Sheffield United defender Anel Ahmedhodžić was suspended by Bosnia and Herzegovina after failing to respond to numerous efforts from their FA to contact him.
That’s according to SportSport, who cover the developing situation today and explain what led to the country to suspend the Sheffield United defender over his absence from the latest squad.
Reports in Bosnia yesterday emerged stating that Ahmedhodžić had been suspended by his country after failing to turn up for international duty despite being called up for this international break.
Ahmedhodžić later responded to the news on Instagram, admitting his mistake and revealing that he had suffered a small hamstring injury which he believed had ruled him out.
SportSport pick up on that and report that there is no case to be answered and it is a simple matter of the Sheffield United defender having ‘refused to fulfil his obligations’.
They state that Bosnia tried to contact Ahmedhodžić several times on Sunday, with teammates from the national team, with whom he has the ‘best relationship’ also trying and failing.
That was an ‘absolutely reprehensible’ decision from the defender who, even if he was injured, SportSport believe should have travelled and been assessed before being sent back to Bramall Lane.
Instead, they say, he chose to disrespect the national team and its directors, namely Meha Kodra and Zvjezdan Misimović, have decided suspension is a justifiable punishment as a result.
They believe the defender must be taught to understand that the national team jersey is ‘sacred’ and something that must be respected. He did not do that with his actions as far as they are concerned and now an example is being made.
This is despite the defender insisting publically that he is injured and Sheffield United’s medical team submitting a report to the Bosnian FA confirming regarding an injury. That, though, did say it was ‘not of a serious nature’.
SportSport say rather than attending the meeting like other injured layer, making a decision with the professional and medical teams, Ahmedhodžić ‘decided not to follow the rules’. A ‘simply amazing’ decision that they believe is unjustified and deserving of punishment.
They go further and question comments from the defender, with him stating “I think most of us know the problems surrounding the national team” in his post on Instagram.
They question what those problems are and why nobody is talking about them, as while there are plenty of issues that people know about, this seems to relate to something different.
The outlet urges the Sheffield United man to speak up about them and him ‘must talk about’ it publically if he is going to reference them as he has. Otherwise, if he does not speak now then ‘let him be silent forever’.
Whether he does remains to be seen but his refusal to answer calls or turn up for the national team hasn’t gone down well and despite his attempts to dampen the flames, it appears they’ll continue growing during this break.
