004–2007 Metz
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2008 Metz 32 (3)
2008– Lyon 45 (3)
International career‡
2005–2007 Luxembourg U17 12 (5)
2007– Bosnia-Herzegovina U21 3 (0)
2008– Bosnia-Herzegovina 9 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 18 December 2009
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17 December 2009

Miralem Pjanić (born 2 April 1990 in Zvornik) is a Bosnian professional football player who plays as an attacking midfielder for French Ligue 1 club Olympique Lyonnais. Formerly a youth international for Luxembourg, he opted to pursue a senior international career with his birth country Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2007.

Personal life

Pjanić was born in the town of Zvornik in Bosnia and Herzegovina, then a part of SFR Yugoslavia. Shortly before the outbreak of war in Bosnia, his family emigrated to Luxembourg when his father received and accepted an offer from a local football club there.[1] Pjanić's family consists of father Fahrudin, mother Fatima, brother Mirza, and sister Emina; his parents and siblings reside in Luxembourg.

Club career

Youth teams

Pjanić began to play football in Luxembourg at a young age with local club FC Schifflange 95 in Esch-sur-Alzette. At Schifflange, he garnered interest from French club FC Metz and later joined the club on a youth contract, despite late interest from Dutch club PSV Eindhoven and a host of other clubs.[2]

Metz

Miralem joined Metz at age 14 and signed a five-year élite (youth) contract.[3] He spent approximately three years in the club's academy before earning a call up to the senior team by manager Francis De Taddeo for the 2007–08 Ligue 1 season, despite being only 16 years old at the time of the promotion. He made his professional football debut, as a reserve player, in the club's 4th league match of the season against Paris Saint-Germain appearing as a substitute in a 0–0 draw.[4] The following week, he earned his first start in a 0–2 loss against Rennes.[5]

After a string of respectable appearances, on 30 November 2007, Miralem signed his first professional contract agreeing to a three-year deal, tying him to Metz until 2010.[6] After becoming professional, he was assigned the number 15 shirt. He scored his first goal for Metz on 15 December 2007 in a 1–2 defeat against Sochaux[7] converting on a penalty in the 88th minute becoming one of the youngest players to score a goal in Ligue 1. Among his other positive performances included converting another penalty in a 1–2 loss to Nice[8] and scoring on the final day of the season against Le Mans in a thrilling 4–3 victory.[9]

Pjanić's play in the Coupe de France was with distinction as well appearing in and starting all four matches the club played. He assisted on several goals in the club's 6–1 demolition of Vesoul Haute-Saône.[10] He scored the final goal in Metz's 3–0 triumph over Strasbourg[11] and played the full 90 minutes in the club's 1–0 win over Lorient[12] helping the club, who were, at the time, struggling in domestic play, reach the quarter-finals of the Coupe de France, where they were eliminated by the eventual champions Olympique Lyonnais. In total, Pjanić made 38 appearances and scored 4 goals with Metz. For his efforts, he was nominated for the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year award, won by Hatem Ben Arfa.

Though, Pjanić was in great form throughout the season, Metz still suffered relegation back to Ligue 2 prompting speculation on where the young starlet would play the following season with a host of clubs, notably English clubs Arsenal[13] and Chelsea,[14] Spanish clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid,[15] Italian clubs Milan and Internazionale, and French club Olympique Lyonnais vying for his services.

Olympique Lyonnais

Despite Metz receiving numerous offers for the player's services, on 6 June 2008, Pjanić and Metz both reached an agreement with Olympique Lyonnais for the transfer of the player.[16] Pjanić agreed to a five-year contract, while the transfer fee was priced at €8 million plus future incentives. On signing with the club, Pjanić stated, "I am pleased with the transfer and very happy to have come to a great club such as Lyon. I am here to win trophies and don't feel sorry to have declined other offers to be here in Gerland. Lyon has a great team which can go far in the Champions League next year."

Labeled as the future replacement for the ageing Juninho,[17][18] Pjanić was initially given the number 12 shirt, but switched to the number 18 for pre-season and made his club debut in the club's Trophée des Champions loss to Bordeaux. He made his league debut in the opening match of the season against Toulouse playing the full 90 minutes in a 3–0 victory.[19] His season was, unfortunately, cut in half after fracturing his fibula in a match against Sochaux, as a result of a bad tackle by Stéphane Dalmat.[20] Despite initially being diagnosed as missing a month, Pjanić missed two months and made his return on 3 January 2009 in the club's 6–0 thrashing of amateur side US Concarneau in the Coupe de France playing 66 minutes.[21]

For the 2009–10 season, Pjanić switched to the number 8 shirt, formerly worn by his predecessor and Lyon great Juninho. Pjanić started the season strong scoring his first career goal for Lyon on a free kick in Lyon's playoff round match against Belgian club Anderlecht in the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League. Lyon won the match 5–1.[22] A couple of days later, he scored his first career league goal for the club, in which his side won 3–0 at Auxerre.[23] Pjanić continued his stellar play in the Champions League scoring the only goal in the club's opening group stage match against Italian club Fiorentina.[24] In the club's second group stage match against Hungarian side Debreceni, he scored again, via free kick, and also assisted on two other goals in the club's 4–0 victory.[25]

International career

Luxembourg

Due to spending his early teens in Luxembourg, Pjanić became eligible for their national team and begun representing the nation's youth sides. He represented Luxembourg in the 2006 European Under-17 Championship, for which Luxembourg qualified automatically as hosts. He scored Luxembourg's only goal of the tournament. In that same year, he scored 4 goals in a match against Belgium, which ended in a 5–5 draw.[26] Before making his decision regarding his national team status, Pjanić was eligible to represent Luxembourg, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and France after gaining citizenship due to living five years in the country.

Bosnia-Herzegovina

In an interview for a Bosnian newspaper, Pjanić insisted that he only wanted to play for Bosnia-Herzegovina.[27] Eventually, officials in the Bosnian FA took notice, and Pjanić was called up to the country's under-21 team[28]. However, because he no longer had a Bosnian passport and needed FIFA-approval to switch nationalities, he wasn't allow call ups to the senior team. An 8-month ordeal took place amidst great media scrutiny. Finally, following the involvement of a member of the Bosnia and Herzegovina presidency Željko Komšić, Pjanić finally received a Bosnian passport in early 2008. Pjanić made his highly anticipated debut for Bosnia-Herzegovina on 20 August 2008 in the team's 1–2 loss to Bulgaria.[29] On 3 March 2010, Pjanić scored his first international goal for Bosnia-Herzegovina in the team's 2–1 win over Ghana in Sarajevo. The game-winning goal was scored in the 65th with Pjanić finding the net from almost 30 meters out.

Career statistics

As of 2 March 2010

Club Season League Cup[nb 1] Europe[nb 2] Total
Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists
FC Metz 2007-08 32 3 1 6 1 3 0 0 0 38 4 4
Total 32 3 1 6 1 3 0 0 0 38 4 4
Olympique Lyonnais
2008-09 20 0 1 3 0 0 1 0 0 24 0 1
2009-10 25 3 2 2 0 0 9 4 3 36 7 5
Total 45 3 3 5 0 0 10 4 3 60 7 6
Career total 77 6 4 11 1 3 10 4 3 98 11 10

International

(Correct as of 3 March)[30]
National team Season Apps Goals Assists
Bosnia-Herzegovina 2008–09 5 0 2
2009–10 4 1 1
Total 9 1 3

International Goals

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 3 March 2010 Koševo Stadium, Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina  Ghana 2 – 1 2 – 1 Friendly

Notes

  1. ^ Includes Coupe de France, Coupe de la Ligue, Trophée des Champions
  2. ^ Includes UEFA Supercup, FIFA Club World Cup

References

  1. ^ Guardian interview with Pjanić
  2. ^ Lyon's Miralem Pjanic holds key to unlocking Liverpool
  3. ^ 5 ans pour Pjanic
  4. ^ Metz v. PSG Match Report
  5. ^ Rennes v. Metz Match Report
  6. ^ Pjanic signe trois ans
  7. ^ Metz v. Sochaux Match Report
  8. ^ Metz v. Nice Match Report
  9. ^ Metz v. Le Mans Match Report
  10. ^ Vesoul v. Metz Match Report
  11. ^ Metz Strasbourg
  12. ^ Lorient v. Metz Match Report
  13. ^ Arsenal boss Wenger eyes Metz's marauding midfielder Pjanic
  14. ^ Chelsea chase Pjanic
  15. ^ Barcelona chief Txiki checked on Real Madrid target Pjanic
  16. ^ Miralem Pjanic est Lyonnais
  17. ^ Pjanic, le nouveau Juninho?
  18. ^ Miralem Pjanic - Lyon's New Juninho
  19. ^ Lyon v. Toulouse Match Report
  20. ^ Lyon midfielder Pjanic fractures fibula
  21. ^ Concarneau v. Lyon Match Report
  22. ^ Olympique Lyonnais 5 - 1 RSC Anderlecht
  23. ^ Auxerre v. Lyon Match Report
  24. ^ Olympique Lyonnais 1 - 0 ACF Fiorentina
  25. ^ Debreceni VSC 0 - 4 Olympique Lyonnais
  26. ^ Miralem Pjanic, 18 ans, le prodige que l'Europe s'arrache
  27. ^ Pjanić želi igrati samo za BiH!
  28. ^ Nikola Nikić pozvao Pjanića
  29. ^ Bosnia-Herzegovina 1 - 2 Bulgaria
  30. ^ Miralem Pjanic NT Stats, fff.fr, accessed 3 March 2010
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