1. Overview
Mensur Mujdža (Mensur Mujdžaměnsur mǔjdʒaBosnian; born 28 March 1984) is a Bosnian professional football manager and former player. He began his professional playing career at NK Zagreb, his hometown club, making his debut in 2003. In 2009, he moved to SC Freiburg in Germany, where he spent seven significant years, notably winning the 2. Bundesliga title in the 2015-16 season. After a brief spell with 1. FC Kaiserslautern, Mujdža announced his retirement from professional football in 2017. Internationally, he initially represented Croatia at various youth levels before switching allegiance to Bosnia and Herzegovina for his senior career. He earned 37 caps for Bosnia and Herzegovina and was a key member of their squad at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the nation's first major tournament appearance. Following his playing retirement, Mujdža transitioned into football management and currently serves as an assistant manager for Croatian Football League club Gorica.
2. Early life and background
Mensur Mujdža was born on 28 March 1984 in Zagreb, which was then part of Yugoslavia. He entered the youth setup of his hometown club, NK Zagreb, in 1994, starting his football journey at an early age. He has an older brother, Jasmin Mujdža, who also pursued a career as a professional footballer. Jasmin Mujdža notably played for Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma and later served as a physical coach for FC Seoul starting in 2016. Mensur Mujdža's Bosnian roots trace back to Doboj.
3. Playing career
Mensur Mujdža's professional playing career spanned over a decade, primarily in Croatia and Germany, marked by a significant period with SC Freiburg where he achieved a league title before his retirement and transition into management.
3.1. Early career
Mensur Mujdža developed through the youth academy of NK Zagreb, a club located in his hometown, joining their ranks in 1994. He made his professional debut for the club in 2003, at the age of 19. He continued to play for NK Zagreb for several years, becoming a regular fixture in their squad. During his time with the club, he made a total of 142 league appearances, scoring 5 goals. His overall contributions to NK Zagreb included 163 appearances and 6 goals across all competitions until his departure in 2009.
3.2. SC Freiburg
In June 2009, Mujdža transferred to the German club SC Freiburg for an undisclosed fee. He made his official debut for the team on 22 August 2009, in a match against Bayer 04 Leverkusen. His consistent performance led to a contract extension in January 2011, securing his stay with the club until June 2016. On 28 April 2012, Mujdža scored his first goal for SC Freiburg in a victory over 1. FC Köln. He reached a significant milestone on 18 October 2014, playing his 100th game for the side against VfL Wolfsburg. In July 2015, his leadership qualities were recognized when he was appointed team captain. Mujdža played a crucial role in SC Freiburg's successful 2015-16 2. Bundesliga campaign, which culminated in them securing the 2. Bundesliga title on 30 April 2016. This achievement marked his first major trophy with the club and secured their immediate promotion back to the Bundesliga after just one season in the second division. Mujdža concluded his tenure at SC Freiburg with 118 league appearances and 1 goal, accumulating 129 appearances and 1 goal across all competitions. While playing for Freiburg, his position was primarily as a defender on the right side, specifically a right-back (RSB), though he could also play as a right midfielder (RSH).
3.3. Later career and retirement
Following his successful period with SC Freiburg, Mensur Mujdža signed with 1. FC Kaiserslautern in August 2016. Although he did not make any appearances for the club, this move marked the final stage of his professional playing career. On 14 November 2017, Mujdža officially announced his retirement from professional football.
4. International career
Mensur Mujdža had an extensive international career, initially representing Croatia at youth levels before committing to play for Bosnia and Herzegovina at the senior level, a decision influenced by his family roots.
Mujdža represented Croatia at various youth levels. He was part of the Croatia U-20 team in 2004, making one appearance. Subsequently, from 2005 to 2006, he played for the Croatia U-21 squad, earning 8 caps and scoring 2 goals. Despite his youth appearances for Croatia, Mujdža ultimately chose to represent Bosnia and Herzegovina at the senior level, owing to his Bosnian heritage. His request to change sports citizenship from Croatian to Bosnian was officially approved by FIFA in July 2010. Later that same month, he received his first call-up to the Bosnia and Herzegovina senior squad for a friendly game against Qatar. He made his senior international debut in that match on 10 August 2010. Over his senior international career, Mujdža earned 37 caps for Bosnia and Herzegovina between 2010 and 2015, playing primarily as a defender. A significant highlight of his international career came in June 2014 when he was named in Bosnia and Herzegovina's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. This tournament marked the country's first-ever appearance in a major international competition. Mujdža made his tournament debut in Bosnia and Herzegovina's opening group match against Argentina on 15 June 2014.
5. Managerial career
After concluding his playing career in 2017, Mensur Mujdža transitioned into football management. He currently holds a position as an assistant manager for Croatian Football League club Gorica.
6. Honours
SC Freiburg
- 2. Bundesliga: 2015-16
7. Career statistics
Mensur Mujdža's career statistics are detailed below, encompassing his appearances and goals for his various clubs and the national team. He weighed 170 lb (77 kg) and stood 72 in (184 cm) tall during his playing career. The "National cup" column includes appearances in the Croatian Football Cup and DFB-Pokal, while "Continental" refers to appearances in the UEFA Intertoto Cup.
7.1. Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Zagreb | 2002-03 | Croatian Football League | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 8 | 0 | |
| 2003-04 | Croatian Football League | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 0 | |
| 2004-05 | Croatian Football League | 16 | 1 | 2 | 0 | - | 18 | 1 | ||
| 2005-06 | Croatian Football League | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 18 | 0 | ||
| 2006-07 | Croatian Football League | 30 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | 33 | 0 | ||
| 2007-08 | Croatian Football League | 30 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 36 | 3 | |
| 2008-09 | Croatian Football League | 21 | 1 | 5 | 1 | - | 26 | 2 | ||
| Total | 142 | 5 | 17 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 163 | 6 | ||
| SC Freiburg | 2009-10 | Bundesliga | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 14 | 0 | |
| 2010-11 | Bundesliga | 32 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | 34 | 0 | ||
| 2011-12 | Bundesliga | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | 15 | 1 | ||
| 2012-13 | Bundesliga | 23 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | 26 | 0 | ||
| 2013-14 | Bundesliga | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2014-15 | Bundesliga | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | 12 | 0 | ||
| 2015-16 | 2. Bundesliga | 18 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | 20 | 0 | ||
| Total | 118 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 129 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 260 | 6 | 28 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 292 | 7 | ||
7.2. International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | |||
| 2010 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 7 | 0 | |
| Total | 37 | 0 | |
8. See also
- List of footballers who have played for Bosnia and Herzegovina
- List of SC Freiburg players
9. External links
- [https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/39603/Mensur_Mujdza.html Mensur Mujdža] at National-Football-Teams.com
- [https://www.fifa.com/fifa-tournaments/players-coaches/people=333649/index.html Mensur Mujdža] - FIFA competition record (archived)
- [https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/clubs/players/250005786/ Mensur Mujdža] - UEFA competition record