The coach of the Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team Sergej Barbarez said in Toronto, on the eve of the match against Canada, that the “Dragons” are ready, motivated and proud to represent their homeland.
Menu Sergej Barbarez addressed the public at the official press conference in Toronto, ahead of tonight’s opening match between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Canada World Cupreports correspondent Fene.
At the beginning of the conference, he confirmed that there had been a change in the playing staff.
Unfortunately, two days ago Nidal Celik injured his meniscus and will have to undergo surgery. Instead of him, Arijan Malić came into the frameBarbarez said.
Dzeko ready, Tabakovic misses Canada
When it comes to the health of the rest of the team, captain Edin Dzeko is ready and will compete for the squad.
On the other hand, Haris Tabakovic he is not yet fully recovered and will miss the test against Canada.
Answering the question of a foreign journalist whether he thinks that Bosnia and Herzegovina is an outsider in the tournament, Barbarez said that this is not a problem for him, but an additional motive.
We are a small country, this is only our second World Cup and we certainly have that epithet of a team that is not the favorite. But if you look at my 20 games on the bench so far, only two national teams were ranked worse than us, so if you know our results, like those against Italy or Wales, then you will know how to value what we didsaid the selector.
With Croatia as an example
Barbarez pointed out that he is trying to build an atmosphere and mentality in the national team based on the model of neighboring Croatia.
There is a lot of talk about our mentality, because it is not typical for a Balkan team, but we have seen that Croatia can do it, so why can’t we do it too. That was a basic idea. The idea was to look for guys who are proud, who have character, who want to be there at all times, both when you lose and when you win.he said.
Speaking about the game against Canada, Barbarez emphasized that the focus will be on the result and not necessarily on the beauty of the game.
He did not want to talk too much about tactical ideas and formation.
And for tomorrow, let me sleep a little longer, there are a lot of Canadian journalistsBarbarez said with a laugh.
Great support from the fans
A special part of the conference was dedicated to fans of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who are arriving in Toronto in large numbers.
We from BiH know best what the fans mean to us. The biggest compliment for the coach and the team is when people follow you and fill the stadiums. In these two years, I think only one game in Cyprus was not sold out. It’s just more of a motive for us, and my job is to relieve the players of the pressure so that they can enjoy the field, play with their heart and give a smile to our peopleBarbarez concluded.
A match between Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina is played tonight in toronto from 9:00 p.m.
After the test with Canada, the “Dragons” expect matches against Switzerland June 18 in Los Angeles and Qatar June 24 in Seattle.
More than 500 channels broadcast Canada and BiH: Here’s where you can follow the Dragons
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