Elvir Baljić


Elvir Baljić is a Bosnian-Turkish professional football manager and former player.
As a player, Baljić's biggest success was winning the UEFA Champions League with Spanish giant Real Madrid in the 1999–2000 season. Apart from the UEFA Champions League success, he also won the Turkish Süper Lig with Fenerbahçe in the 2000–01 season.
After ending his playing career, Baljić became an assistant manager of Safet Sušić at the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team, with whom he qualified for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Baljić briefly managed Turkish club Karabükspor in 2015. After Karabükspor, he was also an assistant of Sušić at Alanyaspor in 2017 and Akhisarspor in 2018. Baljić also managed Bosnian club Tuzla City.

Club career

Baljić transferred to Real Madrid in summmer 1999 under club president Lorenzo Sanz for €26 million Throughout the [1999–2000 Real Madrid CF|Real Madrid CF season|1999–2000 season], he made eleven league appearances – with eight of them being substitute – scoring just one goal.
In 2001–02 season, Baljić joined compatriots Elvir Bolić and Emir Granov to Rayo Vallecano. At times they formed a forward line consisting of him, Bolić, and Bolo along with a Basque who also had a similar name. However, the move did not do much to improve Baljić's standing at the Bernabéu as more injuries, poor form, and even disciplinary issues followed with only one league goal from 10 appearances.
During the 2002 summer transfer window, Baljić's contract with Real Madrid was terminated and he returned to Turkey, this time to Galatasaray. Due to his substantial price tag and the subsequent high-profile failure at Madrid, his acquisition by Real features consistently and prominently on various "worst-ever signing" lists.

International career

Baljić debuted for Bosnia and Herzegovina in a friendly match against Albania in April 1996. He has earned a total of 38 caps, scoring 14 goals. He scored four goals in a single official match for Bosnia and Herzegovina in an away match of the Group 9 during the UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying between Estonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, on 9 October, just a couple of weeks after he signed a contract with Real Madrid. The final result was 1–4. His final international was a March 2005 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Lithuania.

Managerial career

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Almost two years after finishing his playing career, in February 2010, Bosnia and Herzegovina's national team coach Safet Sušić revealed that Baljić would be one of his assistants. As an assistant, Baljić was part of the historic achievement of the national team, which was qualification to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Baljić left the national team in 2014 with Sušić's departure.

Karabükspor

On 2 October 2015, Baljić became the new manager of Turkish TFF First League club Karabükspor. Less than three months later, on 21 December, he resigned after a 3–0 league loss against Adanaspor, which was the club's third loss in a row in all competitions and second in a row in the league.

Tuzla City

On 1 October 2019, Baljić was appointed coach of Bosnian Premier League club Tuzla City. The next day, on 2 October, Baljić officially took over the role of manager of Tuzla City, signing a three-year contract with the club. In his first match as Tuzla City coach, the club won Zvijezda 09 at home 3–0 in a league match on 5 October. He suffered his first loss with Tuzla on 19 October 2019 after the club lost 0–3 against Radnik Bijeljina in another league match.
In his first Tuzla derby, the club drew against city rivals Sloboda Tuzla 1–1 on 30 November 2019. On 9 March 2020, Baljić decided to terminate his contract with Tuzla City after poor results, with the last one being a 1–0 league loss against Željezničar the day earlier.

Career statistics

International goals

No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
112 August 1998Koševo Stadium, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina1–01–0UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying
214 October 1998Žalgiris Stadium, Vilnius, Lithuania2–22–4UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying
39 October 1999Kadriorg Stadium, Tallinn, Estonia1–14–1UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying
49 October 1999Kadriorg Stadium, Tallinn, Estonia2–14–1UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying
59 October 1999Kadriorg Stadium, Tallinn, Estonia3–14–1UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying
69 October 1999Kadriorg Stadium, Tallinn, Estonia4–14–1UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying
72 September 2000Koševo Stadium, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina1–11–22002 FIFA World Cup qualification
815 August 2001Koševo Stadium, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina1–02–0Friendly
915 August 2001Koševo Stadium, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina2–02–0Friendly
107 October 2001Koševo Stadium, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina2–05–02002 FIFA World Cup qualification
117 October 2001Koševo Stadium, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina4–05–02002 FIFA World Cup qualification
1211 October 2002Koševo Stadium, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina1–01–1Friendly
1312 February 2003Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales1–02–2Friendly
142 April 2003Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark2–02–0UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying

Honours

Player

Real Madrid
Fenerbahçe
Individual
  • Bosnian Footballer of the Year: 1998, 1999
  • Turkish Footballer of the Year: 1998