Patrik Berger facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Patrik Berger

Berger in 2024
Personal information
Date of birth	(1973-11-10) 10 November 1973 (age 51)
Place of birth	Prague, Czechoslovakia
Height	1.85 m
Playing position	Left winger, attacking midfielder
Youth career
1989–1991	Sparta Prague
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1991–1995	Slavia Prague	90	(24)
1995–1996	Borussia Dortmund	27	(4)
1996–2003	Liverpool	148	(28)
2003–2005	Portsmouth	52	(8)
2005–2008	Aston Villa	29	(2)
2006–2007	→ Stoke City (loan)	7	(0)
2008–2010	Sparta Prague	23	(6)
Total		376	(72)
National team
1994	Czech Republic U21	1	(3)
1993	RCS	2	(0)
1994–2001	Czech Republic	42	(18)
Honours Men's football Representing  Czech Republic UEFA European Championship Runner-up 1996 England UEFA Euro U-16 Winner 1990 East Germany
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Patrik Berger (born 10 November 1973) is a former professional football player from the Czech Republic. He played as a midfielder. Patrik started his career in his home country with Slavia Prague. He also spent a season playing in Germany for Borussia Dortmund.

In 1996, he moved to England. He played for Liverpool for seven years, winning four trophies. After Liverpool, he played for Portsmouth, Aston Villa, and Stoke City. He finished his career back in the Czech Republic with Sparta Prague.

Patrik Berger played in two big tournaments for the Czech Republic. He was a key player in the Euro 1996 tournament. He even scored a goal in the final match, where the Czech Republic finished second to Germany. He also played in Euro 2000. He retired from international football in 2002 at age 28. He had played 44 games for his country and scored 18 goals.

Berger was known for his powerful shots, fast runs, and strong left foot. He often had injuries during his career. He stopped playing football on 6 January 2010 because of knee problems.

Patrik Berger's Life Off the Field

Patrik Berger was born in Prague, which was then part of Czechoslovakia. His uncle, Jan Berger, was also a famous Czech footballer. Patrik is married to Jaroslava and they have two children, a son named Patrik and a daughter named Valentýnka.

In 2001, he got a British passport. This was helpful because it meant he did not need a special work permit to play in the Premier League. Before that, players from outside the European Union needed these permits.

Patrik Berger's Club Journey

Starting His Football Career

Patrik Berger began playing football as a young player for Sparta Prague in 1989. Two years later, he signed his first professional contract with their rivals, Slavia Prague. He quickly became a regular player for the senior team. He also played in European competitions and was chosen to play for Czechoslovakia. Later, he played for the newly formed Czech Republic national team.

Playing for Borussia Dortmund

After playing 90 league games and scoring 24 goals for Slavia Prague, Berger was bought by Borussia Dortmund in 1995. The team's manager, Ottmar Hitzfeld, paid about £500,000 for him. In August 1995, he helped Dortmund win the DFL-Supercup by beating Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Dortmund won the Bundesliga title in the 1995–96 season. Berger often came on as a substitute, starting only 14 of his 27 league games from the bench. The manager preferred him as a defensive midfielder. Berger scored four goals for Dortmund in Germany's top league.

Liverpool became interested in Berger because of how well the Czech Republic played in Euro 1996. Berger scored a penalty in the final match of that tournament. Liverpool offered him a contract, and he joined the club in August 1996 for £3.25 million.

Time with Liverpool F.C.

Berger and his family moved to Southport, England. They lived near famous former players like Kenny Dalglish and Alan Hansen. Patrik played his first game for Liverpool on 7 September 1996. He came on as a substitute in a 2–1 win against Southampton.

He played very well in his first month. In his second game, he scored two goals in a 3–0 win against Leicester City. He scored another two goals against Chelsea in a 5–1 win. He then scored his fifth goal in four games in a Cup Winners' Cup match. Because of these great performances, he won the FA's Player of the Month award for September 1996.

In his second season, Berger did not play as much. Even though he scored three goals against Chelsea in October 1997, he was often a substitute. He was not happy with manager Roy Evans. Evans thought Berger did not work well with the team. He even said he would sell Berger after he refused to be a substitute in a game.

Berger was thinking about leaving Liverpool in May 1998. But then Gérard Houllier became co-manager before the 1998–99 season. Roy Evans left, and this made Berger decide to stay.

Under Houllier, Berger played regularly and scored nine goals in his first season. He also became a better player. In November 2000, he got an injury that kept him out for most of the 2000–01 season. He had to get special treatment in the United States.

By March 2001, Berger was better. He played in the finals of both the UEFA Cup and the FA Cup. Liverpool won both trophies. In the 2001 FA Cup Final, he helped Michael Owen score the winning goal against Arsenal.

He also played in the 2001 FA Charity Shield, which Liverpool won. He had another knee surgery in August 2001, which meant he missed the 2001 UEFA Super Cup.

Between 2001 and 2003, more injuries kept Berger from playing regularly. This led him to leave Liverpool when his contract ended after the 2002–03 season. In his last season, he mostly stayed on the bench and only played four games. He left Liverpool after scoring 35 goals in seven seasons.

Playing for Portsmouth F.C.

Portsmouth had just been promoted to the Premier League. Their manager, Harry Redknapp, signed Berger for free. Redknapp said Berger was a "quality player" who would bring "good experience."

Berger played his first game for Portsmouth against Aston Villa and scored his team's second goal. In October 2003, Berger scored the winning goal against his old club, Liverpool. A month later, he helped Portsmouth win 6–1 against Leeds United. He set up two goals and scored one himself. On Boxing Day 2003, Berger scored both goals in a 2–0 win against Tottenham Hotspur. Both goals were from free kicks, one from far away. He had knee surgery in February 2004 and missed the rest of the season.

Berger started the 2004–05 season well. He scored a goal against Charlton Athletic that was considered for "Goal of the Season." He scored again in a 3–1 win against Crystal Palace. In October 2004, he scored his last league goal for Portsmouth from a free kick.

Portsmouth had a tough end to the season. They only won one game in 12 matches. This led to Alain Perrin becoming the new manager. Berger's contract was ending. Portsmouth managed to stay in the Premier League. Even so, Berger joined Aston Villa on a two-year deal. He said manager David O'Leary was the main reason for his choice.

Time with Aston Villa and Stoke City

Berger in 2007

Berger had many injuries early in his time at Villa. He played few league games. In his second season, he only played two matches under the new manager, Martin O'Neill. In November 2006, he was loaned to Championship club Stoke City. This happened after he was fined for not wanting to play in a reserve match. At Stoke, he started only one game and came on as a substitute six times.

After returning from Stoke, O'Neill praised Berger's fitness. On 7 April 2007, Berger started his first game for Villa since October 2005. He scored a goal in a 2–1 win against Blackburn Rovers. Berger scored again on 5 May 2007 against Sheffield United. On 28 May 2007, Berger signed a one-year contract extension with Aston Villa.

Berger was injured before the 2007–08 Premier League season. This kept him out of league games until October 2007. He then got the same injury again and was out for longer. On 6 May 2008, Berger was told he had played his last game for Aston Villa. This was after he suggested that captain Gareth Barry should move to Liverpool. At the end of his contract, Berger left the club. He had played only 29 league games in three seasons.

Coming Back to Sparta Prague

On 29 May 2008, Berger returned to Prague. He signed a two-year contract with his childhood club, Sparta Prague. He also became the team captain for the 2008–09 Gambrinus liga season. In November 2008, Berger scored three goals against SK Kladno in a 5–0 win for Sparta. Sparta finished second in the league that season. This meant they qualified for the UEFA Champions League. Berger was the club's top league scorer with six goals.

During the 2009–10 season, Berger played only two league games. He then had more knee surgery. On 6 January 2010, he announced he was retiring from football. He could not recover from a ligament injury.

Life After Professional Football

Berger continued to play football as a hobby in August 2010. He played for a lower-level Czech club called Dolní Chabry. He was still playing for the team at the age of 40.

Patrik Berger's International Career

Berger played for Czechoslovakia's youth teams from age 15. He played for the under-16, under-17, and under-18 teams between 1988 and 1991. He scored six goals in 49 games for these junior teams. During this time, he won the 1990 UEFA European Under-16 Championship with the under-16 team. He scored in the final against Yugoslavia.

On 23 March 1993, Berger played his first game for the Czechoslovakia senior team. It was a World Cup qualifier against Cyprus, which ended in a 1–1 draw. In October 1995, he scored a goal in a qualifying match for Euro 1996 against Belarus. The Czechs won 2–0.

Berger was part of the Czech Republic team that played in Euro 1996. He played in all of his nation's matches in the tournament. He scored a famous penalty in the final to give the Czech Republic a 1–0 lead against Germany. However, the Czech Republic lost the game in extra time.

Between 1997 and 1998, Berger did not play for the Czech national team. This was because of a disagreement with the head coach, Dušan Uhrin. He returned to the national team after 17 months when Jozef Chovanec became the new coach. He made a strong return, scoring two goals from free kicks in a qualifying match against Estonia.

The next big international tournament Berger played in was Euro 2000. He was suspended for his nation's first two matches. He only played one game in the tournament. Berger announced he was retiring from international football in March 2002, when he was 28 years old.

How Patrik Berger Played

Berger mainly played as an attacking midfielder. He was also known as a winger. He was famous for his powerful shots, quick runs, and strong left foot. His teammate at Liverpool, Steven Gerrard, said that Berger "was the best left-footed striker of a ball I have seen."

Career Statistics

Club

International

Patrik Berger's Achievements

Borussia Dortmund

• Bundesliga: 1995–96
• DFB-Supercup: 1995

Liverpool

• FA Cup: 2000–01
• FA Charity Shield: 2001
• UEFA Cup: 2000–01

Individual Awards

• Premier League Player of the Month: September 1996
• Czech Footballer of the Year: 1996 (shared with Karel Poborský)
• Czech Golden Ball: 1999

See also

In Spanish: Patrik Berger para niños