Ivan Sesar

{{short description|Bosnian professional footballer (born 1989)}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Ivan Sesar

| image = Ivan Sesar 2018.jpg

| image_size = 200px

| caption = Sesar playing for Inter Turku in 2018

| fullname = Ivan Sesar

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1989|8|29|df=y}}

| birth_place = Mostar, SFR Yugoslavia

| height = {{height|m=1.82}}

| position = Midfielder

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2006

| youthclubs1 = Široki Brijeg

| youthyears2 = 2006–2008

| youthclubs2 = Zagreb

| years1 = 2008–2009

| clubs1 = Zagreb

| caps1 = 1

| goals1 = 0

| years2 = 2009–2010

| clubs2 = Koper

| caps2 = 26

| goals2 = 0

| years3 = 2010–2011

| clubs3 = Lokomotiva Zagreb

| caps3 = 23

| goals3 = 1

| years4 = 2011–2013

| clubs4 = Sarajevo

| caps4 = 34

| goals4 = 0

| years5 = 2013

| clubs5 = → Elazığspor (loan)

| caps5 = 14

| goals5 = 0

| years6 = 2013–2014

| clubs6 = Akhisar Belediyespor

| caps6 = 12

| goals6 = 0

| years7 = 2015

| clubs7 = Dunajská Streda

| caps7 = 8

| goals7 = 0

| years9 = 2015–2017

| clubs9 = Široki Brijeg

| caps9 = 48

| goals9 = 1

| years10 = 2017

| clubs10 = Juventus București

| caps10 = 16

| goals10 = 0

| years11 = 2018

| clubs11 = Inter Turku

| caps11 = 13

| goals11 = 0

| years12 = 2018

| clubs12 = Voluntari

| caps12 = 6

| goals12 = 0

| years13 = 2019–2020

| clubs13 = Tuzla City

| caps13 = 28

| goals13 = 0

| years14 = 2020

| clubs14 = Solin

| caps14 = 8

| goals14 = 1

| years15 = 2020

| clubs15 = Rudeš

| caps15 = 4

| goals15 = 0

| years16 = 2021

| clubs16 = Kvik Halden

| nationalyears1 = 2009–2010

| nationalteam1 = Bosnia and Herzegovina U21

| nationalcaps1 = 6

| nationalgoals1 = 1

| nationalyears2 = 2012

| nationalteam2 = Bosnia and Herzegovina

| nationalcaps2 = 2

| nationalgoals2 = 0

| nationalyears3 = 2011

| nationalteam3 = Bosnia and Herzegovina XI

| nationalcaps3 = 1

| nationalgoals3 = 0

| pcupdate = 20 May 2024

| ntupdate =

}}

Ivan Sesar (born 29 August 1989) is a Bosnian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.

Club career

= NK Zagreb =

Sesar made his senior debut for NK Zagreb on 31 August 2008 in a 1–1 draw against HNK Sibenik{{Cite web |date=31 August 2008 |title=Sibenik 1-1 NK Zagreb Prva NHL 2008/2009 Live |url=https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/246986/Live/Croatia-Prva-HNL-2008-2009-Sibenik-NK-Zagreb |access-date=20 May 2024 |website=Whoscored}} He would only play one match for the club before joining FC Koper.

= FC Koper =

After being released by NK Zagreb, Ivan Sesar signed for FC Koper in the Slovenian Prva Liga on 1 July 2009 as a free agent. It wouldn't be until 8 August 2009 that he would be substituted in the 77th minute in a 2–1 win against ND Gorica. Sesar also bagged his first assist for an equalising goal in a 1–1 draw against NK Domzale. Koper would win the league by 9 points with Sesar making 23 league appearances. In the subsequent season, he faced his old rivals Dinamo Zagreb in a Champions League Qualifying match losing 5–4 on aggregate.{{Cite web |date=20 July 2010 |title=Koper 3-0 Dinamo Zagreb Champions League 2010/11 Head to Head Statistics |url=https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/421380/Show/Europe-Champions-League-2010-2011-Koper-Dinamo-Zagreb |access-date=20 May 2024 |website=Whoscored}}

= Lokomotiva Zagreb =

Sesar returned to Croatia joining Lokomotiva Zagreb on a free transfer on 1 August 2010. He netted his first career goal with Lokomotiva in a league match against Hrvatski Dragovoljac in the form of an equaliser. The match would end 3–2 in favor of Lokomotiva Zagreb.

= Sarajevo =

Ivan Sesar joined Premijer Liga side FK Sarajevo for free exactly a year after joining Lokomotiva Zagreb. Sesar played 34 league matches for the side in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons bagging six assists. Sesko also participated in Sarajevo's UEFA Europa League qualification run making it to the third round of the tournament where he would assist another two times.

= Elazığspor =

About a year and a half into his time with Sarajevo, he was sent out on loan to Turkish side Elazığspor. He contributed two assists to the side in 14 appearances.

= Akhisar Belediyespor =

Shortly after returning from his loan spell, Ivan Sesar remained in Croatia for Akhisarspor. He assisted two more goals in Turkey before leaving the club on a free transfer.

= Dunajská Streda =

Sesar joined Dunajská Streda on a free transfer. He would play eight games for the side in a campaign that saw Dunajska finish in 7th.

= Široki Brijeg =

Sesar returned to Široki Brijeg, a club where he had spent most of his youth career. He would net a goal in a 3–0 win against relegation-battling Velez Mostar. Although having zero goal contributions in 22 league appearance in the subsequent season, Široki Brijeg would end up winning the Primijer Liga in the 2016-17 campaign.

= Juventus București =

He joined the newly promoted, second division side Juventus București for free on 25 July 2017. He made 16 league appearances for the club in Liga II.

= Inter Turku =

After a season in Romania, Sesar joined Inter Turku for an undisclosed amount. He won the 2018 Finnish Cup and finished mid-table in the 2018 campaign.

= Voluntari =

Ivan Sesar returned to Romania a year later, this time for first division side FC Voluntari. Voluntari would see themselves in a relegation battle in a campaign where Sesar played seven matches.

= Tuzla City =

Sesar then joined Bosnian side Tuzla City. He scored the winning goal in a 1–0 win versus Velez Mostar in the Kup BiH in match that would see them avoid relegation by 3 points. He also bagged four assists in the 19/20 campaign.

= NK Solin =

Sesar joined Croatian side NK Solin in 2020. He would assist and score against NK Croatia Zmijavci to win the game 3–1 away from home. He played eight matches in a campaign where the side would finish four points above relegation.

= Rudeš =

After playing only eight matches for Solin, Sesar would join NK Rudeš making four appearances.

= Kvik Halden =

He joined Kvik Halden in 2021 making 2 appearances.{{cite news|url=https://www.kvikhalden.no/blog/post/170341/ivan-sesar-er-klar-for-klubbens-a-lag?ispage=true|title=Ivan Sesar er klar for klubbens a-lag|date=12 March 2021|publisher=Kvik Halden FK|language=Norwegian|access-date=26 March 2021}} Ivan Sesar retired at the end of the 2021 campaign.

International career

Sesar made his international debut for Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team in an unofficial friendly against Poland in Antalya on 16 December 2011.{{Cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2011/12/16/world/friendlies/poland/bosnia-herzegovina/1275052/|title=Poland vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina - 16 December 2011 - Soccerway}} His official debut came on 15 August 2012 against Wales.{{cite web|url=https://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=27892|title=Player Database|website=eu-football.info|access-date=2021-05-15}}

Career statistics

=Club=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" \|+ ! rowspan="2" \|Club ! rowspan="2" \|Season ! colspan="3" \|League ! colspan="2" \|Cup ! colspan="2" \|Continental ! colspan="2" \|Total
Division !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals
Zagreb \|2008-09 \|Prva HNL \|1 \|— \| colspan="2" \|— \| colspan="2" \|— \|1 \|—
rowspan="3" \|Koper \|2009-10 \|Slovenian PrvaLiga \|23 \|— \|3 \|— \|2 \|— \|28 \|
2010-11 \|Slovenian PrvaLiga \|3 \|— \| colspan="2" \|— \| colspan="2" \|— \|3 \|—
colspan="2" \|Total !26 !— !3 !— !2 !— !31 !—
Lokomotiva Zagreb \|2010-11 \|Prva HNL \|17 \|1 \| colspan="2" \|— \| colspan="2" \|— \|17 \|1
rowspan="3" \|FK Sarajevo \|2011-12 \|Bosnian Premier League \|23 \|— \| colspan="2" \|— \| colspan="2" \|— \|23 \|—
2012-13 \|Bosnian Premier League \|11 \|— \|3 \|— \|6 \|— \|20 \|—
colspan="2" \|Total !34 !— !3 !— !6 !— !43 !—
Elazığspor \|2012-13 \|Süper Lig \|14 \|— \| colspan="2" \|— \| colspan="2" \|— \|14 \|—
Akhisarspor \|2013-14 \|Süper Lig \|12 \|— \|8 \|— \| colspan="2" \|— \|20 \|
Dunajská Streda \|2014-15 \|Slovak Super Liga \|8 \|— \|2 \|— \| colspan="2" \|— \|10 \|—
rowspan="3" \|Siroki Brijeg \|2015-16 \|Bosnian Premier League \|25 \|1 \|4 \|— \| colspan="2" \|— \|29 \|1
2016-17 \|Bosnian Premier League \|22 \|— \|4 \|— \|2 \|— \|28 \|—
colspan="2" \|Total !47 !1 !2 !— !2 !— !57 !1
Juventus Bucharest \|2017-18 \|Liga II \|16 \|— \|2 \|— \| colspan="2" \|— \|18
Inter Turku \|2018 \|Veikkausliiga \|13 \|— \|8 \|— \| colspan="2" \|— \|21 \|—
Voluntari \|2018-19 \|Liga I \|6 \|— \|1 \|— \| colspan="2" \|— \|7 \|—
rowspan="3" \|Tuzla City \|2018-19 \|Bosnian Premier League \|7 \|— \|2 \|1 \| colspan="2" \|— \|7 \|1
2019-20 \|Bosnian Premier League \|21 \|— \| colspan="2" \|— \| colspan="2" \|— \|21 \|—
colspan="2" \|Total !28 !— !2 !1 ! colspan="2" \|— !28 !1
Solin \|2020-21 \|2. HNL \|8 \|1 \| colspan="2" \|— \| colspan="2" \|— \|8 \|1
Rudeš \|2020-21 \|2. HNL \|4 \|— \| colspan="2" \|— \| colspan="2" \|— \|4 \|—
Kvik Halden \|2021 \|2. divisjon \|1 \|— \|1 \|— \| colspan="2" \|— \|2 \|—
colspan="3" \|Career Total !235 !— !32 !1 !16 !— !283 !4

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

! rowspan="2" |Club

! rowspan="2" |Season

! colspan="3" |League

! colspan="2" |Cup

! colspan="2" |Continental

! colspan="2" |Total

Division

!Apps

!Goals

!Apps

!Goals

!Apps

!Goals

!Apps

!Goals

Zagreb

|2008-09

|Prva HNL

|—

| colspan="2" |—

|—

rowspan="3" |Koper

|2009-10

|Slovenian PrvaLiga

|23

|—

|28

2010-11

|Slovenian PrvaLiga

|—

| colspan="2" |—

|—

colspan="2" |Total

!26

!—

!31

!—

Lokomotiva Zagreb

|2010-11

|Prva HNL

|17

| colspan="2" |—

|17

rowspan="3" |FK Sarajevo

|2011-12

|Bosnian Premier League

|23

|—

| colspan="2" |—

|23

|—

2012-13

|Bosnian Premier League

|11

|—

|20

|—

colspan="2" |Total

!34

!—

!43

!—

Elazığspor

|2012-13

|Süper Lig

|14

|—

| colspan="2" |—

|14

|—

Akhisarspor

|2013-14

|Süper Lig

|12

|—

| colspan="2" |—

|20

Dunajská Streda

|2014-15

|Slovak Super Liga

|—

| colspan="2" |—

|10

|—

rowspan="3" |Siroki Brijeg

|2015-16

|Bosnian Premier League

|25

|—

| colspan="2" |—

|29

2016-17

|Bosnian Premier League

|22

|—

|28

|—

colspan="2" |Total

!47

!—

!57

Juventus Bucharest

|2017-18

|Liga II

|16

|—

| colspan="2" |—

|18

Inter Turku

|2018

|Veikkausliiga

|13

|—

| colspan="2" |—

|21

|—

Voluntari

|2018-19

|Liga I

|—

| colspan="2" |—

|—

rowspan="3" |Tuzla City

|2018-19

|Bosnian Premier League

|—

| colspan="2" |—

2019-20

|Bosnian Premier League

|21

|—

| colspan="2" |—

|21

|—

colspan="2" |Total

!28

!—

! colspan="2" |—

!28

| colspan="2" |—

|2. HNL

|—

| colspan="2" |—

|—

Kvik Halden

|2021

|2. divisjon

|—

| colspan="2" |—

|—

colspan="3" |Career Total

!235

!—

!32

!16

!—

!283

Source: {{citation needed|date=May 2024}}

=International=

class="wikitable" ! # !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Result !! Competition
1	16 December 2011	Mardan Sports Complex, Antalya	{{fb\|Poland}}	0–1	Friendly
2	15 August 2012	Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli	{{fb\|Wales}}	2–0	Friendly
3.	14 November 2012	Stade 5 Juillet 1962, Algiers	{{fb\|Algeria}}	1–0	Friendly