Zlatan Muslimović Explained

Zlatan Muslimović
Birth Date:1981 3, df=yes
Birth Place:Banja Luka, SFR Yugoslavia
Years1:2000–2007
Caps1:2
Goals1:0
Years2:2001–2002
Caps2:0
Goals2:0
Clubs2:Perugia (loan)
Years3:2002
Caps3:8
Goals3:1
Clubs3:Pistoiese (loan)
Years4:2002–2003
Caps4:11
Goals4:0
Clubs4:Ascoli (loan)
Years5:2003–2004
Caps5:30
Goals5:6
Clubs5:Padova (loan)
Years6:2004–2005
Caps6:32
Goals6:15
Clubs6:Rimini (loan)
Years7:2005–2006
Caps7:25
Goals7:4
Clubs7:Messina (loan)
Years8:2006–2007
Caps8:29
Goals8:3
Clubs8:Parma (loan)
Years9:2007–2008
Caps9:10
Goals9:2
Years10:2008–2011
Caps10:70
Goals10:17
Years11:2012–2014
Caps11:56
Goals11:17
Years12:2015
Caps12:10
Goals12:1
Years13:2016–2017
Caps13:21
Goals13:2
Totalcaps:304
Totalgoals:68
Nationalyears1:2001–2002
Nationalcaps1:4
Nationalgoals1:3
Nationalyears2:2006–2011
Nationalcaps2:30
Nationalgoals2:11

Zlatan Muslimović (pronounced as /bs/; born 6 March 1981) is a Bosnian former professional footballer who played as a forward.

Early career

As a teenager, Muslimović played for the Swedish teams Habo IF and Husqvarna FF.[1] He went on to play for the Swedish team IFK Göteborg youth team in 1998 and 1999, before coming to Italy in 2000.

Muslimović was also a goalkeeper for the Brandstorps IF floorball club's team for boys' born in 1981 during the 1994–95 season.[2]

Club career

Italy

Muslimović signed his first professional contract with Udinese. During the 2004–05 season, he was the top scorer of Serie C1/A side Rimini, with 15 goals in 32 matches, helping his team in winning the league and being promoted to Serie B. In 2006–07 he was loaned to Parma. In June 2007, he signed for Serie A side Atalanta (in a direct swap with Marco Motta) but suffered from lack of playing time under head coach Luigi Delneri.

PAOK

On 22 July 2008, Muslimović signed with Greek club PAOK on a three-year deal.[3] He instantly became a fan favourite and largely contributed to PAOK's successful run in the 2008–09 season. He scored his first goal for PAOK in a friendly against Udinese and his first league goal in a home game against AEK Athens. He received the nickname "Alani" by the Gate 4 fans.

During the 2009–10 season, however, he began facing many injury problems and managed to score only four times while his playing time kept diminishing.His most memorable goal was in the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League play-offs, when he netted a 101st minute 1–1 equalizer against Fenerbahçe, sending PAOK through to the group stages. After another disappointing season, however, it was decided that his contract would not be renewed; his last official game for PAOK was against Olympiakos Volou on 25 May 2011, where he also scored.

Guizhou Renhe

On 20 February 2012, after being without a club for nine months, Muslimović signed with Chinese Super League side Guizhou Renhe.[4] On 8 April, scored his first goal for the senior Guizhou Renhe side.[5]

International career

Muslimović has made 30 appearances for the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team[6] since making his debut in August 2006 in a friendly match against France as a second-half substitute. He also played for the team in their UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying matches against Malta (twice), Hungary, Norway and Turkey. Against Croatia, he scored a hat-trick.

One of Muslimović's most memorable games was the encounter with Norway in Oslo. He and midfielder Zvjezdan Misimović scored early goals in the first half giving Bosnia a night to remember on 24 March 2007 with a 2–1 victory. He turned in another solid performance in the match against Turkey by slotting home a pass from Misimović past Rüştü Reçber to level the score at 1–1. Bosnia went on to win the game 3–2 with 89th-minute substitute Adnan Čustović heading in from a corner.

Muslimović is one of only six national players (with Elvir Bolić, Elvir Baljić [who scored four goals in one game], Zvjezdan Misimović, Vedad Ibišević and Edin Džeko) to ever score a hat-trick for Bosnia, doing so during a friendly against Croatia.[7]

In the qualifying rounds for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa in November 2009, Bosnia was eliminated by Portugal; Muslimović's shot hit the goalpost during the match in Lisbon.[8]

His final international was a September 2011 European Championship qualification match away against Belarus.[9]

Career statistics

Club

ClubSeasonLeagueCupContinentalOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Udinese2000–01Serie A2000000020
Perugia (loan)2001–02Serie A0010000010
Pistoiese (loan)2001–02Serie B8100000081
Ascoli (loan)2002–03Serie B110100000120
Padova (loan)2003–04Serie C306000000306
Rimini (loan)2004–05Serie C32153200233720
Messina (loan)2005–06Serie A254000000254
Parma (loan)2006–07Serie A293323000355
Atalanta2007–08Serie A102000000102
PAOK2008–09Super League Greece257400000297
2009–10Super League Greece248103100289
2010–11Super League Greece212407200324
Total 701790103008920
Guizhou Renhe2012Chinese Super League28135100003314
2013Chinese Super League234636100358
2014Chinese Super League5000101171
Total 561711471117523
Zavrč2015–16Slovenian PrvaLiga101100000111
Koper2015–16Slovenian PrvaLiga7000000070
2016–17Slovenian PrvaLiga142100000152
Total 212100000222
Career total304683082043435784

International

International goals

Goal! scope="col"
DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
12 September 2006 Ta' Qali Stadium, Ta' Qali 4–1 5–2 UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
224 March 2007 Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo 2–0 2–1 UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
32 June 2007 Asim Ferhatović Hase Stadium, Sarajevo 1–1 3–2 UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
46 June 2007 Asim Ferhatović Hase Stadium, Sarajevo 1–0 1–0UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
522 August 2007Asim Ferhatović Hase Stadium, Sarajevo1–23–5Friendly
62–2
73–4
810 September 2008 Bilino Polje, Zenica 4–0 7–02010 FIFA World Cup qualification
915 October 2008 Bilino Polje, Zenica 3–0 4–12010 FIFA World Cup qualification
104–1
115 September 2009 Hanrapetakan Stadium, Yerevan 2–0 2–02010 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours

Rimini

PAOK

Runner up 2008–09

Guizhou Renhe

Notes and References

  1. Web site: HFF är storebror när det gäller talangutveckling. J-nytt. sv. Peter Culha. 1 June 2009. 9 September 2011.
  2. Web site: Historia. Fagerhult Habo IB. sv. 2010. 9 September 2011.
  3. Web site: PAOK Strike Muslimović Deal . Goal . 14 July 2008 . 14 July 2008.
  4. Web site: Former Udinese, Parma and PAOK striker Zlatan Muslimovic joins Chinese outfit Guizhou Renhe . Yahoo! Sports . 23 February 2012 . 23 February 2012.
  5. Web site: Zlatan Muslimović scores first goal for Chinese club Guizhou Renhe . Reprezentacija.ba. Reprezentacija.ba . 8 April 2012 . 8 April 2012 . bs.
  6. Web site: Mamrud, Roberto. Bosnia and Herzegovina – Record International Players. 16 July 2009. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 20 July 2009.
  7. Web site: Muslimović goals vs Croatia . nfsbih.net. nfsbih.net . 22 August 2007 . 22 August 2007 . bs.
  8. Web site: Zmaj od Bosne, pt II. Aftonbladet. sv. Erik Niva. 28 May 2010. 6 January 2017.
  9. Web site: Player Database. eu-football.info. 2021-04-18.
  10. Web site: 足协杯-人和总分3-2恒大队史首夺冠 恒大三冠梦碎. Sports.sina.com.cn. 2013-12-07. 2019-08-19.