Hasan Salihamidžić

Bosnian former professional footballer and former sporting director of Bayern Munich.

Hasan Salihamidžić (; born 1 January 1977), nicknamed Brazzo (, , "Little Bro"), is a Bosnian former professional footballer who last served as sporting director of Bundesliga club Bayern Munich. After starting his club career with German side Hamburger SV, he made a name for himself while playing for Bayern Munich for nine seasons with whom he won the Bundesliga title six times, DFB-Pokal title four times, the 2000–01 UEFA Champions League and the 2001 Intercontinental Cup. He also played for Italian club Juventus for four seasons. He earned 42 caps and scored six goals for the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team. He is regarded by many as one of the most successful Bosnian football players.

Quick Facts

Height: 1.75 m / 5 ft 9 in
Born: 1 January 1977
Birthplace: Jablanica, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia
Position: Wide midfielder, full-back
Total caps: 382
Total goals: 60

Lore & Background

Salihamidžić's father Ahmed and mother Šefika gave him the nickname "Braco", meaning "little brother" in Bosnian, since Hasan has an older sister, hence his current nickname "Brazzo". He finished elementary school and played for local club Turbina Jablanica. Then, Salihamidžić moved to Velež Mostar where he stayed until 1992. That year, Salihamidžić was called up to the Yugoslavia under-16 team, for a match against the CIS under-16 team in Belgrade. He moved to Hamburg, Germany in November 1992 with the assistance of Ahmed Halilhodžić. He joined the youth team of Hamburger SV, remained for three seasons, then was promoted to the senior squad. He transferred to Bayern Munich in 1998. After his playing career, he worked as a pundit for Sky Deutschland, RTL and ZDF, before re-joining Bayern Munich as sporting director in 2017. He was sacked as sporting director on 27 May 2023.

Reader's Guide

Salihamidžić was a tactically versatile player, who usually played as a right midfielder or full back. Less occasionally, he would play center or left midfielder. Being a midfielder, he was observed as having a high work rate from his up-tempo style of play. His crossing and passing on the field were considered to be his strongest traits, as they were central in creating opportunities for his teammates to score.

Did You Know?

Salihamidžić made his international debut for Bosnia and Herzegovina on 8 October 1996 against Croatia.
On 6 November 1996, he scored the team's first goal in a friendly 2–1 win over Italy.
He earned a total of 42 caps, scoring 6 goals.
His final international was an August 2006 friendly match against France.