Fredi Bobic

Fredi Bobic (Slovene: Bobič, Croatian: Bobić; born 30 October 1971) is a German football executive and former player who played as a striker. He is the sporting director of Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt.

Fredi Bobic
Bobic in 2019
Personal information
Full name Fredi Bobic
Date of birth (1971-10-30) 30 October 1971
Place of birth Maribor, SR Slovenia, SFR Yugoslavia
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Striker
Club information
Current team
 Eintracht Frankfurt (sporting director)
Youth career
1979–1980 VfR Bad Cannstatt
1980–1986 VfB Stuttgart II
1986–1990 Stuttgarter Kickers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1990–1992 TSF Ditzingen 62 (32)
1992–1994 Stuttgarter Kickers 62 (26)
1994–1999 VfB Stuttgart 148 (69)
1999–2002 Borussia Dortmund 56 (17)
2002 → Bolton Wanderers (loan) 16 (4)
2002–2003 Hannover 96 27 (14)
2003–2005 Hertha BSC 54 (8)
2006 Rijeka 8 (2)
Total 433 (172)
National team
1994–2004 Germany 37 (10)
Teams managed
2009–2010 Chernomorets Burgas (managing director)
2010–2014 VfB Stuttgart (sporting director)
2016– Eintracht Frankfurt (sporting director)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Club career

Bobic was born in Maribor, SFR Yugoslavia, to a Slovene father and a Croatian mother. A few months after his birth, his parents emigrated with him to Germany and settled down first in Ditzingen, then in Stuttgart. There, he started playing football at VfR Bad Cannstatt but soon switched to the youth team of VfB Stuttgart. While in Stuttgart, he also acquired German citizenship.

Bobic reached his prime in the mid-1990s at VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga. In his first Bundesliga season (1994–95), he scored a goal in each of his first five games, so he became a candidate for the German national team after only a few appearances in the first German league. In 1996, he was the Bundesliga's top scorer with 17 goals.[1] At Stuttgart, he formed part of a successful attacking line-up, along with strike partner Giovane Élber and attacking midfielder Krasimir Balakov, known as the "magic triangle".

After four years in Stuttgart, in 1999 he signed with Borussia Dortmund and was the club's top scorer in both 1999–2000 and 2000–01. However, after the signings of Jan Koller and Márcio Amoroso in the summer of 2001, he soon fell out of favor and played only three games in the first half of 2001–02 season.

Subsequently, Bobic was loaned to the Premier League side Bolton Wanderers, where he had a successful spell, playing a key role in keeping Bolton in the Premiership. His hat-trick in the 4–1 win against Ipswich at the Reebok Stadium[2] ensured Bolton stayed up, and remained the last Bolton hat-trick in a competitive game until Joe Mason in the 2014–15 season. He scored once more for Bolton, in a 3–2 victory over Aston Villa.[3]

After returning from England, Bobic was signed by newly promoted Bundesliga side Hannover 96 where he reestablished himself as one of the league's top scorers, netting 14 times in 27 games.

In 2003, he was signed by Hertha BSC, where he played for two seasons, scoring 8 goals in 54 games.

He last played for Croatian outfit NK Rijeka before retiring in June 2006, at the end of the 2005–06 season.

International career

Bobic won 37 caps (10 goals)[4] for the German national team and was part of the UEFA Euro 1996 winning squad. He also played at UEFA Euro 2004, having returned to the national team in 2002 after a four-year absence.

Managing career
Bobic with VfB Stuttgart

Bobic signed a contract as a managing director of Bulgarian club Chernomorets Burgas on 25 March 2009 and worked in the club with his former teammate Krasimir Balakov.

On 27 July 2010, Bobic became new director of sport of VfB Stuttgart.[5] On 20 January 2012, he extended his contract with VfB Stuttgart until June 2016.[6] He took on the role as board representative for sport of the club on 10 April 2013.[7] Bobic was sacked on 24 September 2014.

On 1 June 2016, Bobic became sporting director of Eintracht Frankfurt.[8]

Career statistics

Club
Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals
1990–91TSF DitzingenVerbandsliga Württemberg2813---2813
1991–92Oberliga Baden-Württemberg3419---3419
1992–93Stuttgarter Kickers2. Bundesliga301010--3110
1993–94321610--3316
1994–95VfB StuttgartBundesliga321232--3514
1995–96261711--2718
1996–97331952--3821
1997–9829135420864423
1998–992883031433812
1999–2000Borussia Dortmund2971021423610
2000–01241010--2510
2001–0230101170121
2001–02Bolton Wanderers (loan)Premier League16400--164
2002–03Hannover 96Bundesliga271400--2714
2003–04Hertha BSC327201120378
2004–0522120--241
2005–06NK RijekaPrva HNL8221--103
Total4331722810942511495197

International goals

Honours

Club

VfB Stuttgart

Borussia Dortmund

NK Rijeka

International

Germany

Individual

References
  1. Matthias Arnhold (17 October 2010). "Fredi Bobič - Matches and Goals in Bundesliga". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 24 January 2012.
  2. "Bolton rout Ipswich". BBC Sport. 6 April 2002. Retrieved 16 September 2009.
  3. "Nolan strike sinks Villa". BBC Sport. 30 March 2002. Retrieved 16 September 2009.
  4. Arnhold, Matthias (31 July 2007). "Fredi Bobič - Goals in International Matches". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 24 January 2012.
  5. "Fredi Bobic is director of sport". VfB Stuttgart. 27 July 2010. Archived from the original on 4 May 2012. Retrieved 27 July 2010.
  6. "Triple contract extension". VfB Stuttgart. 20 January 2012. Archived from the original on 14 December 2014. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
  7. "Management changes". VfB Stuttgart. 10 April 2013. Archived from the original on 2 July 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
  8. "Fredi Bobic wird neuer Frankfurt-Boss". Eintracht Frankfurt. 25 May 2016. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  9. "Bundesliga Historie 1995/96" (in German). kicker.
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