Four penalty takers later, his home country sensationally gets its ticket to the World Cup and exasperates Italy. Also because Tabaković forced extra time with his goal at the end of regulation time. Now, at 31 years old, he is heading to the World Cup. A scenario that would have been unthinkable a few years ago. Then it seemed that the train of a great race had already left the station.
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In the spring of 2020, the striker was out of contract after suffering a torn ACL at Hungarian club Diósgyőri. Despite being available on a free transfer, finding a new club was no easy task. Many clubs could not or did not want to take the risk, also due to the coronavirus pandemic and its economic consequences.
In this existential crisis, Alexander Kiene entered the scene. The German coach was then managing Austria Lustenau in the Austrian second division and saw potential in the independent striker. However, at first the enthusiasm was not mutual: “At first, Haris was skeptical because it was only the second division,” recalls Kiene in an interview with the newspaper ‘Bild’.
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But since Tabaković had gone almost a full year without practicing matches, he agreed to take the risk after intense conversations. It turned out to be the starting signal for an impressive transformation. According to Kiene, success was based on three pillars. First of all, the focus was on mental toughness: “We had a lot of individual conversations,” reports the 48-year-old. Tabaković also sought outside help from a mental coach to take on his new leadership role.
Secondly, the forward worked tirelessly on his physique to regain confidence in his own body after the serious injury. During this time, the Bosnian also gained a considerable amount of muscle mass. The third factor was the tactical system, which suited him perfectly: “We defended high, had short distances to the goal and put the ball into the area with a lot of passes and crosses,” explains Kiene. For him, the collaboration was a “win-win situation for everyone involved.”
The numbers prove him right: in 48 competitive games for Lustenau, Tabaković scored a phenomenal 46 goals and also provided 11 assists. That pace catapulted his career to a new level. Through Austria Vienna he moved to Hertha BSC, where he became the top scorer in the 2. Bundesliga. After a spell at Hoffenheim, he ended up on loan at Foals Lower Rhine.
There, personally, he also had a very good start. In 26 games he has scored 11 goals and four assists. This also makes him Gladbach’s top scorer this season. Although he has now gone five Bundesliga games without scoring, he recently showed (especially in the national team shirt) that he certainly has not lost his nose for goal.
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A fact that does not surprise his greatest and perhaps most important mentor: “In the end, he achieved all this because he is a complete professional who truly lives for football,” says Kiene. Also in his private life, Tabaković leaves nothing to chance: he continues his training in FIFA sports management courses and reads specialized literature on entrepreneurship.
When Tabaković returns from the national team full of confidence and self-belief, the focus will clearly be on the Bundesliga and Dortmund. In the home game against bottom team Heidenheim they will want to end their short dry spell. A win would not only mean another big step towards safety, but with each additional goal, the on-loan striker strengthens his case for staying permanently at Mönchengladbach. Although Gladbach do not have an option to buy the 31-year-old, a permanent move is not ruled out. Tabaković still has a contract with Hoffenheim until 2027.
“For now, it’s still an open and honest ‘I don’t know’,” Tabaković told ‘RP Online’ when asked about his future. “There have been no talks, so I can’t really say anything about it. The eight games can still change a lot, even the perspective of the sporting directors, if I put myself in their shoes. I don’t know what will happen,” he adds.
Still, a certain degree of security in planning would not hurt, as he reveals in the same interview. After all, this summer he also has other commitments, together with Edin Džeko and company.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.