In an open interview, Igor Štimac talks about his Herzegovina roots, the process of extracting BiH. passports and plans for Zrinjski’s tenth title, while at the same time looking back at the pressures and announced sanctions.
The famous Croatian football player and current coach of Zrinjski was also named Herzegovinian of the Year last weekend in Neum.
In an interview with Večernji list Štimac spoke about his Herzegovinan rootslife in Mostar, where he has been since the beginning of August 2025, relations with the media, possible sanctions and how he spends his free time, which, he says, he doesn’t have too much.
You often emphasize your Herzegovinian roots and connection with Herzegovina. How much did that specific Herzegovinian gene, that stubbornness in a positive sense, shape you as a person, but also in that coaching job?
I was raised by my mother from Herzegovina, who gave birth to me. Here, thank God, in Neum there was an election for Herzegovinian of the year. She was born a few kilometers above Neum, in the village of Duži. It was a tough upbringing. The way it should be. That’s how I grew into a tough guy and, I hope, a virtuous one. I can see that she is proud of me, that tells me enough.
How do you feel in Mostar? Do you feel like you belong there? What impressed you the most?
Absolutely. Like at home. I was most impressed by the people. People make everything. The city can be beautiful, it can be I don’t know what kind, but if people are not what they should be, then there is nothing, there is no beauty. Mostar has its own emotion, Herzegovina has its own emotion.
Anywhere in Herzegovina I feel at home. Mostar is something special because my work is related to Zrinjski, which so much represents the Herzegovinian people and the Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina in general, that I have an exceptional obligation to be there – firm, persistent and consistent with the work that must be done in order for Zrinjski to move forward.
In your speech when receiving the “Herzegovinian of the Year” award, you just emphasized the importance of public figures standing on the sidelines of protecting the Croatian identity. Perhaps you are now even more aware of the situation in which the Croats are in Mostar and you firmly said that it should not be done and you will not remain silent no matter how much they try to stop you.
It’s true, I feel that obligation and I won’t run away from it. I noticed that they are trying to silence us, calm us down, threaten us a little by some kind of sanctions, I don’t know what, by certain commissions…
However, we must not remain silent. We have an obligation. We who are public figures, who have done something in life, achieved certain results, we must not enjoy the comfort of those results and the comfort of the life we have made possible for ourselves. We must not forget where we are from, who we are and what we are.
We must support our people which is there, which is a part of us and for which we exist.
It seems that you are a special “favorite” of the Sarajevo media. They scrutinize your private profiles and everything you post. Does it throw you off track sometimes or are you simply not touched by such things?
No, there’s no reason to throw me off the beat. I know that there are a lot of frustrated people, a lot of unhappy people who want to cure their unhappiness by pointing fingers at othersblaming them for their misfortunes and problems. I don’t hold anything against them.
After all, we are Christians, that’s how we were brought up, not to judge others, to look after ourselves, to help everyone around us. Those in Sarajevo have nothing to complain about. I gave them one daughter, I taught my children to choose people in life, not to look at religion and nation. So all those who hold a grudge against me point the finger at the wrong person.
On March 18, if I’m not mistaken, a decision on these new sanctions should be made. If those sanctions happen, how could it affect you, Zrinjski, the players?
I don’t think about it at all. Regardless of these reports, I believe that ultimately there are normal thinking people out there who will not allow such a thing to happen. First of all, because I didn’t do anything bad or wrong. Guilt resides elsewhere, not in my word and my attitude. Therefore, even if it happens, I will stay in my team, work hard, continue to work and lead the team the way I am allowed to, and that is from the stands. It doesn’t change anything.
You mentioned that you will take out BH. passport, to which you are entitled…
It is in process. Mom took out all the necessary information needed to apply for a passport. I see that he already handles some of those documents in Mostara part here where she was born, so that will be resolved quickly as well.
We will talk a little about more relaxed topics. What food particularly impressed you in Mostar, some Herzegovinian specialty that you had the opportunity to try but haven’t yet?
I’ve already visited a good part of it, and I’m already familiar with the Herzegovinian gastro scene. We who are neighbors, practically from Metkov, know the gastro scene in Herzegovina very well we are very happy to cross the border for food and convenience which are there, as well as qualities, above all.
So I’m not unfamiliar. I love this and take every opportunity to eat in restaurants, some in Mostar, some in Herzegovina. So, I stayed today at the River Restaurantwe are often in the Buna hotel on Buna near our Rafa, at Aldi the Zrinjski players and my staff are fed.
The other day I was in Grude in a tavern, a phenomenal place. I am often at Ciga’son the way to Široki, in Dužice… So, there is a variety of food, but mostly it is of very high quality.
How do you spend your free time, if you have any, given all the commitments?
Unfortunately, I don’t have a lot of it. As I mentioned to you, when I have the opportunity to go out with friends for lunch or dinner, that’s all the free time I have.
Since my arrival in Zrinjski, from the beginning of August until now, we have played more games than the entire last season. So, in half a season this year we played more games than the whole last season.
So really that rhythm of Wednesday – Sunday or Thursday – Sunday was killer, it doesn’t allow much free time. But I hope that now that we have done these few weeks of this hellish rhythm, we will enter a calmer phase in which we will be able to have a little more time to enjoyespecially in this spring that is just around the corner.
And at the very end of the conversation, tell us what you would like Zrinjski fans to remember you for?
Well I would love to bring them that tenth trophy, that tenth title. I know it will be very difficult this year, we are all aware of that with all that is happening, what we follow, what we witness every day from round to round. But we won’t give up. We will go as far as we can, so if it doesn’t happen this year, it will happen next year.
(www.jabuka.tv | Photo: Denis Kapetanović/Pixsell)
