Tim Matavž

Tim Matavž (born 13 January 1989) is a Slovenian football player who plays for Al Wahda as a forward.

Tim Matavž
Matavž with PSV in 2011
Personal information
Full name Tim Matavž[1]
Date of birth (1989-01-13) 13 January 1989
Place of birth Šempeter pri Gorici, SFR Yugoslavia
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[2]
Position(s) Striker
Club information
Current team
 Al Wahda
Number 9
Youth career
1995–2004 Bilje
2004–2006 Gorica
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2006–2007 Gorica 30 (11)
2007–2011 Groningen 84 (34)
2008–2009 → FC Emmen (loan) 15 (5)
2011–2014 PSV 70 (24)
2014 Jong PSV 2 (0)
2014–2017 FC Augsburg 27 (3)
2016 → Genoa (loan) 7 (0)
2016–2017 → 1. FC Nürnberg (loan) 20 (5)
2017–2020 Vitesse 69 (32)
2020– Al Wahda 8 (6)
National team‡
2006 Slovenia U18 3 (1)
2006 Slovenia U19 4 (0)
2007 Slovenia U20 1 (0)
2006–2010 Slovenia U21 20 (6)
2010– Slovenia 38 (11)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 29 January 2021
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 19 November 2019

Club career

Matavž began his football career at the age of 6 playing for Bilje. In 2004, he moved to Gorica youth squads. He was promoted to their senior squad in the 2006–07 season and played a total of 30 matches in the Slovenian first division, scoring 11 goals in the process.[3]

On 30 August 2007, at the age of 18, he signed a five-year contract for Groningen.[4] On 26 September 2007 he scored four goals in KNVB Cup in a match against IJsselmeervogels,[5] but later moved to Emmen on loan and remained there until January 2009.

On 13 March 2009 Matavž scored his first goal in the Eredivisie in a 2–0 victory over Roda. Soon he began scoring for Groningen on regular basis in all competitions. On 24 February 2010 Matavž extended his contract with club until 2013.[6] On 6 February 2011, in a match against Willem II, Matavž scored his first hat-trick in the Eredivisie.[7]

On 2 February 2011, Groningen sporting director Hans Nijland said that Matavž had already agreed terms with Napoli and that he was looking forward to joining them.[8] However, Eredivisie side PSV Eindhoven were also in talks with Groningen to buy him before the transfer window closed. On 31 August 2011, Matavž eventually signed a five-year contract with PSV.[9]

On 29 June 2017, Matavž returned to the Netherlands, to join Vitesse on a three-year deal.[10][11]

On 19 July 2020, Matavž joined Al Wahda on a two-year deal.[12]

International career

On 9 October 2010, Matavž scored a hat-trick for Slovenia in the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying match against Faroe Islands.[13] At the age of 21, he became the youngest player ever to score three goals for Slovenia.[14]

International goals
Scores and results list Slovenia's goal tally first.[15]
#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.8 October 2010Stožice Stadium, Ljubljana, Slovenia Faroe Islands1–05–1UEFA Euro 2012 qualification
2.2–0
3.3–0
4.3 June 2011Svangaskarð, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands1–02–0
5.2 September 2011Stožice Stadium, Ljubljana, Slovenia Estonia1–11–2
6.15 November 2011 United States1–12–3Friendly
7.2–3
8.12 October 2012Ljudski vrt, Maribor, Slovenia Cyprus1–02–12014 FIFA World Cup qualification
9.2–0
10.31 May 2013Schüco Arena, Bielefeld, Germany Turkey2–02–0Friendly
11.19 November 2019Stadion Narodowy, Warsaw, Poland Poland1–12–3UEFA Euro 2020 qualification

Career statistics
As of match played 7 March 2020[2]
Club Season League Cup Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Gorica 2006–07 Slovenian PrvaLiga 2711321[lower-alpha 1]0—3113
2007–08 Slovenian PrvaLiga 30002[lower-alpha 2]1—51
Total 30113231003614
Groningen 2007–08 Eredivisie 1502400—174
2008–09 Eredivisie 4200—4[lower-alpha 3]183
2009–10 Eredivisie 321332—2[lower-alpha 3]13716
2010–11 Eredivisie 291642—2[lower-alpha 3]23520
2011–12 Eredivisie 4300—43
Total 843498008410146
FC Emmen (loan) 2008–09 Eerste Divisie 15510—165
PSV 2011–12 Eredivisie 2811549[lower-alpha 4]5—4220
2012–13 Eredivisie 2711427[lower-alpha 4]7003820
2013–14 Eredivisie 152106[lower-alpha 5]2—224
Total 702410622140010244
FC Augsburg 2014–15 Bundesliga 16310—173
2015–16 Bundesliga 110204[lower-alpha 4]0—170
Total 273304000343
Genoa (loan) 2015–16 Serie A 7000—70
1. FC Nürnberg (loan) 2016–17 2. Bundesliga 20510—215
Vitesse 2017–18 Eredivisie 3014105[lower-alpha 4]15[lower-alpha 6]24117
2018–19 Eredivisie 146004[lower-alpha 4]24[lower-alpha 3]32211
2019–20 Eredivisie 251221—2713
Total 69323193959041
Career total 32211430173818179407158
  1. Appearance(s) in UEFA Champions League
  2. Appearance(s) in UEFA Cup
  3. Appearance(s) in Eredivisie European play-offs
  4. Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League
  5. Four appearances and two goals in UEFA Champions League and two appearances in UEFA Europa League
  6. One appearance in Johan Cruyff Shield and four appearances and two goals in Eredivisie European play-offs

Honours

Club

PSV

Personal life

Matavž was born in Šempeter pri Gorici, Slovenia (then part of Yugoslavia).[16] He is a cousin of the football player Etien Velikonja.[17] In June 2014, Matavž married his long-term partner Polona.[18] He has two daughters, Tia (born 2012) and Ela (born 2015), and one son, Val (born 2017).[19] Beside Slovene, Matavž is also fluent in Dutch.[20]

References
  1. "FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010: List of Players" (PDF). FIFA. 4 June 2010. p. 27. Retrieved 16 April 2014.
  2. "T. Matavž". Soccerway. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  3. "Tim Matavž – Nogometna zveza Slovenije" (in Slovenian). Football Association of Slovenia. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  4. "Sloveens talent Matavz naar FC Groningen" (in Dutch). De Pers. Archived from the original on 15 February 2012. Retrieved 10 April 2008.
  5. Jure Bohoric (26 September 2007). "Štirje goli Tima Matavža". nogomania.com (in Slovenian). Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  6. "Matavz langer bij FC Groningen" (in Dutch). FC Groningen. Archived from the original on 29 September 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
  7. "Neverjetni Matavž tokrat trikrat" [Incredible Matavz scored three times] (in Slovenian). Nogomania. Retrieved 6 February 2011.
  8. , Tim Matavz agrees move to Napoli, 2 February 2011
  9. Š. Ro. (31 August 2011). "Uradno: Tim Matavž se seli v PSV". Delo (in Slovenian). Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  10. "Matavz wechselt zu Vitesse Arnhem". kicker Online (in German). 29 June 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  11. "Tim Matavž signs a three-year contract". SBV Vitesse. 29 June 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  12. To. G. (20 July 2020). "Tim Matavž z Nizozemske v Dubaj" (in Slovenian). RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  13. Rok Plestenjak (9 October 2010). "Tim Matavž: To je bil super večer (video)" [Tim Matavz: It was a great evening] (in Slovenian). Siol. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  14. Rok Viškovič (10 October 2010). "Matavž v elitni družbi najmlajši" [Matavz is the youngest in elite company] (in Slovenian). Siol. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  15. "Tim Matavž". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmerman. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  16. "Tim Matavž je več kot izkoristil ponujeno priložnost na tekmi proti Ferskim otokom". Dnevnik (in Slovenian). 9 October 2010. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  17. Andraž Rožman (16 June 2009). "Bratranca z golgeterskimi geni". Dnevnik (in Slovenian). Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  18. T. H. (15 June 2014). "Foto: Nogometaš Tim Matavž se je poročil s svojo Polono" (in Slovenian). RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  19. M. T. (29 October 2017). "Kakšno veselje! Očka, slovenski nogometaš, bo zdaj imel moško družbo". slovenskenovice.si (in Slovenian). Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  20. Jože Okorn (9 February 2011). "Tim Matavž: Goli me niso spremenili". Dnevnik (in Slovenian). Retrieved 20 July 2020.
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