Sead Kolasinac #5

Profile

Nicknamed “The Tank”, Kolasinac built his reputation on aggression, loyalty and old-school toughness. Born in Karlsruhe to Bosnian parents who fled the war, he worked as a nightclub bouncer as a teenager while coming through Schalke’s academy. At Schalke he became a cult figure because of his uncompromising style and connection with supporters, before later generating global news after confronting armed thieves during an attempted robbery involving his Arsenal teammate Mesut Özil in London in 2019. One of only two players in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s squad with previous World Cup experience, Kolasinac is also remembered for the unfortunate own goal he scored after just three minutes against Argentina at the Maracanã in the country’s first-ever match at the tournament in 2014.

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