Tomáš Ujfaluši
Encyclopedia
Tomáš Ujfaluši (ˈtomaːʃ ˈʊjfaˌlʊʃɪ; born 24 March 1978) is a Czech
footballer who plays for Galatasaray SK
in Turkey
.
He can operate as either a central or right defender, and has played professionally in the Czech Republic
, Germany
, Italy
and Spain
.
, Ujfaluši made his professional debuts 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 the 10th, 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 the 2002–03 season, Ujfaluši helped Hamburger 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.
, Ujfaluši joined Atlético Madrid, 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 season
, 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. He was an undisputed starter during the season
- mostly as right-back - as the Colchoneros finished seventh and qualified to the Europa League
.
, for a €
2 million transfer fee.
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) 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, 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
.
.
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
footballer who plays for Galatasaray SK
Galatasaray S.K. (football team)
Galatasaray Anonim Şirketi is a Turkish football club, part of the Galatasaray S.K. multi-sport club of Istanbul. Galatasaray is a major sports club in Turkey, holding 17 Turkish Super League titles and the highest number of Turkish Cups....
in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
.
He can operate as either a central or right defender, and has played professionally in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
Early years / Hamburg / Fiorentina
Born in RýmařovRýmarov
Rýmařov is a town in the Bruntál District, Moravian-Silesian Region, Czech Republic. It has a population of 8,856 as of 25 Mar 2010.- History :...
, Ujfaluši made his professional debuts with SK Sigma Olomouc
SK Sigma Olomouc
SK Sigma Olomouc is a Czech football club from the city of Olomouc. They reached the quarterfinals of the 1991-1992 UEFA Cup.Since 2011, Olomouc have had an agreement where FK SAN-JV Šumperk is acting as their farm team.- Historical names :...
, at the age of 18. In December 2000, he moved abroad and signed with German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
outfit Hamburger SV
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
: his debut came on the 10th, 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 the 2002–03 season, Ujfaluši helped Hamburger finish in fourth position, but the team fared worse in the following season (again conceding in the region of 50 Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
goals). Subsequently he signed with ACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football club from Florence, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A...
, freshly returned to Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
after successfully emerging from a bankruptcy situation.
Atlético Madrid
After nearly 150 official appearances for the Viola (albeit without silverware), being mainly used as a Defender (association football)#center-back by coach Cesare PrandelliCesare Prandelli
Cesare Claudio Prandelli is an Italian football coach and former player. He is currently the manager of the Italy national football team.-Playing career:...
, Ujfaluši joined Atlético Madrid, helping the capital
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
team repeat its fourth position in La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
in his debut season, subsequently again qualifying for the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
.
In the 2009–10 season
2009–10 La Liga
- Personnel and sponsoring :- Before the start of the season :- During the season :-League table:||rowspan=1 style="background-color:#F9F9F9;"|||rowspan=1 style="background-color:#F9F9F9;"|...
, 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
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
at the Vicente Calderón Stadium
Vicente Calderón Stadium
The Vicente Calderón Stadium is the home stadium of La Liga football club Atlético Madrid and is located in the Arganzuela district of Spanish capital Madrid. The stadium was originally called the Manzanares Stadium, but this was later changed to the Vicente Calderón Stadium, after the famous...
(1–2 loss), Ujfaluši made a late challenge on Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi
Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi is an Argentine footballer who plays for FC Barcelona and captains the Argentina national team, mainly as a striker. Messi received several Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations by the age of 21, and won in 2009 and 2010...
, injuring his right ankle
Ankle
The ankle joint is formed where the foot and the leg meet. The ankle, or talocrural joint, is a synovial hinge joint that connects the distal ends of the tibia and fibula in the lower limb with the proximal end of the talus bone in the foot...
. The defender received a straight red card
Ejection (sports)
In sports, an ejection is one of several disqualifying actions assessed to a player or coach by a game official , usually for unsportsmanlike conduct....
for his foul, and was subsequently banned for two games by the Spanish League’s disciplinary committee. He was an undisputed starter during the season
2010–11 La Liga
The 2010–11 La Liga season was the 80th since its establishment. The campaign began on 28 August 2010 and ended on 21 May 2011. A total of 20 teams contested the league, 17 of which already contested in the 2009–10 season and three of which were promoted from the Segunda División...
- mostly as right-back - as the Colchoneros finished seventh and qualified to the Europa League
2011–12 UEFA Europa League
The 2011–12 UEFA Europa League is the third season of the competition since it was renamed from the UEFA Cup. It began on 30 June 2011 with the first legs of the first qualifying round, and will end on 9 May 2012 with the final to be held at Stadionul Național in Bucharest, Romania...
.
Later years
On 20 June 2011, aged 33, Ujfaluši signed for Süper Lig powerhouse Galatasaray SKGalatasaray S.K. (football team)
Galatasaray Anonim Şirketi is a Turkish football club, part of the Galatasaray S.K. multi-sport club of Istanbul. Galatasaray is a major sports club in Turkey, holding 17 Turkish Super League titles and the highest number of Turkish Cups....
, for a €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
2 million transfer fee.
International career
Ujfaluši gained his first capCap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
for the Czech Republic
Czech Republic national football team
The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek...
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
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
(being sent off against Ghana
Ghana national football team
The Ghana national football team, popularly known as the Black Stars, is the national association football team of Ghana and is controlled by the Ghana Football Association...
in an eventual group stage exit) and Euro 2008 (three games, being named Man of the match
Man of the match
In sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...
in the first game of the tournament, a 1–0 win against Switzerland
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
).
After nine years with the national team, during which he eventually gained captaincy, 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
Slovakia national football team
The Slovakia national football team represents Slovakia in association football and is controlled by the Slovak Football Association , the governing body for football in Slovakia. Slovakia's home stadium is Štadión Pasienky and their head coach is Vladimír Weiss...
on 1 April for the World Cup qualification
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)
The European zone of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw 53 teams competing for 13 places at the finals. The qualification process started on 20 August 2008, after UEFA Euro 2008, and ended on 18 November 2009. The qualification process saw the first competitive matches of...
.
Atlético Madrid
- UEFA Europa League: 2009–10
- UEFA Super Cup: 20102010 UEFA Super CupThe 2010 UEFA Super Cup was the 35th UEFA Super Cup organised by the European football governing body UEFA. It took place at the Stade Louis II in Monaco on 27 August 2010. It was contested by Internazionale, who won the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League, and Atlético Madrid, who won the 2009–10 UEFA...
- Copa del ReyCopa del ReyThe Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
: Runner-up 2009–102009–10 Copa del ReyThe 2009–10 Copa del Rey was the 106th staging of the Copa del Rey. The competition began on August 22, 2009 and concluded on May 19, 2010 with the final held at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, in which Sevilla FC lifted the trophy for the fifth time in their history with a 2–0 victory over...
Personal life
Ujfaluši is married to Kateřina. He has Hungarian roots, his surname meaning New-villager in HungarianHungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
.