In modern football, it is increasingly common for national team players to play for countries in which they were not born, and this trend is clearly visible in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia for the upcoming World Cup.
The BiH national team is among the selections from a large number of players born outside the homeland. Even 17 of 26 invited footballers were born abroad, but decided to wear the Dragons jersey. Among them are prominent names such as Sead Kolašinac, Ermedin Demirović, Amar Dedić and Tarik Muharemovićwho have experience playing in the strongest European leagues.
When it comes to origin, the largest number of BiH of the national team was born in Germany – four: Dženis Burnić, Kerim Alajbegović, Sead Kolašinac and Ermedin Demirović. It follows Austria with three players (Amar Dedić, Ermin Mahmić and Osman Hadžikić), while three each were born in Sweden (Armin Gigović, Benjamin Tahirović and Dennis Hadžikadunić). Two players come from of Serbia (Samed Baždar and Jovo Lukić), while Ivan Bašić was born in Croatia. One member of the national team was born in Denmark (Amir Hadžiahmetović), Slovenia (Tarik Muharemović) and Switzerland (Haris Tabaković), while Esmir Bajraktarević comes from of the United States of America.
A similar situation exists in the Croatian national team. In the composition led by the selector Zlatko Dalić there are 11 players born outside of Croatia. Among them is the leader Germanywhere Josip Stanišić, Marin Pongracić, Mario Pašalić, Marco Pašalić and Igor Matanović were born. U Austria Mateo Kovačić and Luka Sučić were born, while Petar Sučić, Josip Šutalo and Ante Budimir were born in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Martin Baturina was born in Switzerland.
Interestingly, there are also players born in Croatia who play for other national teams. Ivan Bašićborn in Imotski, plays for Bosnia and Herzegovina, while for Australia performs Miloš Degenekborn in Knin.
Such examples confirm that modern football is increasingly erasing borders, and abroad is becoming an important source of quality for national selections.
(www.jabuka.tv | Photo: Illustration)
