.jpg) Brdaric in 2016 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1975-01-23)23 January 1975 (age 50) | ||
| Place of birth | Nürtingen,West Germany | ||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| VfB Neuffen | |||
| FV Nürtingen | |||
| Stuttgarter Kickers | |||
| VfL Kirchheim/Teck | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1992–1993 | VfL Kirchheim/Teck | 12 | (4) |
| 1993–1994 | VfB Stuttgart (A) | 26 | (9) |
| 1993–1994 | VfB Stuttgart | 10 | (1) |
| 1994–1996 | Fortuna Düsseldorf | 30 | (1) |
| 1996–1999 | Fortuna Köln | 80 | (24) |
| 1999–2004 | Bayer Leverkusen | 82 | (14) |
| 2003–2004 | →Hannover 96 (loan) | 28 | (12) |
| 2004–2005 | VfL Wolfsburg | 32 | (12) |
| 2005–2008 | Hannover 96 | 42 | (15) |
| Total | 342 | (102) | |
| International career | |||
| 1993–1998 | Germany U-21 | 12 | (3) |
| 2002–2005 | Germany | 8 | (1) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2009 | 1. FC Union Solingen | ||
| 2011[1] | KFC Uerdingen U19 | ||
| 2011[2] | Dinamo Minsk (sporting director) | ||
| 2012[3] | FC Bunyodkor (sporting director) | ||
| 2013–2014 | TSG Neustrelitz | ||
| 2014–2015 | VfL Wolfsburg II | ||
| 2015–2017 | TSV Steinbach | ||
| 2017 | KF Shkëndija | ||
| 2017–2018 | Tennis Borussia Berlin | ||
| 2018–2019 | Rot-Weiß Erfurt | ||
| 2020−2022 | Vllaznia | ||
| 2022−2023 | Chennaiyin | ||
| 2023 | Al-Arabi | ||
| 2024−2025 | Vllaznia | ||
Medal record | |||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Thomas Brdarić (Croatian pronunciation:[tômazbř̩darit͡ɕ];[4] born 23 January 1975) is a German professionalfootball coach and former player who played as astriker.
Brdarić's father hails fromZagreb and his mother hails fromNovi Sad.[5]
Brdarić was born inNürtingen,Baden-Württemberg. He began his professional career withVfB Stuttgart, making his Bundesliga debut as a substitute forFritz Walter on 29 August 1993 againstBayern Munich. In only his second game, againstSG Wattenscheid 09, he scored his first goal in a 4–2 victory. He managed ten games in total in his debut season, but did not manage to keep his place in the squad as he was sold ontoFortuna Düsseldorf in the2. Bundesliga.
He spent two seasons at the Rheinland club, helping them gain promotion to the top flight and maintaining their position. However, he managed just a solitary goal in his time and was again let go, back to the 2. Bundesliga with rivalsFortuna Köln. His spell here was much more successful as he became a first-team regular and found his finishing touch, particularly in 1998–99 when he managed 13 goals in 29 appearances.[6]
This form caught the eye ofBundesliga clubBayer 04 Leverkusen and they snapped him up in summer 1999. Although he never scored regularly in his time there, he mostly managed to hold down a first team place and enjoyed playing on the biggest stage of his career. During his time with the club, he twice finished second in the league and appeared in the2002 DFB Cup final, and most prestigiously, theUEFA Champions League final that year, where they were defeated byReal Madrid after their shock run in the tournament. Brdarić played 18 games in theUEFA Champions League in total, scoring once (in a 3–1 win overJuventus in the 2002 campaign).
Brdarić's time with Leverkusen though began to wilt soon into the 2002–03 season, which even saw him playing for their amateurs in theRegionalliga North. The following season he was loaned out to fellow Bundesliga teamHannover 96 and managed 12 goals, his best tally yet at the top level.[7]
This attractedVfL Wolfsburg in July 2004, signing for him €1 million in a three-year deal. Although he matched the previous season's tally of 12, this was a much more frustrating season as he found himself often substituted or starting on the bench. These annoyances caused him to fall out with teammates and club officials. Team managerThomas Strunz labelled Brdarić an "egotist" for putting his own issues before the team.[8]
After this turbulent year, he was quickly sold ontoHannover 96, rejoining the team he had been loaned to on a permanent three-year deal. However, controversy had not fully escaped him as he irked coachPeter Neururer with an interview in which he stated: "As a striker, you have some sort of lust for scoring. That's why a 4–4 with four goals scored by yourself is more important than a win for the team".[9] This led to Brdarić being dropped and subsequently given limited playing opportunities.
This awkward situation was solved though by Neururer's sacking in August 2006, which he welcomed by unleashing criticism at his former coach, branding him "mean and dishonest" in their relationship and claiming he lacked the substance behind his front to aid the club.[10] His time at the club then was much less fractious underDieter Hecking and he managed five goals in just 11 appearances in the 2006–07 season, where he was blighted by knee problems.[11]His injured knee forced him eventually to end his career as player.
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Brdarić has also represented his country, making his international debut forGermany on 27 March 2002 against theUSA in Rostock.[12] He featured in the2004 UEFA European Championship, making a substitute appearance againstLatvia in the group stage. He was also an unused squad member in the2005 Confederations Cup. His only international goal came in a friendly win inIran on 9 October 2004.
On 24 March 2009, Brdarić was named as the new director of sport and later also as manager for1. FC Union Solingen.[13] He was fired on 17 August 2009. He was appointed manager ofTSG Neustrelitz in 2013, and led the team to the 2013–14Regionalliga Nordost title before losing in a promotion playoff againstFSV Mainz 05 II. He then took over as manager ofVfL Wolfsburg II.
In May 2017 he leftKF Shkëndija.[14]
In 2003, Brdarić recorded a CD entitled "The Wild 13".[9] The song (co-written by Coastland Records' Marco Heggen) mocks goalkeepersOliver Kahn,Jens Lehmann andFrank Rost. The title stems from Brdarić's shirt number.
During his time at Fortuna Köln, he was nicknamed 'Bambi' because of his very skinny legs.
He is married to wife Antje and has two sons,Tim and Lance.
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