Amir Hadziahmetovic #16

Profile

When Amir Hadziahmetovic injured his knee during Hull City’s push for the Championship play-offs under Sergej Jakirovic, fears immediately flared that his World Cup was over. The Bosnia and Herzegovina FA publicly confirmed the injury was serious, surgery was expected and recovery in time for the tournament looked impossible. Which made his name appearing on Sergej Barbarez’s final squad list one of the biggest surprises of the announcement. Barbarez later explained that doctors believed Hadziahmetovic could still recover without surgery before the World Cup, though with significant risk for his long-term future. He chose the tournament anyway. That decision probably explains him better than any tactical description could. Calm and intelligent, if rarely spectacular, Hadziahmetovic has spent most of his career being appreciated more by coaches than by highlight compilations. Since leaving Zeljeznicar for Turkey as a teenager, he quietly developed into one of Bosnia’s most tactically disciplined midfielders.

Key stats