Said Husejinović back on track?

When Said Husejinović first emerged in the Bosnian premijer liga for FK Sloboda Tuzla, he was touted by some as the best homegrown Bosnian prospect since the end of the war. The talented Zvorničanin had plenty of pace, great technique and a good shot from long-range. In terms of physical predisposition and natural talent, he was far more hyped as a 19-year-old playing in the Bosnian domestic league than Edin Džeko or just about anyone else in recent memory. When Werder Bremen came calling, many were optimistic that he would be the first premijer liga talent to make it in a direct transfer to a big club.

Unfortunatly, Husejinović’s faults were the kinds of things that you can’t necessarily discern from a highlight reel. Lazyness, overconfidence, lack of discipline – those common personality traits that have doomed many Bosnian talents from the moment they left the country. After a frustrating half-season on loan at Kaiserslautern (only four appearances in the Zweite), he spent months in Werder not even making the bench. A rash announcement to the press that he would refuse to play for the national team while Miroslav Blažević was coach completely backfired, earning him the wrath of many Bosnian fans just as his career appeared to be heading nowhere. As recently as a month ago, most seemed to have given up on him.

But I have to say I never did. Because while a person can always grow, mature and change, the natural talent that Husejinović has simply can’t be taught. I was worried that Said might have ruined his chance to make it at a big club like Werder, but held out hope that he would pull himself together and get his career back on track. Repentant remarks after a charity friendly for east Bosnian refugees last summer gave me cause for optimism, as did the ecstatic reviews of Bremen fans who had watched him at training.

Then last week, after many months, Said finally got his chance. After sitting on the bench again in a cup tie, he found himself in the squad again in last round’s Bundesliga match against Nürnberg. In just fourteen minutes, he managed a fantastic cross and directly participated in the build-up to Aaron Hunt’s equalizer. Praise followed from the press, the fans and even general manager Klaus Allofs.

“… he was involved in all the dangerous actions. He did very well… now he just has to stabilize [his performances during training]” – Klaus Allofs

What will happen next is open to question. Said didn’t play in the Europa League this weekend because he wasn’t registered for the competition, but he does seem to have clawed back into the squad for the Bundesliga. The competition is stiff, and the coaching staff’s expectations for him in terms of discipline and work ethic are quite high. If he can put in the required effort, however, there’s no reason we can’t hope that Said’s abilities will shine through and that he can stake out a spot in Werder’s rotation. And at that point, the national team could always use another pacy winger.