Tomáš Rosický facts for kids
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Rosický with Arsenal in 2016
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Tomáš Rosický | ||
| Date of birth | 4 October 1980 | ||
| Place of birth | Prague, Czechoslovakia | ||
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1986–1988 | ČKD Kompresory Prague | ||
| 1988–1998 | Sparta Prague | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1998–2001 | Sparta Prague | 41 | (8) |
| 2001–2006 | Borussia Dortmund | 149 | (20) |
| 2006–2016 | Arsenal | 170 | (19) |
| 2016–2017 | Sparta Prague | 12 | (1) |
| Total | 372 | (48) | |
| International career | |||
| 1995–1996 | Czech Republic U15 | 10 | (0) |
| 1996 | Czech Republic U16 | 12 | (5) |
| 1997–1998 | Czech Republic U17 | 16 | (6) |
| 1998–1999 | Czech Republic U18 | 9 | (3) |
| 1999 | Czech Republic U21 | 2 | (0) |
| 2000–2016 | Czech Republic | 105 | (23) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Tomáš Rosický (born 4 October 1980) is a former professional footballer from the Czech Republic. He was the captain of the Czech Republic national team for ten years. He played for clubs like Sparta Prague, Borussia Dortmund, and Arsenal. Today, he works as the sports director for Sparta Prague.
Tomáš was a midfielder. He began his career at his hometown club, Sparta Prague. After three seasons, he moved to Borussia Dortmund in 2001. This transfer was a record fee for a Bundesliga club at the time. In his first season in Germany, he helped his team win the league title. They also reached the 2002 UEFA Cup Final. Rosický joined Arsenal in 2006. He played 247 games for them, including their win in the 2014 FA Cup Final. He spent ten seasons in the Premier League, even with several long-term injuries.
For his country, Rosický first played for the Czech Republic in 2000. He became captain in 2006. He played in four UEFA European Championships and the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He played his 100th international game on 12 June 2015. Rosický is the fourth highest goalscorer for the Czech Republic.
Contents
Club Career
Starting at Sparta Prague
Tomáš Rosický started his football journey at Sparta Prague. His father, Jiří, also played for the club in the 1970s. His brother, also named Jiří, was a trainee there in the 1990s. Tomáš played for Sparta's youth teams. He made his senior team debut in 1998. He played three games in the 1998–99 season. Sparta won the national title that year.
He scored five goals in the 1999–2000 season. The team won the league for the second year in a row. He was named "Talent of the Year" in 1999. During the 2000–01 UEFA Champions League group stage, he scored against Shakhtar Donetsk and Arsenal. This caught the eye of Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund. They bought him in January 2001.
Time with Borussia Dortmund
On 9 January 2001, Rosický joined Borussia Dortmund. He signed a five-year contract. His transfer fee was about £8 million. This made him the most expensive player in Bundesliga history. He was also the most expensive Czech player sold to a foreign team. In his first full season, Rosický helped Dortmund win the 2001–02 league title. He also played in the 2002 UEFA Cup Final. Dortmund lost that game 3–2 to Feyenoord.
In his first two and a half seasons, Rosický played 75 league games. He scored nine goals and made 20 assists. He extended his contract with Dortmund in July 2003 until 2008. At the end of that season, Rosický won the Czech Republic's Golden Ball award.
Rosický was part of the Dortmund team that reached the final of the 2003 DFB-Ligapokal. They lost 4–2 to Hamburger SV. He later called the 2003–04 season his "worst club season." Dortmund did not qualify for the Champions League that year. He scored his first goal of the 2005–06 season in February 2006 against MSV Duisburg. This was his 16th Bundesliga goal in his 139th league game. In March 2006, he had thigh injury problems. But he scored twice in Dortmund's 4–2 win against Hamburg later that month. This was his last season in the Bundesliga.
Playing for Arsenal
First Seasons (2006–2008)
On 23 May 2006, Arsenal announced they had signed Rosický. He was 25 years old. He made his first game for Arsenal on 8 August 2006. It was a 3–0 win over Dinamo Zagreb in a Champions League qualifier. Rosický scored his first Arsenal goal on 13 September 2006 against Hamburg. Arsenal won that Champions League game 2–1.
On 6 January 2007, he scored twice against Liverpool in the FA Cup. Arsenal won 3–1. In February 2007, Rosický was named Czech Footballer of the Year for 2006. This was his third time winning the award. He scored his first Premier League goal on 11 February 2007 against Wigan Athletic. He finished his first season with six goals in 37 games for Arsenal.
On 29 August 2007, Rosický scored in a Champions League game against his old club, Sparta Prague. He scored a "quality goal" after a pass from Theo Walcott. He scored his first Premier League goal of the season against Portsmouth. He scored another goal against Bolton in October 2007. Then he scored Arsenal's second goal against Wigan the next month. His last goal of the season came in a 3–0 win against Fulham on 19 January 2008. An injury in an FA Cup game against Newcastle United in January 2008 stopped him from playing more that season.
Return from Injury (2009–2011)
Rosický did not play for Arsenal during the 2008–09 season due to a hamstring injury. He played in a friendly game in July 2009. But he got another hamstring injury in August. On 12 September 2009, he played his first official game for Arsenal since January 2008. He came on as a substitute against Manchester City. He helped Robin van Persie score Arsenal's first goal. He then scored the second goal himself, but Arsenal lost 4–2.
On 4 January 2010, Rosický signed a new contract with Arsenal. He said, "It's felt like home since I arrived here four years ago." Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger called him a "special talent." Rosický scored a late goal in a 2–2 draw against Everton. His third goal of the season was against Bolton. Arsenal won that game 4–2. He finished the season with three goals in 33 games.
On 15 August 2010, in the first Premier League game of the 2010–11 season, Rosický came on as a substitute against Liverpool. He made a cross that led to an equalizing goal. He scored his only goal of the season in an FA Cup game against Leyton Orient on 20 February 2011. The game ended in a 1–1 draw. On 27 February 2011, Rosický played in the 2011 League Cup Final against Birmingham City. Arsenal lost 2–1. He scored one goal and played 34 games that season.
Later Years at Arsenal (2011–2016)
On 16 October 2011, Rosický played against Sunderland. He helped set up Robin van Persie's goal after just 28 seconds. Arsenal won 2–1. His first goal of the 2011–12 season was in February 2012 against Tottenham Hotspur. Arsenal won that game 5–2. In early March, Rosický scored in a 3–0 Champions League win against A.C. Milan. Manager Arsène Wenger called his performance "outstanding."
Rosický signed a new contract with Arsenal on 12 March 2012. This kept him at the club for two more years. He got an injury in Arsenal's last game of the season against West Bromwich Albion.
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After a serious injury at Euro 2012, Rosický played his first game of the 2012–13 season on 1 December 2012. It was a 2–0 loss against Swansea City. He scored Arsenal's only goal in a 2–1 loss against Olympiacos in the Champions League. In April 2013, he scored both of Arsenal's goals in a 2–1 win against West Brom. He played 16 games and scored three goals that season.
On 4 January 2014, Rosický scored his first goal of the season in a 2–0 FA Cup win against Tottenham Hotspur. In February, Rosický scored a goal that Wenger called "one of the best we have scored." This was in a 4–1 win against Sunderland.
In March 2014, Rosický signed another contract extension with Arsenal for two more years. Later that month, he scored Arsenal's winning goal in a 1–0 win against Tottenham. Rosický won his first trophy in English football that season. He came on as a substitute in the 2014 FA Cup Final. Arsenal beat Hull City 3–2 at Wembley.
Rosický started the 2014–15 season by winning his second trophy for Arsenal. He played in the 3–0 win over Manchester City in the 2014 FA Community Shield. On 26 December 2014, he scored Arsenal's second goal in a 2–1 win against Queens Park Rangers.
On 25 January 2015, Rosický was captain for Arsenal's 3–2 win against Brighton & Hove Albion in the FA Cup. He scored a goal and helped with another. Arsenal won the FA Cup that season, but Rosický did not play in the final.
Rosický missed the first half of the 2015–16 season due to a knee injury. He made his first appearance on 30 January in an FA Cup game against Burnley. After the game, it was found he had a thigh injury. This meant he would miss more time. It was announced that Rosický would leave Arsenal in July 2016 after ten years. On 15 May, he received a special farewell after Arsenal's 4–0 win against Aston Villa. Many Arsenal players wore his 'Rosický 7' jersey.
Back to Sparta Prague and Retirement
On 30 August 2016, Rosický announced he was returning to Sparta Prague. He played his first game back for Sparta on 10 September 2016. He came on as a substitute in a 2–2 draw with Mladá Boleslav. However, he got injured in that game. He missed the rest of the 2016–17 Czech First League season.
On 10 September 2017, Rosický started a game for Sparta Prague again after seventeen years. He scored the winning goal against Karviná.
On 20 December 2017, Rosický announced he was retiring from professional football at age 37. He said it was because of ongoing injuries. He played 12 games for Sparta in his final season.
International Career
Early International Games
On 23 February 2000, Rosický played his first international game for the Czech Republic. It was a friendly match against the Republic of Ireland. He came on as a substitute. He scored his first goal on 6 October 2001 in a friendly game against Bulgaria.
Rosický was part of the Czech Republic's team for UEFA Euro 2000. He played in their first two games.
World Cup and Euro Appearances
Rosický played in the qualifiers for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He scored twice in a 6–0 win against Bulgaria. The Czech Republic did not qualify for the 2002 World Cup.
Rosický played a big part in Euro 2004. The Czech team beat Netherlands and Denmark. But they surprisingly lost to Greece in the semi-finals. He helped the team qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. He scored seven goals in 12 games during the qualifiers. One of these goals helped them qualify by beating Norway.
At the 2006 World Cup, Rosický scored two goals in the Czech Republic's first game. It was a 3–0 win over the United States. He was named the best player of the match. Rosický played all 90 minutes in their next games against Ghana and Italy. But the Czech Republic lost both games and did not go further in the tournament.
In August 2006, Rosický became captain of the Czech Republic national team. He took over from Pavel Nedvěd. Rosický missed UEFA Euro 2008 due to injury. He returned to international football on 9 September 2009. This was in a World Cup qualifier against San Marino. The Czech Republic won 7–0.
100 Games and Retirement
Rosický was captain for the Czech Republic in their first two games at UEFA Euro 2012. But an injury in a 2–1 win against Greece ended his tournament. The Czechs were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Portugal.
On 12 June 2015, Rosický played his 100th international game. It was a 2–1 loss to Iceland in a Euro 2016 qualifier. The next year, on 13 June at Euro 2016, he became the oldest player to play for the Czech Republic in the competition at 35. He also holds the record for being the youngest player to do so, at 19 years old at UEFA Euro 2000.
Rosický retired from international football on 20 December 2017. He said it was because of his ongoing injuries.
After Playing Football
In January 2018, Tomáš Rosický became an assistant to the new sports director at AC Sparta Prague. On 17 December 2018, he took over as the sports director himself. This happened after the previous director became the head coach.
How He Played
Before his first big international tournament (Euro 2000), the BBC described Rosický as a "solid playmaker." Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger said Rosický had "great technique, skill on the ball and sharp passing." When Rosický signed a new contract in 2010, Wenger called him a "special talent." He also said his "vision and touch is remarkable."
Rosický was known for using the outside of his foot for passes and shots. In Germany, people called him "The Little Mozart." This was because he could control the game on the field like a conductor. David Hytner from The Guardian newspaper said he was "the all-round midfielder who brings balance, organisation and urgency to the team."
Personal Life
Tomáš Rosický's father, Jiří Rosický, was also a league footballer. Tomáš has a son, also named Tomáš, who was born in June 2013. He married his girlfriend, Radka Kocurová, in May 2014. They had been together for 11 years. He played guitar with a rock band called Tři sestry in March 2010. He practiced his guitar skills during his 18 months off due to injury.
In May 2025, Rosický was in the hospital for heart issues.
Career Statistics
Club Games
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Sparta Prague | 1998–99 | Czech First League | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | ||
| 1999–2000 | Czech First League | 24 | 5 | 2 | 1 | — | 12 | 2 | — | 38 | 8 | |||
| 2000–01 | Czech First League | 14 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | 8 | 2 | — | 24 | 5 | |||
| Total | 41 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 67 | 13 | ||
| Borussia Dortmund | 2000–01 | Bundesliga | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 15 | 0 | |||
| 2001–02 | Bundesliga | 30 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 1 | — | 49 | 6 | ||
| 2002–03 | Bundesliga | 30 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | — | 39 | 6 | ||
| 2003–04 | Bundesliga | 19 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | 27 | 3 | ||
| 2004–05 | Bundesliga | 27 | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 29 | 4 | |||
| 2005–06 | Bundesliga | 28 | 5 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 30 | 5 | |||
| Total | 149 | 20 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 29 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 189 | 24 | ||
| Arsenal | 2006–07 | Premier League | 26 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | — | 37 | 6 | |
| 2007–08 | Premier League | 18 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | — | 25 | 7 | ||
| 2008–09 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2009–10 | Premier League | 25 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | 33 | 3 | ||
| 2010–11 | Premier League | 21 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 34 | 1 | ||
| 2011–12 | Premier League | 28 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | — | 38 | 2 | ||
| 2012–13 | Premier League | 10 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 3 | |
| 2013–14 | Premier League | 27 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | — | 39 | 3 | ||
| 2014–15 | Premier League | 15 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 3 | |
| 2015–16 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 170 | 19 | 21 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 46 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 247 | 28 | ||
| Sparta Prague | 2016–17 | Czech First League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2017–18 | Czech First League | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 12 | 1 | |||
| Total | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 372 | 48 | 32 | 6 | 15 | 1 | 96 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 516 | 66 | ||
International Games
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Czech Republic | 2000 | 8 | 0 |
| 2001 | 10 | 2 | |
| 2002 | 6 | 3 | |
| 2003 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2004 | 13 | 3 | |
| 2005 | 8 | 6 | |
| 2006 | 9 | 2 | |
| 2007 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2008 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2012 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2014 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2015 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 5 | 1 | |
| Total | 105 | 23 | |
- Scores and results list Czech Republic's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Rosický goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 October 2001 | Generali Arena, Prague, Czech Republic | 14 |  Bulgaria |
1–0 | 6–0 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 5–0 | ||||||
| 3 | 20 August 2002 | Andrův stadion, Olomouc, Czech Republic | 18 |  Slovakia |
3–1 | 4–1 | Friendly |
| 4 | 4–1 | ||||||
| 5 | 12 October 2002 | Stadionul Republican, Chișinău, Moldova | 20 |  Moldova |
2–0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying |
| 6 | 29 April 2003 | Na Stínadlech, Teplice, Czech Republic | 25 |  Turkey |
1–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
| 7 | 17 February 2004 | Stadio Renzo Barbera, Palermo, Italy | 29 |  Italy |
2–2 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 8 | 1 June 2004 | Generali Arena, Prague, Czech Republic | 31 | Bulgaria |
3–0 | 3–1 | Friendly |
| 9 | 13 October 2004 | Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium, Yerevan, Armenia | 41 |  Armenia |
2–0 | 3–0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 10 | 26 March 2005 | Na Stínadlech, Teplice, Czech Republic | 43 |  Finland |
2–0 | 4–3 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 11 | 30 March 2005 | Estadi Comunal d'Andorra la Vella, Andorra la Vella, Andorra | 44 |  Andorra |
4–0 | 4–0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 12 | 4 June 2005 | Stadion u Nisy, Liberec, Czech Republic | 45 | Andorra |
6–1 | 8–1 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 13 | 8 June 2005 | Na Stínadlech, Teplice, Czech Republic | 46 |  Macedonia |
5–1 | 6–1 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 14 | 12 October 2005 | Helsinki Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland | 48 | Finland |
2–0 | 3–0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 15 | 16 November 2005 | Generali Arena, Prague, Czech Republic | 50 |  Norway |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 16 | 12 June 2006 | Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany | 53 |  United States |
2–0 | 3–0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup |
| 17 | 3–0 | ||||||
| 18 | 8 September 2007 | San Marino Stadium, Serravalle, San Marino | 64 |  San Marino |
1–0 | 3–0 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying |
| 19 | 17 November 2007 | Generali Arena, Prague, Czech Republic | 66 | Slovakia |
3–1 | 3–1 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying |
| 20 | 9 February 2011 | Stadion Aldo Drosina, Pula, Croatia | 76 |  Croatia |
2–2 | 2–4 | Friendly |
| 21 | 6 September 2013 | Eden Arena, Prague, Czech Republic | 93 | Armenia |
1–1 | 1–2 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 22 | 5 March 2014 | Eden Arena, Prague, Czech Republic | 95 | Norway |
1–0 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 23 | 1 June 2016 | Tivoli-Neu, Innsbruck, Austria | 102 |  Russia |
1–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
Awards and Achievements
Sparta Prague
- Czech First League: 1998–99, 1999–2000
Borussia Dortmund
- Bundesliga: 2001–02
- UEFA Cup runner-up: 2001–02
- DFB-Ligapokal runner-up: 2003
Arsenal
- FA Cup: 2013–14
- FA Community Shield: 2014
- Football League Cup runner-up: 2006–07, 2010–11
Individual Awards
- Czech Footballer of the Year: 2001, 2002, 2006
- Golden Ball (Czech Republic): 2002
- Czech Talent of the Year: 1999
- kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2001–02
See also
In Spanish: Tomáš Rosický para niños
- List of footballers with 100 or more caps
