Mateja Kežman facts for kids
Kežman in 2009
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mateja Kežman | ||
| Date of birth | 12 April 1979 | ||
| Place of birth | Belgrade, SR Serbia, Yugoslavia | ||
| Height | 1.82 m | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1986–1996 | Zemun | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1996–1997 | Radnički Pirot | 17 | (11) |
| 1997 | Loznica | 13 | (5) |
| 1998 | Sartid Smederevo | 14 | (4) |
| 1998–2000 | Partizan | 54 | (33) |
| 2000–2004 | PSV Eindhoven | 122 | (105) |
| 2004–2005 | Chelsea | 25 | (4) |
| 2005–2006 | Atlético Madrid | 30 | (8) |
| 2006–2009 | Fenerbahçe | 46 | (20) |
| 2008–2009 | → Paris Saint-Germain (loan) | 21 | (3) |
| 2009–2010 | Paris Saint-Germain | 14 | (2) |
| 2009 | → Zenit Saint Petersburg (loan) | 10 | (2) |
| 2011 | South China | 6 | (2) |
| 2011 | BATE Borisov | 6 | (0) |
| 2012 | South China | 0 | (0) |
| Total | 378 | (199) | |
| National team | |||
| 1996–1997 | FR Yugoslavia U18 | 8 | (1) |
| 1998–2000 | FR Yugoslavia U21 | 4 | (4) |
| 2000–2006 | Serbia and Montenegro | 49 | (17) |
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Mateja Kežman (born 12 April 1979) is a Serbian sports agent and former professional footballer. He played as a striker, which means he was mainly focused on scoring goals.
Mateja Kežman played football in many countries. These included the Netherlands, England, Spain, and Turkey. He is most famous for his time at PSV. There, he won many awards and was seen as a very promising striker. He was even named Dutch Footballer of the Year in 2003.
After PSV, he moved to Chelsea. People had very high hopes for him, but he didn't score as many goals as expected. Still, he won many championship medals in different countries throughout his career. He also played for his country, FR Yugoslavia / Serbia and Montenegro, in a European Championship and a World Cup.
After he stopped playing football, Kežman became a sports agent. This means he helps other football players manage their careers. He also worked as a director of football for a club called Vojvodina in 2013.
Contents
Early Life and Interests
Mateja Kežman's father, Zlatko, was also a footballer. He played as a goalkeeper for most of his career with Zemun.
Mateja's early career at Partizan was affected by events in Belgrade in 1999.
Kežman is a very religious person. He is a member of the Serbian Orthodox Church. He liked to pray in a German city to keep his privacy. He has many tattoos, and they are all about religious themes. When he played, he wore a special undershirt with a picture of Jesus. He even said he wanted to become a monk one day.
Club Career Highlights
Partizan
In 1998, when Mateja was 19, he joined Partizan. In his first season, he scored six goals in 22 league games. His team won the championship title that year. He became well-known when he scored a goal in the last minute against Red Star. This goal gave Partizan a 2–1 victory.
In the next season, 1999-2000, Kežman played even better. He scored 27 goals in 32 league games. He became a favorite player among the fans. In total, he scored 33 league goals in 54 games for Partizan. He was the top scorer in the national championship in the 1999–2000 season. He was especially good in games against Red Star, scoring many goals in their matches.
PSV
In the summer of 2000, Kežman moved to the Dutch club PSV. In his first season, he was the top scorer in the league. He scored 24 goals in 33 games, helping PSV win the title. He got the nickname 'Batman' because the famous theme song played every time he scored.
He also played very well with Arjen Robben. They were called 'Batman and Robben', like the famous comic book characters. Kežman scored 81 goals for PSV over the next three seasons. His best season was 2002–03. He played in 33 games and scored 35 goals, helping PSV win another title.
Chelsea
Kežman played for Chelsea during the 2004–05 season. He scored seven goals in 40 games across all competitions. Chelsea signed him on 13 July 2004 for £5.3 million. He wore the number 9 shirt.
He played 24 league games and scored four goals. His first league goal was a penalty against Newcastle United. Chelsea won their first league title since 1954–55 that season.
He also scored in the League Cup against West Ham United. He scored an important goal in extra time during the 2005 League Cup Final against Liverpool. Chelsea won that final 3–2.
Kežman later said that his time at Chelsea was the best part of his football career. He said, "Living and playing in London was something that I will never forget." He felt that joining Chelsea made his dreams come true.
Atlético Madrid
Kežman moved from Chelsea to Atlético Madrid in Spain on 29 June 2005. He joined for the same price he was bought by Chelsea, £5.3 million. He had a knee injury early on, which took time to heal.
He scored eight goals in 30 league matches for Atlético. He often played alongside Fernando Torres. Atlético finished 10th in the season.
Fenerbahçe
In the summer of 2006, Kežman joined Fenerbahçe in Turkey. He signed a four-year contract. He was a key player when Fenerbahçe won the 2006–07 Süper Lig in their 100th year.
In the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League, he played in many group stage matches. He even played against his old club, PSV, and later against Chelsea in the quarter-finals. He started the first game against Chelsea, which Fenerbahçe won 2–1. Fenerbahçe was knocked out in the second game, but it was their best Champions League run ever. Fans of Fenerbahçe loved him even after he left.
Paris Saint-Germain
On 19 August 2008, Kežman signed for Paris Saint-Germain in France. He joined on a one-year loan. He played in 21 league matches, mostly as a substitute, and scored three goals.
In August 2009, Kežman went on loan to Zenit Saint Petersburg in Russia. He scored two goals for Zenit, helping them finish 3rd in the Russian Premier League. However, Zenit decided not to keep him, and he returned to Paris in January 2010. His contract with PSG ended in November 2010.
South China
On 20 January 2011, Kežman signed to play for South China in Hong Kong. He played his first game on 29 January 2011.
He scored his first goal for the club in the League Cup semi-final. He scored twice in that game, helping South China win 4–2. He also scored his first goal in the 2011 AFC Cup with a header.
In May 2011, his team didn't make it to the next stage of the AFC Cup. Kežman scored an amazing goal in extra time in the 2010–11 Hong Kong FA Cup final. This goal gave his team a 2–1 win. The next day, his four-month contract with South China ended.
BATE Borisov
On 31 August 2011, Kežman joined BATE Borisov in Belarus. He joined as a free agent until the end of the year. He was expected to help the team in the UEFA Champions League group stage. Kežman played six games in the Belarusian League and five games in the Champions League. He did not score any goals for BATE. He left the club after their last Champions League game.
Return to Hong Kong and Retirement
In January 2012, Kežman returned to South China for the Asian Challenge Cup. He played his last professional match on 26 January 2012. After his final match, the club decided to retire his number 38 jersey.
International Career
Kežman played his first international game for FR Yugoslavia in March 2000. He scored a goal against China in a friendly match. He was chosen for the team that went to UEFA Euro 2000. In a group match against Norway, he was sent off (given a red card) very soon after coming on as a substitute.
In February 2003, Kežman announced he would stop playing for the national team. However, he returned a few months later when a new coach was appointed.
Kežman was the top scorer for Serbia and Montenegro during the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifications. He scored five goals, including the winning goal against Bosnia and Herzegovina. This goal helped Serbia and Montenegro qualify directly for the World Cup. During the competition, he was sent off again in a group match against Argentina.
After being sent off against Argentina at the World Cup, Kežman was not called up to play for his country again. In his six-year career with the national team, Kežman scored 17 goals in 49 games.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Radnički Pirot | 1996–97 | Second League of FR Yugoslavia | 17 | 11 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | 17 | 11 | ||
| Loznica | 1997–98 | First League of FR Yugoslavia | 13 | 5 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | 13 | 5 | ||
| Sartid Smederevo | 1997–98 | First League of FR Yugoslavia | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | 14 | 4 | ||
| Partizan | 1998–99 | First League of FR Yugoslavia | 22 | 6 | 6 | 2 | – | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 8 | |
| 1999–2000 | 32 | 27 | 2 | 2 | – | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 35 | |||
| Total | 54 | 33 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 74 | 43 | ||
| PSV | 2000–01 | Eredivisie | 33 | 24 | 4 | 3 | – | 11 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 49 | 31 | |
| 2001–02 | 27 | 15 | 2 | 1 | – | 11 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 41 | 20 | |||
| 2002–03 | 33 | 35 | 3 | 4 | – | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 43 | 40 | |||
| 2003–04 | 29 | 31 | 1 | 0 | – | 12 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 43 | 38 | |||
| Total | 122 | 105 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 13 | 4 | 3 | 176 | 129 | ||
| Chelsea | 2004–05 | Premier League | 25 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 7 |
| Atlético Madrid | 2005–06 | La Liga | 30 | 8 | 3 | 2 | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 10 | |
| Fenerbahçe | 2006–07 | Süper Lig | 24 | 9 | 2 | 0 | – | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 11 | |
| 2007–08 | 22 | 11 | 4 | 5 | – | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 36 | 19 | |||
| Total | 46 | 20 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 69 | 30 | ||
| Paris Saint-Germain | 2008–09 | Ligue 1 | 21 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 8 |
| 2009–10 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 2 | ||
| 2010–11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| Total | 35 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 53 | 10 | ||
| Zenit (loan) | 2009 | Russian Premier League | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 | |
| South China | 2010–11 | Hong Kong First Division League | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 7 |
| BATE Borisov | 2011 | Belarusian Premier League | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| South China | 2011–12 | Hong Kong First Division League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Career total | 378 | 199 | 36 | 24 | 9 | 4 | 96 | 27 | 10 | 4 | 529 | 258 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| FR Yugoslavia | 2000 | 7 | 2 |
| 2001 | 9 | 5 | |
| 2002 | 10 | 3 | |
| Serbia and Montenegro | 2003 | 4 | 0 |
| 2004 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 10 | 5 | |
| 2006 | 4 | 1 | |
| Total | 49 | 17 | |
- Scores and results list Serbia and Montenegro's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Kežman goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 May 2000 | Workers Stadium, Beijing, China |  China |
1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 2 | 16 August 2000 | Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland |  Northern Ireland |
1–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 3 | 6 June 2001 | Svangaskarð, Toftir, Iceland |  Faroe Islands |
2–0 | 6–0 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifying |
| 4 | 5–0 | |||||
| 5 | 6–0 | |||||
| 6 | 6 October 2001 | Partizan Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia |  Luxembourg |
3–2 | 6–0 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifying |
| 7 | 6–2 | |||||
| 8 | 13 February 2002 | Bank One Ballpark, Phoenix, United States |  Mexico |
1–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 9 | 17 April 2002 | Sartid Stadium, Smederevo, Serbia |  Lithuania |
2–1 | 4–1 | Friendly |
| 10 | 3–1 | |||||
| 11 | 17 November 2004 | King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium |  Belgium |
2–0 | 2–0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying |
| 12 | 17 August 2005 | Valeriy Lobanovskyi Stadium, Kyiv, Ukraine |  Ukraine |
1–2 | 1–2 | Valeriy Lobanovskyi Tournament |
| 13 | 3 September 2005 | Red Star Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia | Lithuania |
1–0 | 2–0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying |
| 14 | 7 September 2005 | Vicente Calderón Stadium, Madrid, Spain |  Spain |
1–1 | 1–1 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying |
| 15 | 8 October 2005 | LFF Stadium, Vilnius, Lithuania | Lithuania |
1–0 | 2–0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying |
| 16 | 12 October 2005 | Red Star Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia |  Bosnia and Herzegovina |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying |
| 17 | 1 March 2006 | Stade Olympique de Radès, Radès, Tunisia |  Tunisia |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
Honours
Partizan
- First League of FR Yugoslavia: 1998–99
PSV
- Eredivisie: 2000–01, 2002–03
- Johan Cruyff Shield: 2000, 2001, 2003
Chelsea
- Premier League: 2004–05
- Football League Cup: 2004–05
Fenerbahçe
- Süper Lig: 2006–07
- Turkish Super Cup: 2007
Paris Saint-Germain
- Coupe de France: 2009–10
South China
- Hong Kong FA Cup: 2010–11
BATE Borisov
- Belarusian Premier League: 2011
Individual
- First League of FR Yugoslavia top scorer: 1999–2000
- Eredivisie top scorer: 2000–01, 2002–03, 2003–04
- Dutch Footballer of the Year: 2002–03
- ESM Team of the Year: 2002–03
See also
In Spanish: Mateja Kežman para niños
