Karel Poborský

Karel Poborský
Poborský in 2012
Personal information
Full name Karel Poborský[1]
Date of birth (1972-03-30) 30 March 1972 (age 52)
Place of birth Jindřichův Hradec, Czechoslovakia
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Winger
Youth career
1978–1984 TJ Třeboň
1984–1987 České Budějovice
1987–1988 Jiskra Třeboň
1988–1990 České Budějovice
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1991–1994 České Budějovice 82 (15)
1994–1995 Viktoria Žižkov 28 (10)
1995–1996 Slavia Prague 26 (11)
1996–1997 Manchester United 32 (5)
1998–2000 Benfica 88 (17)
2001–2002 Lazio 46 (5)
2002–2005 Sparta Prague 86 (25)
2006–2007 České Budějovice 26 (10)
Total 414 (98)
International career
1994–2006 Czech Republic 118 (8)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Czech Republic
UEFA European Championship
Runner-up 1996 England
Bronze medal – third place 2004 Portugal
FIFA Confederations Cup
Third place 1997 Saudi Arabia
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Karel Poborský (Czech pronunciation: [ˈkarɛl ˈpoborskiː] ⓘ; born 30 March 1972) is a Czech former professional association football player. Poborský played as a winger, and was most noted for his technical ability and pace.

Poborský began and finished his club career at Dynamo České Budějovice, where his kit number 8 is retired in his honour. He also won the Czech First League titles at Slavia and Sparta, the two largest clubs in Prague. Between these domestic triumphs, he won a Premier League title at Manchester United, and also played for Benfica and Lazio.

After Petr Čech, Poborský ranks second in appearances for the Czech national team, having appeared 118 times between 1994 and 2006. Poborský retired from international football after playing at the country's first World Cup. He also played in three European Championships and was named in the Team of the Tournament at UEFA Euro 1996 after helping the Czechs to the final.

Club career

[edit]

Early career

[edit]

Karel Poborský made his top-flight debut for Dynamo České Budějovice in the 1991–92 Czechoslovak First League. He transferred to the Prague-based club Viktoria Žižkov in mid 1994, before moving to local rivals Slavia Prague in mid 1995.[2]

In the 1995–96 season, Poborský led Slavia Prague to the Czech First League title and to the semi-finals of the 1995–96 UEFA Cup.[3]

Manchester United

[edit]

Poborský was one several players from the Czech national squad at UEFA Euro 1996 who after the tournament left the Czech Republic to play elsewhere.[4] Poborský received offers from Liverpool and Lazio,[4] but in June 1996, he signed for Manchester United for a fee of £3.5 million.[5] He made his club debut in the 1996 FA Charity Shield against Newcastle United, appearing as a substitute for Nicky Butt in a 4–0 win.[6] Poborský also won a Premier League title-winner's medal in the 1996–97 season, in which he played in 22 out of 38 league games and scored three goals, and helped United reach the Champions League semi-finals.[7] Due to David Beckham's rising stardom, Poborský remained at Manchester United for one and a half seasons; in December 1997 Poborský left that club, having made only six starts that season. His last match for United was a substitute appearance against Everton on 26 December.[5]

Benfica and Lazio

[edit]

in December 1997, Poborský moved to the Portuguese side Benfica for an undisclosed fee, signing a three-and-a-half-year contract to play for the club, which was managed by Graeme Souness.[5] Poborský played for Benfica for three years, leaving shortly after manager Toni Oliveira became the manager in December 2000.[3]

In February 2001, Poborský joined Italian side SS Lazio on an 18-month contract for a transfer fee of £700,000.[8] He scored his first goal for Lazio in a 5–3 win against Verona on 25 February 2001.[9] On the final day of the 2001–02 Serie A season, Poborský scored twice as Lazio beat title contenders Inter Milan 4–2, causing the title to go to Juventus.[10] He left Lazio following the expiry of his contract at the end of the season.[3]

Return to Czech Republic

[edit]

In July 2002, Poborský returned to the Czech Republic after signing as a free agent with Sparta Prague, where he became the highest-paid footballer playing in the country.[3][11] During his time at Sparta, the club won the league championships in the 2002–03 and 2004–05 seasons, as well as the national cup in 2003–04.[12]

In 2005, he returned to his first club, Dynamo České Budějovice, scoring two goals and setting up a third on the way to a 4–0 victory against Sigma Olomouc B in his first match.[13] He retired on 28 May 2007 after playing his final match, a 2–1 home loss against Slavia Prague, another of his former sides.[14] Dynamo České Budějovice, by which time had Poborský as a co-owner, retired his number-8 shirt.[15]

International career

[edit]

Karel Poborský's first international appearance, which was against Turkey on 23 February 1994,[16] was also the first match for the Czech Republic's national side after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia.

Euro 96

[edit]

Poborský played for his country at Euro 96, where he was one of the most valuable players of the tournament. After losing against Germany in the opening group match, a Poborský cross resulted in a goal for teammate Pavel Nedvěd in a 2–1 win against Italy. In the knockout stages of the tournament, Poborský scored his first international goal; he lobbed the ball over Portugal's advancing goalkeeper Vítor Baía, settling the game, which the Czech Republic won 1–0.[17][18] The goal became a trademark shot for Poborský and that shooting style was soon attributed to him.[19] In 2008, Poborský's 1996 lob was voted the best individual goal in the "Carlsberg goal of the day" poll on UEFA's official website.[20]

In Czechia's semi-final against France, Poborský was among players who scored penalties in the shootout after a goaless match, which the Czech Republic won.[21] In the final, the German defender Matthias Sammer fouled Poborský, and Patrik Berger converted the resulting penalty. Germany won the match 2–1 with a golden goal, settling the game, and the Czech Republic finished the tournament as runners-up. Poborský was given the Man of the Match award.[22]

Euro 2000

[edit]

Poborský was part of the Czech squad at Euro 2000. He scored his country's first goal of the tournament from the penalty spot, against France in a 2–1 group-stage loss that resulted in Czechia's elimination from the championship.[23] In the nation's final match of the group stage, against Denmark, Poborský provided the pass from which Vladimír Šmicer opened the scoring, with the game finishing 2–0.[24]

Euro 2004

[edit]

Poborský played at Euro 2004, where he provided four assists, the tournament's highest.[25] In his team's opening match against Latvia, Poborský kicked the ball over the crossbar in the first half before Latvia unexpectedly scored the first goal. In the second half, he made numerous crosses to teammate Milan Baroš, who in the 72nd minute converted one to equalise the match at 1–1. The match finished 2–1 after Marek Heinz scored a late winner for the Czech Republic.[26] In Czechia's second group-stage match against the Netherlands, the Dutch side took a 2–0 lead but Poborský assisted the game-winning third Czech goal, which Vladimír Šmicer scored.[17] The Czech Republic had already having qualified for the knockout stages of the tournament. Poborský and eight other players were rested for the final group-stage match against Germany, in which he played from the 70th minute as a substitute for Jaroslav Plašil. Czechia won the match 2–1, eliminating Germany from the competition.[27]

At the quarter-final stage, Poborský provided two more assists as the Czech side defeated Denmark 3–0, with all of the goals coming in the second half. In the 49th minute, Jan Koller converted his corner, scoring the first goal. In the 63rd minute, a Poborský through ball found Milan Baroš, who doubled their team's advantage. Baroš later scored his second goal of the match.[28] In the semi-finals, Czechia played against Greece; the game was Poborský's 99th for his national team.[3] Although Poborský created two chances, the Czech Republic failed to score and lost the match after defender Traianos Dellas scored a silver goal for Greece in extra time.[29]

Other international matches

[edit]

Poborský was included in the Czech national squad for the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup and 2006 World Cup. Following the 2006 World Cup, he announced his retirement from international football, having scored eight goals and made 118 appearances for his national team, a record at the time.[16]

Football administration

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After concluding his playing career, Poborský became technical director of the Czech national team.[19] He held the role for almost two years, resigning in April 2009.[30] In 2011, Poborský became chairman of the newly founded Czech Association of Football Players [cs], a member of FIFPRO.[31] He resigned from the role in June 2013, saying the workload of his role as chairman of the board of Dynamo České Budějovice was the reason for his decision.[32]

Personal life

[edit]

Karel Poborský was previously married with two children. After the breakdown of his marriage, he had another daughter.[33] In 2013 Poborský moved from Hluboká nad Vltavou to Prague.[34] In 2016, Poborský was put into a medically induced coma after contracting a brain infection that paralysed the muscles in his face and caused hypersensitivity to light. Poborský spent three weeks in hospital before making a full recovery, and said if he had arrived at the hospital a day later, he might have died.[21] Poborský's nickname is Steve, after the similarly-named Canadian skier Steve Podborski.[35]

Career statistics

[edit]

Club

[edit]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup League cup Continental Other[Note 1] Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
České Budějovice 1991–92 Czechoslovak First League 26 0 — — —
1992–93 Czechoslovak First League 29 7 — — —
1993–94[36] Czech First League 27 8 — — —
Total 82 15 — — —
Viktoria Žižkov 1994–95[37] Czech First League 27 10 — 4 1 — 31 11
1995–96[38] Czech First League 1 0 — — — 1 0
Total 28 10 — 4 1 — 32 11
Slavia Prague 1995–96 Czech First League 26 11 — 11 2 — 37 13
Manchester United 1996–97[39] Premier League 22 3 2 0 2 1 6 0 1 0 33 4
1997–98[40] Premier League 10 2 0 0 1 0 4 0 0 0 15 2
Total 32 5 2 0 3 1 10 0 1 0 48 6
Benfica 1997–98 Primeira Divisão 19 5 4 0 — 0 0 — 23 5
1998–99 Primeira Divisão 27 6 1 0 — 8 0 — 36 6
1999–2000 Primeira Divisão 29 5 1 0 — 6 0 — 36 5
2000–01 Primeira Divisão 13 1 2 0 — 2 0 — 17 1
Total 88 17 8 0 — 16 0 — 112 17
Lazio 2000–01 Serie A 19 1 0 0 — 0 0 0 0 19 1
2001–02 Serie A 27 4 3 0 — 4 0 — 34 4
Total 46 5 3 0 — 4 0 0 0 53 5
Sparta Prague 2002–03[41] Czech First League 28 7 — 8 2 — 36 9
2003–04[42] Czech First League 28 11 — 10 5 — 38 16
2004–05[43] Czech First League 24 6 — 8 1 — 32 7
2005–06[44] Czech First League 6 1 — 1 0 — 7 1
Total 86 25 — 27 8 — 113 33
České Budějovice 2005–06 Czech Second League 14 8 — — —
2006–07 Czech First League 12 2 — — —
Total 26 10 — — —
Career total 414 98 3 1 1 0

Notes

  1. ^ Includes the FA Charity Shield and Supercoppa Italiana

International

[edit]
Appearances and goals by national team and year[45]
National team Year Apps Goals
Czech Republic 1994 6 0
1995 5 0
1996 12 1
1997 9 0
1998 8 0
1999 11 1
2000 10 2
2001 11 0
2002 10 1
2003 8 2
2004 11 0
2005 10 0
2006 7 1
Total 118 8
Scores and results list Czech Republic's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Poborský goal.
List of international goals scored by Karel Poborský
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 23 June 1996 Villa Park, Birmingham  Portugal 1–0 1–0 Euro 1996
2 8 September 1999 Na Stínadlech, Teplice  Bosnia and Herzegovina 3–0 3–0 Euro 2000 qualifying
3 16 June 2000 Jan Breydel Stadium, Bruges  France 1–1 1–2 Euro 2000
4 2 September 2000 Georgi Asparuhov Stadium, Sofia  Bulgaria 1–0 1–0 2002 World Cup qualification
5 16 October 2002 Na Stínadlech, Teplice  Belarus 1–0 2–0 Euro 2004 qualifying
6 10 September 2003 Toyota Arena, Prague  Netherlands 2–0 3–1 Euro 2004 qualifying
7 15 November 2003 Na Stínadlech, Teplice  Canada 3–0 5–1 Friendly
8 1 March 2006 İzmir Atatürk Stadium, İzmir  Turkey 1–0 2–2 Friendly

Honours

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Slavia Prague

Manchester United

Sparta Prague

Czech Republic

Individual

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "2006 FIFA World Cup Germany: List of Players" (PDF). FIFA. 21 March 2014. p. 8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 June 2019.
  2. ^ "Mistr Poborský aneb prvotřídní přeborník přes fotbalovou zábavu". Mladá fronta Dnes (in Czech). 2 May 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Poborský prodloužil, pokračuje ve Spartě". Mladá fronta Dnes (in Czech). 20 July 2004. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  4. ^ a b Turnbull, Simon (7 July 1996). "All aboard gravy train". The Independent. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
  5. ^ a b c "Poborsky quits United". BBC News. 27 December 1997. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  6. ^ a b Moore, Glenn (11 August 1996). "Hungry United devour Keegan's pretenders". The Independent. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Karel Poborsky: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  8. ^ "Poborsky criticises United". BBC News. 4 March 2001. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  9. ^ "Poborský dal za Lazio první gól". Mladá fronta Dnes (in Czech). 25 February 2001. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  10. ^ "Juve's gain is Inter's pain". ESPN. 5 May 2002. Archived from the original on 5 October 2017. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  11. ^ "Poborský bude hrát za své Budějovice". Mladá fronta Dnes (in Czech). 23 September 2005. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
  12. ^ a b c Jeřábek 2007, p. 156.
  13. ^ "Poborský dal dva góly a třetí připravil". Mladá fronta Dnes (in Czech). 25 September 2005. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
  14. ^ "Poborskému se rozlučka s kariérou proti Slavii nepodařila". Czech Radio (in Czech). 29 May 2007. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  15. ^ Willoughby, Ian (29 May 2007). "Ceske Budejovice retire jersey in tribute to Poborsky". Czech Radio. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  16. ^ a b "Poborsky quits international game". BBC News. 11 July 2006. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  17. ^ a b "OBRAZEM: Lišák Poborský oslavil 50. Dloubák Portugalcům? Nejjednodušší řešení". Deník (in Czech). 31 March 2022. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  18. ^ Culley, Jon (24 June 1996). "Poborsky piques Portugal". The Independent. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  19. ^ a b "Poborsky, a Czech constant". FIFA. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  20. ^ "Poborský voted best solo strike". UEFA. 7 May 2008. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  21. ^ a b Butler, Michael (20 April 2019). "Karel Poborsky: "They put me into a coma. All my face muscles were paralysed"". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  22. ^ "Bierhoff the hero of Germany's EURO '96 final win against Czech Republic". UEFA. 6 October 2003. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  23. ^ "Djorkaeff puts Czechs out". BBC News. 16 June 2000. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  24. ^ "Smicer brace gives Czechs win". BBC News. 21 June 2000. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  25. ^ a b "Euro final tournament assists: All you need to know". UEFA. 17 June 2020. Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  26. ^ "Czech Rep 2-1 Latvia". BBC News. 15 June 2004. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  27. ^ "Germany 1-2 Czech Rep". BBC News. 23 June 2004. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  28. ^ "Czech Republic 3-0 Denmark". BBC News. 27 June 2004. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  29. ^ "Greece in Final After Sensational Victory over Czechs". Deutsche Welle. 1 July 2004. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  30. ^ "Proč Poborský rezignoval?". Deník (in Czech). 10 April 2009. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  31. ^ "Čeští profesionální fotbalisté založili svou asociaci". Týden (in Czech). 2 June 2011. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  32. ^ "Poborský odstoupil z čela České asociace fotbalových hráčů". Mladá fronta Dnes (in Czech). 28 June 2013. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  33. ^ "Ještě den a bylo pozdě, přiznává Poborský o své nemoci". Mladá fronta Dnes (in Czech). 9 September 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  34. ^ "Poborský se přestěhoval, přišel tak o post krajského zastupitele". Mladá fronta Dnes (in Czech). 20 March 2013. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  35. ^ "Autor vítězného lobu ze čtvrtfinále Eura 1996 Karel Poborský slaví 45. narozeniny". Czech Radio (in Czech). 30 March 2017. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  36. ^ 1993–94 league stats
  37. ^ 1994–95 league stats
  38. ^ 1995–96 league stats
  39. ^ "Games played by Karel Poborsky in 1996/1997". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  40. ^ "Games played by Karel Poborsky in 1997/1998". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  41. ^ 2002–03 league stats
  42. ^ 2003–04 league stats
  43. ^ 2004–05 league stats
  44. ^ 2005–06 league stats
  45. ^ "Karel Poborský | Century of International Appearances". RSSSF. 23 July 2006. Retrieved 13 March 2012.
  46. ^ Jeřábek 2007, p. 254.
  47. ^ "1996 team of the tournament". UEFA. 18 November 2011. Archived from the original on 25 June 2012.
  48. ^ "UEFA EURO Portugal 2004 Statistics". UEFA. Archived from the original on 30 November 2011.
  49. ^ Jeřábek 2007, p. 255.

Bibliography

[edit]
  • Jeřábek, Luboš. Ceský a ceskoslovenský fotbal - lexikon osobností a klubu Praha: Grada Publishing, 2007. 262 p. ISBN 978-80-247-1656-5
[edit]
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