Asmir Begović
From TheChels.info - The Chelsea Football Club Wiki
| Asmir Begović | |
| |
| Full Name | Asmir Begović |
| Date of Birth | 20 June 1987 |
| Place of Birth | Trebinje, SFR Yugoslavia |
| Position | Goalkeeper |
| Chelsea career | 2015–2017 |
| Debut | 8 August 2015 |
| Games (goals) | 33 (0) |
| Other clubs | Portsmouth La Louvière (loan) Macclesfield Town (loan) Bournemouth (loan) Yeovil Town (loan) Ipswich Town (loan) Stoke City AFC Bournemouth |
Asmir Begović (born 20 June 1987) is a Bosnian international goalkeeper who joined Chelsea in July 2015 and spent two seasons at the club before leaving to join Bournemouth in July 2017.
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Before Chelsea
Begović began his career in England with Portsmouth, spending time on loan at several clubs before making his name at Stoke City, where he was a regular Premier League goalkeeper for several seasons. After a stint with Bournemouth in the Championship and Premier League, he earned a move to Chelsea in 2017 as experienced cover behind Thibaut Courtois and later Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Chelsea career
On 13 July 2015, Chelsea signed Asmir Begović on a four-year contract for a fee of around £8 million. As part of the deal, Chelsea loaned midfielder Marco van Ginkel to Stoke City for the season. Begović made his debut just nine days later during Chelsea’s pre-season tour, coming on at halftime against the New York Red Bulls, though Chelsea lost 4–2. His first competitive involvement was as an unused substitute in the 2015 FA Community Shield, where Chelsea lost 1–0 to Arsenal. Shortly after, Begović made an unexpected substitute appearance in the Premier League when Thibaut Courtois was sent off against Swansea City; Begović came on and helped the team hold on for a 2–2 draw.
The Bosnian's first competitive start came on 16 August 2015 in a 3–0 loss away at Manchester City. A highlight soon followed when he kept his first clean sheet for Chelsea during a 4–0 UEFA Champions League win against Maccabi Tel Aviv. He went on a streak of three consecutive clean sheets before Courtois returned to the starting lineup in December.
In his second season, Begović’s playing time was limited. There were rumors of a potential winter transfer, but Chelsea were unable to find a replacement, so he remained at the club. Despite featuring in only two league matches that season, he earned a Premier League winners’ medal as Chelsea claimed the 2016–17 title.
Statistics
| Season | Prem | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |
| 2015-16 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| 2016-17 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Total | 19 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 0 |
- Correct as of 21 July 2017
International
Asmir Begović made his senior debut for Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2007 and went on to earn 63 caps. He was the national team’s first-choice goalkeeper for many years, playing in World Cup qualifiers and UEFA Euro campaigns. Known for his shot-stopping and leadership, Begović was a key figure in Bosnia’s efforts to qualify for major tournaments, though the team often fell short.
