Jirí Jarošík
Encyclopedia
Jiří Jarošík is a Czech footballer who is currently playing for AC Sparta Prague. He played Czech national team
, where he played 23 matches. He is a defender
and midfielder
.
, then Czechoslovakia
, Jarošík began his career with Sparta Prague in his native Czech Republic
. He had a two-year loan spell at Slovan Liberec
before establishing himself in the first team at Sparta. Jarošík's appearances caught the eye of CSKA Moscow, who paid a then Russia
n record of about $3.5 million to acquire him in 2003.
for an undisclosed fee, thought to be about £3 million. On 27 February, he started the League Cup final, which Chelsea won 3-2 against Liverpool
. Chelsea won the 2004–05 Premier League title and Jarošík made enough league appearances (14) to earn a championship medal.
, Jarošík found himself out of the first team and was loaned out to fellow Premier League side Birmingham City
on for the 2005–06 season. At Birmingham, he was the team's top goalscorer, becoming better known for his long-range shooting than the defensive responsibilities which gave him his name at Moscow. After finishing a disappointing season for the Midlands side, Birmingham had the option to make the deal permanent when the spell ended, but following their relegation, they did not do so. He finished a superb loan period at Saint Andrew's in May 2006 where he was the club's joint-top goalscorer with eight goals, although his goals could not help Birmingham stay in the Premier League. Jarošík returned Chelsea not knowing where his future would lie, due to there being heavy competition for places at the club.
champions Celtic
for an undisclosed fee, rumoured to be around the £2 million mark. He scored on his Celtic debut in a 4-1 victory over Kilmarnock
at Celtic Park
. Competition from other midfielders such as Evander Sno
, Aiden McGeady
and Paul Hartley
meant that first team opportunities were limited for Jarošík, but he still made several notable contributions to Celtic's success, including winning both the free kicks from which Shunsuke Nakamura
scored in the two Champions League
group stage matches against Manchester United
- the second being the one which put Celtic into the last 16. On 6 December 2006, Jarošík also scored Celtic's goal in a 3-1 Champions League group stage loss at Copenhagen
. On 14 January 2007, Jarošík scored the winner in a 2-1 win over Hearts
. Celtic won the 2006-07 league title in Jarošík's first season with the club, meaning that he has now won league medals in a record four countries - Czech Republic, Russia, England and Scotland.
Despite the signings of Massimo Donati
and Scott Brown for the 2007-08 season, which made midfield competition even tighter than before, Jarošík remained with Celtic. On 3 October, Jarošík made his first Celtic start in over six months in Celtic's 2-1 Champions League group stage victory over A.C. Milan
at Celtic Park. On 28 November, Jarošík scored Celtic's equaliser in another Champions League group stage match - this time against Shakhtar Donetsk
- with a spectacular left-footed volley. The match ended 2-1 to Celtic.
on a free transfer. He scored his first goal for the club with a header in a 1-1 draw with Atlético Madrid in a league match.
, although he was not included in the squads for Euro 2004, the 2006 World Cup
or Euro 2008.
PFC CSKA Moscow
Chelsea
Celtic
Czech Republic national football team
The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek...
, where he played 23 matches. He is a defender
Defender
Defender usually refers to a position in association football .Defender or The Defender may also refer to:-Film and television:* The Defender or The Bodyguard from Beijing, a film starring Jet Li...
and midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
.
Early career
Born in Ústí nad LabemÚstí nad Labem
Ústí nad Labem is a city of the Czech Republic, in the Ústí nad Labem Region. The city is the 7th-most populous in the country.Ústí is situated in a mountainous district at the confluence of the Bílina and the Elbe Rivers, and, besides being an active river port, is an important railway junction...
, then Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, Jarošík began his career with Sparta Prague in his native Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
. He had a two-year loan spell at Slovan Liberec
FC Slovan Liberec
FC Slovan Liberec is a Czech football club founded in the city of Liberec. The club is one of the most successful in the Czech Republic, having won two league titles and the domestic cup since 1993. Slovan Liberec is also one of the richest clubs in the Czech league...
before establishing himself in the first team at Sparta. Jarošík's appearances caught the eye of CSKA Moscow, who paid a then Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n record of about $3.5 million to acquire him in 2003.
Chelsea
On 6 January 2005, Jarošík was purchased by Premier League club ChelseaChelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
for an undisclosed fee, thought to be about £3 million. On 27 February, he started the League Cup final, which Chelsea won 3-2 against Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
. Chelsea won the 2004–05 Premier League title and Jarošík made enough league appearances (14) to earn a championship medal.
Birmingham City
In August 2005, after Chelsea purchased Michael EssienMichael Essien
Michael Kojo Essien is a Ghanaian footballer who plays for Chelsea and the Ghanaian national team. He is a midfielder who has often been touted as a box-to-box midfielder for his ability to exert boundless energy in supporting offensive and defensive play...
, Jarošík found himself out of the first team and was loaned out to fellow Premier League side Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
on for the 2005–06 season. At Birmingham, he was the team's top goalscorer, becoming better known for his long-range shooting than the defensive responsibilities which gave him his name at Moscow. After finishing a disappointing season for the Midlands side, Birmingham had the option to make the deal permanent when the spell ended, but following their relegation, they did not do so. He finished a superb loan period at Saint Andrew's in May 2006 where he was the club's joint-top goalscorer with eight goals, although his goals could not help Birmingham stay in the Premier League. Jarošík returned Chelsea not knowing where his future would lie, due to there being heavy competition for places at the club.
Celtic
On 19 June 2006, Jarošík left Chelsea and signed a three-year deal with Scottish Premier LeagueScottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
champions Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
for an undisclosed fee, rumoured to be around the £2 million mark. He scored on his Celtic debut in a 4-1 victory over Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock F.C.
Kilmarnock Football Club is a Scottish football team based in the town of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. Founded in 1869, "Killie" is the oldest club currently in the Scottish Premier League. Home matches are played at Rugby Park...
at Celtic Park
Celtic Park
Celtic Park is a football stadium in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which is the home ground of Celtic FC. Celtic Park, an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 60,832, is the largest football stadium in Scotland and the sixth-largest stadium in the United Kingdom, after Murrayfield, Old Trafford,...
. Competition from other midfielders such as Evander Sno
Evander Sno
Evander Sno is a Dutch footballer who currently plays as a defensive midfielder for Eredivisie club RKC Waalwijk. He has also featured for the Dutch under-21 and under-23 international teams. Sno typically plays in a defensive midfield role, but was utilised in nine different field positions...
, Aiden McGeady
Aiden McGeady
Aiden McGeady is a Scottish-born Irish footballer who currently plays as a winger for Russian club Spartak Moscow. Although born and brought up in Scotland, McGeady plays internationally for the Republic of Ireland, a country he qualifies for through his grandparents...
and Paul Hartley
Paul Hartley
Paul James Hartley is a Scottish professional footballer. He is currently player and manager at Alloa Athletic. Hartley began his career as a right winger, but was moved into a central midfield position in 2002...
meant that first team opportunities were limited for Jarošík, but he still made several notable contributions to Celtic's success, including winning both the free kicks from which Shunsuke Nakamura
Shunsuke Nakamura
is a Japanese footballer who currently plays for Yokohama F. Marinos in J. League Division 1. He is one of the most prominent and successful Asian players to have played in Scotland and on 13 September 2006 became the first Japanese player to score in the UEFA Champions League and the second Asian...
scored in the two Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
group stage matches against Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
- the second being the one which put Celtic into the last 16. On 6 December 2006, Jarošík also scored Celtic's goal in a 3-1 Champions League group stage loss at Copenhagen
F.C. Copenhagen
F.C. Copenhagen is a professional Danish football club in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is part of the Parken Sport & Entertainment....
. On 14 January 2007, Jarošík scored the winner in a 2-1 win over Hearts
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
. Celtic won the 2006-07 league title in Jarošík's first season with the club, meaning that he has now won league medals in a record four countries - Czech Republic, Russia, England and Scotland.
Despite the signings of Massimo Donati
Massimo Donati
Massimo Donati is an Italian footballer who currently plays as a Central Midfielder for Serie B club Bari.-Italy:...
and Scott Brown for the 2007-08 season, which made midfield competition even tighter than before, Jarošík remained with Celtic. On 3 October, Jarošík made his first Celtic start in over six months in Celtic's 2-1 Champions League group stage victory over A.C. Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
at Celtic Park. On 28 November, Jarošík scored Celtic's equaliser in another Champions League group stage match - this time against Shakhtar Donetsk
FC Shakhtar Donetsk
FC Shakhtar Donetsk is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Donetsk. Shakhtar has appeared in several European competitions and currently is often a participant of the UEFA Champions League. The club became the first Ukrainian club to win the UEFA Cup in 2009, the last year...
- with a spectacular left-footed volley. The match ended 2-1 to Celtic.
Krylia Sovetov
On 31 January 2008, Jarošík signed for Russian side Krylia Sovetov for a reported fee of €1 million.Real Zaragoza
On 14 January 2010, Jarošík signed for Spanish side Real ZaragozaReal Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza, S.A.D. is a Spanish association football team from Zaragoza in Spain. Founded on 18 March 1932, Real Zaragoza have spent the majority of their 78 year history in the Spanish top-flight. Real Zaragoza are Spain's 9th highest ranked team in overall league points...
on a free transfer. He scored his first goal for the club with a header in a 1-1 draw with Atlético Madrid in a league match.
Sparta Prague
On 13 August 2011, Jarošík signed for his former club Sparta Prague as a free agent.International career
Jarošík has played 23 times for the Czech Rupublic national teamCzech Republic national football team
The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek...
, although he was not included in the squads for Euro 2004, the 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
or Euro 2008.
Honours
Sparta Prague- Czech LeagueGambrinus LigaThe Gambrinus liga is a Czech professional league for football clubs. At the top of the Czech football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 16 clubs, operating a system of promotion and relegation with the Czech 2. Liga. Seasons run from August to May,...
(6): 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003
PFC CSKA Moscow
- Russian Premier LeagueRussian Premier LeagueThe Russian Premier League , currently called SOGAZ Russian Football Championship due to sponsorship reasons, is the top division of Russian football. There are 16 teams in the competition...
(1): 2003 - Russian Super CupRussian Super CupThe Russian Super Cup is a one-match football annual competition. Its official sponsored name is TransTeleCom Russian Supercup . The two participating clubs are holders of the Russian Premier League champions title and the Russian Cup...
(1): 2004
Chelsea
- Premier League (1): 2005
- League CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
(1): 2005
Celtic
- Scottish Premier LeagueScottish Premier LeagueThe Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
(1): 2007 - Scottish CupScottish CupThe Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
(1): 2007