Haris Medunjanin

Haris Medunjanin
Medunjanin with Gaziantepspor in 2012
Personal information
Date of birth	(1985-03-08) 8 March 1985 (age 29)
Place of birth	Sarajevo, SFR Yugoslavia
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Gaziantepspor
Number	4
Youth career
	Swift Atletiek
	AFC'34
	AZ
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2004–2008	AZ	25	(4)
2006–2007	→ Sparta Rotterdam (loan)	32	(7)
2008–2010	Valladolid	42	(6)
2010–2013	Maccabi Tel Aviv	46	(9)
2012–2013	→ Gaziantepspor (loan)	30	(4)
2013–	Gaziantepspor	32	(2)
National team‡
2005–2008	Netherlands U21	4	(3)
2009–	Bosnia and Herzegovina	36	(5)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 18 May 2014. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 16 June 2014

Haris Medunjanin (born 8 March 1985) is a Bosnian professional footballer who plays for Gaziantepspor in Turkey, mainly as a central midfielder.

He has dual citizenship, Bosnian and Dutch.

Early years

Medunjanin was born in Sarajevo, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Due to the Bosnian War in 1992, he moved to the Netherlands at the age of seven with his mother and sister, whilst his father was unable to leave, later losing his life.^[1][2]

Club career

Medunjanin made his Eredivisie debut on 20 February 2005 with AZ Alkmaar, but opportunities were scarce during his three-year spell at the club. For the 2006–07 season he was loaned to Sparta Rotterdam, being essential as the modest side finished 13th by scoring seven league goals.

After another unassuming campaign with AZ, Medunjanin was acquired by Spain's Real Valladolid in August 2008,^[3] being relatively used in his first year (mainly from the bench).^[4]

In June 2010, after Valladolid's relegation – during the season, he netted all of his five La Liga goals as a late substitute^[5][6]– Medunjanin signed a four-year contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C. of Israel for €1.8 million.^[7] On 15 July he made his official debut for his new team, in a UEFA Europa League second qualifying round against FK Mogren, and scored in a 2–0 home win.^[8]

On 31 August 2012 Medunjanin signed with Gaziantepspor in the Süper Lig, on loan from Maccabi.^[9][10]

International career

Medunjanin was part of the Dutch under-21 team that won the 2006 edition of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship. In 2007 he was called by coach Foppe de Haan to be part of his squad for the 2007 tournament, held in the Netherlands; the Dutch went on to retain their title by beating Serbia 4–1 in the final, and in the process qualify for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

In a 2009 interview, Medunjanin expressed strong desire to play for his native Bosnia, as new FIFA rules would allow.^[11] In August of the same year, his paperwork for change of footballing citizenship was submitted to FIFA and, on 31 October 2009, national coach Miroslav Blažević invited the player for the 2010 FIFA World Cup playoff games against Portugal.^[1] He made his debut – as a starter – in the decisive second leg, a 0–1 loss in Zenica (0–2 aggregate).

On 2 September 2011 Medunjanin scored his third international goal, against Belarus in a 2–0 away win,^[12] and added another the following month against Luxembourg (5–0, home),^[13] helping his native country to the second place in its group in the Euro 2012 qualifying campaign and the subsequent playoffs. In June 2013 he scored the fourth of five goals away against Latvia, who had played much of the game with ten men, "firing left-footed into the top corner from 30 yards (27 m)" to help maintain Bosnia's position at the top of their World Cup qualifying group.^[14]

Medunjanin made his debut in the World Cup on 16 June 2014, playing the last 16 minutes of a 1–2 group stage loss against Argentina.^[15]

International goals

Club statistics

As of 12 May 2012^[16]

References

External links

• Stats at Voetbal International (Dutch)
• BDFutbol profile
• Haris Medunjanin at National-Football-Teams.com
• Haris Medunjanin – FIFA competition record