Meho Kodro

Meho Kodro
Personal information
Full name Mehmed Kodro
Date of birth (1967-01-12) 12 January 1967
Place of birth Mostar, SFR Yugoslavia
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position Striker
Youth career
1980–1985 FK Blagaj
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1985–1991 Velež Mostar 129 (48)
1991–1995 Real Sociedad 129 (73)
1995–1996 Barcelona 32 (9)
1996–2000 Tenerife 72 (18)
1999–2000 → Alavés (loan) 30 (5)
2000–2001 Maccabi Tel Aviv 6 (1)
Total 398 (154)
National team
1991–1992 Yugoslavia 2 (0)
1996–2000 Bosnia and Herzegovina 13 (3)
Teams managed
2006 Real Sociedad (assistant)
2008 Bosnia and Herzegovina
2008–2010 Real Sociedad (youth)
2010–2013 Real Sociedad B
2014–2015 FK Sarajevo

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.


Mehmed "Meho" Kodro (born 12 January 1967) is a Bosnian retired footballer who played as a striker, and a current manager.

He played most of his 16-year senior career in Spain, mostly with Real Sociedad (four seasons) and Tenerife (three), amassing La Liga totals of 263 games and 105 goals. He possessed good technical skills and was equally adept in the air.

After retiring, Kodro started a managerial career, mainly in the country where he played more.

Playing career

Club

Born in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Kodro's professional debut occurred in 1985 at the age of 18, with hometown club Velež Mostar. He appeared in only 14 Yugoslav First League games in his first two years but eventually became a starter, scoring 31 goals in his last two full seasons combined and helping his team win the 1986 edition of the Yugoslav Cup – he did not play in the final against NK Dinamo Zagreb however – and three consecutive top-three finishes.

When the Yugoslav Wars began, Kodro migrated to Spain – after scoring five goals in only five matches in the last edition of the Yugoslavian championship – where he spent the vast majority of his remaining career. He first played with Real Sociedad of San Sebastián, always netting in double digits for the Basques, including 23 in 1993–94 and a career-best 25 in the following year, finishing second in the Pichichi Trophy race to Real Madrid's Iván Zamorano.[1][2]

In the 1995 off-season, Kodro was purchased by FC Barcelona,[3] starting throughout most of the campaign but only managing nine La Liga goals for the Catalans, including two in El Clásico against Real Madrid (3–0 home win).[4] After Barça came out empty in silverware, manager Johan Cruyff – who insisted in his signing – was sacked and the player also left Camp Nou, joining CD Tenerife where he played three seasons, notably contributing with two goals from six appearances in the Canary Islands side's semi-final run in the UEFA Cup;[5] in 1998–99, for the only time in his career, he failed to find the net and his team suffered top flight relegation.

32-year-old Kodro returned to the Basque region in the 1999 summer, joining Deportivo Alavés on loan for the 1999–2000 campaign.[6] He retired from football the following year after one year in Israel with Maccabi Tel Aviv FC.

International

Kodro earned two caps for Yugoslavia, his debut coming on 4 September 1991 in a 3–4 friendly loss in Sweden. In the late 90s and 2000s he played for Bosnia and Herzegovina, appearing in six 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification games and scoring in a 2–1 away win against Slovenia.[7][8]

Managerial career

Club

In 2006, Kodro started his coaching career, being assistant to José Mari Bakero at former club Real Sociedad.[9] In the 2008 summer he was appointed manager of the youth sides, and remained in the post for two years when he was promoted to B-team duties, as they competed in Segunda División B.[10]

International

On 5 January 2008, Kodro was appointed head coach of Bosnia and Herzegovina, accepting the job after the Bosnian Football Federation met his conditions, which were to allow him to continue living in San Sebastián and to guarantee him full independence in football matters.[11] Things quickly went sour, however: he led the side in two friendlies before refusing to take charge of the team for a game against Iran scheduled for 26 May in Tehran, arranged by the federation without his knowledge; as a result, he was fired on 17 May.[12]

Statistics

International goals

Scores and results list Bosnia and Herzegovina's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 10 November 1996 Bežigrad, Ljubljana, Slovenia  Slovenia 2–0 2–1 1998 World Cup qualification
2. 10 March 1999 Üllői úti, Budapest, Hungary  Hungary 1–0 1–1 Friendly
3. 5 June 1999 Koševo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina  Lithuania 1–0 2–0 Euro 2000 qualifying

Personal life

Kodro's son, Kenan, is also a footballer and a forward. He was coached by his father at Real Sociedad B for two years.[13]

Honours

Player

Velež
Barcelona
Maccabi

References

  1. ↑ "Qué fue de... Kodro" [What happened to... Kodro] (in Spanish). Cadena SER. 13 February 2009. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  2. ↑ "Yo jugué en la Real: Meho Kodro" [I played with Real: Meho Kodro] (in Spanish). Vavel. 24 April 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  3. ↑ "Kodro – Goles por la paz" [Kodro – Goals for peace] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 24 June 1995. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
  4. ↑ "Para "Brujo"" [To the "Wizard"] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 11 February 1996. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
  5. ↑ "El día que el 'EuroTete' goleó a la Lazio" [The day 'EuroTete' routed Lazio] (in Spanish). Marca. 18 February 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  6. ↑ "El Málaga ficha a Contreras y Edgar" [Málaga sign Contreras and Edgar] (in Spanish). El País. 18 July 1999. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  7. ↑ Players Appearing for Two or More Countries Archived 3 August 2008 at the Wayback Machine.; at RSSSF
  8. ↑ Meho Kodro – FIFA competition record
  9. ↑ Real Sociedad: Cesado el entrenador José Mari Bakero (Real Sociedad: Coach José Mari Bakero fired); El Futbolín (Spanish)
  10. ↑ Kodro se hace cargo del Sanse (Kodro appointed at Sanse); Mundo Deportivo, 6 June 2010 (Spanish)
  11. ↑ Vogts add the finishing touches to Bosnia's footballing farce; The Guardian, 1 July 2008
  12. ↑ "Kodro fired as Bosnia-Herzegovina boss". UEFA.com. 17 May 2008. Retrieved 18 May 2008.
  13. ↑ "Kenan Kodro: "Espero poder aportar lo que aportó mi padre"" [Kenan Kodro: "I hope to bring to the game the same as my father"] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 13 August 2014. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
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