Patrik Berger
Encyclopedia
Patrik Berger (ˈpatrɪk ˈbɛrɡr̩; born 10 November 1973 in Prague
) is a retired Czech
footballer. He has played in Czech Republic
, Germany
, and England
. He is best remembered for his time at Liverpool
.
The success of the Czech Republic's national team in the Euro 1996 raised the profile of many players — including that of Berger, Pavel Nedvěd
, and Karel Poborský
— and convinced some of Europe's most prestigious clubs to purchase them. Capable of occupying midfield and forward positions, Berger became noted for his powerful strikes, surging runs, and strong left foot. Berger was beset with injuries throughout his career and received specialist treatment in the United States. He retired on 6 January 2010 due to knee injuries.
, Czech Republic
. His uncle is the Czech footballer Jan Berger
— He began his career as a youth player at Sparta Prague in 1989, securing a professional contract two-years later with rivals Slavia Prague. Establishing himself as a senior regular, Berger competed in Europe and earned selection for Czechoslovakia and, following its establishment, the Czech Republic.
After 89 league games and 24 goals, Berger was purchased by Ottmar Hitzfeld
's Borussia Dortmund
in 1995 for a reported £
500,000. His only season as a Dortmund player was frustrating and successful. While Dortmund gained the Bundesliga
title and Super Cup, Berger was predominantly used as a substitute, scoring four goals in 25 league appearances. Hitzfeld preferred to employ Berger as a defensive midfielder as he considered him to be most suited to the role.
Liverpool's interest in Berger was stimulated by the performances of the Czech Republic during Euro 1996, organised in England, in the final of which he scored a penalty. The club approached both Berger and Karel Poborský
, who elected to transfer to Manchester United
after the competition's conclusion. Berger did accept Liverpool's contract offer and completed his transfer in August 1996 for £
3.25 million.
, Merseyside
, where he resided near retired players Kenny Dalglish
and Alan Hansen
. Debuting as a substitute in a 2–1 home win against Southampton
on 7 September 1996, Berger performed well in his first month with the club, endearing him to supporters and earning praise from colleagues. Used again as a substitute in his second match, Berger scored a brace of goals in a 3–0 win against Leicester City
. A second double was registered against Chelsea in the latter's 5–1 defeat at Anfield, which he followed with a fifth goal in four games in a Cup Winners' Cup
match against MYPA
. The series of displays were recognised in October with the FA's Player of the Month
award for September.
First-team opportunities became limited in Berger's second season. Unable to reproduce earlier performances, Berger was often confined to the bench in a season punctuated by a hat-trick
against Chelsea
. Berger's dissatisfaction and discord between the midfielder and manager Roy Evans
placed his Liverpool career in jeopardy. Evans criticised Berger's perceived indifference to teamwork and publicly expressed a willingness to sell after he refused to be used as a substitute against Bolton Wanderers
in March 1998. His agent reported to the media that Benfica, Roma
and unidentified Spanish clubs were interested in arranging a transfer from Liverpool. The appointment of Gérard Houllier
as co-manager before the 1998–99 season and subsequent departure of Roy Evans proved to be pivotal in Berger's decision to remain with the club.
Playing regularly in his first season under Houllier's reign, Berger scored nine goals and improved as a player. An injury sustained in a 4–3 defeat to Leeds United in November 2000 rendered Berger unavailable for much of the 2000–01 season and required specialist treatment in the United States from Richard Steadman
. Berger recovered by March and featured in the finals of the UEFA Cup
and FA Cup, in which he assisted Michael Owen
to score the deciding goal against Arsenal
.
Recurring injuries between 2001 and 2003 further disrupted Berger's career and deprived him of a presence in the first team, resulting in his decision to leave Liverpool after the expiration of his contract on the conclusion of the 2002–03 season. Berger had been confined to the bench for the duration of his final season when selected, limiting him to four appearances. He moved on a free transfer to Portsmouth
, having played 196 games for Liverpool, scoring 35 goals in the process.
as the south coast side prepared for the campaign by seeking experienced players. Berger made his first appearance for Portsmouth
on the opening day of the club's debut Premiership season in a 2–1 home win over Aston Villa
, scoring the second goal. On October 18, 2003, Berger scored the winning goal in Portsmouth's 1–0 victory over his former club Liverpool. However, in February 2004, he was forced to undergo an operation
upon his knee forcing him to miss the rest of the season. His performances at the start of the 2004–05 season indicated that a return to his best form might be on the cards, with Berger scoring a contender for goal of the season against Charlton Athletic
in Portsmouth's first away match.
After the club successfully battled against relegation, then-manager Alain Perrin and the club chose not to renew his contract in June 2005. Berger then joined Aston Villa on a two year-deal.
in order to gain fitness, with some reports suggesting that the player had fallen out with manager Martin O'Neill
over playing in the reserve side. After his loan spell, Berger had a good spell of fitness and began to show flashes of what he was capable of, regularly showing his influence on the pitch. On 7 Apri, Berger scored his first goal in two years against Blackburn Rovers
in a 2–1 victory, where his performance was praised. Berger scored again on May 5 in the penultimate game of the season against Sheffield United.
On 28 May 2007, Berger agreed to sign a one-year contract extension with Aston Villa
.
On 6 May 2008, he was told he had played his last game for Aston Villa after urging Villa captain Gareth Barry
to move to Liverpool. At the end of his contract he was released by the club having appeared in just 29 matches in three seasons.
On 6 January 2010, he retired because of a ligament injury that he failed to recover from.
, which ended 1–1. He famously scored in the final of Euro 1996 from the penalty spot to give Czech Republic
a 1–0 lead. However, they lost on the Golden Goal rule in extra time to Germany
. He also appeared once in the Euro 2000, having been suspended after being sent off in a qualifier against the Faroe Islands
.
|1991–92||rowspan="2"|Slavia Prague||rowspan="2"|First League
||20||3||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||20||3
|-
|1992–93||29||10||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||2||0||31||10
|-
|1993–94||rowspan="2"|Slavia Prague||rowspan="2"|Gambrinus liga
||12||4||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||2||1||14||5
|-
|1994–95||29||7||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||4||1||33||8
|-
|1995–96||Borussia Dortmund
||Bundesliga
||25||4||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||2||0||27||4
|-
|1996–97||rowspan="7"|Liverpool
||rowspan="7"|Premier League||23||6||2||0||3||1||6||2||34||9
|-
|1997–98||22||3||1||0||2||1||2||0||27||4
|-
|1998–99||32||7||2||0||1||0||6||2||41||9
|-
|1999–2000||34||9||1||0||2||0||colspan="2"|—||37||9
|-
|2000–01||14||2||1||0||1||0||5||0||21||2
|-
|2001–02||21||1||1||0||colspan="2"|—||8||0||30||1
|-
|2002–03||2||0||colspan="2"|—||1||1||1||0||4||1
|-
|2003–04||rowspan="2"|Portsmouth
||rowspan="2"|Premier League||20||5||1||0||2||0||colspan="2"|—||23||5
|-
|2004–05||32||3||2||0||3||0||colspan="2"|—||37||3
|-
|2005–06
||rowspan="2"|Aston Villa
||rowspan="2"|Premier League||8||0||colspan="2"|—||1||0||colspan="2"|—||9||0
|-
|2006–07
||13||2||colspan="2"|—||1||0||colspan="2"|—||14||2
|-
|2006–07||Stoke City
||Championship
||7||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||7||0
|-
|2007–08||Aston Villa
||Premier League||8||0||colspan="2"|—||1||0||colspan="2"|—||9||0
|-
|2008–09||rowspan="2"|Sparta Prague||rowspan="2"|Gambrinus liga
||21||6||4||2||colspan="2"|—||4||0||29||8
|-
|2009–10
||2||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—|||2||0
49||13||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||2||0||51||13
64||17||4||2||colspan="2"|—||10||2||78||21
25||4||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||2||0||27||4
236||38||11||0||18||3||28||4||293||45
374||72||15||2||18||3||42||6||449||83
|-
|1993||2||0
|-
|1994||3||1
|-
|1995||7||7
|-
|1996||12||3
|-
|1997||2||1
|-
|1998||4||2
|-
|1999||7||3
|-
|2000||3||1
|-
|2001||4||0
|-
!Total||44||18
|}
Liverpool
Czech Republic
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
) is a retired Czech
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....
footballer. He has played in 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....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He is best remembered for his time at 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...
.
The success of the Czech Republic's national team in the Euro 1996 raised the profile of many players — including that of Berger, Pavel Nedvěd
Pavel Nedved
Pavel Nedvěd is a retired Czech football midfielder. He is one of the most successful Czech players to emerge from the newly formed Czech Republic, winning numerous accolades with Lazio and Juventus, including the last ever Cup Winners' Cup...
, and Karel Poborský
Karel Poborský
Karel Poborský is a former Czech footballer. A right winger, Poborský is the all-time leader in appearances for the Czech national team, and was most noted for his technical ability.-Club career:...
— and convinced some of Europe's most prestigious clubs to purchase them. Capable of occupying midfield and forward positions, Berger became noted for his powerful strikes, surging runs, and strong left foot. Berger was beset with injuries throughout his career and received specialist treatment in the United States. He retired on 6 January 2010 due to knee injuries.
Prague and Dortmund
Berger was born in PraguePrague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, 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....
. His uncle is the Czech footballer Jan Berger
Jan Berger (footballer born 1955)
Jan Berger is a Czech former football midfielder and was most recently the manager of Slavoj Vyšehrad.-International career:...
— He began his career as a youth player at Sparta Prague in 1989, securing a professional contract two-years later with rivals Slavia Prague. Establishing himself as a senior regular, Berger competed in Europe and earned selection for Czechoslovakia and, following its establishment, the Czech Republic.
After 89 league games and 24 goals, Berger was purchased by Ottmar Hitzfeld
Ottmar Hitzfeld
Ottmar Hitzfeld is a German former football player and manager, nicknamed der General ....
's Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...
in 1995 for a reported £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
500,000. His only season as a Dortmund player was frustrating and successful. While Dortmund gained the Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
title and Super Cup, Berger was predominantly used as a substitute, scoring four goals in 25 league appearances. Hitzfeld preferred to employ Berger as a defensive midfielder as he considered him to be most suited to the role.
Liverpool's interest in Berger was stimulated by the performances of the Czech Republic during Euro 1996, organised in England, in the final of which he scored a penalty. The club approached both Berger and Karel Poborský
Karel Poborský
Karel Poborský is a former Czech footballer. A right winger, Poborský is the all-time leader in appearances for the Czech national team, and was most noted for his technical ability.-Club career:...
, who elected to transfer to 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...
after the competition's conclusion. Berger did accept Liverpool's contract offer and completed his transfer in August 1996 for £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
3.25 million.
Liverpool
With wife Jaroslava and their two children, Berger settled in SouthportSouthport
Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. During the 2001 census Southport was recorded as having a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England...
, Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
, where he resided near retired players Kenny Dalglish
Kenny Dalglish
Kenneth Mathieson "Kenny" Dalglish MBE is a Scottish former footballer and the current manager of Liverpool F.C.. In a 22-year playing career, he played for two club teams, Celtic and Liverpool, winning numerous honours with both. He is the most capped Scottish player, with 102 appearances, and...
and Alan Hansen
Alan Hansen
Alan David Hansen is a Scottish former football player and BBC television football pundit. He played as a central defender for Partick Thistle, Liverpool and Scotland...
. Debuting as a substitute in a 2–1 home win against Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
on 7 September 1996, Berger performed well in his first month with the club, endearing him to supporters and earning praise from colleagues. Used again as a substitute in his second match, Berger scored a brace of goals in a 3–0 win against Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
. A second double was registered against Chelsea in the latter's 5–1 defeat at Anfield, which he followed with a fifth goal in four games in a Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
match against MYPA
MyPa
Myllykosken Pallo –47 is a Finnish football club, based in the industrial town of Myllykoski, part of the city of Kouvola since January 2009. They currently play in the Finnish Premier Division...
. The series of displays were recognised in October with the FA's Player of the Month
Premier League Player of the Month
The Player of the Month is an association football award that recognises the best Premier League player each month of the season. The recipient is chosen by a panel assembled by the League's sponsor, and announced alongside the Manager of the Month on the first or second Friday of the following month...
award for September.
First-team opportunities became limited in Berger's second season. Unable to reproduce earlier performances, Berger was often confined to the bench in a season punctuated by a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
against Chelsea
Chelsea 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...
. Berger's dissatisfaction and discord between the midfielder and manager Roy Evans
Roy Evans
Roy Evans CBE was a Liverpool football player who eventually rose through the coaching ranks to become team manager.-Career:...
placed his Liverpool career in jeopardy. Evans criticised Berger's perceived indifference to teamwork and publicly expressed a willingness to sell after he refused to be used as a substitute against Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
in March 1998. His agent reported to the media that Benfica, Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
and unidentified Spanish clubs were interested in arranging a transfer from Liverpool. The appointment of Gérard Houllier
Gérard Houllier
Gérard Houllier, OBE , is a French football manager, who was last manager of Premier League club Aston Villa. He stepped down on 1 June 2011, following hospitalisation over heart problems towards the end of the 2010-2011 season....
as co-manager before the 1998–99 season and subsequent departure of Roy Evans proved to be pivotal in Berger's decision to remain with the club.
You know, the greatest day in my football life was the day I signed for Liverpool. I couldn’t believe it. When I was young in Czechoslovakia, we didn’t see much European football, but my father’s friend went to England and he watched Liverpool. When he came back, he gave me the programme, the ticket and a scarf. I still have them all. When I moved to Southport to live, my neighbour was Kenny Dalglish. Alan Hansen lived around the corner. I met them, they were normal guys, but they were my heroes. To me, it’s the best club in the world and when I am finished playing and I’m telling my children about it I will be proud to say that for seven years I was a Liverpool player. |
| The Sunday Times The Sunday Times The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times... , 8 February 2004. |
Playing regularly in his first season under Houllier's reign, Berger scored nine goals and improved as a player. An injury sustained in a 4–3 defeat to Leeds United in November 2000 rendered Berger unavailable for much of the 2000–01 season and required specialist treatment in the United States from Richard Steadman
Richard Steadman
J. Richard Steadman, M.D. is a specialist knee surgeon, practising in Vail, Colorado and a Clinical Professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. He is best known medically for his work in the area of microfracture surgery, and publicly for treating injured...
. Berger recovered by March and featured in the finals of the UEFA Cup
2001 UEFA Cup Final
The 2001 UEFA Cup Final was an association football match between Liverpool of England and Alavés of Spain on 16 May 2001 at the Westfalenstadion, Dortmund, Germany. The showpiece event was the final match of the 2000–01 edition of Europe's secondary cup competition, the UEFA Cup. Liverpool were...
and FA Cup, in which he assisted Michael Owen
Michael Owen
Michael James Owen is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Manchester United.The son of former footballer Terry Owen, Owen began his senior career at Liverpool in 1996. He progressed through the Liverpool youth team and scored on his debut in May 1997...
to score the deciding goal against Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
.
Recurring injuries between 2001 and 2003 further disrupted Berger's career and deprived him of a presence in the first team, resulting in his decision to leave Liverpool after the expiration of his contract on the conclusion of the 2002–03 season. Berger had been confined to the bench for the duration of his final season when selected, limiting him to four appearances. He moved on a free transfer to Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
, having played 196 games for Liverpool, scoring 35 goals in the process.
Portsmouth
Newly promoted to the Premier League, Berger was signed on a free-transfer by Harry RedknappHarry Redknapp
Henry James "Harry" Redknapp is a former English footballer who has enjoyed a long career in football management starting in 1983 with Bournemouth. He is the current manager of Tottenham Hotspur....
as the south coast side prepared for the campaign by seeking experienced players. Berger made his first appearance for Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
on the opening day of the club's debut Premiership season in a 2–1 home win over Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
, scoring the second goal. On October 18, 2003, Berger scored the winning goal in Portsmouth's 1–0 victory over his former club Liverpool. However, in February 2004, he was forced to undergo an operation
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
upon his knee forcing him to miss the rest of the season. His performances at the start of the 2004–05 season indicated that a return to his best form might be on the cards, with Berger scoring a contender for goal of the season against Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
in Portsmouth's first away match.
After the club successfully battled against relegation, then-manager Alain Perrin and the club chose not to renew his contract in June 2005. Berger then joined Aston Villa on a two year-deal.
Aston Villa
Berger was hampered by injury during his early Villa career, making few league appearances. In November 2006 he was loaned to Stoke CityStoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
in order to gain fitness, with some reports suggesting that the player had fallen out with manager Martin O'Neill
Martin O'Neill
Martin Hugh Michael O'Neill, OBE, is a Northern Irish football manager and former player.Until resigning the post on 9 August 2010, he was manager of Aston Villa. Starting his career in his native Northern Ireland, O'Neill moved to England where he spent most of his playing career with Nottingham...
over playing in the reserve side. After his loan spell, Berger had a good spell of fitness and began to show flashes of what he was capable of, regularly showing his influence on the pitch. On 7 Apri, Berger scored his first goal in two years against Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
in a 2–1 victory, where his performance was praised. Berger scored again on May 5 in the penultimate game of the season against Sheffield United.
On 28 May 2007, Berger agreed to sign a one-year contract extension with Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
.
On 6 May 2008, he was told he had played his last game for Aston Villa after urging Villa captain Gareth Barry
Gareth Barry
Gareth Barry is an English footballer who plays for Manchester City and the England national football team.Barry moved to Aston Villa from Brighton & Hove Albion as a youngster, and spent 12 years at the club. He captained Aston Villa, and, at the end of his career with the club, lay eighth in...
to move to Liverpool. At the end of his contract he was released by the club having appeared in just 29 matches in three seasons.
Return to Prague
On 29 May 2008, Berger returned to Prague as a free agent, signing a two-year contract with Sparta Prague.On 6 January 2010, he retired because of a ligament injury that he failed to recover from.
International career
Berger was capped 44 times, scoring 18 goals. He made his debut on 23 March 1993 in a FIFA World Cup qualifier against CyprusCyprus national football team
The Cyprus national football team represents Cyprus in association football and is controlled by the Cyprus Football Association, the governing body for football in Cyprus. Cyprus' home ground is the GSP Stadium in Nicosia and the current coach is Nikos Nioplias...
, which ended 1–1. He famously scored in the final of Euro 1996 from the penalty spot to give Czech Republic
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...
a 1–0 lead. However, they lost on the Golden Goal rule in extra time to Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
. He also appeared once in the Euro 2000, having been suspended after being sent off in a qualifier against the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands national football team
The Faroe Islands national football team represents the Faroe Islands in association football and is controlled by the Faroe Islands Football Association, the governing body for football in the Faroe Islands. The Faroe Islands became a member of FIFA in 1988 and UEFA in 1990 and are the third...
.
Career statistics
|-|1991–92||rowspan="2"|Slavia Prague||rowspan="2"|First League
Czechoslovak First League
The Czechoslovak First League was the premier football league in the Czechoslovakia from 1925 to 1993, with the exception of World War II. Czechoslovakia was occupied by German forces who formed Gauliga Sudetenland and Gauliga Böhmen und Mähren leagues on occupied territories...
||20||3||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||20||3
|-
|1992–93||29||10||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||2||0||31||10
|-
|1993–94||rowspan="2"|Slavia Prague||rowspan="2"|Gambrinus liga
Gambrinus Liga
The 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,...
||12||4||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||2||1||14||5
|-
|1994–95||29||7||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||4||1||33||8
|-
|1995–96||Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...
||Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
||25||4||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||2||0||27||4
|-
|1996–97||rowspan="7"|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...
||rowspan="7"|Premier League||23||6||2||0||3||1||6||2||34||9
|-
|1997–98||22||3||1||0||2||1||2||0||27||4
|-
|1998–99||32||7||2||0||1||0||6||2||41||9
|-
|1999–2000||34||9||1||0||2||0||colspan="2"|—||37||9
|-
|2000–01||14||2||1||0||1||0||5||0||21||2
|-
|2001–02||21||1||1||0||colspan="2"|—||8||0||30||1
|-
|2002–03||2||0||colspan="2"|—||1||1||1||0||4||1
|-
|2003–04||rowspan="2"|Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
||rowspan="2"|Premier League||20||5||1||0||2||0||colspan="2"|—||23||5
|-
|2004–05||32||3||2||0||3||0||colspan="2"|—||37||3
|-
|2005–06
2005–06 Aston Villa F.C. season
During the 2005–06 English football season, Aston Villa F.C. competed in the FA Premier League.-Season summary:After a disappointing campaign saw Villa narrowly avoid relegation with a 16th place finish, manager David O'Leary was sacked, to be replaced by Northern Irishman Martin...
||rowspan="2"|Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
||rowspan="2"|Premier League||8||0||colspan="2"|—||1||0||colspan="2"|—||9||0
|-
|2006–07
2006–07 Aston Villa F.C. season
During the 2006–07 English football season, Aston Villa F.C. competed in the FA Premier League. It was Villa's first season under the management of Northern Irishman Martin O'Neill, who was appointed as manager following the sacking of David O'Leary at the end of the previous season.-Season...
||13||2||colspan="2"|—||1||0||colspan="2"|—||14||2
|-
|2006–07||Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
||Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
||7||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||7||0
|-
|2007–08||Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
||Premier League||8||0||colspan="2"|—||1||0||colspan="2"|—||9||0
|-
|2008–09||rowspan="2"|Sparta Prague||rowspan="2"|Gambrinus liga
Gambrinus Liga
The 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,...
||21||6||4||2||colspan="2"|—||4||0||29||8
|-
|2009–10
2009–10 Gambrinus liga
Gambrinus liga 2009–10 was the seventeenth season of the Czech Republic's top-tier football. It started on 24 July 2009 and ended on 15 May 2010...
||2||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—|||2||0
49||13||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||2||0||51||13
64||17||4||2||colspan="2"|—||10||2||78||21
25||4||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||2||0||27||4
236||38||11||0||18||3||28||4||293||45
374||72||15||2||18||3||42||6||449||83
|-
|1993||2||0
|-
|1994||3||1
|-
|1995||7||7
|-
|1996||12||3
|-
|1997||2||1
|-
|1998||4||2
|-
|1999||7||3
|-
|2000||3||1
|-
|2001||4||0
|-
!Total||44||18
|}
International goals
- Scores and results list Czech Republic's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1. 6 September 1994 Bazaly BazalyThe Bazaly stadium is a football stadium in Ostrava, Czech Republic. It lies in Slezská Ostrava, the Silesian part of the city, next to the Ostravice River. It is the home stadium of FC Baník Ostrava. The first match was played there on 19 April 1959....
, Ostrava6–1 6–1 Euro 1996 qualifying 2. 8 March 1995 Stadion Za Lužánkami Stadion Za LužánkamiThe Stadion Za Lužánkami is a currently unactive stadium in Brno, Czech Republic. It was primarily used for football, and was the home field of FC Zbrojovka Brno. It held 50,000 people....
, Brno1–0 4–1 Friendly Exhibition gameAn exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...3. 8 March 1995 Stadion Za Lužánkami, Brno 2–0 4–1 Friendly 4. 29 March 1995 Bazaly, Ostrava 2–0 4–2 Euro 1996 qualifying 5. 29 March 1995 Bazaly, Ostrava 3–1 4–2 Euro 1996 qualifying 6. 26 April 1995 Letná Stadium, Prague 3–1 3–1 Euro 1996 qualifying 7. 7 October 1995 Dinamo Stadium, Minsk 2–0 2–0 Euro 1996 qualifying 8. 15 November 1995 Letná Stadium, Prague 3–0 3–0 Euro 1996 qualifying 9. 30 June 1996 Wembley Stadium Wembley StadiumThe original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
, London1–0 1–2 Euro 1996 10. 18 September 1996 Na Stínadlech Na StínadlechNa Stinadlech is a multi-purpose stadium in Teplice, Czech Republic. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of FK Teplice. The stadium holds 18,221 and was built in 1973. The Czech Republic national football team often plays qualification games at the stadium and...
, Teplice1–0 6–0 1998 World Cup qualification 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)Listed below are the dates and results for the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the European zone .A total of 50 UEFA teams entered the competition. The European zone was allocated 15 places in the final tournament...11. 18 September 1996 Na Stínadlech, Teplice 3–0 6–0 1998 World Cup qualification 12. 26 February 1997 Zimní Stadion, Podebrady 4–1 4–1 Friendly 13. 14 October 1998 Na Stínadlech, Teplice 2–0 4–1 Euro 2000 qualifying 14. 14 October 1998 Na Stínadlech, Teplice 3–0 4–1 Euro 2000 qualifying 14. 27 March 1999 Na Stínadlech, Teplice 2–0 2–0 Euro 2000 qualifying 15. 5 June 1999 Kadrioru Stadium, Tallinn 1–0 2–0 Euro 2000 qualifying 16. 8 September 1999 Na Stínadlech, Teplice 2–0 3–0 Euro 2000 qualifying 17. 3 June 2000 Frankenstadion FrankenstadionThe Frankenstadion is a stadium in Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany, which was opened in 1928. It is located next to the Zeppelinfeld. It also neighbors the new Nuremberg Arena....
, Nuremberg2–2 2–3 Friendly
Honours
Borussia Dortmund- German Super CupDFB-SupercupThe DFL-Supercup is a match between the winner of the Bundesliga championship and the DFB-Pokal. In 1997, this was superseded by a league cup called DFB-Ligapokal. In 2008, although not officially sanctioned by the DFB, the match returned as the T-Home Supercup featuring Bundesliga champions FC...
: 1
-
- 1995
- BundesligaFußball-BundesligaThe Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
: 1
- Bundesliga
- 1995–96
- 1995
Liverpool
- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
: 1
-
- 2001
- Football 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...
: 2
- Football League Cup
- 2001, 2003
- UEFA Cup: 1
- 2001
- Charity ShieldFA Community ShieldThe Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
: 1
- Charity Shield
- 2001
- UEFA Super Cup: 1
- 2001
- 2001
Czech Republic
- European ChampionshipUEFA European Football ChampionshipThe UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
runner up: 1
-
- 1996