 Bolić in 2002 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1971-10-10)10 October 1971 (age 54) | ||
| Place of birth | Zenica,SFR Yugoslavia | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position | Striker | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1988–1991 | Čelik Zenica | 48 | (22) |
| 1992 | Red Star Belgrade | 11 | (2) |
| 1992 | Galatasaray | 8 | (2) |
| 1993–1995 | Gaziantepspor | 73 | (43) |
| 1995–2000 | Fenerbahçe | 145 | (74) |
| 2000–2003 | Rayo Vallecano | 98 | (22) |
| 2003–2004 | İstanbulspor | 28 | (11) |
| 2004 | Gençlerbirliği | 16 | (2) |
| 2005 | Malatyaspor | 11 | (1) |
| 2005–2006 | İstanbulspor | 17 | (7) |
| 2006 | Rijeka | 6 | (4) |
| Total | 450 | (190) | |
| International career | |||
| 1996–2006 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 51 | (22) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2008 | Bosnia and Herzegovina (assistant) | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Elvir Bolić (Bosnian pronunciation:[bǒːlitɕ]; born 10 October 1971) is a Bosnian former professionalfootballer who played as astriker.
He spent most of his 18-year professional career in Turkey, appearing for seven clubs includingGalatasaray andFenerbahçe. He also played three years in Spain, withRayo Vallecano.
Bolić representedBosnia and Herzegovina during one full decade.[1]
Born inZenica,SR Bosnia and Herzegovina,SFR Yugoslavia, Bolić started playing with localNK Čelik, being one of the players in the club that would later represent the independentBosnian national team, includingSenad Brkić,Mirsad Hibić andNermin Šabić.
In December 1991, Bolić was acquired byYugoslav powerhouseRed Star Belgrade—European Cupdefending champions—after impressing club management, general-secretaryVladimir Cvetković and technical directorDragan Džajić. He scored two goals in 11 games in theYugoslav First League inhis only season.[2][3] In May 2024, he expressed extreme regret for the events that happened and which made him not stay longer in Red Star in that glorious period of the club.[4]
While at theYugoslav national side's training camp in France, in June of the following year, 21-year-old Bolić received bad news from his family about the deteriorating situation in Bosnia and the start ofthe military conflict. He informed the club's directors that he would not be coming back toBelgrade, and he left to Turkey to meet with his agent; Red Star respected his wish, and he subsequently signed withGalatasaray SK.[5]
Bolić moved to Turkey in the summer of 1992, and remained in the nation and itsSüper Lig for the following eight years. He started with Galatasaray, going on to representGaziantepspor andFenerbahçe SK,winning the national championship in his first season with the latter team and also reaching the final of theTurkish Cup.
On 30 October 1996, Bolić brokeManchester United's 40-year unbeaten home record playing for Fenerbahçe inEurope when he scored the game's only goal atOld Trafford inthe season'sUEFA Champions League group stage,[6] where he also netted againstSK Rapid Wien (1–1 away draw).
Bolić started the 2000s in Spain withRayo Vallecano, spending three seasons inLa Liga with the club and at times forming part of a forward line with another Bosnian and a Basque who all had similar names: 'Baljić, Bolić andBolo'.[7] Inhis first year he scored eight in 32 matches, adding seven inthe campaign'sUEFA Cup to help theMadrid outskirts side reach the quarterfinals, even though four of those came in a 10–0 away routing of amateursConstel·lació Esportiva.[8]
In 2003, Bolić returned to Turkey for another lengthy spell, joiningIstanbulspor in late July.[9] At the end ofthe season he left forGençlerbirliği SK,[10] finishing his second stint in the country withMalatyaspor and İstanbulspor.
Bolić started2006–07 in Croatia withNK Rijeka, but left in September 2006, retiring shortly after at the age of 35.
Bolić earned 51caps forBosnia and Herzegovina, scoring 22 goals.[11] He made his debut in 1996 againstGreece[12] and, at the time of his retirement, ranked third in international goals for his country, only trailingEdin Džeko andZvjezdan Misimović.[1]
On 8 September 2004, Bolić netted the equalizer in a 1–1 home draw withSpain for the2006 FIFA World Cupqualifiers.[13] His final international was a September 2006European Championship qualification match againstHungary.[14]
He later briefly worked as assistant coach to the national team, being part ofMeho Kodro's coaching staff and leaving his post on 17 May 2008.[15]
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 November 1996 | Asim Ferhatović Hase,Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina |  Italy | 2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 2 | 10 November 1996 | Bežigrad,Ljubljana, Slovenia |  Slovenia | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1998 World Cup qualification |
| 3 | 5 November 1997 | El Menzah,Tunis, Tunisia |  Tunisia | 1–2 | 1–2 | Friendly |
| 4 | 20 August 1997 | Asim Ferhatović Hase, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina |  Denmark | 2–0 | 3–0 | 1998 World Cup qualification |
| 5 | 3–0 | |||||
| 6 | 10 September 1997 | Asim Ferhatović Hase, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina | Slovenia | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1998 World Cup qualification |
| 7 | 5 June 1999 | Asim Ferhatović Hase, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina |  Lithuania | 2–0 | 2–0 | Euro 2000 qualifying |
| 8 | 9 June 1999 | Svangaskarð,Toftir, Faroe Islands |  Faroe Islands | 1–0 | 2–2 | Euro 2000 qualifying |
| 9 | 2–2 | |||||
| 10 | 4 September 1999 | Asim Ferhatović Hase, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina |  Scotland | 1–1 | 1–2 | Euro 2000 qualifying |
| 11 | 16 August 2000 | Asim Ferhatović Hase, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina |  Turkey | 1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 12 | 27 March 2002 | Grbavica, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina |  Macedonia | 1–0 | 4–4 | Friendly |
| 13 | 4–2 | |||||
| 14 | 29 March 2003 | Bilino Polje,Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina |  Luxembourg | 1–0 | 2–0 | Euro 2004 qualifying |
| 15 | 11 October 2003 | Asim Ferhatovic Hase, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina | Denmark | 1–1 | 1–1 | Euro 2004 qualifying |
| 16 | 31 March 2004 | ?,Luxembourg, Luxembourg | Luxembourg | 2–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 17 | 8 September 2004 | Bilino Polje, Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina |  Spain | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2006 World Cup qualification |
| 18 | 2 February 2005 | ?,Teheran, Iran |  Iran | 1–0 | 1–2 | Friendly |
| 19 | 30 March 2005 | Asim Ferhatović Hase, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina | Lithuania | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2006 World Cup qualification |
| 20 | 8 October 2005 | Bilino Polje, Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina |  San Marino | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2006 World Cup qualification |
| 21 | 2–0 | |||||
| 22 | 3–0 |
Galatasaray
Fenerbahçe
