Nemanja Bilbija

Nemanja Bilbija (Serbian Cyrillic: Немања Билбија, Serbian pronunciation: [němaɲa bîlbija]; born 2 November 1990) is a Bosnian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Bosnian Premier League club Zrinjski Mostar and the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team.

Nemanja Bilbija
Bilbija playing for Borac Banja Luka in 2009
Personal information
Date of birth (1990-11-02) 2 November 1990
Place of birth Banja Luka, SFR Yugoslavia
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Zrinjski Mostar
Number 99
Youth career
2000–2008 Borac Banja Luka
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2010 Borac Banja Luka 30 (11)
2010–2013 Vojvodina 43 (2)
2012–2013 → Borac Banja Luka (loan) 23 (14)
2013–2015 Sarajevo 30 (6)
2015–2016 Split 9 (0)
2016–2018 Zrinjski Mostar 86 (40)
2019 Gangwon 6 (2)
2019– Zrinjski Mostar 103 (82)
International career‡
2009–2012 Bosnia and Herzegovina U21 22 (9)
2018– Bosnia and Herzegovina 5 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22 October 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 13 October 2023

A former youth international for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bilbija made his senior international debut in 2018. He is the Bosnian Premier League's record goalscorer.

Club career

Early career

Bilbija started his career with his hometown club Borac Banja Luka, whose academy he joined in 2000.[1] He made his professional debut on 8 November 2008 against Posušje at the age of 18.[2] He scored his first goal as a professional against Orašje on 7 March 2009.[3]

On 29 January 2010 Bilbija moved to Serbian side Vojvodina signing a four-year contract.[4] During his time at the club, he was sent on two loans to his former club, Borac Banja Luka.[5]

In August 2013, Bilbija signed a two-year deal with Sarajevo.[6]

In July 2015, he joined Split on a two-year contract.[7]

Zrinjski Mostar

On 11 February 2016, Bilbija signed with Zrinjski Mostar on free transfer.[8] He scored on his competitive debut for the club against his former team Sarajevo on 28 February.[9]

In August 2017, Bilbija signed a new two-year deal with Zrinjski Mostar.[10] In a game against Vitez on 26 August, Bilbija scored his first hat-trick for the team.[11] A year later, he scored four goals in a convincing triumph over Zvijezda 09.[12]

On 10 November 2018, Bilbija scored a brace on his 100th appearance for the club.[13]

Gangwon

On 23 December 2018, Bilbija joined South Korean side Gangwon for an undisclosed transfer fee.[14] On 4 January 2019, Bilbija officially joined Gangwon after signing a contract with the club.[15]

He made his debut for Gangwon on 2 March 2019, in a 2–0 away loss against Sangju Sangmu coming in as a substitute in the 71st minute.[16]

Bilbija scored his first goal for Gangwon on 15 May 2019, in a 2–0 home win against Paju Citizen in the round of 16 of the 2019 Korean FA Cup.[17]

Return to Zrinjski Mostar

On 24 December 2019, Bilbija came back to Zrinjski almost a year after joining Gangwon, signing a three and a half year contract which will last until the summer of 2023 with the Mostar based club.[18] In his first game back, Bilbija scored a goal in a 2–0 league win against Čelik Zenica on 23 February 2020.[19]

On 31 October 2020, he scored a hat-trick against Velež in the Mostar derby.[20]

Bilbija finished the 2020–21 season as the league's top goalscorer with 17 goals.[21]

In a league game against Sarajevo on 23 October 2021, Bilbija scored his 76th goal for Zrinjski, making him the club's highest goalscorer of all time.[22] Following a 4–0 over Sarajevo on 16 April 2022, the club was crowned league champions, with Bilbija winning his fourth league title with Zrinjski.[23] He finished the 2021–22 season again as the league's top goalscorer with a record-breaking 33 goals.[24]

On 4 September 2022, Bilbija scored two goals in a 4–1 league win against Sarajevo, overtaking Wagner as the Bosnian Premier League's record goalscorer.[25] He finished the 2022–23 season as the league's top goalscorer for a third time in a row, as well as winning the double with Zrinjski, the first in the club's history.[26]

In August 2023, Zrinjski became the first ever club from Bosnia and Herzegovina to reach the group stages of a European club competition after eliminating Icelandic club Breiðablik in the 2023–24 UEFA Europa League third qualifying round, which assured Zrinjski of a group stage spot in the UEFA Europa Conference League as a minimum.[27]

International career

Bilbija was a member of the Bosnia and Herzegovina national under-21 team. He was also captain of the under-21 side and is the highest goalscorer in the team's history with 9 goals.[28]

In August 2017, Bilbija received his first senior call-up, for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Cyprus and Gibraltar.[29] He debuted in a friendly game against United States on 28 January 2018.[30]

Personal life

Bilbija's father Milorad was also a professional footballer who currently works as a football manager.[31]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 26 October 2023.[32]
Club Season League Cup Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Borac Banja Luka 2008–09 Bosnian Premier League 17500–175
2009–10 Bosnian Premier League 13631–168
Total 301131–3312
Vojvodina 2009–10 Serbian SuperLiga 10100–101
2010–11 Serbian SuperLiga 18130–211
2011–12 Serbian SuperLiga 50000050
2012–13 Serbian SuperLiga 902030140
2013–14 Serbian SuperLiga 10004151
Total 4325071553
Borac Banja Luka (loan) 2011–12 Bosnian Premier League 11610–126
2012–13 Bosnian Premier League 128––128
Total 231410–2414
Sarajevo 2013–14 Bosnian Premier League 10262–164
2014–15 Bosnian Premier League 2041062276
Total 30672624310
Split 2015–16 1. HNL 90––90
Zrinjski Mostar 2015–16 Bosnian Premier League 94––94
2016–17 Bosnian Premier League 311032203612
2017–18 Bosnian Premier League 301200203212
2018–19 Bosnian Premier League 161410622316
Total 86404210210044
Gangwon 2019 K League 1 6221–83
Zrinjski Mostar 2019–20 Bosnian Premier League 3200–32
2020–21 Bosnian Premier League 281710343221
2021–22 Bosnian Premier League 323311–3334
2022–23 Bosnian Premier League 302445824231
2023–24 Bosnian Premier League 106001152111
Total 1038266221113199
Career total 33015728124516403185

International
As of match played 13 October 2023.[33]
National teamYearAppsGoals
Bosnia and Herzegovina
201810
202340
Total50

Honours

Sarajevo[32]

Zrinjski Mostar[32]

Individual

References
  1. "Bilbija ponovo u Borcu?". radiosarajevo.ba (in Bosnian). 23 January 2013. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  2. "Travničani prekinuli post". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 8 November 2008. Retrieved 10 November 2008.
  3. "Dvije pobjede i tri remija". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 7 March 2009. Retrieved 9 March 2009.
  4. "Službeno: Bilbija četiri godine u Vojvodini". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 29 January 2010. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
  5. "Nemanja Bilbija se nakon posudbe iz Borca vratio u Vojvodinu". klix.ba (in Bosnian). 17 June 2013. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  6. "Službeno: Bilbija potpisao za Sarajevo!". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 29 August 2013. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
  7. "Nemanja Bilbija potpisao za Split". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 4 July 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  8. "Službeno: Bilbija potpisao za Zrinjski". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 11 February 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
  9. "Čudo neviđeno: Otpisani obilježili derbi u Mostaru". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 28 February 2016. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  10. "Bilbija i Jakovljević produžili ugovore sa Zrinjskim". scsport.ba (in Bosnian). 2 August 2017. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
  11. "Super Nemanja: Hat-trick Bilbije za pobjedu Plemića u Vitezu". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 26 August 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  12. "Nemanja Bilbija četiri puta pogađao mrežu Zvijezde 09". radiosarajevo.ba (in Bosnian). 29 August 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  13. "Nemanja Bilbija novi rekorder Zrinjskog". faktor.ba (in Bosnian). 13 November 2018. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  14. "Nemanja Bilbija napustio Zrinjski i potpisao za Gangwon". bih.ba (in Bosnian). 23 December 2018. Retrieved 24 December 2018.
  15. Nemanja Bilbija potpisao za Gangwon: Sretan sam što sam došao u ovu ligu at klix.ba, 4 January 2019
  16. "Sangju Sangmu vs Gangwon". Soccerway.com. 2 March 2019. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  17. S. Mlaćo (15 May 2019). "Zaboravljeni Nemanja Bilbija konačno se upisao u listu strijelaca" (in Bosnian). sportsport.ba. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
  18. E.B. (24 December 2019). "Zvanično: Nemanja Bilbija u Zrinjskom do ljeta 2023. godine" (in Bosnian). Klix.ba. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
  19. "NK ČELIK - HŠK ZRINJSKI (0 : 1) 0 : 2". nfsbih.ba (in Bosnian). 23 February 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  20. K.H. (31 October 2020). "Bilbija razbio Velež u mostarskom derbiju i donio Zrinjskom veliku pobjedu" (in Bosnian). Klix.ba. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  21. E.B. (30 May 2021). "Nemanja Bilbija ponio titulu najboljeg strijelca Premijer lige BiH" (in Bosnian). Klix.ba. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  22. E. Čaušević (23 October 2021). "Bilbija srušio Sarajevo, a onda uzeo megafon i baklju u ruke" (in Bosnian). sportsport.ba. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  23. "Zrinjski deklasirao Sarajevo i osvojio titulu prvaka Bosne i Hercegovine" (in Bosnian). Sport1.ba. 16 April 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  24. K.H. (28 May 2022). "Zrinjski i Bilbija stavili tačku na najbolju sezonu jednog kluba u historiji Premijer lige BiH" (in Bosnian). Klix.ba. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
  25. A.J. (6 September 2022). "Bilbija oborio njegov rekord: Oglasio se legendarni Wagner Santos Lago" (in Bosnian). sportske.ba. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  26. S. Mlaćo (29 May 2023). "Bilbiji laskavo priznanje, sezona za pamćenje Ramića, Santos i Amoah izjednačeni" (in Bosnian). sportsport.ba. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  27. H.H. (17 August 2023). "Zrinjski postao prvi klub iz BiH koji se plasirao u grupnu fazu evropskih takmičenja" (in Bosnian). Klix.ba. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  28. "Najbolji premijerligaški igrač: Od toga neće biti ništa, nemojte mene pitati zašto me nema u reprezentaciji". sport1.ba (in Bosnian). 2 November 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  29. "Baždarević otkrio karte za Kipar i Gibraltar". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 16 August 2017. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  30. "Prosinečki debitovao remijem: Zmajevi bez golova protiv SAD". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 29 January 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  31. "Tamara Bilbija: Otac je "krivac" što Nemanja i ja volimo Borac, Velikan iz Platonove će biti hit". klix.ba (in Bosnian). 5 August 2017. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  32. "N. Bilbija: Summary". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  33. "Nemanja Bilbija". eu-football.info. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
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