World Cup Debate: Bosnia-Herzegovina Believe In Blazevic

"I know what I am getting into,” said Miro Blazevic after he was unveiled as the new coach of Bosnia-Herzegovina back in July 2008.

“I will have to unite and calm everybody down. I will do my best to justify the confidence I was trusted and I am aware that it will not be an easy task.”

An easy task it may not have been, but Blazevic has certainly made things look pretty straightforward since.

When he took up residence of his office 17 months ago, Blazevic’s first task was to re-inscribe a squad on strike, abhorred by the dismissal of his popular predecessor, Meho Kudro. In addition to that, his new employers, the Bosnian Football Association (NSBiH), were under fire from the general public following accusations of embezzlement in relation to a lucrative friendly against Iran.

To then fast-forward and find that Bosnia are preparing for a two-legged play-off against Portugal for a place at next summer’s World Cup, after finishing second in a group that contained Spain, Turkey and Belgium, is really quite remarkable.

So, where did it all go right for the coach and his previously insubordinate team?

"Blazevic has united everyone in Bosnia-Herzegovina and shown that we can achieve a lot together," said Iljo Dominkovic, a NSBiH presidency member.

"We had neither the players nor the fans or the atmosphere before he arrived."

The appointment of the 74-year-old Blazevic, as Dominkovic pointed out, has proven to be an absolute masterstroke. Eccentric and outspoken, his insatiable enthusiasm for the job is overwhelming – an illustration of which can be seen by the fully jogged lap of honour he took round the pitch in Zenica following his side’s home victory over Belgium in April. And despite the infrequency with which his squad meets for international get-togethers - not to mention the wide distribution of the players across the European map - he appears to have created a ferocious bond amongst his charges in the limited time they have collectively.

Bosnia’s strength, undisputedly, lies in their attack. In the group stage they hit 25 goals in their 10 matches, with only Spain, England and Germany outscoring them elsewhere in the qualification round. Their forward line has an unequivocal Bundesliga flavour to it, with the Wolfsburg duo Edin Dzeko and Zvjezdan Misimovic being joined by Hoffenheim’s fit again Vedad Ibisevic.

Dzeko and Misimovic have flourished in the industrial environs of Wolfsburg, winning the Bundesliga title last season as part of an attacking triumvirate with the Brazilian Grafite. Alongside them at international level, Ibisevic is establishing himself again following serious cruiciate ligament damage in January. Before suffering that setback, he had been leading the goalscoring charts in Germany, helping his club Hoffenheim to the winter title.

Elsewhere in the squad, the performances of young Miralem Pjanic have been earning plaudits since stepping into the creative role vacated by Juninho at Lyon. But the dynamic midfielder has struggled to establish himself at international level where Blazevic has been hesitant to deploy his precocious 19-year-old in a midfield that already includes the influential Misimovic.

"If you asked 100 coaches in Europe they'd all pick me," Pjanic said when questioned about his lack of game time.

"But I'll happily sit on the bench, or even in the stands, because I love being around these guys."

Blazevic - himself an ethnic Croat, albeit born on Bosnian soil – did not seem the most obvious choice for the position of coach, particularly as he had been the capricious mastermind behind fierce neighbours Croatia’s march to the semi-finals of the World Cup in 1998. However, as can often be the case of football in fragile contexts, results can have the ability to transcend such differences, and there are now few more popular figures in the country than the avuncular coach.

Split during a bloody war in the 1990s, Bosnia still struggles with residual ethnic tensions that remain between Muslims, ethnic Croats and ethnic Serbs. During the qualification campaign Blazevic was keen to stress how humble he had felt at the hands of the Bosnian fans.

"I was proud more than ever to hear the fans cheer in one voice Serb goalkeeper Nemanja Supic and myself," he said.

"Never, in my 40-year-long career, have I ever had a more important match,” he revealed to the press last week about the upcoming qualifying play-off games against Portugal.

“However, I am absolutely sure that the whole of Europe supports Bosnia-Herzegovina.”

Given the tumultuous recent history of the country, Blazevic would surely be satisfied if simply the whole of Bosnia is supporting his team on Saturday.

Marcus Haydon, Goal.com