Vladimír Šmicer facts for kids
Šmicer in 2024
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Vladimír Šmicer | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 24 May 1973 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Děčín, Czechoslovakia | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1985–1987 | Kovostroj Děčín | |||||||||||||||
| 1987–1992 | Slavia Prague | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 1992–1996 | Slavia Prague | 81 | (26) | |||||||||||||
| 1996–1999 | Lens | 91 | (16) | |||||||||||||
| 1999–2005 | Liverpool | 121 | (10) | |||||||||||||
| 2005–2007 | Bordeaux | 28 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| 2007–2009 | Slavia Prague | 23 | (5) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 344 | (60) | ||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1993 | RCS | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 1994–2006 | Czech Republic | 80 | (27) | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||
Vladimír Šmicer (born 24 May 1973) is a Czech former professional footballer. He played as a midfielder. He started his career at Slavia Prague, which was the only Czech club he played for.
In 1999, Šmicer moved to England to play for Liverpool. There, he won many awards and trophies. People often remember him for his amazing long-range goal in the 2005 UEFA Champions League final against Milan. With Liverpool, he also won the UEFA Cup, FA Cup, and League Cup in 2001. He also won another League Cup in 2003.
He also played for French teams like Lens, where he won the Ligue 1 title, and Bordeaux.
For his country, Šmicer played one game for the Czechoslovak national team. He then played 80 times for the Czech Republic. He stopped playing professional football in 2009.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Playing for Liverpool
Šmicer joined Liverpool in 1999 for about £4.2 million. He was brought in to replace Steve McManaman, who had left for Real Madrid. When he arrived at Anfield, Liverpool's home stadium, he was given the number 7 shirt. He later changed to number 11.
When he left Liverpool in 2005, Šmicer said it was a dream come true to play for them because he supported the club as a child. He played his first game for Liverpool against Sheffield Wednesday. He scored his first Premier League goal in a 3–2 win against Watford.
Even though Šmicer had some injuries, he scored important goals. This included a last-minute winning goal against Chelsea in 2002. He also scored a fantastic volley against Borussia Dortmund.
One of his most famous moments was scoring Liverpool’s second goal in the 2005 UEFA Champions League Final against AC Milan. Liverpool was losing 3-0 but came back to make it 3-3. The game went to penalties, and Šmicer scored Liverpool’s fourth and final penalty to help them win the trophy!
Returning to Slavia Prague
After leaving Liverpool, Šmicer returned to his first club, Slavia Prague, in 2007. In 2008, he won the "Personality of the League" award at the Czech Footballer of the Year awards.
He played his last professional football game on 9 November 2009, which was a 0–0 draw with Viktoria Plzeň. He had a special farewell party on 11 May 2010.
International Career
Šmicer started playing for his country in 1993. At the Euro 1996 tournament, he played for the Czech Republic. His team made it all the way to the final! In the final match against Germany, he was the only substitute for the Czech team, coming on in the 88th minute.
At the Euro 2000 tournament, he scored both goals in the Czech Republic's only win, a 2–0 victory against Denmark. Šmicer could not play in the 2006 FIFA World Cup because of a leg injury.
Life After Football
Just one day after he stopped playing football, Šmicer became the sports manager for the Czech national team. He worked with the head coach, Michal Bílek.
Personal Life
Vladimír Šmicer is interested in helping children. He even ran for a small Czech political party called VIZE 2014 in the European Parliament election. His main goal was to help reduce obesity among children. Because he played football in different countries, he can speak English and French, as well as his native Czech language.
Honours and Achievements
Slavia Prague
- Gambrinus liga: 1995–96, 2007–08, 2008–09
Lens
- Ligue 1: 1997–98
- Coupe de la Ligue: 1998–99
Liverpool
- FA Cup: 2000–01
- Football League Cup: 2000–01, 2002–03
- UEFA Champions League: 2004–05
- UEFA Cup: 2000–01
Bordeaux
- Coupe de la Ligue: 2006–07
Czech Republic
- UEFA European Football Championship runner-up: 1996
See also
In Spanish: Vladimír Šmicer para niños
