| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Igor Bališ | ||
| Date of birth | 5 January 1970 | ||
| Place of birth | Križovany nad Dudváhom, Slovakia | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||
| Playing position | Right Back | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | FC Horses Šúrovce | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Spartak Trnava | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1988–1999 | Spartak Trnava | 242 | (11) |
| 1999–2000 | Slovan Bratislava | 15 | (0) |
| 2000–2003 | West Bromwich Albion | 69 | (4) |
| 2003–2004 | DAC Dunajská Streda | 0 | (0) |
| National team | |||
| 1995-2001 | Slovakia | 41 | (1) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 29 December 2008. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Igor Bališ (born 5 January 1970 in Križovany nad Dudváhom) is a former Slovakian footballer who currently plays for the 4. liga club FC Horses Šúrovce. Bališ played for West Bromwich Albion in England. He has also appeared for Slovan Bratislava and Spartak Trnava, as well as the Slovakia national team.
Bališ moved to Albion for £150,000 in November 2000. He made his Albion debut on 23 December 2000, coming on as a late substitute in a 3–0 win against Nottingham Forest. Despite being a penalty specialist in international football he failed to convey this when arriving at West Brom and it was only later discovered that he was the international penalty taker for Slovakia. This came in useful when he converted a dramatic stoppage time penalty against Bradford City in the penultimate game of the 2001-02 season, which put Albion on the brink of promotion to the Premier League.[1][2] After completing a season in the Premiership with Albion, Bališ quit the club and returned home to Slovakia, after suffering a recurrence of tinnitus.[3] Balis is widely regarded as a cult hero at the Hawthorns, and is arguably their best right back of all time.