Tomáš Ujfaluši

Tomáš Ujfaluši

Ujfaluši playing for Galatasaray in 2012
Personal information
Full nameTomáš Ujfaluši
Date of birth24 March 1978
Place of birthRýmařov, Czechoslovakia
Height1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing positionDefender
Club information
Current team
Galatasaray (Director of football)
Youth career
1988–1991TJ Rýmařov
1991–1996Sigma Olomouc
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1996–2000Sigma Olomouc100(4)
2000–2004Hamburger SV105(2)
2004–2008Fiorentina123(2)
2008–2011Atlético Madrid92(0)
2011–2013Galatasaray41(1)
2013Sparta Prague0(0)
Total461(9)
National team
1997–1999Czech Republic U2126(0)
2001–2009Czech Republic78(2)
Teams managed
2013–2014Galatasaray (Director of Football)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Tomáš Ujfaluši (Czech pronunciation: [ˈtomaːʃ ˈʊjfaˌlʊʃɪ]; born 24 March 1978) is a Czech retired footballer. He operated as either a central or right defender.[1]

Other than in his country he played professionally in Germany (four years), Italy (four), Spain (three) and Turkey (two), winning six major titles between Hamburg, Atlético Madrid and Galatasaray. He started his career in 1996 with Sigma Olomouc.

Ujfaluši played 78 times for the Czech Republic, representing the nation at the 2006 World Cup and two European Championships.[2]

Early life

Ujfaluši has Hungarian roots, his name "Tamás Újfalusi" meaning Thomas the New-Villager in Hungarian.[3]

He is married to Czech model Kateřina Ujfaluši.

Club career

Early years / Hamburg / Fiorentina

Born in Rýmařov, Czechoslovakia, Ujfaluši made his professional debut with SK Sigma Olomouc, at the age of 18. In December 2000, he moved abroad and signed with German outfit Hamburger SV: his debut came on 10 December, playing 90 minutes in a 2–1 home win against FC Energie Cottbus, and 16 of his 17 appearances in that season were complete, but the club could only rank 13th and 11th the following campaign, with respectively 58 and 57 goals conceded.

In 2002–03 Ujfaluši helped Hamburg finish in fourth position, but the team fared worse in the following season (again conceding in the region of 50 Bundesliga goals). Subsequently he signed with ACF Fiorentina, freshly returned to Serie A after successfully emerging from a bankruptcy situation.

Atlético Madrid

Ujfaluši playing for Atlético Madrid.

After nearly 150 official appearances for the Viola (albeit without silverware), being mainly used as a center-back by coach Cesare Prandelli, Ujfaluši joined Atlético Madrid as a free agent,[4] helping the capital team repeat its fourth position in La Liga in his debut season, subsequently again qualifying for the UEFA Champions League.

In the 2009–10 campaign Atlético could only rank ninth, but won the newly created UEFA Europa League, with Ujfaluši appearing in eight complete matches in the latter competition.

On 19 September 2010, during injury time of a league match against FC Barcelona at the Vicente Calderón Stadium (1–2 loss), Ujfaluši made a late challenge on Lionel Messi, injuring his right ankle. The defender received a straight red card for his foul, and was subsequently banned for two games by the Spanish League’s disciplinary committee.[5][6][7] He was an undisputed starter during the season – mostly as right-back – as the Colchoneros finished seventh and qualified to the Europa League.

Galatasaray

On 20 June 2011, aged 33, Ujfaluši signed for Süper Lig powerhouse Galatasaray SK,[8][9] for a €2 million transfer fee.[10] He was an undisputed starter in his first season, being sent off in the final game of the campaign, a 0–0 away draw against Fenerbahçe SK, as Gala won a record-equalling 18th league title.[11]

Ujfaluši left Galatasaray at the end of the 2012–13 campaign, after a lengthy injury.[12] He retired in December at the age of 35, after a few months back in his homeland with AC Sparta Prague.

On 18 December 2013, it was announced that Ujfaluši will be the director of football at Galatasaray.[13]

International career

Ujfaluši with the Czech Republic national team

Ujfaluši gained his first cap for the Czech Republic in 2001, whilst at Hamburg. He represented the nation at UEFA Euro 2004 (appearing in four matches for the semifinalists), the 2006 FIFA World Cup (being sent off against Ghana in an eventual group stage exit[14]) and Euro 2008 (three games, being named Man of the match in the first game of the tournament, a 1–0 win against Switzerland).

After nine years with the national team, during which he eventually gained captaincy,[15] Ujfaluši ended his international career on 8 April 2009, after being criticised for visiting a restaurant, accompanied by five other players, following the Czech Republic's defeat to Slovakia on 1 April for the World Cup qualification.[16]

Honours

Club

Hamburg
Atlético Madrid
Galatasaray

Individual

Playing style

A resolute central defender renowned for his ability to shoot powerfully from distance,

Ujfaluši is a versatile player who last started began his career as a second striker for Sigma Olomouc, then as an attacking or defensive midfielder before settling right-sided central or right defender.

Statistics

As of 15 July 2014.[18][19]

Club

Club Season League Cup League Cup Europe Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Sigma Olomouc 1996–97 181------181
1997–98 112------112
1998–99 281------281
1999–00 290------290
2000–01 140------140
Total 10040000001004
Hamburger SV 2000–01 190-----190
2001–02 290-----290
2002–03 312-----312
2003–04 261------261
Total 10530000001053
Fiorentina 2004–05 280-----280
2005–06 361-----361
2006–07 311-----311
2007–08 280----110390
Total 123200001101342
Atlético Madrid 2008–09 33000-70400
2009–10 27091-140501
2010–11 32050-40410
Total 920141-2501311
Galatasaray 2011–12 3911000-401
2012–13 2000000020
Total 411100000421
Sparta Prague 2013–14 0000000000
Total 0000000000
Career total 461101510036051211

International

Czech Republic national team
YearAppsGoals
200160
200282
200380
2004120
2005110
2006110
200780
2008120
200920
Total782

References

  1. ↑ Palmer, Kevin (16 September 2012). "Champions League 2012–13, Group H". ESPN FC. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
  2. ↑ "Tomas Ujfalusi – International Appearances". RSSSF. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
  3. ↑ "Boháč Tomáš Ujfaluši: Chci si koupit bugatti! (P.S.: sporťák za 36 milionů Kč) A taky vrtulník!" (in Czech). Aha Online. 16 June 2009. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
  4. ↑ "El Atlético ficha al checo Tomas Ujfalusi por tres temporadas" [Atlético signs Czech Tomas Ujfalusi for three seasons] (in Spanish). 20 Minutos. 1 July 2008. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
  5. ↑ "Lionel Messi suffers ankle injury in win over Atletico". BBC Sport. 19 September 2010. Retrieved 20 September 2010.
  6. ↑ "Una victoria dolorosa" [A painful victory] (in Spanish). El País. 19 September 2010. Retrieved 20 September 2010.
  7. ↑ "Ujfalusi banned for 2 games for tackle on Messi". Yahoo! Sports. 21 September 2010. Retrieved 22 September 2010.
  8. ↑ "Tomáš Ujfaluši joins Galatasaray". Galatasaray SK. 21 June 2011. Retrieved 21 June 2011.
  9. ↑ "Gala sign Ujfalusi". FIFA.com. 20 June 2011. Retrieved 20 June 2011.
  10. ↑ "Tomas Ujfalusi'nin Transfer Sözleşmesi" (in Turkish). Turkish Public Disclosure System (KAP). 20 June 2011. Retrieved 6 July 2011.
  11. ↑ "Galatasaray crowned Turkish champions". ESPN Soccernet. 12 May 2012. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  12. ↑ "Galatasaray signs Chedjou from French Lille". Business Standard. 31 May 2013. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
  13. ↑ "Tomas Ujfalusi Futbol İdari Koordinatörü Oldu" (in Turkish). Galatasaray. 18 December 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2013.
  14. ↑ Tomáš Ujfaluši – FIFA competition record
  15. ↑ "Ujfalusi backing Czechs to shine". BBC Sport. 7 June 2008. Retrieved 7 June 2008.
  16. ↑ "Ujfalusi quits international football". BBC Sport. 8 April 2009. Retrieved 8 April 2009.
  17. ↑ "Yılın yeteneği Semih Kaya..." (in Turkish). Fanatik. 15 May 2012. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  18. ↑ "Tomáš Ujfaluši". Turkish Football Federation. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  19. ↑ "Tomas Ujfalusi" (in Turkish). Mackolik. Retrieved 27 June 2012.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tomáš Ujfaluši.
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Nico-Jan Hoogma		 Hamburg captain
2004 		Succeeded by
Daniel Van Buyten
Preceded by
Tomáš Rosický		 Czech Republic captain
2008-2009 		Succeeded by
Tomáš Rosický