Bosnia and Herzegovina got one hour to feel sorry for themselves after Thursday’s 4-1 loss to Switzerland at SoFi Stadium. Coach Sergej Barbarez set the limit himself. “I don’t like self-pity,” he said through an interpreter. “I entered the dressing room and told them all that they have one hour to cheer up to lift their heads up.”
Switzerland did not score until the 74th minute. Until then, Barbarez argued, his side had the better of it: “from the first cooling break until the goal, we were the better players, the better team.” Ermin Mahmić got Bosnia’s only goal in the 93rd minute. The stadium was full, and most of the crowd wore blue, yellow and white.
“They support us all over the world,” Mahmić said of the fans. “It’s not normal to be honest, and we’re very thankful for them.”
The result was the first defeat in six matches for 64th-ranked Bosnia, who were held 1-1 by host Canada in their World Cup opener. Switzerland is ranked 19th. Now Bosnia must beat Qatar on Wednesday to have a chance at the knockout stage. “It’s hurtful; it’s quite painful,” Barbarez said. “But this is my job, and trust me, I’ll make sure they will be fine ahead of the next game.”
From the card table to the touchline
Barbarez is 54 and is Bosnia’s fifth manager since 2022. He captained the national team as a player, then became a professional poker player and later a broadcaster.
His playing career ran 14 years, most of them in the Bundesliga, where he scored 105 goals for Borussia Dortmund, Hamburg and Bayer Leverkusen. He earned his coaching license on retiring and left it unused until 2024.
Poker filled the gap. He played professionally in Europe for about a decade and reached two final tables at the World Series of Poker. Cardplayer.com credits him with at least $143,000 in winnings. Defector counted $143,628 across 26 games between 2010 and 2022, including fifth place in a €2,200 Omaha event at the 2017 World Series of Poker Europe, worth $24,385.
He was also a loud critic of the Football Association of Bosnia. The body kept cycling through managers, and three were hired and fired within months. Bosnia missed qualification for the 2024 Euros. Barbarez also objected to the association’s 2022 decision to schedule friendlies with Russia soon after FIFA and UEFA banned it for invading Ukraine.
The federation introduced him as national team manager in April 2024. Its president, Vico Zeljkovic, told reporters that “his energy and authority can be crucial factors in getting the national team back on track for success.” Barbarez said from the start that his aim was to reach the 2028 Euros and to have his players proud to wear the national colors.
He got to the World Cup first. Bosnia beat Italy in a play-off final to qualify for their first World Cup in 12 years.
Sources
- Commentary: From poker pro to World Cup coach: Sergej Barbarez all in with Bosnia-Herzegovina
- Bosnia coach Barbarez applies poker acumen to World Cup success
