Radoslav Kováč

Radoslav Kováč
Kováč at West Ham in 2009
Personal information
Full name Radoslav Kováč[1]
Date of birth (1979-11-27) 27 November 1979 (age 44)[2]
Place of birth Šumperk, Czechoslovakia
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)[2]
Position(s) Centre-back, defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Slovan Liberec (manager)
Youth career
1988–1990 Spartak Loučná nad Desnou
1990–1992 TJ Šumperk
1992–1995 Velké Losiny
1995–1997 Sigma Olomouc
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1997–2003 Sigma Olomouc 127 (3)
2003–2005 Sparta Prague 46 (3)
2005–2009 Spartak Moscow 101 (9)
2009 → West Ham United (loan) 9 (1)
2009–2011 West Ham United 44 (2)
2011–2012 Basel 19 (1)
2013–2014 Slovan Liberec 37 (1)
2014–2016 Sparta Prague 21 (0)
Total 404 (20)
International career
1999–2002 Czech Republic U-21 15 (0)
2004–2009 Czech Republic 30 (2)
Managerial career
2016–2019 Sparta Prague (assistant)
2020–2021 SFC Opava
2022 FC MAS Táborsko
2022–2024 FK Pardubice
2024– Slovan Liberec
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Czech Republic
UEFA European Under-21 Championship
Winner 2002 Switzerland
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Radoslav Kováč (Czech pronunciation: [ˈradoslaf ˈkovaːtʃ]; born 27 November 1979) is a Czech football manager and former player. He is the manager of Slovan Liberec. Kováč played both in midfield and in defence for Sigma Olomouc, Sparta Prague, Spartak Moscow, West Ham United, FC Basel and Slovan Liberec. At international level, he represented the Czech Republic's U-21 and senior team.

Club career

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Kováč, playing for Spartak Moscow

Early career

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Having come through the ranks of Sigma Olomouc, Kováč joined Sparta Prague in 2004. In July 2005, he moved to Russia, where he signed for Spartak Moscow. During a Moscow derby against Lokomotiv Moscow on 20 July 2008, Kováč received a yellow card for tackling a fan who invaded the pitch.[3]

West Ham United

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On 30 January 2009, he moved on loan to West Ham United for the remainder of the 2008–09 season.[4] He made his debut for West Ham on 25 February 2009 in a 2–0 FA Cup defeat to Middlesbrough.[5] His first goal for West Ham came in their 3–1 away defeat to Everton on 16 May 2009.[6]

Kováč signed a permanent contract with West Ham United on 11 August 2009 on a three-year contract.[7] He scored his first goal of the 2009–10 season against Portsmouth in the 89th minute on 26 December, playing 90 minutes in a 2–0 win at Upton Park. At the end of the 2010–11 season, with twelve months left on his contract and after 62 league and cup appearances,[8] Kováč left West Ham United.

Basel

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In July 2011 Kováč joined reigning Swiss Super League champions FC Basel for an undisclosed fee on a two-year contract.[9] He joined Basel's first team during their 2011–12 season under head coach Thorsten Fink. To the beginning of their 2011–12 season Kováč was a member of the Basel team that won the 2011 Uhrencup, beating both Hertha Berlin 3–0 and West Ham United 2–1 to lead the table on goal difference above Young Boys.[10]

After playing in six test games Kováč played his domestic league debut for the club in the away game in the Stade de Suisse, Wankdorf on 16 July 2011 as Basel played a 1–1 draw with BSC Young Boys.[11] At the end of the 2011–12 season he won the Double with his new club. They won the League Championship title with 20 points advantage.[12] The team won the Swiss Cup, winning the final 4–2 in a penalty shootout against Luzern.[13]

Kováč scored his first goal for the club on 4 August 2012 in the away game in the Stade Tourbillon as Basel played a 1–1 draw with Sion.[14]

On 21 December 2012 it was announced that Kováč would leave the club and had signed for Slovan Liberec. Basel and Kováč agreed to prematurely terminate the contract, because he had achieved only 5 appearances up until that date. Therefore, he could sign for Liberec on a free transfer.[15] During his 18 months with the club Kováč played a total of 52 games for Basel scoring a total of two goals. 20 of these games were in the Swiss Super League, five in the Swiss Cup, two in the UEFA competitions (Champions League and Europa League) and 25 were friendly games. He scored one goal in the domestic league and the other was scored during the test games.[16]

International career

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Kováč was part of the Czech side which won the UEFA U-21 Championships in 2002.[17] Kováč made his debut on 9 October 2004 in a 1–0 friendly win against Romania. Kováč appeared for his nation in the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008. With the Czech Republic failing to qualify for the 2010 World Cup, Kováč announced his retirement from international football in January 2010, in order to focus on his club career.[18][19]

International goals

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Scores and results list Czech Republic's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 28 March 2007 Liberec, Czech Republic  Cyprus 1–0 Win UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
2 19 November 2008 Serravalle, San Marino  San Marino 3–0 Win 2010 World Cup qualifying

Coaching career

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From 2016 to 2019 Kováč worked as an assistant manager at AC Sparta Praha. In June 2020 he was hired as SFC Opava football manager replacing sacked Jiří Balcárek.[20][21] In June 2022 he was hired as FC MAS Táborsko football manager replacing Sergejs Golubevs.[22] On 13 September 2022, Kováč was named as new head coach of FK Pardubice.[23] Ahead of 2024/2025 season, Kováč became the manager of Slovan Liberec.[24]

Honours

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Basel

References

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  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. ^ a b "Radoslav Kováč". AC Sparta Praha. Archived from the original on 14 April 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
  3. ^ Addison, Joe (23 July 2008). "Yellow card for taking down intruder". Soccer America. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  4. ^ "Czech Kovac joins Hammers on loan". BBC Sport. 30 January 2009. Retrieved 31 January 2009.
  5. ^ "Middlesbrough 2–0 West Ham". BBC Sport. 25 February 2009. Retrieved 26 February 2009.
  6. ^ "Everton 3–1 West Ham". BBC Sport.
  7. ^ "West Ham sign Radoslav Kovac on three-year deal". The Guardian. 14 August 2009. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  8. ^ "Welcome to the Wonderful World of West Ham United Statistics Radoslav Kovac". westhamstats.info. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
  9. ^ "Kovac departs". West Ham United F.C. Archived from the original on 27 June 2011. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
  10. ^ Garin, Erik (2011). "Coupe Horlogère - Uhren Cup (Switzerland)". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  11. ^ "BSC Young Boys - FC Basel 1:1 (0:0)". Verein "Basler Fussballarchiv”. 16 July 2011. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  12. ^ Stokkermans, Karel (2017). "Switzerland 2011/12". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (in French). Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  13. ^ "FC Basel - FC Luzern 4:2 n.P. (1:1, 1:1, 0:0)". Swiss Football Verband (SFV) internet. 16 May 2012. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  14. ^ "FC Sion - FC Basel 1:1 (0:0)". Verein "Basler Fussballarchiv”. 4 August 2012. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  15. ^ "Kovac verlässt FC Basel". Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) (in German). Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  16. ^ "Radoslav Kovac - FCB statistic". Verein "Basler Fussballarchiv”. 2016. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  17. ^ "European U-21 Championship 2002 - Final Tournament Details". RSSSF. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  18. ^ "West Ham and Czech Republic midfielder Radoslav Kovac calls time on international career". football.co.uk.
  19. ^ "West Ham's Radoslav Kovac retires from Czech Republic". BBC Sport. 6 January 2010.
  20. ^ "Opava mění trenéra, odvrátit sestup se pokusí bývalý reprezentant Kováč". iDNES.cz (in Czech). 10 June 2020.
  21. ^ "Opava potvrdila změny. Balcárek končí, mužstvo převezmou Kováč a Skácel". iDNES.cz (in Czech). 11 June 2020.
  22. ^ "Vozábal do druholigového Táborska ulovil Kováče, ten střídá Lotyše". Blesk (in Czech). 19 June 2022.
  23. ^ "Radoslav Kováč novým trenérem FK Pardubice". FK Pardubice (in Czech). Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  24. ^ Čarnogurský, Tomáš (26 May 2024). "Novým trenérem bude bývalý kapitán Slovanu Radoslav Kováč". FC Slovan Liberec (in Czech). Retrieved 27 May 2024.
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