 If what can hardly be characterized as surprising news, Bosnia-Herzegovina national team selector Blaz Sliskovic has been fired after a disappointing start to the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign. The BiH football federation also fired U-21 selector Ibrahim Zukanovic.
Sliskovic Gone Again
The firing comes less than 2 months after Sliskovic decided to quit his post following the 3-1 loss to Hungary. This decision is hardly unexpected with the way the national team started their Euro 2008 qualifiers. Following an impressive win over Malta, Bosnia was embarrassed by Hungary and Greece and only managed a tie with Moldova. Although Sliskovic deserved his fate, the fact is he should not be made the scapegoat for Bosnia’s struggles. If the leaders of the BiH football federation do not take any responsibility and keep their posts, it is guaranteed they will replace Sliskovic with another one of their puppets. Many believe Sliskovic was ignored by the federation and he was made to follow their orders concerning the selection of players. Maybe now that he no longer has ties to the federation, Sliskovic will finally speak up about their ineptitude and corruption. To ensure a clean slate for next year, the whole federation must resign, from top to bottom, and not just the coach. Although the last year has been a struggle for Sliskovic, he should be commended for his achievements with the national team.
Zukanovic Let Go
After leading the Bosnian U-21 team to the cusp of the Euro championships, Ibrahim Zukanovic was rewarded by being fired from his post. This past October, Bosnia was one goal away from qualifying for the tournament but the Czech Republic prevailed on aggregate. This firing is yet another in a long line of unexplainable decisions made by the federation. To fire a coach who was the closest ever to taking Bosnia to a major tournament for no credible reason is absolutely ridiculous. The saddest part is, the leaders of the federation have no desire to step down and the letter from the national team players has done little to change their minds. It seems more and more likely that these inept criminals will continue to lead BiH football to its demise, where they will join the ranks of San Marino and Andorra.
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