Sergej Barbarez

In 1984, Barbarez took a step further and started playing football for the youth team of Velež in his native city of Mostar. Some six years later, he signed with the first team of Velež at the age of 19. However, briefly after, Barbarez served in the Yugoslav People's Army in Zagreb in 1991 before returning to Mostar to continue his career. In 1991, he returned to Velež and soon after everyone realized that Barbarez was a true talent. The same year, he visited his uncle who was living in Germany. Some time later, Barbarez was preparing to return to Mostar but his uncle surprised him by extending his stay in Germany for two weeks. The uncle had arranged for him a two-week try-out practise with Hannover 96. The coach of Hannover 96 was so impressed by Barbarez that he signed him for the club. During those same two weeks the political situation throughout the former Yugoslavia was deteriorating by the minute and fighting was even occurring in some places. Subsequently, Barbarez came to an agreement with his father to stay with his uncle in Germany for the foreseeable future. In April 1992, the Bosnian War escalated in the city of Mostar. A month prior to the actual war, Barbarez's father and sister fled with his high school sweetheart Ana to the city of Hanover in Germany. His mother Zlata stayed in Mostar throughout the entire war. Barbarez played for Hannover 96 during the second half of the 1991–92 and the whole 1992–93 season. Between 1993 and 1996, he played for Union…

Amid ethnically motivated threats, including attempted kidnappings and attempts on his mother's life, Barbarez stated that he would only represent Bosnia and Herzegovina once her safety had been assured, with protection ultimately guaranteed following political intervention. On 14 May 1998, he made his debut for the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team against Argentina in a friendly match. Barbarez scored two goals against Liechtenstein in a World Cup qualification match on 28 March 2001. He was denied a hat-trick as his second-half penalty was saved by Lichtenstein goalkeeper Peter Jehle. Before retiring from international football in October 2005, Barbarez was the captain of the Bosnian national team. On 2 December 2005, he announced his comeback to the national team and played in the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifiers. He became captain of the team once again. On 12 October 2006, Barbarez officially stepped down from playing for the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team and retired permanently from professional football in June 2008. His final international was an October 2006 European Championship qualification match against Moldova.

Barbarez announced on 14 December 2009 that he wanted to be the head coach of the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team in the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifiers. However, the Football Association of Republika Srpska blocked his entry and later on, Safet Sušić was selected as the new head coach of the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team. On 5 January 2011, Barbarez received his UEFA Pro Licence in the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina's educational facility in Jablanica.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

On 19 April 2024, Barbarez was appointed as the new head coach of the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team, signing a four-year contract with the Bosnian FA. His first game in charge was a friendly 3–0 away defeat to England on 3 June 2024. He was victorious in the team's opening 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Romania on 21 March 2025. Bosnia and Herzegovina recorded three more wins against Cyprus, and back-to-back victories over San Marino, marking this their most successful FIFA World Cup or UEFA Euro qualification opening. Barbarez's side suffered its first defeat in the qualifying campaign on 9 September 2025, losing to Austria 2–1 at home. Following a 3–1 win over Romania at home on 15 November, Bosnia and Herzegovina needed to defeat Austria three days later in the final group match to qualify directly for the World Cup. Despite holding on to a 1–0 lead until the 77th minute, the match ended in a draw. As a result, Barbarez's team finished second in…

Barbarez was born in Mostar, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yugoslavia, present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina. His father Ljubo Barbarez was a Herzegovinian Serb. His mother Zlata (née Košarić) was a handball player from Ljubuški. His maternal grandmother Ruža (née Tadinac) was a Croat from Trilj, and his Bosniak grandfather Omer Košarić was her second husband. In addition to him, Ljubo and Zlata also had a daughter, Maja, who also played handball.

During his childhood, Barbarez was interested in track and field, naming 400 metres his specialty. However, due to the lack of resources in the former Yugoslavia, he resorted to football. In the winter of 1991, in the midst of the Yugoslav Wars, Barbarez was sent by his father to his maternal uncle in Hanover, as wars were already raging in Slovenia and Croatia. His father had mistakenly believed that the wars would not last and that Barbarez would return in a couple of weeks. However, as the Bosnian War continued, Barbarez remained in Germany permanently.