Enid Tahirovic joins HSV Hamburg

Martin Schwalb never forgot the European Cup game in Sarajevo in March 2007. "We had great players such as Yoon, Gille and Hens on our team but we only scored 18 goals," the coach of HSV Hamburg smiles. "Since that day I had Enid Tahirovic on my list."

And what nobody could ever have imagined that his transfer would become a reality. The 40-year-old Enid Tahirovic signed a one-year contract with HSV Hamburg. "I couldn’t refuse the offer. Even my family was not opposed to the transfer,” said the veteran.

Four years ago Enid Tahirovic was one of the best players at Frisch Auf Göppingen. In the spring he wanted to finish his career and returned to his home town Sarajevo. The World Cup qualifications against Germany were supposed to be his last game. But then he got a call from Martin Schwalb.

The HSV coach faces different problems: Johannes Bitter will miss the first part of the season due to a knee injury and Zoran Djordjic left the club. Enid Tahirovic seems to be the man the HSV was looking for. "I will support Dan Beutler. If he needs a break, then I will help out."

However Tahirovic could negotiate a later start into the season with his new coach: He was allowed to miss the first few weeks of preparation and stay on holiday with his family until early August. "I booked that trip when I was already a handball pensioner," he smiles.

Now the goalkeeper moved to Hamburg without his wife Arijana and son Ismar. They will both stay in Sarajevo. On his jersey, Enid Tahirovic put his son’s favourite number: 17.

The contract has been set up for a whole season but Tahirovic will most likely return home earlier. "Around Christmas we will see how far Johannes Bitter has come," said Enid Tahirovic, who wants to work as goalkeeping coach for the Bosnian Federation in the future.