Matjaž Kek

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Matjaž Kek (born September 09, 1961 in Maribor) is a former Slovenian football player and the current head coach of the Slovenian national football team.

[edit] Playing career

Kek started his professional football career at NK Maribor in 1979, before moving to the Austrian club SV Spittal/Drau in 1984, where he spent 4 seasons. He then transferred to another Austrian club, Grazer AK of the Austrian Bundesliga where he played for 5 years. After that he returned to Maribor, where from 1995 to 1999 he won 3 Slovenian league titles, before retiring. He spent most of his career playing in defense, mostly in the centre back position and was known for his leadership abilities.

[edit] Coaching career

After finishing his career as a player, Kek stayed at NK Maribor, serving as an assistant coach for one season, before being named the head coach in 2000. He immediately won the league title in the 2000-2001 season. Under his guidance the team won the league again in 2003. In 2006 he was the coach of the Slovenian under-15 and under-16 national football teams. On January 3, 2007, Matjaž Kek was named the new head coach of the Slovenian national football team.