Muhamed Konjić

Muhamed Konjić ([muxǎmed kǒːɲitɕ]; born 14 May 1970) is a Bosnian retired professional footballer who played as a centre-back, most notably for Monaco, Coventry City and the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team who he also captained.

A solid defender, he played for many clubs around Europe including FC Zürich, AS Monaco, Coventry City and Derby County.

Konjić played in Jean Tigana's talented Monaco side which famously put Mancgester United out of the Champions League in 1998 on away goals after a 1–1 draw at Old Trafford.

Early in 1999, the 6 ft 3 in defender was recruited by Gordon Strachan, manager of English Premiership side Coventry City for a fee of around £2 million. Injuries prevented fans from getting a real glimpse of the player though, as he made just 19 appearances before the club's relegation at the end of the 2000–01 season.

In the next three seasons, all of which were spent in the Championship. 'Big Mo' (as he was nicknamed by Sky Blues fans) made 138 appearances, and scored four goals. During this period, Konjić had captained the club and became a fan favourite. He was renowned both for his fully committed style of play and also his willingness to bring the ball forward if the midfield and attack were not having any impact.

He was sold at the end of the 2003–04 season to Derby County by then Sky Blues manager Peter Reid. In the 2004–05 season, he made 18 appearances in George Burley's Derby side which reached the Football League Championship play-offs. Injuries have continued to hamper his progress, and he has made just one appearance for Derby in the 2005–06 season as a result. He was released at the end of the season and subsequently retired from playing.

Konjić was an influential player in the Bosnian-Herzegovinian squad, for whom he was capped 38 times. He was the captain in the first match played by Bosnia and Herzegovina on 30 November 1995. This match, a 2–0 defeat to Albania, famously came just nine days after the Dayton Peace Agreement brought an end to the Bosnian conflict.

Konjić spent the first eight months of the Bosnian War in his country's army. After his military discharge he trained in the streets, often during artillery raids when everybody else was covering in bomb shelters or cellars.

Player

Individual

Awards

• Coventry City F.C. Player of the Year: 2003