View source for Fredi Bobic

{{short description|German footballer}}
{{BLP sources|date=February 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Fredi Bobic
| image = Fredi Bobic Champions for Charity (cropped).jpg
| caption = Bobic in 2019
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1971|10|30|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Maribor]], [[Socialist Republic of Slovenia|SR Slovenia]],<br>[[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|SFR Yugoslavia]]
| height = 1.88 m
| position = [[Striker (association football)|Striker]]
| currentclub = [[Legia Warsaw]] (head of football operations)
| youthyears1 = 1978–1980
| youthclubs1 = VfR Bad Cannstatt
| youthyears2 = 1980–1986
| youthclubs2 = [[VfB Stuttgart II]]
| youthyears3 = 1986–1990
| youthclubs3 = [[Stuttgarter Kickers]]
| years1 = 1990–1992
| clubs1 = [[TSF Ditzingen]]
| caps1 = 62
| goals1 = 32
| years2 = 1992–1994
| clubs2 = [[Stuttgarter Kickers]]
| caps2 = 62
| goals2 = 26
| years3 = 1994–1999
| clubs3 = [[VfB Stuttgart]]
| caps3 = 148
| goals3 = 69
| years4 = 1999–2002
| clubs4 = [[Borussia Dortmund]]
| caps4 = 56
| goals4 = 17
| years5 = 2002
| clubs5 = → [[Bolton Wanderers F.C.|Bolton Wanderers]] (loan)
| caps5 = 16
| goals5 = 4
| years6 = 2002–2003
| clubs6 = [[Hannover 96]]
| caps6 = 27
| goals6 = 14
| years7 = 2003–2005
| clubs7 = [[Hertha BSC]]
| caps7 = 54
| goals7 = 8
| years8 = 2006
| clubs8 = [[NK Rijeka|Rijeka]]
| caps8 = 8
| goals8 = 2
| totalcaps = 433
| totalgoals = 172
| nationalyears1 = 1994–2004
| nationalteam1 = [[Germany national football team|Germany]]
| nationalcaps1 = 37
| nationalgoals1 = 10
| medaltemplates = {{Medal|Team|[[VfB Stuttgart]]}}
{{Medal|W|[[DFB-Pokal]]|[[1996–97 DFB-Pokal|1997]]}}
{{Medal|RU|[[DFB Liga-Pokal]]|[[1997 DFB-Ligapokal|1997]]}}
{{Medal|RU|[[UEFA Cup Winners' Cup]]|[[1997–98 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup|1998]]}}
{{Medal|RU|[[DFB Liga-Pokal]]|[[1998 DFB-Ligapokal|1998]]}}
{{Medal|Team|[[NK Rijeka]]}}
{{Medal|W|[[Croatian Football Cup|Croatian Cup]]|[[2005–06 Croatian Cup|2006]]}}
{{Medal|Team|{{fb|Germany}}}}
{{Medal|W|[[UEFA European Championship|European Championship]]|[[UEFA Euro 1996|1996]]}}
| manageryears1 = 2009–2010
| managerclubs1 = [[PSFC Chernomorets Burgas|Chernomorets Burgas]] (managing director)
| manageryears2 = 2010–2014
| managerclubs2 = [[VfB Stuttgart]] (sporting director)
| manageryears3 = 2016–2021
| managerclubs3 = [[Eintracht Frankfurt]] (sporting director)
| manageryears4 = 2021–2023
| managerclubs4 = [[Hertha BSC]] (sporting director)
| manageryears5 = 2025–
| managerclubs5 = [[Legia Warsaw]] (head of football operations)
}} 
'''Fredi Bobic''' ({{langx|sl|Fredi Bobič}}, born 30 October 1971) is a German [[Association football|football]] executive and former player who played as a [[Striker (association football)|striker]]. He is currently the head of football operations at [[Ekstraklasa]] club [[Legia Warsaw]].

==Club career==
Bobic was born in [[Maribor]], [[SFR Yugoslavia]], to a [[Slovenes|Slovene]] father and a [[Croats|Croatian]] mother. A few months after his birth, his parents emigrated with him to [[West Germany]] and settled down first in [[Ditzingen]], then in [[Stuttgart]]. There, he started playing football at VfR Bad Cannstatt but soon switched to the [[VfB Stuttgart II|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 [[Germany national football team|Germany national team]] after only a few appearances in the first German league. In 1996, he was the Bundesliga's top scorer with 17 goals.<ref>{{Cite web | url = https://www.rsssf.org/players/bobichdata.html | title = Fredi Bobič - Matches and Goals in Bundesliga | author = Matthias Arnhold | date = 17 October 2010 | access-date = 24 January 2012 | publisher = Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation}}</ref> 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 F.C.|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<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/1911163.stm |title=Bolton rout Ipswich |publisher=BBC Sport |date=6 April 2002 |access-date=16 September 2009}}</ref> ensured Bolton stayed up, and remained the last Bolton hat-trick in a competitive game until [[Joe Mason (footballer, born 1991)|Joe Mason]] in the 2014–15 season. He scored once more for Bolton, in a 3–2 victory over [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/1899909.stm |title=Nolan strike sinks Villa | publisher=BBC Sport |date=30 March 2002 |access-date=16 September 2009}}</ref> 

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 [[HNK Rijeka|NK Rijeka]] before retiring in June 2006, at the end of the 2005–06 season.

==International career==
Bobic won 37 [[Cap (sport)|caps]] (10 goals)<ref>{{Cite web | url = https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/bobic-intlg.html | title = Fredi Bobič - Goals in International Matches | first = Matthias | last = Arnhold | date = 31 July 2007 | access-date = 24 January 2012 | publisher = Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation}}</ref> for the [[Germany national football team|Germany 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.

==Managerial career==
[[file:Fredi bobic.jpg|thumb|upright|Bobic with VfB Stuttgart]]
Bobic signed a contract as a managing director of Bulgarian club [[PSFC Chernomorets Burgas|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]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://vfb.de/archiv/en/aktuell/news/2010/37539.php |title=Fredi Bobic is director of sport |publisher=[[VfB Stuttgart]] |date=27 July 2010 |access-date=27 July 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120504232758/http://www.vfb.de/archiv/en/aktuell/news/2010/37539.php |archive-date=4 May 2012 }}</ref> On 20 January 2012, he extended his contract with VfB Stuttgart until June 2016.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vfb.de/en/aktuell/meldungen/news/2011/bobic-schneider-ulreich-vertraege/page/1251-0-1-1327077523.html |title=Triple contract extension |publisher=[[VfB Stuttgart]] |date=20 January 2012 |access-date=20 January 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141214094704/http://www.vfb.de/en/aktuell/meldungen/news/2011/bobic-schneider-ulreich-vertraege/page/1251-0-1-1327077523.html |archive-date=14 December 2014 }}</ref> He took on the role as board representative for sport of the club on 10 April 2013.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vfb.de/en/aktuell/meldungen/news/2013/veraenderung-vorstand-vfb-stuttgart/page/2207-1-1-.html |title=Management changes |publisher=[[VfB Stuttgart]] |date=10 April 2013 |access-date=10 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140702160629/http://www.vfb.de/en/aktuell/meldungen/news/2013/veraenderung-vorstand-vfb-stuttgart/page/2207-1-1-.html |archive-date=2 July 2014}}</ref> Bobic was sacked on 24 September 2014. 

On 1 June 2016, Bobic became sporting director of [[Eintracht Frankfurt]]. During his term the club won the [[DFB-Pokal]] after beating [[FC Bayern Munich|Bayern Munich]] in the final (3–1).

On 14 April 2021, [[Hertha BSC]] announced its decision to hire Bobic as their new managing director for sport starting 1 July 2021.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.herthabsc.com/en/news/2021/04/fredi-bobic-announcement-2021|title=Announcement from the board |publisher=Hertha BSC|date=14 April 2021 |access-date=21 April 2021}}</ref> Bobic was sacked on 28 January 2023 after a 2–0 loss to [[1. FC Union Berlin|1. FC Union]] in the [[Berlin derby]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.herthabsc.com/de/nachrichten/2023/01/abschied-fredi-bobic-2223|title=Fredi Bobic ab sofort nicht mehr Geschäftsführer Sport | publisher=Hertha BSC (in German)|date=28 January 2023 |access-date=31 January 2023}}</ref>

In April 2025, Bobic was appointed head of operations at Polish [[Ekstraklasa|top-flight]] club [[Legia Warsaw]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ptak |first1=Jakub |title=Fredi Bobic podpisał umowę z Legią Warszawa. Został dyrektorem ds. operacji piłkarskich |url=https://sport.tvp.pl/86262787/fredi-bobic-podpisal-umowe-z-legia-warszawa-zostal-dyrektorem-ds-operacji-pilkarskich |website=sport.tvp.pl |access-date=22 April 2025 |language=pl |date=19 April 2025}}</ref>

==Career statistics==

===Club===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
|-
!rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season
!colspan="3"|League
!colspan="2"|National cup{{efn|Includes [[DFB-Pokal]], [[Croatian Football Cup|Croatian Cup]]}}
!colspan="2"|League cup{{efn|Includes [[Ligapokal]]}}
!colspan="2"|Continental
!colspan="2"|Total
|-
!Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[TSF Ditzingen]]
|1990–91
|[[Verbandsliga Württemberg]]
|28||13||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||28||13
|-
|1991–92
|[[Oberliga Baden-Württemberg]]
|34||19||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||34||19
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!62!!32!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!62!!32
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Stuttgarter Kickers]]
|[[1992–93 2. Bundesliga|1992–93]]<ref name="wf">{{cite web |title=Fredi Bobic » Club matches |url=https://www.worldfootball.net/player_summary/fredi-bobic/2/ |website=worldfootball.net |access-date=19 April 2022}}</ref>
|[[2. Bundesliga]]
|30||10||1||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||31||10
|-
|[[1993–94 2. Bundesliga|1993–94]]<ref name="wf"/>
|2. Bundesliga
|32||16||1||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||33||16
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!62!!26!!2!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!64!!26
|-
|rowspan="6"|[[VfB Stuttgart]]
|[[1994–95 Bundesliga|1994–95]]<ref name="wf"/>
|[[Bundesliga]]
|32||12||3||1||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||35||13
|-
|[[1995–96 Bundesliga|1995–96]]<ref name="wf"/>
|Bundesliga
|26||17||1||1||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||27||18
|-
|[[1996–97 Bundesliga|1996–97]]<ref name="wf"/>
|Bundesliga
|33||19||5||2||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||38||21
|-
|[[1997–98 Bundesliga|1997–98]]<ref name="wf"/>
|Bundesliga
|29||13||5||4||2||0||8{{efn|Appearances in [[UEFA Cup Winners' Cup]]}}||5||44||22
|-
|[[1998–99 Bundesliga|1998–99]]<ref name="wf"/>
|Bundesliga
|28||8||3||0||3||1||4{{efn|name=UEC|Appearance(s) in [[UEFA Europa League|UEFA Cup]]}}||3||38||12
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!148!!69!!17!!8!!5!!1!!12!!8!!182!!86
|-
|rowspan="4"|[[Borussia Dortmund]]
|[[1999–2000 Bundesliga|1999–2000]]<ref name="wf"/>
|Bundesliga
|29||7||1||0||2||1||11{{efn|Seven appearances and three goals in [[UEFA Champions League]], four goals and one goal in UEFA Cup}}||4||43||12
|-
|[[2000–01 Bundesliga|2000–01]]<ref name="wf"/>
|Bundesliga
|24||10||1||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||25||10
|-
|[[2001–02 Bundesliga|2001–02]]<ref name="wf"/>
|Bundesliga
|3||0||1||0||1||1||7{{efn|Six appearances in UEFA Champions League, one appearance in UEFA Cup}}||0||12||1
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!56!!17!!3!!0!!3!!2!!18!!4!!80!!23
|-
|[[Bolton Wanderers F.C.|Bolton Wanderers]] (loan)
|[[2001–02 FA Premier League|2001–02]]
|[[Premier League]]
|16||4||0||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||16||4
|-
|[[Hannover 96]]
|[[2002–03 Bundesliga|2002–03]]<ref name="wf"/>
|Bundesliga
|27||14||0||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||27||14
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Hertha BSC]]
|[[2003–04 Bundesliga|2003–04]]<ref name="wf"/>
|Bundesliga
|32||7||2||0||1||1||2{{efn|name=UEC}}||0||37||8
|-
|[[2004–05 Bundesliga|2004–05]]<ref name="wf"/>
|Bundesliga
|22||1||2||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||24||1
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!54!!8!!4!!0!!1!!1!!2!!0!!61!!9
|-
|[[NK Rijeka]]
|[[2005–06 Prva HNL|2005–06]]
|[[Prva HNL]]
|8||2||2||1||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||10||3
|-
!colspan="3"|Career total
!433!!172!!28!!9!!9!!4!!32!!12!!502!!197
|}

{{notelist}}

===International===
:''Scores and results list Germany's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Bobic goal.''

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ List of international goals scored by Fredi Bobic
|-
!scope="col"|No.
!scope="col"|Date
!scope="col"|Venue
!scope="col"|Opponent
!scope="col"|Score
!scope="col"|Result
!scope="col"|Competition
|-
| align="center"|1 || 23 August 1995 || [[King Baudouin Stadium]], [[Brussels]], Belgium || {{fb|BEL}} || align="center"|2–1 || align="center"|2–1 || Friendly
|-
| align="center"|2 || 9 October 1996|| [[Hrazdan Stadium]], [[Yerevan]], Armenia || {{fb|ARM}} || align="center"|4–0 || align="center"|5–1 || [[1998 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group 9|1998 FIFA World Cup qualification]]
|-
| align="center"|3 || 20 November 2002 || [[Arena AufSchalke]], [[Gelsenkirchen]], Germany || {{fb|NLD}} || align="center"|1–1 || align="center"|1–3 || Friendly
|-
| align="center"|4 || 12 February 2003 || [[Estadio Son Moix]], [[Mallorca]], Spain || {{fb|ESP}} || align="center"|1–1 || align="center"|1–3 || Friendly
|-
| align="center"|5 || 1 June 2003 || [[Volkswagen-Arena]], [[Wolfsburg]], Germany || {{fb|CAN}} || align="center"|3–1 || align="center"|4–1 || Friendly
|-
| align="center"|6 || 7 June 2003 || [[Hampden Park]], [[Glasgow]], Scotland || {{fb|SCO}} || align="center"|1–0 || align="center"|1–1 || [[UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying Group 5|UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying]]
|-
| align="center"|7 || 11 June 2003 || [[Tórsvøllur]], [[Tórshavn]], Faroe Islands || {{fb|FRO}} || align="center"|2–0 || align="center"|2–0 || UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying
|-
| align="center"|8 || 10 September 2003 || [[Westfalenstadion]], [[Dortmund]], Germany || {{fb|SCO}} || align="center"|1–0 || align="center"|2–1 || UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying
|-
| align="center"|9 || 11 October 2003 || [[Volksparkstadion]], [[Hamburg]], Germany || {{fb|ISL}} || align="center"|2–0 || align="center"|3–0 || UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying
|-
| align="center"|10 || 27 May 2004 || [[Dreisamstadion]], [[Freiburg]], Germany || {{fb|MLT}} || align="center"|7–0 || align="center"|7–0 || Friendly
|}

==Honours==
'''VfB Stuttgart'''
* [[DFB-Pokal]]: [[1996–97 DFB-Pokal|1996–97]]
* [[UEFA Cup Winners' Cup]] runner-up: [[1997–98 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup|1997–98]]

'''Borussia Dortmund'''
* [[Bundesliga]]: [[2001–02 Bundesliga|2001–02]]

'''NK Rijeka'''
* [[Croatian Football Cup|Croatian Cup]]: [[2005–06 Croatian Cup|2005–06]]

'''Germany'''
* [[UEFA European Championship]]: [[UEFA Euro 1996|1996]]

'''Individual'''
* [[List of Bundesliga top scorers|Bundesliga top scorer]]: 1995–96
* ''[[Kicker (sports magazine)|kicker]]'' [[Bundesliga]] Team of the Season: 1995–96<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kicker.de/news/fussball/bundesliga/bl50/199596/startseite.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018190454/http://www.kicker.de/news/fussball/bundesliga/bl50/199596/startseite.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 October 2012|title=Bundesliga Historie 1995/96|language=de|publisher=kicker}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{cc}}
* {{Official website|http://www.fredibobic.de}}
* {{Soccerbase}}
* {{Fussballdaten|bobicfredi}}

{{1995–96 kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season}}
{{Bundesliga top scorers}}
{{Navboxes colour
|bg= white
|fg= black
|bordercolor= black
|title= Germany squads
|list1=
{{Germany squad UEFA Euro 1996}}
{{Germany squad UEFA Euro 2004}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bobic, Fredi}}
[[Category:1971 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:West German men's footballers]]
[[Category:Footballers from Maribor]]
[[Category:Footballers from Stuttgart]]
[[Category:German men's footballers]]
[[Category:Naturalized citizens of Germany]]
[[Category:Yugoslav emigrants to Germany]]
[[Category:Slovenian emigrants to Germany]]
[[Category:German people of Slovenian descent]]
[[Category:German people of Croatian descent]]
[[Category:Slovenian people of Croatian descent]]
[[Category:Men's association football forwards]]
[[Category:Germany men's international footballers]]
[[Category:UEFA European Championship–winning players]]
[[Category:Kicker-Torjägerkanone Award winners]]
[[Category:UEFA Euro 1996 players]]
[[Category:UEFA Euro 2004 players]]
[[Category:Bundesliga players]]
[[Category:2. Bundesliga players]]
[[Category:Premier League players]]
[[Category:Croatian Football League players]]
[[Category:Stuttgarter Kickers players]]
[[Category:VfB Stuttgart players]]
[[Category:TSF Ditzingen players]]
[[Category:Borussia Dortmund players]]
[[Category:Bolton Wanderers F.C. players]]
[[Category:Hannover 96 players]]
[[Category:Hertha BSC players]]
[[Category:HNK Rijeka players]]
[[Category:German expatriate men's footballers]]
[[Category:German expatriate sportspeople in England]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in England]]
[[Category:German expatriate sportspeople in Croatia]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Croatia]]
[[Category:Association football executives]]
[[Category:German sports executives and administrators]]
[[Category:VfB Stuttgart non-playing staff]]
[[Category:Hertha BSC non-playing staff]]
[[Category:Eintracht Frankfurt non-playing staff]]
[[Category:Legia Warsaw non-playing staff]]
[[Category:German expatriate sportspeople in Bulgaria]]
[[Category:German expatriate sportspeople in Poland]]