One of the creators of the new, super-talented generation of our football stars, he spoke without “a hair on his tongue” about the mentality of the team, but also how young players deal with the psychological pressure before the WC in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
How was he “dying of fear” with Barbarez?
He also revealed what they call an “umbrella” and what a “lightning rod” in the “Dragons” locker room.
“A man (Edin Džeko, op.a.), when it rains heavily spread out, and all these children run away under that ‘umbrella’, and protect them,” said Spahić.
In the first interview since the historic victory over Italy, i.e. the spectacular placement at the world championship, he emphasized that the support for Bosnia and Herzegovina from the entire region is impressive. But he also admits “we made a miracle”.
“Good people, who are not burdened by some things, send us messages of goodness, success, dreams every day. Thank you,” said Spahić.
He compared the atmosphere to the preparations for the WC in Brazil, when he was the captain of the national team, pointing out that then, if time could be turned back, he would “change some things”.
“That Brazil really taught me a lot. We don’t need a single drop of negative energy in the team. We try in every way to remove all people who bring something negative close to the team,” said the once merciless fighter in football boots.
He also touched on the phenomenon, but also on the intelligence of coach Sergej Barbarez, “negative arrows”, that is, “when they died of fear”.
He talked about the details of the plan, ie. what it looked like when they got on the plane and went to negotiate with the players and their parents to persuade them to change their sports citizenship, return under the flag of their homeland. What were the obstacles and what were the crucial details in the arrival of Kerim Alajbegović, Esmir Bajraktarević, Tarik Muharemović… What “ugly stories”, founded and unfounded, were circulating? He disclosed how they knew how to “get up and leave the negotiations”.
He also asserted that they didn’t know what they were getting into.” What was “terrible”? What was “terrible”?! But he also noted when the turning point came, when they “realized” that they were, after all, on the right path.
“It was after Germany. After the 0:7 loss against Germany,” he told za Vijesti.ba Spahic.
A key meeting after the debacle
Then he also spoke about the key meeting that the coaching staff held behind closed doors after the “Elf” debacle.
He also underlined the great role of the patriotic charge in the national team. When did the “lights go on”? What was the brave move of Vice Zeljković, the president of the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina?!
“Everyone who wants to do this job must feel love for their country,” he believes.
He also said what this generation of our national team members has, and what he lacked.
“Unlike that of my generation, which was full of quality. When you look at 25 players who play in the ‘five’ leagues, really… Realistically, looking at that quality, it was incredible, but we lacked something like this, that audacity, the coolness that these guys have. I’m fascinated by their attitude towards the game, the national team, where the whole country is breathing down your neck, the pressure. I have a feeling that they don’t register it”, he pointed out, adding:
“Wales, Italy. I was scared. I survived that, as much as you want. When I saw them, I thought, my mother, where are we going, what is with these children. And they do, what they do. Well, now, what can it bring us at the World Cup… We got one Italy, one superpower. Can anyone say they are not what they were. We are not what we were either.”
With a smile, he said, “I can’t explain to myself the positive arrogance of our young players.”
“I want to see them in big top clubs soon. The three, four of them certainly have that range, that quality,” Spahić thinks.
Why didn’t Dzeko get the Ballon d’Or?
About the increasingly announced farewell of Edin Džeka from the jersey of the national team of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the end of the career of the 41-year-old “football institution”, he said without hesitation or hesitation:
“He won’t go anywhere! He can’t! We won’t give him! What will he do? He still needs to go to the European Championship. Where will he go? Until he brings up two more, he won’t go anywhere”.
He then reflected on the career of his former teammate, but also made the fans of Bosnia and Herzegovina happy.
“I can’t find a word to describe Edin’s attitude towards the national team, the country, his people. What he does, my people, is not normal. It is for study. What kind of combination is it? What is in that man’s body? If by any chance he was a German, the Frenchman would have two Ballon d’Or by now. I have never seen a more complete player, and I have been through big clubs and leagues. I have never met what this man has in my career, and I have played against the greatest. As we say in Dubrovnik, ‘where “I don’t have to go. We need him to jump in, to be an umbrella,” said the director of our national team.
The native of Dubrovnik wishes for a duel with his country Croatia at the World Cup. He recounted the interesting dialogues he had in the past few days with fellow citizens in, as he points out, “the most beautiful city in the world”, and how he would walk along Stradun if we beat them at the World Cup. He praised the strength and system of “Vatreni”. He also compared “Dragons” with the team of coach Zlatko Dalić, which will probably cause great controversy in the region…
Spoken by: Bakir Tiro
(Vijesti.ba)
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