Zlatan Muslimović

Zlatan Muslimović (Bosnian pronunciation: [zlǎtan muslǐːmoʋitɕ]; born 6 March 1981) is a Bosnian former professional footballer who played as a forward.

Zlatan Muslimović
Muslimović playing for PAOK in May 2010
Personal information
Date of birth (1981-03-06) 6 March 1981
Place of birth Banja Luka, SFR Yugoslavia
Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2+1⁄2 in)
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
Habo IF
Husqvarna FF
IFK Göteborg
Udinese
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2000–2007 Udinese 2 (0)
2001–2002 → Perugia (loan) 0 (0)
2002 → Pistoiese (loan) 8 (1)
2002–2003 → Ascoli (loan) 11 (0)
2003–2004 → Padova (loan) 30 (6)
2004–2005 → Rimini (loan) 32 (15)
2005–2006 → Messina (loan) 25 (4)
2006–2007 → Parma (loan) 29 (3)
2007–2008 Atalanta 10 (2)
2008–2011 PAOK 70 (17)
2012–2014 Guizhou Renhe 56 (17)
2015 Zavrč 10 (1)
2016–2017 Koper 21 (2)
Total 304 (68)
International career
2001–2002 Bosnia and Herzegovina U21 4 (3)
2006–2011 Bosnia and Herzegovina 30 (11)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

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
Muslimović playing for PAOK F.C. in UEFA Europa League against CSKA Moscow in 2011

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
As of 24 February 2021
Club Season League Cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Udinese 2000–01 Serie A 2000000020
Perugia (loan) 2001–02 Serie A 0010000010
Pistoiese (loan) 2001–02 Serie B 8100000081
Ascoli (loan) 2002–03 Serie B 110100000120
Padova (loan) 2003–04 Serie C 306000000306
Rimini (loan) 2004–05 Serie C 32153200233720
Messina (loan) 2005–06 Serie A 254000000254
Parma (loan) 2006–07 Serie A 293323000355
Atalanta 2007–08 Serie A 102000000102
PAOK 2008–09 Super League Greece 257400000297
2009–10 Super League Greece 248103100289
2010–11 Super League Greece 212407200324
Total 701790103008920
Guizhou Renhe 2012 Chinese Super League 28135100003314
2013 Chinese Super League 234636100358
2014 Chinese Super League 5000101171
Total 561711471117523
Zavrč 2015–16 Slovenian PrvaLiga 101100000111
Koper 2015–16 Slovenian PrvaLiga 7000000070
2016–17 Slovenian PrvaLiga 142100000152
Total 212100000222
Career total 304683082043435784

International

International goals

Goal Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 2 September 2006Ta' Qali Stadium, Ta' Qali Malta4–15–2UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
2 24 March 2007Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo Norway2–02–1UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
3 2 June 2007Asim Ferhatović Hase Stadium, Sarajevo Turkey1–13–2UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
4 6 June 2007Asim Ferhatović Hase Stadium, Sarajevo Malta1–01–0UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
5 22 August 2007 Asim Ferhatović Hase Stadium, Sarajevo  Croatia1–2 3–5 Friendly
6 2–2
7 3–4
8 10 September 2008Bilino Polje, Zenica Estonia4–07–02010 FIFA World Cup qualification
9 15 October 2008Bilino Polje, Zenica Armenia3–04–12010 FIFA World Cup qualification
10  Armenia4–1
11 5 September 2009Hanrapetakan Stadium, Yerevan Armenia2–02–02010 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours
Rimini

PAOK

Guizhou Renhe

References
  1. Peter Culha (1 June 2009). "HFF är storebror när det gäller talangutveckling" (in Swedish). J-nytt. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  2. "Historia" (in Swedish). Fagerhult Habo IB. 2010. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  3. "PAOK Strike Muslimović Deal". Goal. 14 July 2008. Retrieved 14 July 2008.
  4. "Former Udinese, Parma and PAOK striker Zlatan Muslimovic joins Chinese outfit Guizhou Renhe". Yahoo! Sports. 23 February 2012. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  5. Reprezentacija.ba (8 April 2012). "Zlatan Muslimović scores first goal for Chinese club Guizhou Renhe". Reprezentacija.ba (in Bosnian). Retrieved 8 April 2012.
  6. Mamrud, Roberto (16 July 2009). "Bosnia and Herzegovina – Record International Players". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 20 July 2009.
  7. nfsbih.net (22 August 2007). "Muslimović goals vs Croatia". nfsbih.net (in Bosnian). Retrieved 22 August 2007.
  8. Erik Niva (28 May 2010). "Zmaj od Bosne, pt II" (in Swedish). Aftonbladet. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  9. "Player Database". eu-football.info. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  10. "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. 7 December 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
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