Meho Kodro

Meho Kodro
Personal information
Full nameMehmed Kodro
Date of birth12 January 1967
Place of birthMostar, SFR Yugoslavia
Height1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing positionStriker
Club information
Current team
FK Sarajevo (coach)
Youth career
1980–1985FK Blagaj
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1985–1991Velež Mostar129(48)
1991–1995Real Sociedad129(73)
1995–1996Barcelona32(9)
1996–1999Tenerife72(18)
1999–2000Alavés30(5)
2000–2001Maccabi Tel Aviv6(1)
Total398(154)
National team
1991–1992Yugoslavia2(0)
1996–2000Bosnia and Herzegovina13(3)
Teams managed
2006Real Sociedad (assistant)
2008Bosnia and Herzegovina
2008–2010Real Sociedad (youth)
2010–2013Real Sociedad B
2014–2015FK Sarajevo
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Mehmed "Meho" Kodro (born 12 January 1967) is a Bosnian retired footballer who played as a striker, and the current manager of FK Sarajevo.

He played most of his 16-year senior career in Spain, mostly with Real Sociedad (four seasons) and Tenerife (three), amassing La Liga totals of 263 games and 105 goals. He possessed good technical skills and was equally adept in the air.

After retiring Kodro started a managerial career, mainly in the country where he played more.

Club career

Born in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Kodro's professional debut occurred in 1985 at the age of 18, with hometown club Velež Mostar. He appeared in only 14 Yugoslav First League games in his first two years combined but eventually became a starter, scoring 31 goals in his last two full seasons combined and helping the club two the 1986 Yugoslav Cup – he did not play in the final against NK Dinamo Zagreb however – and three consecutive top-three finishes.

When the Yugoslav Wars began Kodro migrated to Spain – after scoring five goals in only five games in the last edition of the Yugoslavian championship – where he spent the vast majority of his remaining career. He first played with Real Sociedad of San Sebastián, always netting in double digits for the Basque, including 23 in 1993–94 and a career-best 25 in the following year, finishing second in the Pichichi Trophy race to Real Madrid's Iván Zamorano.

In the 1995 off-season Kodro was purchased by FC Barcelona,[1] starting throughout most of the season but only managing nine La Liga goals for the Catalans, including two in El Clásico against Real Madrid (3–0 home win).[2] After Barça came out empty in silverware, manager Johan Cruyff – who insisted in his signing – was sacked and the player also left Camp Nou, joining CD Tenerife where he played three seasons, notably contributing with two goals in six games in the Canary Islands side's semifinal run in the UEFA Cup; in 1998–99, for the only time in his career, he failed to find the net and his team suffered top flight relegation.

32-year old Kodro returned to the Basque region and joined Deportivo Alavés in the 1999–2000 season. He retired from football the following year after one year in Israel with Maccabi Tel Aviv FC.

In 2006 Kodro started his coaching career, being assistant to José Mari Bakero at former team Real Sociedad.[3] In the 2008 summer he was appointed manager of the club's youth sides, and remained in the post for two years, when he was promoted to B team duties, with the club in Segunda División B.[4]

International career

Kodro earned two caps for Yugoslavia, his debut coming on 4 September 1991 in a 3–4 friendly loss in Sweden. In the late 90s and 2000s he played for Bosnia-Herzegovina, appearing in six 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification games and scoring in a 2–1 away win against Slovenia.[5][6]

On 5 January 2008 Kodro was appointed head coach of Bosnia-Herzegovina, accepting the job after the Bosnian Football Federation met his conditions, which were to allow him to continue living in San Sebastián and to guarantee him full independence in football matters.[7] Things quickly went sour, however: he led the side in two friendlies before refusing to take charge of the team for a game against Iran scheduled for 26 May in Tehran, arranged by the federation without his knowledge; as a result, he was fired on 17 May.[8]

International goals

Scores and results list Bosnia and Herzegovina's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 10 November 1996 Bežigrad, Ljubljana, Slovenia  Slovenia 2–0 2–1 1998 World Cup qualification
2. 10 March 1999 Üllői úti, Budapest, Hungary  Hungary 1–0 1–1 Friendly
3. 5 June 1999 Koševo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina  Lithuania 1–0 2–0 Euro 2000 qualifying

Honours

Player

Velež
Barcelona
Maccabi

Personal life

Kodro's son, Kenan, is also a footballer and a forward. He was coached by his father at Real Sociedad B for two years.[9]

References

  1. ↑ "Kodro – Goles por la paz" [Kodro – Goals for peace] (in Spanish). El Mundo Deportivo. 24 June 1995. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
  2. ↑ "Para "Brujo"" [To the "Wizard"] (in Spanish). El Mundo Deportivo. 11 February 1996. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
  3. ↑ Real Sociedad: Cesado el entrenador José Mari Bakero (Real Sociedad: Coach José Mari Bakero fired); El Futbolín (Spanish)
  4. ↑ Kodro se hace cargo del Sanse (Kodro appointed at Sanse); El Mundo Deportivo, 6 June 2010 (Spanish)
  5. ↑ Players Appearing for Two or More Countries; at RSSSF
  6. ↑ Meho Kodro – FIFA competition record
  7. ↑ Vogts add the finishing touches to Bosnia's footballing farce; The Guardian, 1 July 2008
  8. ↑ "Kodro fired as Bosnia-Herzegovina boss". UEFA.com. 17 May 2008. Retrieved 18 May 2008.
  9. ↑ "Kenan Kodro: "Espero poder aportar lo que aportó mi padre"" [Kenan Kodro: "I hope to bring to the game the same as my father"] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 13 August 2014. Retrieved 29 September 2014.

External links