| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 8 October 1984 | ||
| Place of birth | Zvornik, SFR Yugoslavia | ||
| Height | 1.82 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in) | ||
| Playing position | Centre Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | 1899 Hoffenheim | ||
| Number | 23 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Minerva 93 Berlin | |||
| –2000 | Hertha 03 Zehlendorf | ||
| 2000–2003 | Hertha BSC | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2004–2005 | Hertha BSC II | 57 | (22) |
| 2005–2006 | Hertha BSC | 5 | (0) |
| 2006– | 1899 Hoffenheim | 154 | (37) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2007– | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 25 | (4) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15:37, 17 December 2011 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). |
|||
Sejad Salihović (born 8 October 1984 in Zvornik) is a Bosnian footballer who plays for 1899 Hoffenheim primarily as a left midfielder but can also play as a left winger, centre midfield and occasionally as a left back. He is also a member of the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team. He has a hard shot with his left foot and is a free kick specialist.[1]
Contents |
Salihović and his family migrated to Berlin in 1992 before the Bosnian War started. On June 2009 after 17 years, Sejad visited his hometown of Zvornik where his parents Ismet and Fadila are renovating their home. His hobbies include reading, playing football, and spending time with his family.[2]
Salihović began his career in the youth teams of lower-league sides Minerva 93 Berlin and Hertha 03 Zehlendorf. In the 2000–01 season, he was transferred to Hertha BSC, where he played for the U17 and U19 teams before eventually entering the reserve team in 2003.
Salihović was promoted to the first team in 2004. He made his professional debut in a Bundesliga match against Hamburger SV on 26 September 2004, which ended in a 2-1 defeat.[3] In 2006, he was transferred to 1899 Hoffenheim.
He was rated by kicker sports magazine as the player of 2. Bundesliga 2007–08 season with the best over-all grades[4] and finished the season scoring six goals in 27 matches.[5] Currently he is a key player and the captain for 1899 Hoffenheim. The highly rated midfielder was sidelined with groin injury, which has been troubling him for some while, however he has made a full recovery.[6] Salihović had a good start to the 2010–11 Bundesliga season, but sadly ended with an injury.
Salihović has been an important member of Bosnia and Herzegovina's national team since 2007. Although his favorite position is in midfield, he has often been used as a left-back in lack of other options.[7] He has scored four goals for the national team, and three have been from free-kicks. Due to unsporting behaviour, the Bosnian midfielder has been suspended for four games, missing the matches against Qatar, Luxembourg, France and Albania. He did return for the match against Slovakia where Bosnia won 3–2.
| # | Date | Location | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 6 June 2009 | Stade Pierre de Coubertin, Cannes | Oman | 2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 2. | 9 September 2009 | Bilino Polje, Zenica | Turkey | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying |
| 3. | 29 May 2010 | Råsunda, Solna | Sweden | 1–1 | 4–2 | Friendly |
| 4. | 2 September 2011 | Dynamo, Minsk | Belarus | 1-0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying |
|
|||||