Stanislav Varga facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Stanislav Varga | ||
| Date of birth | 8 October 1972 | ||
| Place of birth | Lipany, Czechoslovakia | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Centre back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1982–1985 | Lipany | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1992–1998 | Tatran Prešov | 104 | (10) |
| 1998–2000 | Slovan Bratislava | 56 | (12) |
| 2000–2003 | Sunderland | 21 | (1) |
| 2002 | → West Bromwich Albion (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2003–2006 | Celtic | 80 | (10) |
| 2006–2008 | Sunderland | 20 | (1) |
| 2008 | → Burnley (loan) | 10 | (0) |
| Total | 295 | (34) | |
| International career | |||
| 1997–2006 | Slovakia | 54 | (2) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2011–2013 | Odeva Lipany | ||
| 2013–2014 | Tatran Prešov (assistant manager) | ||
| 2013–2014 | Tatran Prešov juniori | ||
| 2014–2016 | Tatran Prešov | ||
| 2018–2022 | Dukla Banská Bystrica | ||
| 2022–2023 | Sandecja Nowy Sącz | ||
| 2023–2024 | Tatran Liptovský Mikuláš | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Stanislav Varga (born 8 October 1972) is a Slovak professional football manager and former player. He recently managed the team Tatran Liptovský Mikuláš.
Varga started his playing career in his home country, Slovakia. In 2000, he joined the English club Sunderland. He made a great first impression, even winning the "man of the match" award in his very first game against Arsenal. Later, in the 2001–02 season, he played on loan for West Bromwich Albion. He helped them get promoted to the Premier League, which is the top football league in England.
After a serious injury, Varga left Sunderland in 2003. He then joined Celtic in Scotland. He quickly became a key player there. In the 2003–04 season, he helped Celtic win both the Scottish Premier League and the Scottish Cup. In 2006, Varga returned to Sunderland, where he was very popular with the fans. He left Sunderland at the end of the 2007–08 season.
Stanislav Varga also played for the Slovakian national team. He played in over fifty games for his country and was even the captain many times. After his playing career, he became a football manager.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Time at Sunderland
Stanislav Varga was a tall and strong player who played in the centre of defence. He joined Sunderland in the summer of 2000. His first game for Sunderland was a 1–0 win against Arsenal. Varga played so well that he was named the best player of the match. He scored his first goal for Sunderland in January 2001, helping them win 2–0 against West Ham.
Towards the end of the 2001–02 season, Varga went on loan to West Bromwich Albion. He played an important part in helping them get promoted to the Premier League. After returning from a long-term injury, Varga found it hard to get back into Sunderland's main team. He left the club in January 2003.
Success with Celtic
Less than a month after leaving Sunderland, Varga joined Celtic in Scotland. Even though he only played one game at first, Celtic offered him a two-year contract in July 2003. He became a regular player during the 2003–04 season. He helped his new team win two big trophies: the Scottish Premier League and the Scottish Cup.
In the league, Varga helped Celtic's defence be very strong. They only let in 25 goals that season. Celtic also set a new record by winning 25 league games in a row. They went 32 games unbeaten from the start of the season. They also had an amazing record of 77 home league games without losing. Varga also scored 7 goals for Celtic that season.
In the 2004–05 season, Celtic did not win the league title. However, they did win the Scottish Cup again. They beat Dundee United 1–0 in the final. Varga was a very solid player in Celtic's defence. He also scored six goals that season, including one in a UEFA Champions League game against A.C. Milan. Fans at Celtic started calling him "Stan" instead of Stanislav.
After the 2005–06 season, Varga signed a new one-year contract with Celtic. He was happy to stay with the club.
Back to Sunderland
On August 31, 2006, Stanislav Varga returned to Sunderland. He joined under the new manager, Roy Keane, who used to be his teammate at Celtic. Varga scored his first goal in his second time at Sunderland in October 2006.
Fans at Sunderland really liked Varga because he was strong, good in the air, and defended well. In January 2008, he went on a one-month loan to Burnley to get more playing time. He played very well in his first league game for Burnley, helping them win 1–0 against Plymouth Argyle. Because of his great performance, he was named in the Championship Team of the Week.
Sunderland let Varga leave the club at the end of the 2007–08 season.
Playing for Slovakia
Stanislav Varga was a regular player for the Slovakian national side. He played in over fifty international games. He also had the honor of being the captain for his country many times.
It was during a friendly game against Norway before the Euro 2000 tournament that he first caught the eye of Peter Reid. Reid was the manager of Sunderland at the time. Varga impressed him by stopping famous players like Tore André Flo and Ole Gunnar Solskjær from scoring.
Trophies and Achievements
As a Player
Celtic
- Scottish Premier League: 2003–04, 2005–06
- Scottish Cup: 2003–04, 2004–05
- Scottish League Cup: 2005–06
Sunderland
- Football League Championship: 2006–07
As a Manager
Tatran Prešov
- 2. Liga: 2015–16
Dukla B.Bystrica
- 2. Liga runners-up: 2021–22
See also
In Spanish: Stanislav Varga para niños
