Baggio Hušidić

Youth and college

Hušidić attended Libertyville High School. He also played club soccer for Sockers FC Chicago, who he helped reach state, regional and national championship tournaments. He played college soccer at the University of Illinois at Chicago from 2006 to 2008, where he was named to the Horizon League All-Newcomer Team as a freshman, and to the All-Horizon League First Team as a sophomore in 2007.

Professional

Husidić was drafted in the second round (20th overall) of the 2009 MLS SuperDraft by Chicago Fire, and signed a Generation Adidas contract. He made his professional debut on 28 May 2009, coming on as a late substitute for Gonzalo Segares in a game against Chivas USA. He scored his first career professional goal on 24 April 2010 in a game against Houston Dynamo. It was announced on 18 November 2010 that Hušidić would graduate from the MLS Generation Adidas program at the end of the 2010 season. Baggio had his breakout season in 2010. He proved to be a vital part of the Fire, scoring goals and filling in voids in the midfield. Hušidić didn't have a great season in 2011 and received only limited playing time. At season's end, Chicago declined his 2012 contract option and he entered the 2011 MLS Re-Entry Draft. Hušidić was selected by Colorado Rapids in stage 2 of the draft on 12 December 2011. However, Hušidić spurned Colorado and instead signed with Swedish second division side Hammarby IF on 23 December 2011. Despite still being with…

Born in Zagrad, Velika Kladuša, Bosanska Krajina, SR Bosnia, SFR Yugoslavia (present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina), Hušidić and his family fled Bosnia in the mid-1990s to escape the Bosnian War, spending time in a refugee camp in southern Croatia, and living in Hamburg, Germany for several years, before eventually settling in the US in 1997.

Hušidić was given the nickname 'Baggio' (after Italian player Roberto Baggio) at a young age by his father. He became a naturalized U.S. citizen while he was in college. An advocate of veganism, Hušidić has said of the benefits of his whole foods, plant-based diet: "I’m able to run the longest distance per game of any player on my team. My recovery rate is much faster. My muscles recover much quicker than most other players. My energy level is high; I nap once a year. I sleep very well, averaging around 9+1⁄2 hours a night. I’m always happy, I have clear skin and no body odor, and I rarely ever get ill. I could go on and on."