Moscow, Nov 1 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Midfielder Elvir Rahimic wants to play another season despite his deteriorating appearances for Bosnia and Herzegovina and football club side CSKA Moscow.
Thirty-six-year-old Rahimic, who has won three Russian titles and the UEFA Cup during an 11-year spell with CSKA, said he still dreamed of taking Bosnia and Herzegovina to the World Cup in Brazil in 2014, when he will be 38.
“I’d like to end my career after the World Cup in Brazil. That’s my desire, but it’s football,” he said.
“I hope it’ll work out like that.”
Bosnia and Herzegovina have come close to reaching the last two major international tournaments, losing in the playoffs for the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012.
Rahimic made his international debut at the age of 31 and has since amassed 37 caps, although he was left out of the squad for recent World Cup qualifiers and has not played since a 1-2 friendly defeat to Mexico in June.
CSKA surprised many by offering Rahimic a new contract for the 2012-13 season in May. Since then he has only played once, featuring for 18 minutes off the bench in a 3-0 Russian Cup win over third-tier side FC Tyumen.
Rahimic said he remained loyal to his longtime club and that CSKA had offered him a backroom role.
“They’re obviously offering me work at the club. I really hope that I’ll stay at CSKA until the end. Everything I have is linked to this club,” he said.
Rahmic has played 346 games for CSKA since joining from Anzhi Makhachkala in 2001 and played all 90 minutes of the team’s 3-1 UEFA Cup final win over Sporting Lisbon in 2005.
–IANS/RIA Novosti
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