Sergej Barbarez

Sergej Barbarez
	File:Sergejbar.JPG
Personal information
Full name	Sergej Barbarez
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Position(s)	Attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team	Bayer Leverkusen
	‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of October 9, 2006

Sergej Barbarez (born September 17, 1971 in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yugoslavia) is a famous and popular Bosnian-Herzegovian football midfielder playing for Bayer Leverkusen in the German Bundesliga.

Biography

Sergej Barbarez was born to a Bosnian Serb father Ljubo, and Bosniak mother Zlata, in the city of Mostar on September 9, 1971. 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.

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 his former country in the Yugoslav People's Army 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. After some time, Barbarez was preparing to return back to Mostar but his uncle surprised Barbarez 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 Sergej 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 Sergej Barbarez fled with Sergej's high school sweetheart Ana to the city of Hannover in Germany. Sergej Barbarez's mother Zlata stayed in Mostar throughout the whole War in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Sergej Barbarez played for Hannover 96 during the second half of the 1991-1992 and the whole 1992-1993 season. During 1993-1996, Barbarez played for Union Berlin before signing with Hansa Rostock. Sergej Barbarez played for Hansa Rostock during 1996-1998.

In 1998, Sergej Barbarez made his debut for the Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team against Argentina.

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, Sergej Barbarez became the top scorer for his club with 22 goals and joint top scorer of the German Bundesliga with Ebbe Sand. Though Barbarez could not help Hamburg elimination of the UEFA Champions League 2000/2001 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.

Amongst the supporters of the Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team and many common people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sergej Barbarez is regarded as one of the best Bosnia and Herzegovina football players ever.

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

On December 2, 2005, he announced his comeback to the Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team and will play in the EURO 2008 qualifiers. He will be the captain of the team once again. He came back because of the impudence of the other Bosnian players who left the team because Sergej did.

In December 2005, Barbarez was named the person of the year in Bosnia-Herzegovina, thereafter he received an Oscar from the jury, even though he faced much harder competitors.

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

On October 12, 2006, Sergej Barbarez officially retired from playing for the Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team.

Personal Life

Sergej is married to his high-school sweetheart Ana, who is also from Mostar. They have two sons together, Filip-André and Sergej-Luca.

Facts & Stats

Facts

Full Name: Sergej Barbarez
Date & Place of Birth: September 17, 1971 in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Height: 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight: 174 lbs (83 kg)

Stats

Club Career:

FK Velež (1984-1991)

Hannover 96 (1991-1993)

Union Berlin (1993-1996)

Hansa Rostock (1996-1998)

Borussia Dortmund (1998-2000)

Hamburger SV (2000-2006 )

Bayer Leverkusen (2006- )

Matches, Goals & Cards: (As of October, 2005 for the Bundesliga)

Total: In 236 matches scored 75 goals, received 65 yellow cards, 3 yellow and then red cards, 4 red cards

For: Hansa Rostock 59 matches and 13 goals

For: Borussia Dortmund 36 matches and 6 goals

For: Hamburger SV 141 matches and 56 goals

For: Bayer Leverkusen

**All-Time Club Performance**
Club	Season	Domestic League		Domestic Cup		European Competition		Total
Club	Season	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals
Bayer Leverkusen	06-07	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Total
	Hamburger SV	05-06	33	10	3	3	9	3
		04-05	30	11
		03-04	32	10
		02-03	24	6
01-02		24	7
00-01		31	22
Total
Borussia Dortmund	99-00	14	2
Borussia Dortmund	99-99	22	4
Total
Hansa Rostock	97-98	32	11
Hansa Rostock	96-97	27	2
Total
Career Totals

External links

References