Sergej Barbarez has been all over the Bosnian media for the past 40 days. Newspapers, magazines, TV shows, podcasts – he doesn’t decline any interviews. Nor does he avoid any questions. He is excited, constantly smiling, and is not hiding that he regards this as the first and perhaps the most important part of his job as the new manager of Bosnia and Herzegovina: to make the national team relevant again.
On Monday the former Bosnia forward’s side play England at St James’ Park in his first game and his position is clear. “Of course, the results are important,” he says. “But at this point, we want to use the upcoming games, like the one against England, and the whole year ahead of us, to change the perspective of the national team. We want this team to be successful and respected again, but more than that, we want it to be loved again. The national team lost its importance and appeal for players and for the fans. Playing for the national team has lost its cult status. We want players to feel proud and excited again for playing for their country. That is the first step.”
