Karel Poborský

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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)
1996–1998 Manchester United 32 (5)
1998–2000 Benfica 61 (11)
2000–2002 Lazio 46 (5)
2002–2005 Sparta Prague 87 (26)
2005–2007 České Budějovice 26 (10)
Total 388 (93)
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 footballer who played as a right winger. He was most noted for his technical ability and pace.

He 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 the two largest clubs in Prague - Slavia and Sparta. 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, with 118 between 1994 and 2006, retiring from international football after playing at the country's first World Cup. He also played in three European Championships, being named in the Team of the Tournament at UEFA Euro 1996 after helping the Czechs to the final.

Club career[edit]

Early career[edit]

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

In the 1995–96 season, Poborský led Slavia Prague to the Czech First League title, as well as to the semi-finals of the 1995–96 UEFA Cup.[2]

Manchester United[edit]

Poborský was one of a number of the Czech squad at UEFA Euro 1996 who left the Czech Republic to play in another country after the tournament.[3] He signed for Manchester United in June 1996 for a fee of £3.5 million.[4] Poborský 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.[5] He added more silverware by collecting a Premier League title winner's medal in the 1996–97 season, playing in 22 out of 38 league games and scoring four goals, also helping United reach the Champions League semi-finals.[6] Due to David Beckham's rising stardom, Poborský would only manage one-and-a-half seasons at Old Trafford; in December 1997 Poborský left Manchester United, having made only six starts for the club that season. His last match for United was a substitute appearance against Everton on 26 December.[4]

Benfica and Lazio[edit]

Poborský moved to Portuguese side Benfica in December 1997 for an undisclosed fee, signing a three-and-a-half year contract to play for Graeme Souness' side.[4]

Poborský joined Italian side SS Lazio in February 2001 on an 18-month contract for a transfer fee of £700,000.[7] He scored his first goal for Lazio in a 5–3 win against Verona on 25 February 2001.[8] 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 instead.[9] He left Lazio following the expiry of his contract at the end of the season.[2]

Return to Czech Republic[edit]

In July 2002, Poborský returned to his homeland, signing as a free agent with Sparta Prague, where he became the highest-paid footballer playing in the Czech Republic.[2][10] 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.[11] He retired on 28 May 2007 after playing his final match: a loss against another of his former sides, Slavia Prague.[12]

International career[edit]

Poborský's first international appearance, against Turkey on 23 February 1994,[13] was also the first match for the Czech Republic after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia.

EURO 96[edit]

He played for his country at Euro 96, where he was one of the most valuable players of the entire 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's lob shot over Portugal goalkeeper Vítor Baía settled a game which the Czech Republic won 1–0. In the semi-finals against France, Poborský was among those who scored penalties in the shootout as the Czech Republic prevailed after a goalless match.[14] In the final, Poborský was fouled by German defender Matthias Sammer, with the resulting penalty being converted by Patrik Berger. Ultimately Germany prevailed 2–1 with a golden goal settling the game, leaving the Czech Republic as runners-up. Poborský was given the Man of the Match award.[15]

Poborský lob[edit]

Poborský's name is often attached to his performance at the UEFA Euro 1996, where during the quarter-final match against Portugal, he chipped the ball and lobbed it over the advancing Vítor Baía.[16] The goal became a trademark shot for Poborský, as that shooting style was soon attributed to him.[17]

Later international career[edit]

He later featured in Euro 2000 and Euro 2004, and was also in the nation's squad for the 2006 World Cup. He announced his international retirement after the 2006 World Cup, having scored 8 goals and made at that time a record 118 appearances for his national team.[13]

In 2008, Poborský's 1996 lob was voted the best individual goal in the Carlsberg goal of the day poll on the UEFA official website.[18]

Personal life[edit]

In 2016, Poborský was put into a medical-induced coma after contracting a brain infection that left the muscles in his face paralysed and with a hypersensitivity to light. Poborský spent three weeks quarantined in hospital before making a full recovery, but he said if he had arrived at the hospital a day later, he might have died.[14]

Career statistics[edit]

Club[edit]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup League cup Europe 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 29 7 — —
1993–94 Czech First League 27 8 — —
Total 82 15 — —
Viktoria Žižkov 1994–95[19] Czech First League 27 10 — —
1995–96[20] 1 0 — —
Total 28 10 — —
Slavia Prague 1995–96 Czech First League 26 11 2 0 — 11 2 — 39 13
Manchester United 1996–97[21] Premier League 22 3 2 0 2 1 6 0 1 0 33 4
1997–98[22] 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 1998–99 Primeira Divisão 19 5 —
1999–2000 29 5 —
2000–01 13 1 —
Total 61 11 —
Lazio 2000–01 Serie A 19 1 — 0 0
2001–02 27 4 — —
Total 46 5 — 0 0
Sparta Prague 2002–03 Czech First League 29 8 — —
2003–04 28 11 — —
2004–05 24 6 — —
2005–06 6 1 — —
Total 81 26 — —
České Budějovice 2005–06 Czech 2. Liga 14 8 — — —
2006–07 Czech First League 12 2 — — —
Total 26 10 — —
Career total 388 93

Notes

  1. ^ Includes the FA Charity Shield and Supercoppa Italiana

International[edit]

Appearances and goals by national team and year[23]
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[edit]

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. ^ a b c d "Poborský prodloužil, pokračuje ve Spartě". Mladá fronta Dnes (in Czech). 20 July 2004. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  3. ^ Turnbull, Simon (7 July 1996). "All aboard gravy train". The Independent. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
  4. ^ a b c "Poborsky quits United". BBC News. 27 December 1997. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  5. ^ a b Moore, Glenn (11 August 1996). "Hungry United devour Keegan's pretenders". The Independent. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  6. ^ "Sporting Heroes". Sporting Heroes. Retrieved 13 March 2012.
  7. ^ "Poborsky criticises United". BBC News. 4 March 2001. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  8. ^ "Poborský dal za Lazio první gól". Mladá fronta Dnes (in Czech). 25 February 2001. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  9. ^ "Juve's gain is Inter's pain". ESPN. 5 May 2002. Archived from the original on 5 October 2017. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  10. ^ "Poborský bude hrát za své Budějovice". Mladá fronta Dnes (in Czech). 23 September 2005. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
  11. ^ "Poborský dal dva góly a třetí připravil". Mladá fronta Dnes (in Czech). 25 September 2005. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
  12. ^ "Poborskému se rozlučka s kariérou proti Slavii nepodařila". Czech Radio (in Czech). 29 May 2007. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  13. ^ a b "Poborsky quits international game". BBC News. 11 July 2006. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  14. ^ 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.
  15. ^ "Bierhoff the hero of Germany's EURO '96 final win against Czech Republic". UEFA. 6 October 2003. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  16. ^ Culley, Jon (24 June 1996). "Poborsky piques Portugal". The Independent. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  17. ^ "Poborsky, a Czech constant". FIFA. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  18. ^ "Poborský voted best solo strike". UEFA. 7 May 2008. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  19. ^ "SK Slavia Prague stats (1995)". Archived from the original on 8 January 2009. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
  20. ^ "SK Slavia Prague stats (1996)". Archived from the original on 28 April 2010. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
  21. ^ "Games played by Karel Poborsky in 1996/1997". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  22. ^ "Games played by Karel Poborsky in 1997/1998". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  23. ^ "Karel Poborský | Century of International Appearances". RSSSF. 23 July 2006. Retrieved 13 March 2012.
  24. ^ "Karel Poborsky: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  25. ^ "UEFA Euro 2016". UEFA. 25 April 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  26. ^ "UEFA Euro 2004 History Statistics". UEFA. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  27. ^ "Euro final tournament assists: All you need to know". UEFA. 17 June 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2020.

External links[edit]

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