As the World Cup approaches, a former professional poker player is trading the poker felt for the soccer pitch. Bosnia’s Sergej Barbarez will be managing the Bosnian squad when the team squares off against Canada on June 12.
Barbarez took an interesting route to coaching the international soccer tournament. After scoring 85 goals as a striker in the German Bundesliga, he went on to play poker professionally in 2008, according to The Sun.
The soccer coach has $143,628 in live tournament winnings, with the best of that coming in 2017 when he finished fifth in a €2,200 Omaha event at the World Series of Poker Europe for $24,385. He also took third in a World Poker Tour €1,100 Omaha side event in 2019 in Barcelona for $20,003.
From The Poker Table To The Soccer Pitch
Barbarez seems to have left poker behind for the most part in 2022 when he began getting into coaching. This marks only the second time Bosnia has qualified to appear in the World Cup. The last appearance came in 2014.
Beyond his professional club soccer playing experience, Barbarez also captained the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team. From 1998 to 2006, he played 47 games and scored 17 goals for the squad.
This year, the team begins play in Group B, which also features Canada, Switzerland, and Qatar. The 40-year-old coach helped lead Bosnia to key qualifying victories over Wales and Italy to grab a slot in the tournament. Barbarez has confidence in his team’s ability.
“I told the players to go on the pitch and enjoy themselves,” Barbarez said after the win over Italy last week. “I’ve never entered or finished a game calmer. I saw it in their eyes. I really like them. They’re guys with character. We have guys we’re proud of, we’re two years ahead of schedule. Now I’ve told them that we have to go to a tournament every two years.”
Recent Soccer-Poker Connections
Soccer and poker have been in the news quite a bit lately. In February, English soccer star Dele Alli accumulated six-figure losses at late-night poker sessions at a London casino.
Sheffield United also recently said English poker player James Bord’s consortium was the preferred buyer for the team. Bord’s biggest win came in 2010 when he won the World Series of Poker Europe main event for $1.3 million. Despite early indication he may gain control of the club, the team is now in negotiations with another group.
