Luboš Kubík facts for kids
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 20 January 1964 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Vysoké Mýto, Czechoslovakia | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Midfielder, libero | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1972–1979 | Spartak Choceň | |||||||||||||||
| 1979–1982 | Spartak Hradec Králové | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 1981–1982 | Spartak Hradec Králové | 28 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| 1982–1988 | TJ Slavia Praha IPS | 133 | (33) | |||||||||||||
| 1989–1991 | Fiorentina | 50 | (8) | |||||||||||||
| 1991–1993 | Metz | 70 | (14) | |||||||||||||
| 1993–1995 | 1. FC Nürnberg | 40 | (5) | |||||||||||||
| 1995–1996 | FK Drnovice | 14 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| 1996–1997 | Slavia Prague | 14 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 1997–1998 | Lázně Bohdaneč | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 1998–2000 | Chicago Fire | 71 | (15) | |||||||||||||
| 2001 | Dallas Burn | 11 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 414 | (80) | ||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1985–1993 | Czechoslovakia | 39 | (10) | |||||||||||||
| 1994–1997 | Czech Republic | 17 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||||
| FC Hradec Králové | ||||||||||||||||
| 2006 | Śląsk Wrocław | |||||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | Torquay United | |||||||||||||||
| 2007 | SK Týniště nad Orlicí | |||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||
Luboš Kubík (born 20 January 1964) is a former professional footballer and manager from the Czech Republic. He was known for playing as a libero, a defensive player who also helps with attacks. Kubík played for both the Czechoslovakia and Czech Republic national teams. He earned 56 caps (appearances) and scored 13 goals in total during his international career.
Contents
About Luboš Kubík
Kubík was born on January 20, 1964, in Vysoké Mýto, which is in the Pardubice Region of what was then Czechoslovakia. He learned several languages because of his football career. These include English, Italian, Polish, German, and French, in addition to his native Czech. He also understood Russian, which he learned in school.
After he stopped playing professional football, Kubík worked to help young players. He was involved with the Luboš Kubík Rural Football School in Dolní Roveň. His son, also named Luboš, helps young Czech football players go to American universities to play and study.
Kubík's Club Career
Luboš Kubík played for many different football clubs throughout his career. He started in Europe before moving to play in the United States.
Playing in Europe
Kubík began his football journey in 1981 with FC Hradec Králové. The next year, he moved to SK Slavia Prague. In 1988, he faced some contract issues with Slavia Prague. He tried to join Derby County in England, but his old club did not agree to the transfer at first.
In April 1989, Kubík finally signed with the Italian club ACF Fiorentina. He played 26 league matches for Fiorentina and scored three goals. He also helped the team reach the final of the 1989–90 UEFA Cup, where they lost to Juventus.
After his time in Italy, Kubík moved to France in 1991 to play for FC Metz in Ligue 1. In 1993, he transferred to Germany to join 1. FC Nürnberg in the Bundesliga. Later, he returned to the Czech Republic and played for FK Drnovice, SK Slavia Prague again, and AFK Lázně Bohdaneč.
Playing in Major League Soccer (MLS)
In 1998, Kubík moved to the United States to play in Major League Soccer (MLS). He joined the new team, Chicago Fire. In their very first year, Kubík helped the Fire win both the MLS Cup (the league championship) and the U.S. Open Cup. Because of his great performance, he was named the MLS Defender of the Year.
Kubík continued to be a strong player for Chicago Fire in 1999. He scored five goals and made eight assists. For the second time, he was named to the MLS Best XI, which is a team of the best players in the league.
In 2001, Kubík joined Dallas Burn. However, his final year of playing was affected by injuries. He only played in 11 matches for Dallas Burn. He decided to retire from professional football at the end of the 2001 MLS season and went back to the Czech Republic.
International Football
Luboš Kubík played for his country's national teams for many years. He first played for the Czechoslovakia national football team in 1985 against Sweden.
He represented Czechoslovakia at the 1990 FIFA World Cup, which is one of the biggest football tournaments in the world. After Czechoslovakia split, he played for the Czech Republic national football team. He was part of the Czech team at the 1996 UEFA European Football Championship. Kubík played his last international game in 1997 against Belarus.
Managerial Career
After retiring as a player, Luboš Kubík also tried his hand at coaching football teams.
In the summer of 2006, he became the manager of the Polish team Śląsk Wrocław. However, his time there was short, and he left in October after only 11 league games.
Later in 2006, Kubík was appointed coach of Torquay United, an English team in EFL League Two. Despite his impressive playing career, he did not have much experience as a manager in England. Torquay United struggled while he was in charge, winning only two out of 15 matches. He left the club in February 2007.
In 2007, Kubík became the coach of SK Týniště nad Orlicí, a third-tier Czech club. He left this club later that year due to poor results.
In March 2010, Kubík was chosen to be an assistant coach for the United States men's national soccer team. He helped the team prepare for the 2010 FIFA World Cup that year.
Achievements and Awards
Luboš Kubík received several individual awards during his playing career:
- MLS Defender of the Year Award: 1998
- MLS Best XI: 1998, 1999
- MLS All-Star: 1998, 1999
See also
- In Spanish: Luboš Kubík para niños
