Jaroslav Plašil facts for kids
![]() Plašil with Czech Republic at the UEFA Euro 2012
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Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Jaroslav Plašil | |||||||||||||||
Date of birth | 5 January 1982 | |||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Opočno, Czechoslovakia | |||||||||||||||
Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||||||
Position(s) | Midfielder | |||||||||||||||
Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
1987–1992 | Sokol Černíkovice | |||||||||||||||
1992–1993 | Spartak Rychnov nad Kněžnou | |||||||||||||||
1993–1998 | Hradec Králové | |||||||||||||||
Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
1998–2000 | Hradec Králové | 4 | (0) | |||||||||||||
2000–2007 | Monaco | 121 | (5) | |||||||||||||
2002–2003 | → Créteil (loan) | 14 | (0) | |||||||||||||
2007–2009 | Osasuna | 66 | (8) | |||||||||||||
2009–2019 | Bordeaux | 290 | (15) | |||||||||||||
2013–2014 | → Catania (loan) | 28 | (1) | |||||||||||||
Total | 523 | (29) | ||||||||||||||
International career | ||||||||||||||||
2002–2003 | Czech Republic U21 | 16 | (1) | |||||||||||||
2004–2016 | Czech Republic | 103 | (7) | |||||||||||||
Medal record
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*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Jaroslav Plašil (born on January 5, 1982) is a former professional footballer from the Czech Republic. He played as a midfielder, helping his team control the middle of the field.
He spent most of his career playing for clubs in France, especially Monaco and Bordeaux. He played over 400 games in France's top league, Ligue 1. For Bordeaux, he played 367 matches in total and even led them as captain to win the 2012–13 Coupe de France cup.
Plašil also played for two seasons with Osasuna in Spain and had a loan spell with Catania in Italy. He was a key player for his country, earning 103 caps for the Czech Republic between 2004 and 2016. He proudly represented his nation in four UEFA European Championship tournaments and the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Contents
Jaroslav Plašil's Club Journey
Starting His Football Career
Jaroslav Plašil joined Monaco in 2000 when he was 18 years old. In his first two years, he didn't play much. So, he was loaned to Créteil, a club in France's second division, Ligue 2.
After playing well there, Plašil returned to Monaco in 2003. For the next four years, he became a regular player in the starting team. One of his most exciting times was in the 2003–04 season when Monaco reached the final of the UEFA Champions League, a huge European club competition. In that season, Plašil even scored a goal in Monaco's amazing 8–3 victory over Deportivo La Coruña.
Playing in Spain with Osasuna
On August 25, 2007, Plašil moved to Spain and signed a four-year contract with CA Osasuna, a team in La Liga, Spain's top football league. He joined for about €2.25 million.
He played his first game for Osasuna on September 16, 2007, in a match against FC Barcelona. His first goal for the team came on December 2, when he scored with a left-foot shot in a 2–1 win against Deportivo de La Coruña. He scored four goals in 35 games during his first season.
In his second season, he also scored four goals in 32 games. His last goal for Osasuna was an equalizer in a 2–1 home win against Real Madrid on May 31, 2009.
Success with Bordeaux in France
On June 9, 2009, Jaroslav Plašil returned to France to join Bordeaux, who were the French champions at the time. He signed a four-year deal. He made his debut for Bordeaux when they won the 2009 Trophée des Champions, an early-season cup.
A big moment for Plašil came on May 31, 2013. He was the captain of Bordeaux when they won the 2013 Coupe de France Final by beating Evian 3–2. This was a major trophy win for the club.
In September 2013, Plašil went on loan to Catania, a club in Italy's top league, Serie A. He played 29 games for them and scored his only goal on September 29, helping Catania win 2–0 against Chievo.
Plašil continued to play for Bordeaux for many years. In July 2019, at the age of 37, he decided to retire from playing professional football. Right after retiring, he joined the coaching staff for Bordeaux's reserve team, helping to train younger players.
Jaroslav Plašil's International Career
Jaroslav Plašil first played for the Czech Republic senior squad on March 31, 2004, in a friendly match against the Republic of Ireland.
In his very next game, on June 2, 2004, he scored his first goal for his country in a 3–1 friendly win against Bulgaria. He was chosen to play in the UEFA Euro 2004 tournament in Portugal, where the Czech team reached the semi-finals. He played in one match, a 2–1 win against Germany.
Plašil played in all three of the Czech Republic's group games at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. This was the first World Cup for the Czech Republic since the country split from Slovakia.
He played a big part in helping the Czech Republic qualify for UEFA Euro 2008. He scored a goal in a 3–0 win against Germany on October 17, 2007, which secured their spot in the finals. In the tournament itself, Plašil started every game and scored a goal against Turkey, though the Czechs eventually lost that match 3–2 and were eliminated.
Plašil played every minute of the Czech Republic's games at UEFA Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine. They were knocked out by Portugal in the quarter-finals. He was also selected for his fourth European Championship, UEFA Euro 2016, which was held in France.
Before the 2016 tournament, on June 5, Plašil reached a special milestone: he earned his 100th cap for the national team in a friendly match against South Korea. He played in all three group matches at Euro 2016, but the Czech team did not advance past the group stage.
International Goals

Here is a list of the goals Jaroslav Plašil scored for the Czech Republic national team:
No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
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1 | 1 June 2004 | Generali Arena, Prague, Czech Republic | 2 | ![]() |
2–0 | 3–1 | Friendly |
2 | 17 October 2007 | Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany | 31 | ![]() |
3–0 | 3–0 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying |
3 | 15 June 2008 | Stade de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland | 40 | ![]() |
2–0 | 2–3 | UEFA Euro 2008 |
4 | 10 October 2009 | Generali Arena, Prague, Czech Republic | 51 | ![]() |
2–0 | 2–0 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
5 | 25 March 2011 | Estadio Nuevo Los Cármenes, Granada, Spain | 62 | ![]() |
1–0 | 1–2 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying |
6 | 3 September 2011 | Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland | 65 | ![]() |
1–1 | 2–2 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying |
7 | 27 May 2016 | Kufstein Arena, Kufstein, Austria | 98 | ![]() |
1–0 | 6–0 | Friendly |
Trophies and Achievements
Jaroslav Plašil won several honors during his football career:
- Monaco
* UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2003–04 (They reached the final but didn't win).
- Bordeaux
* Trophée des Champions: 2009 (A French Super Cup). * Coupe de France: 2012–13 (The main French knockout cup competition).
See also
In Spanish: Jaroslav Plašil para niños