Mladen Bartolović

Not to be confused with Mladen Bartulović.

Mladen Bartolović
Personal information
Date of birth (1977-04-10)10 April 1977
Place of birth Zavidovići, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia
Date of death 19 January 2026(2026-01-19) (aged 48)
Height 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position Winger
Youth career
Krivaja
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1996–1998 Segesta
1998–2003 Cibalia 98 (24)
2000–2001 → 1. FC Saarbrücken (loan) 33 (6)
2003–2004 Dinamo Zagreb 24 (4)
2004–2006 NK Zagreb 47 (12)
2006–2009 Hajduk Split 70 (14)
2009–2010 Foolad 27 (1)
2010–2015 Cibalia 113 (25)
International career
2003–2008 Bosnia and Herzegovina 17 (0)
Managerial career
2015–2016 Cibalia (youth)
2016–2017 Bedem Ivankovo
2017–2018 Cibalia
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Mladen Bartolović (10 April 1977 – 19 January 2026) was a football coach and player from Bosnia and Herzegovina who spent a large part of his career in Croatia.[1]

Club career

Born in Zavidovići, Bartolović played basketball until the age of 16. However, as basketball came to a standstill during the Bosnian war, he turned to football.[2] He began his professional career in 1996 at Segesta Sisak and moved to Croatian Football League club Cibalia Vinkovci two years later.

In the 2000–01 season, he was transferred to 1. FC Saarbrücken in the 2. Bundesliga for a season-long loan during which he scored six goals in 33 appearances for the club. He then returned to Cibalia. He played for Dinamo Zagreb in the 2003–04 season and won the 2003–04 Croatian Football Cup with the club. In the following two seasons, he played for city rivals NK Zagreb. From 2006 to 2009, he played for Hajduk Split.

He moved to Foolad Khuzestan in the summer of 2009 and secured a starting lineup spot within the team. After a season in the Iran Pro League, he returned to Cibalia where retired in 2015. In total, he scored 78 goals in 338 Croatian Football League matches.[3]

International career

Bartolović made his debut for Bosnia and Herzegovina in a June 2003 European Championship qualification match away against Romania. Between 2003 and 2008, he earned a total of 17 caps.[4] His final international game was a November 2008 friendly match against Slovenia.[5]

Coaching career

After his playing career, Bartolović initially worked as a youth coach at Cibalia. Prior to the 2016–17 season, he was appointed the coach of third division club Bedem Ivankovo.[6]

In March 2017, he became head coach of Cibalia Vinkovci's first team, taking over from Peter Pacult, who had previously been sacked after five games without a win.[7][8] At the time Bartolović took over, Cibalia were threatened with relegation from the Croatian Football League, as they were in last place and seven points behind the relegation play-off spot. By the end of the 2016–17 season, the team had won eleven points under Bartolović and qualified for the relegation play-offs. The play-off matches against HNK Gorica were won 2:0 and 3:1 and Cibalia successfully avoided relegation.

He was sacked in March 2018, after a 5–1 defeat to HNK Rijeka,[9] but continued to work for Cibalia Vinkovci as head scout and youth coordinator.[10]

Illness and death

In 2021, it was reported that Bartolović was fighting a serious illness.[11] He died after a long illness on 19 January 2026, at the age of 48.[12]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
1. FC Saarbrücken 2000–01[13] 2. Bundesliga 33 6 1 0 – 34 6
Foolad 2009–10 Persian Gulf Cup 27 1 1 0 – 28 1
Career total 60 7 2 0 0 0 62 7
  1. ^ Includes DFB-Pokal,Hazfi Cup.

International

Score and result list Bosnia and Herzegovina's goal tally first, score column indicates score after Bartolović goal.
International goal scored by Mladen Bartolović
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 2 September 2006 Ta' Qali Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta  Malta 3–1 5–2 Euro 2008 qualifier

References

  1. ^ "Mladen Bartolović". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  2. ^ "Bivšeg fudbalskog reprezentativca BiH visokog 169 cm rat spriječio da postane košarkaš". sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). 18 August 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  3. ^ Tolić, Josip (2 November 2021). "Baka: Vjerujem da će Mladen dobiti i u najvažnijoj utakmici. Uvijek bi dolazio s osmijehom". 24Sata (in Croatian). Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  4. ^ Mamrud, Roberto (16 July 2009). "Bosnia and Herzegovina – Record International Players". RSSSF. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  5. ^ "Mladen Bartolović, international football player". eu-football.info. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  6. ^ "Mladen Bartolović poveo Bedem u pripreme za 3. HNL". sportalo.hr (in Croatian). 18 July 2016. Archived from the original on 3 April 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  7. ^ "Mladen Bartolović preuzeo klupu Cibalije!". notogmetplus.hr (in Croatian). 27 March 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  8. ^ "Nekad je oduševljavao u dresu Hajduka, a sada preuzima Cibaliju!". slobodnadalmacija.hr (in Croatian). 28 March 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  9. ^ "Zavidovićanin smijenjen s klupe hrvatskog prvoligaša". zdici.info (in Bosnian). 19 March 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  10. ^ "Bartolović više ne vodi Cibaliju: Preuzeo je bivši trener Osijeka". 24sata.hr (in Croatian). 19 March 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  11. ^ Gabelić, Tomislav (30 October 2021). "Legenda Cibalije teško bolesna: 'Bartol je pobijedio u puno teških utakmica, dobit će i ovu'". 24Sata (in Croatian). Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  12. ^ "U 49. godini preminuo Mladen Bartolović, bivši reprezentativac BiH". Klix.ba (in Croatian).
  13. ^ "Bartolovic, Mladen" (in German). Kicker. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
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