Václav Svěrkoš

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Vaclav Svěrkoš
Personal information
Date of birth	November 1, 1983 (age 23)
Place of birth	Třinec, Czechoslovakia
Height	1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Nickname	Sverki
Position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Borussia Mönchengladbach
Number	25
Youth clubs
1990-1998 1998-2001	VP Frydek-Mistek Baník Ostrava
Professional clubs*
Years	Club	Apps (goals)
2001-2003 2003- 2005-2006	FC Baník Ostrava Borussia Mönchengladbach Hertha BSC Berlin	26 (14) 70 (17) 10 (0)
* Professional club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of June 30, 2006.

Václav Svěrkoš (born November 1, 1983 in Třinec) is a Czech footballer who is playing for Borussia Mönchengladbach.

He started his career at VP Frydek-Mistek. At the age of fourteeen he switched to Baník Ostrava, playing on U15 international for the Czech Republic already. Still eligible to feature for Baník's U19, Svěrkoš enjoyed his breakthrough in the Gambrinus Liga, the best Czech division, for the Silesian city outfit after the departure of Milan Baroš. His record of 14 goals in just 26 first-team appearances for Ostrava and similar performances in the Czech Republic national under-21 football team got German club Borussia Mönchengladbach interested. Mönchengladbach had been unable to extend the half-a-season loan of Chelsea F.C.'s Mikael Forssell, the best scorer of the team in 2002-2003, in those times and regarded Svěrkoš a potential long-term replacement for the Finland international.

A stuttering start to life in Bundesliga under Ewald Lienen, Svěrkoš was gaining his advantage from a change of manager at the club and, though, he was able to end up the teams topscorer in 2003-2004 with nine goals in 31 Bundesliga matches. His most notable contribution came half-way through that campaign when he netted a hat-trick in Mönchengladbach's win over Champions League participant VfB Stuttgart (4-2) in the round of the last 16 in the German Cup competition. A year later, Mönchengladbach only just avoided relegation in a season in which Svěrkoš netted seven goals for them, his ongoing presence in the youth ranks for the Czech Republic awarded him the captaincy of the Czech U21. However, his third season under contract in German football turned out to be a total flop. A blow of fate in his private life, followed by descending form, took the ground from under his feet and made him longing for a different approach to solving his struggle. Initially planning to go on loan to lowly MSV Duisburg, UEFA Cup participants Hertha BSC Berlin became his interim club for the remainder of the season in December 2005.

Even this change of environment didn't work for Svěrkoš and though he was facing uncertain times with Hertha BSC Berlin unwilling to buy him and Mönchengladbach, to whom he had to return to at the end of the season, seemingly willing to finally sell him to another club. Mönchengladbach's decision to part with manager Horst Köppel at the same time proved to be his fortunate circumstance as one of the first decisions of Köppel's successor Jupp Heynckes was allowing him to stay on and make a fresh start at the club.

Borussia Mönchengladbach - Current Squad
1 Keller | 2 Svensson | 3 Daems | 4 Helveg | 5 Jansen | 6 Polanski | 8 Svärd | 9 Sonck | 10 Insúa | 13 Zé António | 14 El Fakiri | 15 Kahê | 16 Thijs | 17 Degen | 19 Heimeroth | 20 Bøgelund | 22 Kirch | 23 Rafael | 24 Kluge | 25 Svěrkoš | 26 Delura | 27 Neuville | 31 Melka | 33 Compper | 36 Fleßers | Coach Heynckes