Draft:Ismir Mirvić
Ismir Mirvić | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 7, 1979 |
| Occupations | Entrepreneur, investor, sports executive |
| Known for | President and majority owner of FK Sarajevo |
Ismir Mirvić (born 7 May 1979) is a Bosnian-American entrepreneur, investor and sports executive. He is the president and majority owner of FK Sarajevo and a co-owner of SFK 2000 Sarajevo.[1] In addition to his involvement in football administration, Mirvić has participated in business ventures in the United States and Bosnia and Herzegovina, including companies operating in protective equipment supply, merchandise trading and private security.
Early life
[edit]Mirvić was born on 7 May 1979 in Sarajevo, then part of the Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina within the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.[1] With the start of the Bosnian war in 1992, Mirvić and his family left Bosnia and Herzegovina as refugees, moving to Germany before subsequently settling in the United States, where he developed his business career.[1]
Business career
[edit]United States ventures
[edit]Mirvić is a co-founder of Co-Protect, a United States-based company established during the COVID-19 pandemic. The company supplied branded protective face masks and related personal protective equipment to major North American professional sports leagues, including the NBA, WNBA and Major League Soccer.[2]
He has also been associated with Co-Defend, a related company operating in the production and distribution of protective and medical safety equipment during the pandemic period.[3]
Mirvić is identified in business reporting as the owner of Apparel Brands International, a Washington, D.C.–based company engaged in general merchandise trading. The company has served as an investment vehicle for Mirvić’s business interests in Bosnia and Herzegovina.[4]
Media reports at the time of his entry into football club ownership stated that Mirvić held minority interests in shares of certain NBA franchises and had business connections to international football ventures associated with former footballer David Beckham. Specific details of these holdings have not been publicly disclosed.[1]
Investments in Bosnia and Herzegovina
[edit]In January 2023, Mirvić founded 35G d.o.o. Sarajevo, a company registered in Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to reporting based on business registry data, ownership is divided equally between Mirvić and Apparel Brands International. Publicly available records have not specified the company’s operational focus.[4][5]
Mirvić also acquired a 20 percent ownership stake in SEC ONE Bosnia, a private security company operating in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The investment was made through Apparel Brands International.[4][6]
Football administration
[edit]In July 2021, Mirvić became an investor in FK Sarajevo, alongside Malaysian businessman Vincent Tan.[1][7] In December 2025, Tan exited the club’s ownership structure, after which Mirvić reportedly became the holder of more than 98 percent of shares, assuming full majority control.[8]. His tenure has included efforts to stabilise finances, modernise infrastructure and strengthen youth development systems.[9]
During his tenure, FK Sarajevo increased its participation in international transfer markets. Media reports stated that the club broke its transfer record with the sale of Nidal Čelik to French club RC Lens for approximately €2.5 million, described as one of the highest outgoing transfer fees in the history of the Bosnian league.[10] In January 2026, the club reportedly surpassed that figure with the transfer of Giorgi Guliashvili to Spanish club Racing Santander, in which FK Sarajevo received a reported fee of around €3 million, setting a new record outgoing transfer in the club’s history.[11][12]
Mirvić is also involved with SFK 2000 Sarajevo, one of the most successful women’s football clubs in Europe.[13]
Public profile
[edit]Mirvić’s leadership at FK Sarajevo has generated both support and criticism among supporters and commentators, particularly regarding sporting results and financial strategy.[14] He has publicly addressed fan concerns and articulated long-term ambitions for the club’s competitive development in domestic and European competitions.[15][16]
Private life
[edit]Mirvić maintains a relatively private personal life. He is married to Yile Gutierrez Mirvić, and in June 2023 the couple welcomed their daughter Emma, whom he publicly introduced via club social media services.[17]
His brother, Sanin Mirvić, is also a US-based businessman.[18] In late 2025, Sanin Mirvić became a strategic partner and majority investor of FK Željezničar, the long‑standing cross‑city rival of FK Sarajevo, marking an unusual situation in which two brothers lead the two biggest football clubs in Bosnia and Herzegovina.[19]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 "Američki biznismen Ismir Mirvić novi investitor u FK Sarajevo". Klix.ba (in Bosnian). Retrieved 23 February 2026.
- ↑ "How Co-Protect Became A Major Supplier Of Branded Face Masks To Professional Sports Leagues". Forbes. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
- ↑ "Ismir Mirvić i poslovni uspjesi u SAD-u". Sportsport.ba (in Bosnian). Retrieved 23 February 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Ismir Mirvić osnovao firmu u Sarajevu". Dnevni Avaz (in Bosnian). Retrieved 23 February 2026.
- ↑ "Većinski vlasnik FK Sarajevo osnovao firmu u BiH". Bljesak.info (in Bosnian). Retrieved 23 February 2026.
- ↑ "Nove promjene u vlasništvu zaštitarske tvrtke SEC One". Indikator.ba (in Bosnian). Retrieved 23 February 2026.
- ↑ "Tan i Mirvić u FK Sarajevo uložili 9,7 miliona konvertibilnih maraka". Anadolu Agency (in Bosnian). Retrieved 23 February 2026.
- ↑ "Vincent Tan napustio FK Sarajevo, Ismir Mirvić preuzeo puno vlasništvo nad klubom". Klix.ba (in Bosnian). Retrieved 23 February 2026.
- ↑ "Ismir Mirvić o planovima FK Sarajevo". Reprezentacija.ba (in Bosnian). Retrieved 23 February 2026.
- ↑ "Četiri godine vladavine Mirvića u Sarajevu: Velika imena nisu donijela rezultat". Klix.ba (in Bosnian). Retrieved 23 February 2026.
- ↑ "Milioni stižu na Koševo: Objavljen iznos transfera Guliashvilija u Racing". Radio Sarajevo (in Bosnian). Retrieved 23 February 2026.
- ↑ "Milioni stižu na Koševo: Objavljen iznos transfera Guliashvilija u Racing". Radio Sarajevo (in Bosnian). Retrieved 23 February 2026.
- ↑ "SFK 2000 Sarajevo ownership updates". Klix.ba (in Bosnian). Retrieved 23 February 2026.
- ↑ "Mirvić ponosan na rast FK Sarajevo: Uspjeli smo četverostruku povećati vrijednost tima". N1 (in Bosnian). Retrieved 23 February 2026.
- ↑ "Mirvić odgovorio na kritike navijača". Klix.ba (in Bosnian). Retrieved 23 February 2026.
- ↑ "Mirvić proud of FK Sarajevo's growth: quadrupled team value". Reprezentacija.ba (in Bosnian). Retrieved 23 February 2026.
- ↑ "Ismir Mirvić dobio kćerkicu". Faktor.ba. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
- ↑ "Ko je Sanin Mirvić, novi strateški partner FK Željezničar?". Reprezentacija.ba (in Bosnian). Retrieved 23 February 2026.
- ↑ "Jedinstven slučaj u svijetu, braća na čelu dva najveća bh. kluba Željezničara i Sarajeva". Klix.ba (in Bosnian). Retrieved 23 February 2026.