Northern Ireland v Bosnia

Words Liam Blackburn

The 49-year-old will be seeking revenge in the UEFA Nations League after O’Neill’s side claimed victories over Azerbaijan in both Belfast and Baku. Northern Ireland recorded a 4-0 success over Prosinecki’s side at the National Stadium at Windsor Park in November 2016, yet the Azeris were vastly improved seven months on when a late Stuart Dallas goal clinched one of the most crucial victories of the campaign. The future of Prosinecki, who had been at the helm of Azerbaijan since 2014, was uncertain after that game and his next step would be to take another international job with a Bosnia and Herzegovina side that had failed to qualify for the World Cup in Russia. Prosinecki represented both the old Yugoslavia and Croatia as a player and is still remembered as one of the most technically gifted to emerge from the Balkans region. After helping Red Star Belgrade win the European Cup in 1991, Prosinecki moved to Real Madrid and played for Barcelona before spending a year at Portsmouth later in his career. Though hampered by injuries, he is still fondly remembered at Fratton Park, where he once scored a brilliant hat-trick against Barnsley. And while his recent memories of Belfast are not happy ones, Prosinecki has scored an international goal in the city having sealed Yugoslavia’s 2-0 victory over Northern Ireland in 1990. BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA THE COACH Former Real Madrid and Barcelona midfielder Robert Prosinecki is no stranger to Michael O’Neill and this Northern Ireland team having been in charge of Azerbaijan during the World Cup 2018 qualifiers.

His coaching career began on Croatia’s staff and he took his first managerial role in 2010 with old club Red Star in Belgrade. It was an emotional return and though he won the Serbian Cup, Prosinecki stepped down less than two years after arriving. A short spell with Kayserispor followed before Prosinecki succeeded Berti Vogts and became Azerbaijan’s boss. They finished fifth in the World Cup 2018 qualifiers but Prosinecki will hope he can take a more talented Bosnia and Herzegovina side to Euro 2020. » » Won the European Cup with Red Star Belgrade in 1991, scoring a penalty in the shoot-out when they beat Marseille in the final » » One of the few to have played for both Real Madrid and Barcelona. He also played for Sevilla in Spain and had a campaign in England with Portsmouth. » » Won 15 caps for Yugoslavia and 49 with Croatia and became the only player to have scored in two World Cups for two different nations having found the net in 1990 and 1998. » » Was a member of Croatia’s coaching staff between 2006 and 2010 when Slaven Bilic was in charge.

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