- Muhamed Konjić
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Muhamed Konjić Personal information Full name Muhamed Konjić Date of birth 14 May 1970 Place of birth Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina Height 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) Playing position Sweeper, Defender Senior career* Years Team Apps† (Gls)† 1989–1992 FK Sloboda Tuzla 21 (0) 1992–1993 NK Belišće 19 (0) 1993–1996 NK Zagreb 63 (5) 1996–1997 FC Zurich 36 (5) 1997–1999 AS Monaco 37 (2) 1999–2004 Coventry City 138 (4) 2004–2006 Derby County 16 (0) Total 330 (16) National team 1995–2006 Bosnia-Herzegovina 39 (2) * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).Muhamed Konjić (born 14 May 1970 in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina) is a Bosnian former football player.
Contents
Playing career
International
Konjić was an influential player in the Bosnian squad, for which he has been capped 38 times. He was the captain in the first match played by Bosnia-Herzegovina on the 30 November 1995. This match, an immaterial 2–0 defeat to Albania famously came just nine days after the Dayton Peace Agreement brought an end to the Bosnian conflict.
Club
He was a solid defender who has played in many places around Europe in his career. The clubs he played for include FK Sloboda Tuzla, NK Belišće, NK Zagreb, FC Zurich, AS Monaco, Coventry City and Derby County.
Konjić played in Jean Tigana's talented Monaco side which famously dumped Manchester United out of the Champions League in 1998 on away goals after a 1–1 draw at Old Trafford.
Early in 1999 the 6 ft 3 in defender was recruited by Gordon Strachan, manager of English Premiership side Coventry City for a fee of around £2million. Injuries prevented fans from getting a real glimpse of the player though, as he made just 19 appearances before the club's relegation at the end of the 2000–01 season.
In the next three seasons, all of which were spent in the Championship. 'Big Mo' (as he was nicknamed by Sky Blues fans) made 136 appearances, and scored five goals. During this period he became a fans' favourite and was renowned both for his fully committed style of play and also his willingness to bring the ball forward if the midfield and attack were not having any impact.
He was sold at the end of the 2003–04 season to Championship rivals Derby County by then Sky Blues manager Peter Reid. In the 2004–05 season he made 18 appearances in George Burley's Derby side which reached the Football League Championship play-offs. Injuries have continued to hamper his progress, and he has made just one appearance for Derby in the 2005–06 season as a result. He was released at the end of the season and subsequently retired from playing.[1]
Trivia
- Konjić spent the first eight months of the Bosnian war in his country's army. After his military discharge he trained in the streets, often during artillery raids when everybody else was covering in bomb shelters or cellars.[2]
References
- ^ "Mo goes". Derby County F.C.. 18 April 2006. http://www.dcfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10270~817652,00.html. Retrieved 4 January 2009.
- ^ [1] The Sunday Herald
External links
- Muhammed Konjic career stats at Soccerbase
- http://www.national-football-teams.com/v2/player.php?id=926
- http://premiermemories.terapad.com/index.cfm?fa=contentNews.newsDetails&newsID=71230&from=list&directoryId=24917 Footballs Hardest Man
Awards and achievements Preceded by
Gary McAllisterCoventry City Player of the Year
2002-2003Succeeded by
Stephen WarnockCategories:- 1970 births
- Living people
- People from Tuzla
- Association football sweepers
- Expatriate footballers in Croatia
- Expatriate footballers in Switzerland
- Expatriate footballers in England
- Expatriate footballers in France
- Expatriate footballers in Monaco
- Bosnia and Herzegovina footballers
- Bosnia and Herzegovina international footballers
- Bosnia and Herzegovina expatriate footballers
- Premier League players
- The Football League players
- Prva HNL players
- Swiss Super League players
- Ligue 1 players
- FK Sloboda Tuzla players
- NK Belišće players
- NK Zagreb players
- FC Zürich players
- AS Monaco FC players
- Coventry City F.C. players
- Derby County F.C. players
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