Ermin Mahmic #26

Profile

Only a few days before Sergej Barbarez announced Bosnia and Herzegovina’s World Cup squad, Ermin Mahmic was still officially an Austria youth international. Then came one more successful late-night operation from Barbarez and sporting director Emir Spahic, who convinced the Slovan Liberec midfielder to switch allegiances just in time for the tournament. What made the story even more unusual was that Mahmic had already changed direction once before. Born and raised in Austria, he briefly represented Bosnia at Under-19 level before returning to Austria’s system, only to now switch back again. “You can’t believe how happy and proud he is to be with us,” Barbarez said after Fifa approved the change. “He has the profile of a player we don’t have much, a player who will continue to develop, with the aim that Bosnia will have good players for the next 10 years.”

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