Marek Mintál facts for kids
Mintal in the 2012–13 season
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 2 September 1977 | ||
| Place of birth | Žilina, Czechoslovakia | ||
| Height | 1.83 m | ||
| Playing position | Attacking midfielder, forward | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | SpVgg Bayreuth (manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Žilina | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1996–2003 | Žilina | 188 | (77) |
| 1996 | → Nové Mesto nad Váhom (loan) | ||
| 2003–2011 | 1. FC Nürnberg | 180 | (66) |
| 2011–2012 | Hansa Rostock | 24 | (6) |
| 2012–2013 | 1. FC Nürnberg II | 29 | (11) |
| Total | 421 | (160) | |
| National team | |||
| 2002–2009 | Slovakia | 45 | (14) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2013–2015 | 1. FC Nürnberg (assistant) | ||
| 2019–2021 | 1. FC Nürnberg II | ||
| 2019 | 1. FC Nürnberg (interim) | ||
| 2020–2022 | Slovakia (assistant) | ||
| 2022–2023 | Slovakia U19 (assistant) | ||
| 2023– | SpVgg Bayreuth | ||
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Marek Mintál (born September 2, 1977) is a football coach and a former player from Slovakia. He used to play as an attacking midfielder or forward. Today, he is the manager of a German football club called SpVgg Bayreuth.
Contents
Playing Career: Marek Mintál's Journey on the Field
Marek Mintál started his football career at the Slovak club MŠK Žilina. He helped his team win the Slovak championship two years in a row, in 2001–02 and 2002–03. He was a fantastic scorer, getting 20 goals in the first winning season and 21 goals in the second. Because of his amazing goal-scoring, he became the top scorer in Slovakia for both seasons.
His great performance led to him playing for the Slovak national team for the first time in February 2002. He played 33 games for his country and scored 11 goals.
Moving to Germany: Success with 1. FC Nürnberg
After the 2002–03 season, Mintál moved to the German club 1. FC Nürnberg. At that time, Nürnberg was playing in the 2. Bundesliga, which is Germany's second-highest football league. He continued to score many goals, netting 18 goals in his first season. This made him the top scorer in the 2. Bundesliga. His goals were very important in helping Nürnberg get promoted to the Bundesliga, Germany's top league, right away.
During this time, people noticed Mintál's quiet but effective way of playing. They gave him nicknames like "stealth bomber" or "Sniper" because he would often score goals without seeming to be in the middle of the action. In the next year, he became the top scorer in the Bundesliga with 24 goals. His goals helped Nürnberg avoid relegation, which means staying in the top league.
Injuries and Triumphs
Mintál's constant success made people think he might move to an even bigger club. Teams like Liverpool and Villarreal were rumored to be interested. However, he decided to stay at Nürnberg.
The next season was tough for him because he broke his foot twice in just five months. This meant he could only play in four games and scored only one goal. He made a comeback in a game against Borussia Mönchengladbach and later scored two goals for Slovakia against Cyprus. Unfortunately, his foot injury returned, and he needed more surgery.
In 2007, Mintál and 1. FC Nürnberg won the DFB-Pokal, which is a big German cup competition. He even scored a goal in the final game, which Nürnberg won 3–2 after extra time. He also scored two goals in a UEFA Cup match against AZ, helping his team in European competitions. Marek Mintál finished his playing career in 2013.
Coaching Career: From Player to Coach
After ending his playing career, Marek Mintál started coaching. From 2013 to 2014, he worked as an assistant coach for his old team, 1. FC Nürnberg. He then went to Slovakia to get his coaching license.
Mintál returned to Nürnberg in 2015 as an assistant coach. He also helped coach the club's U19 (under-19) team. In February 2019, he became an interim (temporary) assistant coach for the first team. Later that year, in November 2019, he was promoted to head coach for one game. He has also served as an assistant coach for the Slovak national team and the Slovakia U19 team. Since 2023, he has been the manager of SpVgg Bayreuth.
Honours
As of 15 January 2011
MŠK Žilina
- Slovak Superliga: 2001–02, 2002–03
- Slovak Super Cup: 2003
1. FC Nürnberg
- DFB-Pokal: 2006–07
- 2. Bundesliga: 2003–04
Individual Awards
- Slovak Superliga top scorer: 2001–02, 2002–03
- 2. Bundesliga top scorer: 2003–04, 2008–09
- Slovak Footballer of the Year: 2004, 2005
- Slovak Footballer of the Decade (2000–2009)
- German Bundesliga top scorer: 2005
Images for kids
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