Juraj Kucka

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Juraj Kucka
Personal information
Date of birth (1987-02-26) 26 February 1987
Place of birthBojnice, Czechoslovakia
Height1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing positionMidfielder
Club information
Current clubGenoa
Number33
Youth career
2001–2002Prievidza
2002–2004Radvaň
2004–2006Podbrezová
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2005–2007Podbrezová42(3)
2007–2008Ružomberok48(9)
2009–2011Sparta Praha45(11)
2011–Genoa85(7)
National team‡
2007–2008Slovakia U2111(0)
2008–Slovakia34(2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 10 November 2013.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 16 November 2013

Juraj Kucka (pronounced [ˈjuraj ˈkutska]) (born 26 February 1987) is a Slovak footballer who plays as a midfielder for the Italian Serie A club Genoa and the Slovakia national football team.[1]

Club career

Kucka made his Corgoň Liga debut for MFK Ružomberok on 11 March 2007. He played six games in his first season. Overall, Kucka played 49 games and scored eight goals for Ružomberok. Czech manager Michal Bílek, coaching Ružomberok in 2008, recommended Kucka for Sparta Praha. In January 2009, he has signed a three-year contract for Sparta. In the Czech 2009–10 season he won the Gambrinus liga.

Genoa

On 6 January 2011, he signed a four-and-a-half-year contract for €3.55 million[2] with Genoa C.F.C. (later extended one more year to 30 June 2016).[2][3] He made his debut in the Coppa Italia match against Inter on 12 January 2011. He was voted man of the match by Genoa fans after 1–1 draw against Milan on 6 February 2011. Kucka proved immediately to fit fine in the squad, showing a remarkable physical strength and good technical skills, resulting the second best player of Genoa.[4] He scored his first goal for Genoa in a 2–1 away win against Lazio on 18 September 2011.

On 31 August 2011, the last day of transfer window, Inter and Genoa came to an agreement to swap co-ownerships of Juraj Kucka (€8M) and Emiliano Viviano (€5M). In June 2012 Kucka returned to Genoa where he spent 2011–12 season on loan for just €6.5 million, co-currently Samuele Longo returned to Inter for €7M. The deals effectively made Inter lose 50% registration rights of Viviano and spend €3M cash for 50% registration rights of Kucka.[5][6]

International career

Kucka, former Slovakia under-21 player, made his senior international debut in friendly match against Liechtenstein on 19 November 2008. Slovakia manager Vladimír Weiss called up him at the 2010 FIFA World Cup even though that he did not play any qualification match. He played in three games at the World Cup against New Zealand, Italy and the Netherlands.

International goals

Goal Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 10 August 2011 Hypo-Arena, Klagenfurt, Austria  Austria 1 – 0 2–1 International Friendly
2. 15 November 2013 Stadion Miejski, Wrocław, Poland  Poland 1 – 0 2–0 International Friendly
Correct as of 15 November 2013

Honours

Sparta Praha

References

  1. ↑ "Slovakia – Record International Players". RSSSF. Retrieved 20 December 2010. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Genoa CFC SpA Report and Accounts on 31 December 2011 (Italian)
  3. ↑ "Kucka definitívne hráčom Janova, podpísal 4,5-ročnú zmluvu" (in Slovak). profutbal. 6 January 2011. Retrieved 2011-02-08. 
  4. ↑ Only Kaladze did better than him according to the italian sports newspaper la Gazzetta dello Sport, see Filippo Grimaldi, Marcello Pirovano, Carrarmato Kucka: che affare
  5. ↑ Genoa CFC SpA Report and Accounts on 30 June 2012 (Italian)
  6. ↑ FC Internazionale Milano SpA Report and Accounts on 30 June 2012 (Italian)

External links

Genoa C.F.C. – current squad
Slovakia squad – 2010 FIFA World Cup
Slovakia
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