Mirko Hrgović

Mirko Hrgović
Hrgović in 2008
Personal information
Date of birth (1979-02-05) 5 February 1979 (age 45)
Place of birth Sinj, SFR Yugoslavia
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Left winger
Team information
Current team
 Bosnia and Herzegovina (assistant)
Youth career
Junak Sinj
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1997–1999 Junak Sinj
1999–2001 Hajduk Split 2 (0)
2000 → Posušje (loan)
2001 Gamba Osaka 4 (0)
2001–2003 Široki Brijeg 35 (15)
2003–2006 VfL Wolfsburg 23 (0)
2006–2008 Hajduk Split 63 (6)
2008 JEF United Chiba 7 (0)
2008–2009 Dinamo Zagreb 25 (2)
2009 Greuther Fürth 7 (0)
2010 Široki Brijeg 13 (0)
2010–2011 Kavala 23 (0)
2011–2013 RNK Split 39 (1)
2013–2015 Zadar 20 (2)
International career
2003–2009 Bosnia and Herzegovina 29 (2)
Managerial career
2017–2018 Široki Brijeg (assistant)
2018–2019 Sheriff Tiraspol (assistant)
2021–2022 Beijing Guoan (assistant)
2022–2023 Šibenik (assistant)
2024– Bosnia and Herzegovina (assistant)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Mirko Hrgović (born 5 February 1979) is a Bosnian professional football manager and former player currently working as an assistant coach for the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team.

Club career

Široki Brijeg

Hrgović has played for Posušje and Široki Brijeg in the Bosnian Premier League, Gamba Osaka and JEF United Chiba in the Japanese J1 League, VfL Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga and rivals Hajduk Split and Dinamo Zagreb in the Croatian First League among others.

Dinamo Zagreb

On 18 July 2008, Hrgović signed a three-year contract with Dinamo Zagreb. His move, albeit not directly from Hajduk Split to Dinamo, stirred quite a controversy among both Hajduk and Dinamo fans. While Hajduk fans tend to see the move as treason to their beloved club, Dinamo fans cannot forgive the physical altercation between Hrgović and a couple of them that occurred seven months earlier during the national futsal competition. Graffiti against Hrgović and death threats, including a puppet of him being hanged by the Dinamo stadium fence, were registered.[1]

Greuther Fürth

On 17 July 2009, Hrgović signed a two-year contract with 2. Bundesliga side Greuther Fürth.[2] He was released on 25 November 2009.[3][4]

Return to Široki Brijeg

After his release in November 2009 by Greuther Fürth,[5] Hrgović returned to his former club Široki Brijeg in March 2010.

International career

Born in Croatia, Hrgović decided to play for Bosnia and Herzegovina after his games went unnoticed in Croatia. He decided to take Bosnia and Herzegovina nationality while playing for Široki Brijeg. He was called up by national team head coach Blaž Slišković.

Hrgović made his debut for Bosnia and Herzegovina in a February 2003 friendly game away against Wales. He has earned a total of 29 caps, scoring 2 goals.[6]

Hrgović played regularly during Blaž Slišković's time as the national team's head coach. After Slišković's resignation in 2006, he also played under Fuad Muzurović and Meho Kodro. When Miroslav Blažević became head coach, Hrgović was dropped for several games. He would eventually be called back to represent the country in the last two games of the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign against Estonia and Spain. His final international was an October 2009 World Cup qualifying game against the latter.[7]

Managerial career

Following his retirement from active football, Hrgović became a manager.[8] He worked as an assistant at Široki Brijeg, Sheriff Tiraspol, Beijing Guoan and Šibenik.[9][10]

In May 2024, Hrgović was named as an assistant of newly appointed Bosnia and Herzegovina national team head coach Sergej Barbarez.[11]

Career statistics

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Bosnia and Herzegovina 2003 7 0
2004 4 0
2005 2 0
2006 8 1
2007 6 1
2008 1 0
2009 1 0
Total 29 2
Scores and results list Bosnia and Herzegovina's goal tally first
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 2 September 2006 Ta' Qali Stadium, Ta' Qali  Malta 2–1 5–2 UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
2. 13 October 2007 Olympic Stadium, Athens  Greece 1–1 2–3 UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying

Honours

Player

Hajduk Split

Dinamo Zagreb

References

  1. ^ "Hrgović se ne osjeća ugroženim!" (in Croatian). Archived from the original on 29 July 2008. Retrieved 31 July 2008.
  2. ^ "Hrgović i službeno u Fürthu". Bosnian. 17 July 2009. Archived from the original on 20 July 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  3. ^ "Mirko Hrgović". SpVgg Greuther Fürth.[dead link‍]
  4. ^ "SpVgg beendet Zusammenarbeit mit Hrgovic" (in German). SpVgg Greuther Fürth. 25 November 2009. Archived from the original on 12 January 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  5. ^ "Greuther Fürth raskinuo ugovor s Hrgovićem" (in Bosnian). klix.ba. 25 November 2009. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  6. ^ Mamrud, Roberto (16 July 2009). "Bosnia and Herzegovina – Record International Players". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  7. ^ "Player Database". eu-football.info. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  8. ^ "Mirko Hrgović: Nosim lijepe uspomene s Pecare, a Premijer liga danas je jača nego prije". jabuka.tv (in Croatian). 23 February 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  9. ^ "Mirko Hrgović otvorio dušu: Mrzio sam nogomet. Reprezentacija BiH? E, to je posebna priča". reprezentacija.ba (in Bosnian). 5 November 2020. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  10. ^ "Hrgović je danas u Kini: Od Slavena Bilića mnogo učim. Peking? A, kakav će biti…". reprezentacija.ba (in Bosnian). 31 May 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  11. ^ "Barbarez kompletirao stručni štab: Ukupno 11 ljudi, legende reprezentacije, a među njima i Finac". faktor.ba (in Bosnian). 16 May 2024. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
Awards
Preceded by
None
 Heart of Hajduk Award
2007 		Succeeded by