Zdeněk Grygera facts for kids
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Zdeněk Grygera | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 14 May 1980 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Přílepy, Czechoslovakia | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft +1⁄2 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Defender | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1987–1990 | TJ Holešov | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1990–1997 | FK Svit Zlín | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–1998 | Svit Zlín | 20 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2000 | Petra Drnovice | 54 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2003 | Sparta Prague | 65 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2007 | Ajax | 78 | (8) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2011 | Juventus | 87 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Fulham | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 309 | (17) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2009 | Czech Republic | 65 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Zdeněk Grygera (born on May 14, 1980) is a former professional footballer from the Czech Republic. He played as a defender. Zdeněk started his football journey in his home country before moving to play for big clubs like Ajax in the Netherlands, Juventus in Italy, and Fulham in England.
He also proudly represented the Czech Republic national football team. He played in two major European tournaments, the UEFA European Championship in 2004 and 2008, and also in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting Out in the Czech Republic
Zdeněk Grygera began his professional football career at Petra Drnovice. After playing there, he moved to another well-known Czech club, Sparta Prague.
Playing for Ajax in the Netherlands
In July 2003, Grygera joined the Dutch club Ajax. He quickly became a favorite among the fans. His first goal for Ajax came in September 2004 during a big 5–0 win against Den Bosch. He also scored an important goal against their big rivals, Feyenoord, in a famous match called the Klassieker.
In January 2007, it was announced that Grygera would move to Juventus in Italy. This move happened when his contract with Ajax ended in June 2007. He was supposed to join Juventus earlier, after the 2006 FIFA World Cup, but a big football scandal in Italy delayed his transfer. Later, in April 2009, Grygera scored a very late goal for Juventus. This goal helped his team get a draw against their rivals, Internazionale, in a match known as the Derby d'Italia.
Time with Fulham in England
In the summer of 2011, Grygera still had one year left on his contract with Juventus. However, both he and the club agreed to end his contract early on August 30. The very next day, he joined Premier League club Fulham in England. He was given the number 26 jersey.
Zdeněk made his first appearance for Fulham on September 15, 2011. This was in a UEFA Europa League match against Twente. Unfortunately, in November 2011, during a league match against Tottenham Hotspur, Grygera suffered a serious knee injury. This injury kept him from playing for the rest of that season.
His contract with Fulham was set to end in the summer of 2012. Fulham's manager, Martin Jol, hoped that Grygera could prove he was fit enough to play again. However, on December 6, 2012, Martin Jol confirmed that Grygera had decided to stop playing professional football. He wanted to focus on getting back to full health.
International Career
Zdeněk Grygera was a key player for the Czech Republic national football team. He was part of the team that won the UEFA U-21 Championships in 2002. In 2001, he made his first appearance for the senior national team in a friendly match against South Korea.
During the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Grygera made a great run and sent a cross that led to the first goal for the Czech team. This goal was scored by Jan Koller in their opening match against the United States, which the Czechs won 3–0. At UEFA Euro 2008, Grygera was involved in a challenge with Swiss player Alexander Frei. This challenge caused an injury to Frei, which meant he could not play for the rest of the tournament.
Playing Style
Zdeněk Grygera was known for how hard he worked and how competitive he was on the field. He was also very versatile, meaning he could play in different positions. He usually played as a full-back or wing-back on the right side of the field. These positions involve both defending and attacking. He could also play on the left side or as a centre-back, which is a more central defensive role. While he was strong at defending, he was also good at moving forward to help the attack.
Honours and Achievements
Zdeněk Grygera won several important titles during his career:
Sparta Prague
- Gambrinus Liga:
- 2000–01
- 2002–03
Ajax
- Eredivisie (Dutch League):
- 2003–04
- KNVB Cup (Dutch Cup):
- 2005–06
- 2006–07
- Johan Cruijff Shield (Dutch Super Cup):
- 2005
See also
In Spanish: Zdeněk Grygera para niños
