Valter Birsa
Encyclopedia
Valter Birsa is an Slovenia
n footballer who currently plays for Italian Serie A
side Genoa
and the Slovenian national team
.
, he spent his childhood in Nova Gorica
, Slovenia. Birsa's career began at the age of 5, when he started playing for NK Bilje, a small football club of the village of Bilje near Nova Gorica. As he was a talented player, he was soon transferred first to NK Primorje
, then to ND Gorica
at the age of 17. By the second season he was already the second best striker and one of the best in the Slovenian first league, scoring 29 goals for his home team, an outstanding goalscoring record for a midfielder. In 2006, he signed for French
club Sochaux
in Ligue de Football Professionnel
, Ligue 1. He was declared the best Slovenian player of 2006-2008 by the leading Slovenian football website.
On 22 January 2009 AJ Auxerre
signed him on a loan deal until June 2009 from Sochaux
. He scored his first Auxerre goal against giants Lyon. On 29 May, it was announced that Auxerre had made the loan permanent. In the 2010/11 season, Birsa scored a 23 yard free kick and his first Champions league goal against Ajax in the group stage, Ajax eventually won 2-1.
On 2 February 2011, Despite interest from big Premier league teams such as Liverpool and Fulham, Birsa signed a four year contract with Serie A
team Genoa
and will join his new club for the 2011/12 season.
, and was the youngest player to have that honor at the age of 18. He scored his first goal for the national team on September 9, 2009 in a World Cup qualifying match against Poland, which Slovenia won 3–0. At the 2010 World Cup finals, Birsa struck a long-range curling shot in Slovenia's 2nd match against the United States. Slovenia drew that match 2-2.
, present day Slovenia
. He is a childhood friend of two Slovenia
internationals, Etien Velikonja
and Tim Matavž
, who were also born in the same town.
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
n footballer who currently 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...
side Genoa
Genoa C.F.C.
Genoa Cricket and Football Club, commonly referred to simply as Genoa , is a professional Italian football club based in the city of Genoa, Liguria...
and the Slovenian national team
Slovenia national football team
The Slovenia national football team is the national football team of Slovenia and is controlled by the Football Association of Slovenia. The team played their first match in 1992 after the split of Yugoslavia in 1991....
.
Club career
Born in the town of Šempeter pri GoriciŠempeter pri Gorici
Šempeter pri Gorici is a town and the administrative centre of the Šempeter-Vrtojba municipality in the Slovene Littoral region of Slovenia. There is a border crossing into the Italian town of Gorizia...
, he spent his childhood in Nova Gorica
Nova Gorica
Nova Gorica ; 21,082 ; 31,000 ) is a town and a municipality in western Slovenia, on the border with Italy...
, Slovenia. Birsa's career began at the age of 5, when he started playing for NK Bilje, a small football club of the village of Bilje near Nova Gorica. As he was a talented player, he was soon transferred first to NK Primorje
NK Primorje
NK Primorje is a Slovenian football club, playing in the town of Ajdovščina.-Honours:League* Slovenian Championships:'Cup* Slovenian Cup:- Current squad :As of 31 July 2011- External links :...
, then to ND Gorica
ND Gorica
ND Gorica is a Slovenian football club, playing in the town of Nova Gorica. They are one of the most successful Slovenian clubs with four Slovenian League, two Slovenian Cup and one Slovenian Supercup titles. Together with NK Maribor and NK Celje they are the only club that have participated in...
at the age of 17. By the second season he was already the second best striker and one of the best in the Slovenian first league, scoring 29 goals for his home team, an outstanding goalscoring record for a midfielder. In 2006, he signed for French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
club Sochaux
FC Sochaux-Montbéliard
Football Club Sochaux-Montbéliard is a French association football club based in the city of Montbéliard. The club was founded in 1928 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top tier of French football. Sochaux plays its home matches at the Stade Auguste Bonal located within the city...
in Ligue de Football Professionnel
Ligue de Football Professionnel
The Ligue de Football Professionnel , commonly known as the LFP, is a French governing body that runs the major professional football leagues in France. It was founded in 1944 and serves under the authority of the French Football Federation...
, Ligue 1. He was declared the best Slovenian player of 2006-2008 by the leading Slovenian football website.
On 22 January 2009 AJ Auxerre
AJ Auxerre
Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise is a French association football club based in the commune of Auxerre in Burgundy. The club was founded in 1905 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Auxerre plays its home matches at the Stade l'Abbé-Deschamps on the banks of the...
signed him on a loan deal until June 2009 from Sochaux
FC Sochaux-Montbéliard
Football Club Sochaux-Montbéliard is a French association football club based in the city of Montbéliard. The club was founded in 1928 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top tier of French football. Sochaux plays its home matches at the Stade Auguste Bonal located within the city...
. He scored his first Auxerre goal against giants Lyon. On 29 May, it was announced that Auxerre had made the loan permanent. In the 2010/11 season, Birsa scored a 23 yard free kick and his first Champions league goal against Ajax in the group stage, Ajax eventually won 2-1.
On 2 February 2011, Despite interest from big Premier league teams such as Liverpool and Fulham, Birsa signed a four year contract with 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...
team Genoa
Genoa C.F.C.
Genoa Cricket and Football Club, commonly referred to simply as Genoa , is a professional Italian football club based in the city of Genoa, Liguria...
and will join his new club for the 2011/12 season.
International career
He also plays for the Slovenian national football teamSlovenia national football team
The Slovenia national football team is the national football team of Slovenia and is controlled by the Football Association of Slovenia. The team played their first match in 1992 after the split of Yugoslavia in 1991....
, and was the youngest player to have that honor at the age of 18. He scored his first goal for the national team on September 9, 2009 in a World Cup qualifying match against Poland, which Slovenia won 3–0. At the 2010 World Cup finals, Birsa struck a long-range curling shot in Slovenia's 2nd match against the United States. Slovenia drew that match 2-2.
International goals
- Scores and results list Slovenia's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1 2009-09-09 Stadion Ljudski vrt Stadion Ljudski VrtThe Ljudski vrt stadium also known by the abbreviation LV, is a multi-purpose stadium located on the left bank of the river Drava in the city of Maribor, Slovenia. The stadium is a landmark of the city of Maribor and is considered as one of the most beautiful smaller stadium in the world...
, MariborMariborMaribor is the second largest city in Slovenia with 157,947 inhabitants . Maribor is also the largest and the capital city of Slovenian region Lower Styria and the seat of the Municipality of Maribor....
3–0 3–0 FIFA World Cup 2010 qualification 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification - UEFA Group 3The 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group 3 was a UEFA qualifying group for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The group comprised the Czech Republic, Poland, Northern Ireland, Slovakia, Slovenia and San Marino....2 2009-10-10 Tehelné pole Tehelné pole-External links:*...
, BratislavaBratislavaBratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
1–0 2–0 FIFA World Cup 2010 qualification 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification - UEFA Group 3The 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group 3 was a UEFA qualifying group for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The group comprised the Czech Republic, Poland, Northern Ireland, Slovakia, Slovenia and San Marino....3 2010-06-18 Ellis Park Stadium Ellis Park StadiumEllis Park Stadium, also known because of its sponsorship by The Coca-Cola Company as Coca-Cola Park, is a rugby union and association football stadium in the city of Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa. It hosted the final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which was won by the country's...
, JohannesburgJohannesburgJohannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
1–0 2–2 2010 FIFA World Cup 2010 FIFA World CupThe 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
Personal life
Birsa was born in Šempeter pri GoriciŠempeter pri Gorici
Šempeter pri Gorici is a town and the administrative centre of the Šempeter-Vrtojba municipality in the Slovene Littoral region of Slovenia. There is a border crossing into the Italian town of Gorizia...
, present day Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
. He is a childhood friend of two Slovenia
Slovenia national football team
The Slovenia national football team is the national football team of Slovenia and is controlled by the Football Association of Slovenia. The team played their first match in 1992 after the split of Yugoslavia in 1991....
internationals, Etien Velikonja
Etien Velikonja
Etien Velikonja is a Slovenian football forward, who currently plays for Maribor in Slovenian top division, 1.SNL.-Club career:...
and Tim Matavž
Tim Matavž
Tim Matavž is a Slovenian football player who plays as a striker for the Dutch club PSV Eindhoven.-Club career:Matavž began his football career at the age of 6 playing for NK Bilje. In 2004 he moved to ND Gorica youth squads...
, who were also born in the same town.
ND Gorica
- Prva liga: 2004–05Slovenian PrvaLiga 2004-05-Season 2004-2005:The season started on August 1, 2004 and ended on May 29, 2005.*Each team plays a total of 32 matches.-Final table:-External links:* '* '...
, 2005–06Slovenian PrvaLiga 2005-06-Season 2005-2006:The season started on July 24, 2005 and ended on June 3, 2006.*Each team plays a total of 36 matches.-Final table:-External links:* '* '... - Slovenian CupSlovenian CupThe Slovenian Football Cup , is the top knockout tournament of Slovenian football and the second most important football competition in Slovenia after the Slovenian PrvaLiga championship...
: - Runner-up: 2004–05Slovenian Cup 2004-05-First round:-Second round:-Round of 16:-Quarter-finals:-Semi-finals:-Final:...
External links
- Player profile – NZS
- Player profile – LFP