It is said to have been a difficult week for football romantics, not just from the Dortmund area. For German groundhoppers it ended with a comforting, conciliatory experience. They are actually used to faceless functional arenas like Düsseldorf and Amsterdam, where the last international matches took place in September.
The current away trip took them to one of the smallest and most extraordinary stadiums in top European football. The Bilino Polje (in German: herb field) was created in the early seventies, and nothing much has changed since then. It breathes nostalgia. It is in Zenica because Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, does not have a stadium suitable for UEFA.
The size of 13,600 seats in Zenica alone – in the German regional league there are some arenas that can accommodate more people. The rickety camera stands behind the goal are adorned with rust that could have already set in during the Yugoslav era. The VIP area differs from the wooden class in terms of comfort only in that a holder is attached to each seat in which a plastic bottle of water is placed.
The German team has been delighting large stadiums again this year, and they can also do it in small formats. Thanks to two goals from Deniz Undav, they won the last first round game of the Nations League 2-1 in Zenica and continued their successful streak. It is the eighth win in the twelfth game this year, with only one defeat. If they beat the Netherlands on Monday, they would practically be winners of the group after four out of six matchdays.
Hot sausages in a dressing gown for 1.40 marks
But the star of the evening is the stadium. The charm always comes from the surroundings. The Bilino Polje is in the city. Behind the standing stands, residents walk their dogs. In the house in front of the main entrance you will find a driving school and a dentist offers his services.
A bakery opposite the main stand sells hot sausages in a dressing gown for 1.40 marks, and the local currency also serves nostalgia for many guests. In euros that’s 75 cents. The national dish is grilled on the opposite side. There is steam and smoke coming out of the chimney; no ultra smoke pot can keep up with that. Ćevapčići is not a crime!
The Bosnia Mosque is in the immediate vicinity. Her minaret With the old floodlight masts that protrude far above the stands, forms the skyline of the Islamic town. A good two hours before kick-off, the muezzin calls for Friday prayers. Young Muslims follow him, many wrapped in the blue and yellow national flag with the EU stars, because afterwards it’s football.
Inside there is a relaxed atmosphere. When the lawn sprinkler accidentally (accidentally?) wets the cameramen and they have to cover their expensive technical equipment, the crowd cheers. The Bosnian fans on the standing block shout Antonio Rüdiger towards yourself. He fulfills their wish and gives a follower his warm-up jumper. The bystanders applaud.
A flash of inspiration breaks through the harmlessness
The tension rises during the anthems. The Bosnian-Herzegovinian one gets the crowd excited. During the German one, a local man gives a Hitler salute. It’s meant ironically, as an ape. In Zenica, hearts beat for Palestine anyway, as can be seen from individual flags and heard in chants.
The game is balanced for a long time. The Germans control the midfield, but nothing more, until a flash of inspiration breaks through the harmlessness. Robert Andrich lobs up into the penalty area Florian Wirtz. He chooses the more difficult, but intuitively correct path. Instead of shooting, he turns away from the goalie and puts it directly and precisely back to Undav.
Wirtz made a few bad passes in this game, but his assist to make it 0-1 is the moment of the evening. The home fans express their appreciation through shocked silence. The people on the window sills of the prefabricated buildings that frame the stadium also seem impressed.
The opening goal loosens up the game. Germany scores again immediately, through Tim Kleindienst, but it is offside. In return, Stuttgart’s Ermedin Demirović loses a little too much speed and power on a counterattack and his shot thunders onto the crossbar.
Shortly afterwards, Maximilian Mittelstädt hits a pass inside. Undav slides in. 0:2. Undav hardly took part in the game until then. The fact that he still scores two goals will be interpreted as cleverness. But his cheering seems to betray a touch of embarrassment.
The moment of the Bosnian folk hero
After the break, Undav scored a third goal, but again it was offside, like another one from Serge Gnabry. Germany, who started without some of their regular players, let the ball circulate under the guidance of Pascal Groß and Joshua Kimmich. The game comes down to a routine victory.
Then comes the moment of the Bosnian folk hero. Edin Džeko was once German champion with Wolfsburg and was no longer very young then; he later won the Premier League with ManCity. You hear his name all evening long, the kids on the balconies shouting it, the people in the stands.
Even before a corner in the 70th minute. The DFB team mostly covers the near post, but the ball flies over the crowd, including Rüdiger. Džeko, on the other hand, is correct. Alexander Nübel just falls, but doesn’t jump into the corner, and the score is 1:2. Screams of happiness.
Suddenly there is tension, Bosnia and Herzegovina hopes again. The smallest country in Group A has just over three million inhabitants Nations League. It is a poor, war-torn country, rich only in graves. However, it still produces good footballers, for example for the Bundesliga. One person who is still very fond of in Hamburg is the coach: Sergej Barbarez. He now pushes his team forward, brings in another striker, but they lack the strength to equalize.
After the end there is applause for both sides and only happy faces. The Bosnians weren’t far away from a draw against another great football nation. The Germans celebrate an away win. None of them will likely forget their visit to Bilino Polje in their lives. You can succumb to his charm.
It is said to have been a difficult week for football romantics, not just from the Dortmund area. For German groundhoppers it ended with a comforting, conciliatory experience. They are actually used to faceless functional arenas like Düsseldorf and Amsterdam, where the last international matches took place in September.
The current away trip took them to one of the smallest and most extraordinary stadiums in top European football. The Bilino Polje (in German: herb field) was created in the early seventies, and nothing much has changed since then. It breathes nostalgia. It is in Zenica because Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, does not have a stadium suitable for UEFA.
