Bosnia defender reflects on viral World Cup moment and Premier League arrival

Leeds United new signing Tarik Muharemovic says the Premier League is a dream come true after completing a €40m (£34.1m; $46.7m) move from Sassuolo this summer.

From viral tackle to White House attention

Muharemovic’s rapid rise to wider fame came during the World Cup when USMNT forward Folarin Balogun stepped forcefully over his right ankle in the round-of-32.

After video reviews presented in slow motion, Balogun was sent off. The ban was later suspended after US President Donald Trump contacted FIFA president Gianni Infantino and a disciplinary committee intervened.

"After this tackle, the media was exploding," Muharemovic tells The Athletic. "I was everywhere. Every media site. But obviously, at the end, we know he (Balogun) didn’t want to do it on purpose. It was unlucky."

"I just thank god that I came out of it without an injury. That’s the most important thing. It was painful. I was also scared because I felt a lot of pain, but when I stood up it was OK."

Leeds move and recruitment plan

The centre-back is Leeds’ third-most expensive signing after Georginio Rutter and James Trafford. He arrives to fill the void left by Pascal Struijk’s £18m departure to Brighton & Hove Albion in June.

Sporting director Adam Underwood led long-term scouting. Leeds compiled reports on Muharemovic for a full season and made their interest clear in March, a similar approach to the one used to sign Sean Longstaff last summer.

"Juventus was not that much, but I’m thankful for every interest," Muharemovic says. "Inter was also at the table, but I decided to come to the best league."

"After the World Cup, my agent, my family and I talked together. I got all the names of the clubs and I felt Leeds was the best for me. I knew how much they wanted me. I really felt how much they put in to buy me, how much interest they had, and I liked the club’s plan. They showed me the A to Z, really everything: what their plans are, how they want to bring the club back where it belongs to (be). There was a whole presentation."

Coach Daniel Farke told him he wants a player who gives everything from the first second to the last. "I am a player like this. I play and I defend. With my feet or with my head, I don’t care. I just want to defend the goal and help the team," Muharemovic said.

Juventus schooling and Elland Road excitement

Born in Slovenia and raised in Austria, Muharemovic joined Juventus at 18. He trained alongside Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini as they neared the end of their careers.

"They help you a lot when you come there as a young player. It’s hard to become a first-team player at Juventus, but when you train with them, they’re the first ones who come to you, and especially if you’re a defender. They’re the first to tell you how to defend," he said.

He recalled his first day: seeing Paulo Dybala, Chiellini and Bonucci arrive felt "like a movie". He admired Chiellini’s celebrations after every slide tackle and also studies his idol Emir Spahic.

"Maybe yes, but also a lot of strikers get angry about it, so I like it even more," he said of his own defensive persona.

At Leeds he is relishing facing the Premier League’s elite: "Every one of them. Erling Haaland. Benjamin Sesko from Manchester United. We know how hard the Premier League is, but we’re not scared of anybody. We just want to play, we want to fight, especially for the club."

He scored an overhead kick in a 4-0 pre-season win over Augsburg and has been watching YouTube clips of Elland Road atmosphere.

"It’s crazy, amazing," he said. "The Premier League is a dream come true. Every footballer knows that the Premier League is the No 1 league in the world. It’s the best football you can watch and the most interesting, because every club can win against everyone."

World Cup memories

Muharemovic helped Bosnia qualify for only the second World Cup in its history with a qualifying win over Italy in March. He was sent off in the defeat to Switzerland at the finals, before Bosnia were knocked out by the USMNT.

"Even today it still feels like a dream. What we achieved, it was one of the best nights we ever had, for the whole country, the whole Bosnian people, wherever they live," he said.

"No, I don’t think so. We could do much more because we did not play like we did against Wales and Italy (in qualifying), which showed how well we can play and how sharp we can be."