Libor Kozák
Encyclopedia
Libor Kozák is a Czech
professional football
player, who is a forward who plays for Italian Serie A
club Lazio
. He is a member of the Czech Republic national football team
.
, first playing with its youth teams before being promoted to the first team in 2007. Considered a promising talent, Kozák was a prolific goalscorer in the Czech Second Division
with Opava.
In January 2008, Kozák went on trial with English Premier League club Portsmouth
, however he did not join Pompey. At the end of the season, Italian giants Lazio came calling and Kozák accepted a move to Rome
.
in July 2008, signing a five-year contract, with rumours that Lazio club president Claudio Lotito
paid a 1.2 million euro (1.8 million dollars) transfer fee.
Kozák made his long-awaited Serie A
debut on 2 May 2009, coming on as a substitute for Mauro Zárate
in the 84th minute against Inter
at the San Siro
. Lazio lost the match 0–2.
After a season at Lazio, the club loaned him to Serie B
side Brescia
for the 2009–10 season, to gain experience and regular playing time. On 26 September 2009, Kozák scored his first goal in Italy against Grosseto
.
At the end of his loan spell, he returned to Lazio. He scored his first goal for the Biancocelesti on 18 September 2010, scoring the winner against Fiorentina
. He went on to score the winner against Sampdoria on January 16, 2011. Two weeks later he registered his third and fourth goals for Lazio, against Fiorentina once again. He later won the attraction of Michal Bílek
, manager of Czech Republic
, as the latter made a special trip to Stadio Olimpico
to watch his game against Bari
. He represented the team at the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
.
Kozák received his first call up for the senior Czech national team
on March 15 2011, when coach Michal Bílek
selected him in his squad to take on Spain
and Liechtenstein
, however Kozák did not make his senior international debut.
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....
professional football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player, who is a forward who plays for Italian Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
club Lazio
S.S. Lazio
Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football...
. He is a member of the Czech Republic national football team
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...
.
SFC Opava
Kozák started his career in 2001 with Czech club Slezský FC OpavaSFC Opava
Slezský FC Opava is a football club from Opava, Czech Republic. Currently the club plays in the third-level Moravian-Silesian Football League. They were in the Gambrinus Liga at the top tier of Czech football from 1995 to 2000, getting relegated in 2000 but returning to the top flight the following...
, first playing with its youth teams before being promoted to the first team in 2007. Considered a promising talent, Kozák was a prolific goalscorer in the Czech Second Division
Czech 2. Liga
The 2. liga or Druhá liga is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in the Czech Republic. The top two teams are promoted to the Gambrinus liga.-Structure:There are 16 clubs in the Czech 2. Liga...
with Opava.
In January 2008, Kozák went on trial with English Premier League club 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...
, however he did not join Pompey. At the end of the season, Italian giants Lazio came calling and Kozák accepted a move to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
.
Lazio
Kozák joined LazioS.S. Lazio
Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football...
in July 2008, signing a five-year contract, with rumours that Lazio club president Claudio Lotito
Claudio Lotito
Claudio Lotito is an Italian entrepreneur. He is the owner and president of the Serie A football club S.S. Lazio since 2004....
paid a 1.2 million euro (1.8 million dollars) transfer fee.
Kozák made his long-awaited Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
debut on 2 May 2009, coming on as a substitute for Mauro Zárate
Mauro Zárate
Mauro Matías Zárate is an Argentine footballer who plays for Serie A club Internazionale on loan from Lazio.Zárate started his career with Vélez Sársfield in his native country, playing three years for the team and winning the Primera División title in the 2005 Clausura tournament...
in the 84th minute against Inter
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
at the San Siro
San Siro
The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, originally and commonly referred to as the San Siro because of its location, officially given its current name on 3 March 1980, is a football stadium located in the San Siro district in Milan, Italy. It is the home of both A.C. Milan and F.C. Internazionale Milano...
. Lazio lost the match 0–2.
After a season at Lazio, the club loaned him to Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
side Brescia
Brescia Calcio
Brescia Calcio , known simply as Brescia, is the largest football club in the Lombard city of Brescia, where it was founded in 1911.In the 2009–10 season, in the return leg of the Serie B playoff final, they defeated Torino 2-1 at home , returning to Serie A after a 5-year absence...
for the 2009–10 season, to gain experience and regular playing time. On 26 September 2009, Kozák scored his first goal in Italy against Grosseto
U.S. Grosseto F.C.
Unione Sportiva Grosseto Football Club is a professional Italian association football club, based in the city of Grosseto, Tuscany. The club was founded in 1912. The team's most associated nickname is grifone, after its logo, depicting a griffon...
.
At the end of his loan spell, he returned to Lazio. He scored his first goal for the Biancocelesti on 18 September 2010, scoring the winner against Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football club from Florence, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A...
. He went on to score the winner against Sampdoria on January 16, 2011. Two weeks later he registered his third and fourth goals for Lazio, against Fiorentina once again. He later won the attraction of Michal Bílek
Michal Bílek
Michal Bílek is a retired Czech football right midfielder, and a current coach of the Czech Republic national football team.-Club career:...
, manager of 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...
, as the latter made a special trip to Stadio Olimpico
Stadio Olimpico
The Stadio Olimpico is the main and largest sports facility of Rome, Italy. It is located within the Foro Italico sports complex on the north of the city. An asset of the Italian National Olympic Committee, the structure is intended primarily for football...
to watch his game against Bari
Bari
Bari is the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, in Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy after Naples, and is well known as a port and university city, as well as the city of Saint Nicholas...
International career
Kozák is member of the Czech under-21 teamCzech Republic national under-21 football team
The Czech Republic national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of the Czech Republic and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic...
. He represented the team at the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
2011 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
UEFA U-21 Championship 2011 was the 18th staging of UEFA's European Under-21 Football Championship. The final tournament was hosted by Denmark between 11 and 25 June 2011....
.
Kozák received his first call up for the senior Czech national team
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...
on March 15 2011, when coach Michal Bílek
Michal Bílek
Michal Bílek is a retired Czech football right midfielder, and a current coach of the Czech Republic national football team.-Club career:...
selected him in his squad to take on Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
and Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein national football team
The Liechtenstein national football team is the national football team of Liechtenstein and is controlled by the Liechtenstein Football Association. The organisation is known as the Liechtensteiner Fussballverband in German. The team's first match was an unofficial match against Malta in Seoul, a...
, however Kozák did not make his senior international debut.
External links
- Profile on sslazio.it