Avdija Vršajević

Avdija Vršajević (born 6 March 1986) is a Bosnian professional footballer who plays as a right back for Turkish club Ümraniyespor.

Avdija Vršajević
Vršajević with Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2015
Personal information
Full name Avdija Vršajević[1]
Date of birth (1986-03-06) 6 March 1986
Place of birth Tešanj, SFR Yugoslavia
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)[2]
Position(s) Right back
Club information
Current team
 Ümraniyespor
Youth career
TOŠK Tešanj
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2003–2004 TOŠK Tešanj
2004–2005 Željezničar 24 (1)
2005–2007 Čelik Zenica 18 (3)
2007–2009 Sparta Prague 0 (0)
2008 → SK Kladno (loan) 11 (0)
2008 → Tatran Prešov (loan) 10 (1)
2009–2011 Tatran Prešov 60 (3)
2011–2012 Čelik Zenica 21 (3)
2012–2015 Hajduk Split 74 (4)
2015–2018 Osmanlıspor 65 (0)
2018–2021 Akhisarspor 47 (1)
2021- Ümraniyespor 0 (0)
National team‡
2005–2006 Bosnia and Herzegovina U21 13 (1)
2012–2017 Bosnia and Herzegovina 17 (2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 08:09, 19 July 2020 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 26 March 2017

Club career

Vršajević's first professional club was NK TOŠK Tešanj. Here he spent the 2003-04 season before moving to Željezničar. He spent only one season at Željezničar before Čelik Zenica acquired his services. He remained at Čelik for two seasons, often in and out of the first team.

From Čelik, Avdija moved to Czech side AC Sparta Prague but never made an appearance for them, spending loan spells initially at SK Kladno and then at 1. FC Tatran Prešov. Tatran made his loan move permanent in 2009 and he spent the following two seasons there, making 60 appearances and scoring three goals. He was played as either a right back or a right winger at Tatran.

Avdija moved back to Čelik in 2011, spending one season at the club where he made a further 21 appearances.

As he only signed a one-year contract at Čelik and chose not to renew it when the season ended, Avdija moved to Croatian side Hajduk Split, signing a three-year contract. He made his debut for Hajduk on 22 July 2012 in a 0–0 draw against Istra. Immediately becoming the club's first choice right back, Avdija made 30 appearances in all competitions in his first season at Hajduk. In the 2013–14 season, manager Igor Tudor changed his role in the team often. Throughout the season he found himself at left back, right back and right wing, once again making 30 appearances in all competitions.

In June 2015, Vršajević left Hajduk Split, after agreeing mutual termination with the club.[3]

On 18 July 2015, he signed with newly promoted Turkish side Osmanlıspor.[4]

Three years later, Vršajević signed a two-year contract with Akhisarspor.[5] He made his debut in the 2018 Turkish Super Cup against Galatasaray.[6]

International career

In 2006, Vršajević was called to Bosnia and Herzegovina under-21 side by then coach Ibrahim Zukanović.[7]

He made his Bosnia and Herzegovina debut in 2012 in a 3–0 friendly win against Slovenia under coach Safet Sušić.[8] Vršajević was named in the Bosnia and Herzegovina 23-man squad for their first World Cup participation ever in the 2014 World Cup.[9] On 25 June 2014, he scored his first goal and Bosnia's third in the 83rd minute to make it 3–1 for Bosnia and Herzegovina against Iran in the last group match, where he also made his World Cup debut.[10]

Career statistics

International
As of match played 25 March 2017[11]
National teamYearAppsGoals
Bosnia and Herzegovina
201240
201370
201441
201510
201600
201711
Total172

International goals
Scores and results list Bosnia and Herzegovina's goal tally first.[11]
GoalDateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.25 June 2014Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador, Brazil Iran
3–1
3–1
2014 FIFA World Cup
2.25 March 2017Bilino Polje Stadium, Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina Gibraltar
3–0
5–0
2018 FIFA World Cup qualification

References
  1. "2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil: List of players: Bosnia and Herzegovina" (PDF). FIFA. 14 July 2014. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 February 2020. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  2. "Avdija Vrsajevic Osmanlıspor profile". Archived from the original on 2015-11-21. Retrieved 2015-11-02.
  3. "Vršajević left Hajduk" (in Bosnian). 9 June 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
  4. "Vrsajevic signs for Osmanlıspor" (in Bosnian).
  5. "Avdija VRSAJEVIC'den 2 yıllık imza". www.akhisarspor.com (in Turkish). Akhisarspor. 4 July 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
  6. "Galatasaray vs. Akhisarspor 1-1". www.soccerway.com. Soccerway. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
  7. "Vrsajevic, the most doubted Bosnian player" (in Bosnian).
  8. "Slovenia vs Bosnia" (in Bosnian).
  9. "Bosnia-Herzegovina 2014 World Cup Squad". The Telegraph. 2 June 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  10. "Bos-Herce 3-1 Iran". BBC. 25 June 2014. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  11. "Avdija Vršajević". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmerman.
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