Karel Poborský

Karel Poborský ({{#invoke:IPA|main}}; 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

Early career

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.<ref name="dnes-may2013">Template:Cite news</ref>

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.<ref name="dnes-jul2004">Template:Cite news</ref>

Manchester United

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.<ref name="gravytrain">Template:Cite news</ref> Poborský received offers from Liverpool and Lazio,<ref name="gravytrain"/> but in June 1996, he signed for Manchester United for a fee of £3.5 million.<ref name="quitmanu">Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref name="cs96">Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref name="plstats">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref name="quitmanu"/>

Benfica and Lazio

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.<ref name="quitmanu"/> Poborský played for Benfica for three years, leaving shortly after manager Toni Oliveira became the manager in December 2000.<ref name="dnes-jul2004"/>

In February 2001, Poborský joined Italian side SS Lazio on an 18-month contract for a transfer fee of £700,000.<ref name="joinlazio">Template:Cite news</ref> He scored his first goal for Lazio in a 5–3 win against Verona on 25 February 2001.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He left Lazio following the expiry of his contract at the end of the season.<ref name="dnes-jul2004"/>

Return to Czech Republic

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.<ref name="dnes-jul2004"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref name=jerabek156>Jeřábek 2007, p. 156.</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He retired on 28 May 2007 after playing his final match, a 2–1 home loss against Slavia Prague, another of his former sides.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Dynamo České Budějovice, by which time had Poborský as a co-owner, retired his number-8 shirt.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

International career

Karel Poborský's first international appearance, which was against Turkey on 23 February 1994,<ref name="intl-retirement">Template:Cite news</ref> was also the first match for the Czech Republic's national side after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia.

Euro 96

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.<ref name="50th">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The goal became a trademark shot for Poborský and that shooting style was soon attributed to him.<ref name="dyr">Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.<ref name="butler">Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Euro 2000

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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Euro 2004

Poborský played at Euro 2004, where he provided four assists, the tournament's highest.<ref name="euro-assists">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref name="50th"/> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In the semi-finals, Czechia played against Greece; the game was Poborský's 99th for his national team.<ref name="dnes-jul2004"/> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Other international matches

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.<ref name="intl-retirement"/>

Football administration

After concluding his playing career, Poborský became technical director of the Czech national team.<ref name="dyr"/> He held the role for almost two years, resigning in April 2009.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2011, Poborský became chairman of the newly founded Template:Ill, a member of FIFPRO.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Personal life

Karel Poborský was previously married with two children. After the breakdown of his marriage, he had another daughter.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2013 Poborský moved from Hluboká nad Vltavou to Prague.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref name="butler"/> Poborský's nickname is Steve, after the similarly-named Canadian skier Steve Podborski.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National cup		League cup		Continental		Other<ref group=Note>Includes the FA Charity Shield and Supercoppa Italiana</ref>		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<ref>1993–94 league stats</ref>	Czech First League	27	8			—		—		—
	Total		82	15			—		—		—
Viktoria Žižkov	1994–95<ref>1994–95 league stats</ref>	Czech First League	27	10			—		4	1	—		31	11
	1995–96<ref>1995–96 league stats</ref>	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<ref>Template:Soccerbase season</ref>	Premier League	22	3	2	0	2	1	6	0	1	0	33	4
	1997–98<ref>Template:Soccerbase season</ref>	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<ref>2002–03 league stats</ref>	Czech First League	28	7			—		8	2	—		36	9
	2003–04<ref>2003–04 league stats</ref>	Czech First League	28	11			—		10	5	—		38	16
	2004–05<ref>2004–05 league stats</ref>	Czech First League	24	6			—		8	1	—		32	7
	2005–06<ref>2005–06 league stats</ref>	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 Template:Reflist

International

citation

CitationClass=web }}</ref>
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	Template:Fb	1–0	1–0	Euro 1996
2	8 September 1999	Na Stínadlech, Teplice	Template:Fb	3–0	3–0	Euro 2000 qualifying
3	16 June 2000	Jan Breydel Stadium, Bruges	Template:Fb	1–1	1–2	Euro 2000
4	2 September 2000	Georgi Asparuhov Stadium, Sofia	Template:Fb	1–0	1–0	2002 World Cup qualification
5	16 October 2002	Na Stínadlech, Teplice	Template:Fb	1–0	2–0	Euro 2004 qualifying
6	10 September 2003	Toyota Arena, Prague	Template:Fb	2–0	3–1	Euro 2004 qualifying
7	15 November 2003	Na Stínadlech, Teplice	Template:Fb	3–0	5–1	Friendly
8	1 March 2006	İzmir Atatürk Stadium, İzmir	Template:Fb	1–0	2–2	Friendly

Honours

Slavia Prague

• Czech First League: 1995–96<ref name="dnes-jul2004"/>

Manchester United

• Premier League: 1996–97<ref name="plstats"/>
• FA Charity Shield: 1996<ref name="cs96"/>

Sparta Prague

• Czech First League: 2002–03, 2004–05<ref name=jerabek156/>
• Czech Cup: 2003–04<ref name=jerabek156/>

Czech Republic

• UEFA European Championship runner-up: 1996
• FIFA Confederations Cup third place: 1997

Individual

• Czech Footballer of the Year: 1996 (shared with Patrik Berger)<ref name=jerabek254>Jeřábek 2007, p. 254.</ref>
• UEFA Team of the Tournament: UEFA Euro 1996<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• UEFA European Championship top assist provider: 1996 (3 assists, shared with Youri Djorkaeff), 2004 (4 assists)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="euro-assists"/>

• Czech Footballer of the Year personality of the Czech First League: 2003, 2004, 2005<ref name=jerabek255>Jeřábek 2007, p. 255.</ref>

See also

• List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps

Bibliography

• Jeřábek, Luboš. Ceský a ceskoslovenský fotbal - lexikon osobností a klubu Praha: Grada Publishing, 2007. 262 p. Template:ISBN

External links

• Template:FACR player
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