Izet Hajrović


Izet Hajrović is a Bosnian professional footballer who plays as a winger for 1. HNL club Dinamo Zagreb and the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team.
Hajrović started his professional career at Grasshopper, before joining Galatasaray in 2014. Later that year, he moved to Werder Bremen, who loaned him to Eibar in 2015. Three years later, he signed with Dinamo Zagreb.
A former Swiss youth international, Hajrović even made his senior international debut for Switzerland, only to switch his allegiance to Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2013, earning over 20 caps since. He represented the nation at their first major tournament, the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Club career

Early career

Hajrović started playing football at local clubs, FC Birr and FC Windisch, before joining Grasshopper's youth academy in 2000. He made his professional debut against Luzern on 3 October 2009 at the age of 18. On 19 September 2010, he scored his first professional goals, a brace, in a Swiss Cup game.
On 17 September 2011, also in a cup game, he scored his first professional hat-trick.

Galatasaray

On 7 January 2014, Hajrović was transferred to Turkish club Galatasaray for a fee of €3.5 million. He made his competitive debut for the club against Bursaspor on 2 February. He scored his first goal for Galatasaray in a cup win over Tokatspor. Three weeks later, Hajrović debuted in UEFA Champions League against Chelsea. Hajrović won his first trophy with the club on 7 May, by beating Eskişehirspor in Turkish Cup final.
After filing a complaint to FIFA that he received no payments from Galatasaray, he was given the right to move on free transfer elsewhere.

Werder Bremen

On 10 July 2014, Hajrović signed a four-year contract with German team Werder Bremen. On his competitive debut for the team, he opened the scoring against FV Illertissen in DFB-Pokal game. He made his league debut a week later against Hertha BSC. He scored his first league goal on 26 April 2015 against Paderborn 07.
On 31 August 2015, Hajrović was sent on a season-long loan to Spanish outfit Eibar.
Upon returning from loan spell, Hajrović managed to secure first-team spot at Werder Bremen once again. However, on 3 December 2016, he suffered a severe knee injury, which was diagnosed as anterior cruciate ligament tear and ruled him out for the remainder of season.
Hajrović returned to the pitch on 16 September 2017, over nine months after the injury.

Dinamo Zagreb

On 31 January 2018, Hajrović joined Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb on a contract until June 2019. He made his official debut in a comfortable away victory over Osijek on 10 February. On 4 April, he scored his first goal for Dinamo Zagreb, in a cup tie against Rijeka. Hajrović won his first trophy with the club on 13 May, when they were crowned league champions.
On 2 February 2019, Hajrović scored a brace against Rudeš, which were his first league goals for the team.
In July 2019, he extended his deal until June 2021.

International career

After representing Switzerland at youth levels, Hajrović made his senior international debut on 14 November 2012, in a friendly match against Tunisia. However, in June 2013, he decided that in the future he would play for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In August 2013, Hajrović's request to change his sport citizenship from Swiss to Bosnian was approved by FIFA. Later that month, he received his first senior call-up, for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Slovakia, home and away. He debuted in the home game on 6 September, which ended in an unexpected loss. Just four days later, in the away game, Hajrović scored his first goal for Bosnia and Herzegovina, coming on from the bench in the 77th minute of the game. His very first contact with the ball after just a few seconds on the pitch resulted in a goal from long range, which brought Bosnia a crucial victory.
In June 2014, Hajrović was named in Bosnia and Herzegovina's squad for 2014 FIFA World Cup, country's first major competition. He made his competition debut in the opening group match on 15 June, which ended in narrow loss to Argentina at the Maracanã Stadium.

Personal life

Hajrović's younger brother Sead is also a professional footballer. They played together in Grasshopper, before Sead joined Arsenal in July 2009.
His parents are Bosniaks from Bijelo Polje, Montenegro, but they relocated to Sarajevo in 1980, after which they moved to Switzerland in 1987.
Hajrović married his long-time girlfriend Lejla in May 2014.
He is a practicing Muslim; along with international teammates Ibrahim Šehić, Muhamed Bešić, Armin Hodžić, Sead Kolašinac, Edin Višća and Ervin Zukanović he visited a mosque in Zenica during national team concentration.

Career statistics

Club

International

International goals

GoalDateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.10 September 2013Štadión pod Dubňom, Žilina, Slovakia
2–1
2–1
2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
2.3 June 2014Soldier Field, Chicago, United States
1–0
1–0
Friendly
3.31 March 2015Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria
1–1
1–1
Friendly
4.10 October 2017A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn, Estonia
1–0
2–1
2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
5.10 October 2017A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn, Estonia
2–1
2–1
2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
6.12 October 2019Bilino Polje, Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina
1–0
4–1
UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying

Honours

Grasshopper
Galatasaray
Dinamo Zagreb