Vratislav Lokvenc facts for kids
Lokvenc in 2013
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Vratislav Lokvenc | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 27 September 1973 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Náchod, Czechoslovakia | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Forward | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1980–1986 | Náchod | |||||||||||||||
| 1986–1992 | Hradec Králové | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 1992–1994 | Hradec Králové | 55 | (8) | |||||||||||||
| 1994–2000 | Sparta Prague | 163 | (74) | |||||||||||||
| 2000–2004 | 1. FC Kaiserslautern | 116 | (36) | |||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | VfL Bochum | 32 | (10) | |||||||||||||
| 2005–2008 | Red Bull Salzburg | 45 | (8) | |||||||||||||
| 2008 | → FC Basel (loan) | 6 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | FC Ingolstadt | 23 | (6) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 440 | (142) | ||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1996 | Czech Republic U21 | 13 | (7) | |||||||||||||
| 1995–2006 | Czech Republic | 74 | (14) | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||
Vratislav Lokvenc is a former professional footballer from the Czech Republic. He was born on September 27, 1973. Lokvenc played as a forward, which means he was responsible for scoring goals for his team.
He started his football journey in youth teams like Náchod and Hradec Králové. Later, he became a senior player for Hradec Králové. He then moved to Sparta Prague, where he achieved great success. He won five league titles and one cup with Sparta. He was also the top scorer in the league during the 1999–2000 season.
After his time in the Czech Republic, Lokvenc played for clubs in other countries. He played in Germany for 1. FC Kaiserslautern and VfL Bochum. He also played in Austria for Red Bull Salzburg and in Switzerland for FC Basel. His last club was FC Ingolstadt 04 in Germany. He stopped playing professional football in 2009.
Vratislav Lokvenc also played for the Czech Republic on the international stage. He participated in the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup. He also played in three major tournaments: Euro 2000, Euro 2004, and the 2006 World Cup. He retired from international football in 2006.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Early Success in Czech Football
Vratislav Lokvenc came from a family that loved football. His father, who was also named Vratislav Lokvenc, played football in Czechoslovakia. This meant football was a big part of his life from a young age.
Lokvenc started his professional career in the 1992–93 season with FC Hradec Králové. In October 1994, he joined Sparta Prague, one of the biggest clubs in the Czech Republic.
During his six seasons at Sparta Prague, Lokvenc became a very successful player. He helped his team win the league title five times! He also won the Czech Cup in 1996. In March 2000, he scored four goals in a single match against České Budějovice, which was an amazing achievement. He was only the third player in the Czech league to do this. In May 2000, he scored two goals in a big match against Slavia Prague, helping Sparta win the league title. He was the top scorer in the Czech First League during the 1999–2000 season, scoring 22 goals.
Playing in Germany
In 2000, Lokvenc moved to Germany to play for 1. FC Kaiserslautern in the Bundesliga, which is Germany's top football league. He quickly showed his scoring ability, even scoring six goals in a friendly match before the season officially began.
He also scored important goals in European competitions. In December 2000, he scored in the UEFA Cup against Rangers, helping his team move forward in the tournament. He even scored the only goal in a match against his former Czech rivals, Slavia Prague, to knock them out of the competition.
In 2003, Lokvenc scored three goals in a cup match against Bochum. His team, Kaiserslautern, reached the final of the German Cup that year, but they lost to Bayern Munich.
In the summer of 2004, Lokvenc joined VfL Bochum, another German club. He scored ten goals for Bochum that season. However, his team was unfortunately relegated from the Bundesliga.
Later Career in Austria and Switzerland
In 2005, Lokvenc moved to Austria to play for Red Bull Salzburg. He was very happy about this move, calling it "the best transfer of my life." He joined other famous players like Thomas Linke and Alexander Zickler there.
He faced some challenges with injuries during his first season in Salzburg, needing knee surgery. But he came back strong. In the 2006–07 season, he helped Red Bull Salzburg win the Austrian league title with five games still left to play!
In October 2007, Lokvenc scored a goal in a UEFA Cup match against AEK Athens. Even though his team won that game, it wasn't enough for them to advance in the competition.
Because he was playing less for Salzburg, Lokvenc went on loan to FC Basel in Switzerland in February 2008. He helped Basel win both the Swiss Super League title and the Swiss Cup in 2008. He even scored a goal in the Swiss Cup semi-final.
Lokvenc returned to Germany in 2008 to play for FC Ingolstadt 04 in the second division. He played in 23 games and scored six goals for them. However, Ingolstadt was relegated at the end of the season, and Lokvenc decided to retire from professional football.
After Playing Football
After retiring, Lokvenc didn't completely leave the world of football. He worked as a scout for his former club, Basel, helping them find new talented players in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. He also continued to play football in an amateur league for a team called Union Čelákovice. He stayed active by participating in events like the Prague Half Marathon.
International Career
Vratislav Lokvenc also proudly represented his country, the Czech Republic, in international football. He played for the Czech Republic's under-21 team, scoring seven goals in 13 matches between 1993 and 1995.
He made his debut for the senior Czech national team in 1995. He was part of the Czech squad that finished third at the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup in Saudi Arabia.
Euro 2000 Tournament
At Euro 2000, Lokvenc played in three matches as a substitute. The Czech Republic faced tough opponents like the Netherlands and France. Even though his team didn't make it past the group stage, Lokvenc gained valuable experience playing against some of the best teams in Europe.
Euro 2004 Tournament
Lokvenc played a key role in the qualification matches for Euro 2004. In June 2003, he scored two goals with his head in a 5–0 win against Moldova.
At the Euro 2004 tournament itself, he played in one group match against Germany. The Czech Republic won that game 2–1.
2006 FIFA World Cup
Lokvenc was very important during the qualification process for the 2006 World Cup. He scored five goals for his country during these matches. In November 2004, he scored the first goal in a 2–0 win against Macedonia. In March 2005, he scored the winning goal in a thrilling 4–3 match against Finland. He also scored two goals in an 8–1 home win against Andorra in June 2005.
At the 2006 World Cup, Lokvenc played in two group matches. He came on as a substitute in the first game against the USA, which the Czech Republic won 3–0. He started the second game against Ghana. Unfortunately, he received two yellow cards in these matches, which meant he was suspended for the final group game against Italy. The Czech Republic lost to Italy and did not move on to the next stage of the competition.
After the World Cup, in September 2006, Lokvenc announced his retirement from international football. He ended his international career with 14 goals in 74 matches for the Czech Republic.
Playing Style
Vratislav Lokvenc was known for his height, which made him a "towering forward." This meant he was very good at heading the ball and winning aerial challenges, similar to his international teammate Jan Koller. His strength was also a big advantage on the field.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | ||
| Fomei Hradec Králové | 1992–93 | Czechoslovak First League | 17 | 0 |
| 1993–94 | Czech First League | 29 | 5 | |
| 1994–95 | 9 | 3 | ||
| Total | 55 | 8 | ||
| Sparta Prague | 1994–95 | Czech First League | 21 | 8 |
| 1995–96 | 29 | 9 | ||
| 1996–97 | 30 | 12 | ||
| 1997–98 | 29 | 12 | ||
| 1998–99 | 29 | 11 | ||
| 1999–00 | 25 | 22 | ||
| Total | 163 | 74 | ||
| 1. FC Kaiserslautern | 2000–01 | Bundesliga | 30 | 9 |
| 2001–02 | 31 | 11 | ||
| 2002–03 | 30 | 8 | ||
| 2003–04 | 25 | 8 | ||
| Total | 116 | 36 | ||
| VfL Bochum | 2004–05 | Bundesliga | 32 | 10 |
| Red Bull Salzburg | 2005–06 | Austrian Bundesliga | 5 | 0 |
| 2006–07 | 23 | 6 | ||
| 2007–08 | 17 | 3 | ||
| Total | 45 | 9 | ||
| FC Basel | 2007–08 | Super League | 6 | 0 |
| FC Ingolstadt | 2008–09 | 2. Bundesliga | 23 | 6 |
| Career total | 440 | 143 | ||
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Czech Republic | 1995 | 2 | 0 |
| 1997 | 4 | 0 | |
| 1998 | 10 | 1 | |
| 1999 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2000 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2001 | 11 | 3 | |
| 2002 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2003 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2004 | 9 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 5 | 4 | |
| 2006 | 5 | 1 | |
| Total | 74 | 14 | |
- Scores and results list the Czech Republic's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Lokvenc goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 May 1998 |  South Korea |
2–2 | Friendly | ||
| 2 | 28 April 1999 |  Poland |
1–2 | Friendly | ||
| 3 | 15 August 2001 | South Korea |
5–0 | Friendly | ||
| 4 | 5 September 2001 |  Malta |
3–2 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification | ||
| 5 | 6 October 2001 |  Bulgaria |
6–0 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification | ||
| 6 | 13 February 2002 |  Cyprus |
4–3 | Friendly | ||
| 7 | 11 June 2003 |  Moldova |
5–0 | UEFA Euro 2004 qualification | ||
| 8 | ||||||
| 9 | 17 November 2004 |  Macedonia |
2–0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification | ||
| 10 | 26 March 2005 |  Finland |
4–3 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification | ||
| 11 | 30 March 2005 |  Andorra |
4–0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification | ||
| 12 | 4 June 2005 | Andorra |
8–1 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification | ||
| 13 | ||||||
| 14 | 30 May 2006 |  Costa Rica |
1–0 | Friendly |
Honours and Awards
Vratislav Lokvenc won many awards and titles during his football career:
With Sparta Prague:
- Czech First League: 1994–95, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–2000 (five times!)
- Czech Cup: 1996
With 1. FC Kaiserslautern:
- DFB-Pokal (German Cup) runner-up: 2002–03
With Red Bull Salzburg:
- Austrian Football Bundesliga: 2006–07
- Austrian Football Bundesliga runner-up: 2005–06
With FC Basel:
- Swiss Super League: 2007–08
- Swiss Cup: 2007–08
With the Czech Republic National Team:
- FIFA Confederations Cup third place: 1997
Individual Awards:
- Czech First League top scorer: 1999–2000
See also
In Spanish: Vratislav Lokvenc para niños
