The amateur football club Floersheim-2, which competes in the 11th division of German football, features players sharing the same last name, as reported by Bild. In the team’s starting lineup, all 11 players are named Kurtanovich, all of whom are relatives of the club’s owner, who chose to invite his brothers, cousins, and second cousins to join the team.
In one of Floersheim’s recent matches, the starting lineup was as follows:
Goalkeeper: Haris Kurtanovich
Defenders: Ajet Kurtanovich, Samir Kurtanovich, Imran Kurtanovich
Midfielders: Amel Kurtanovich, Anes Kurtanovich, Semir Kurtanovich, Kenan Kurtanovich, Semin Kurtanovich
Forwards: Bakir Kurtanovich, Ibrahim Kurtanovich
The youngest players, Amel and Imran, are both 18 years old, while the oldest is 50-year-old Ibrahim Kurtanovic. Currently, there are 12 relatives registered with Floersheim. This familial connection allows the coach to occasionally confuse opponents by fielding all 11 Kurtanoviches and assigning them jersey numbers that do not match their positions on the field. Additionally, the players only communicate in Bosnian during matches, which significantly complicates matters for opposing teams. Three more players named Kurtanovic are expected to join the team in the winter.
The Kurtanovic family hails from the Sandzak region, which lies at the crossroads of four countries: Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia, and Kosovo. Following the onset of the Yugoslav Wars in 1991, they began relocating to Germany. The Kurtanovic family now consists of about 150 members, most of whom hold German passports. Florsheim currently ranks second in the league and aims for promotion. If successful, the Kurtanovich family plans to host a large celebration.
