Tomáš Ujfaluši

Tomáš Ujfaluši (Czech pronunciation: [ˈtomaːʃ ˈujfaluʃɪ], born 24 March 1978) is a Czech former professional footballer. He operated as either a central defender or a right back.[3]

Tomáš Ujfaluši
Ujfaluši playing for Galatasaray in 2012
Personal information
Full name Tomáš Ujfaluši[1]
Date of birth (1978-03-24) 24 March 1978[2]
Place of birth Rýmařov, Czechoslovakia
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
1988–1991 TJ Rýmařov
1991–1996 Sigma Olomouc
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1996–2000 Sigma Olomouc 100 (4)
2000–2004 Hamburger SV 105 (2)
2004–2008 Fiorentina 123 (2)
2008–2011 Atlético Madrid 92 (0)
2011–2013 Galatasaray 41 (1)
2013–2014 Sparta Prague 0 (0)
Total 461 (9)
National team
1997–1999 Czech Republic U21 26 (0)
2001–2009 Czech Republic 78 (2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Other than in his country he played professionally in Germany (four years), Italy (four), Spain (three) and Turkey (two), winning six major titles between Hamburger SV, 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.[4]

Club career

Early years / Hamburg / Fiorentina

Born in Rýmařov, Czechoslovakia of Hungarian roots[5] – Ujfaluši made his professional debut with SK Sigma Olomouc, at the age of 18. In December 2000, he moved abroad and signed with German club Hamburger SV: his debut came on 10 December by 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 team 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 in 2009.

After nearly 150 official appearances for the Viola (albeit without silverware), being mainly used as a centre back by coach Cesare Prandelli, Ujfaluši joined Atlético Madrid as a free agent,[6] helping the capital team repeat its fourth position in La Liga in his debut season, subsequently qualifying for the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League.

In the 2009–10 league campaign Atlético only finished 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 1–2 league loss against FC Barcelona at the Vicente Calderón Stadium, he 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;[7][8][9] 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 club Galatasaray,[10] for a €2 million transfer fee.[11] 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.[12]

Ujfaluši left Galatasaray at the end of 2012–13, after a lengthy injury.[13] 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 Ujfaluši returned to Galatasaray, being appointed director of football.[14] He left his post in June of the following year.

International career
Ujfaluši with the Czech Republic national team (2009).

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[15]– 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,[16] 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.[17]

Career statistics

[18][19][20]

Club
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Europe Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Sigma Olomouc 1996–97 181------181
1997–98 112------112
1998–99 281------281
1999–2000 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

[4]

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

International goals

[4]

No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
16 September 2002Stadion Letná, Prague, Czech Republic FR Yugoslavia2–05–0Friendly
24–0

Honours

Hamburger SV[21]

Atlético Madrid[21]

Galatasaray[21]

Individual

References
  1. "Tomas Ujfalusi̇". Turkish Football Federation. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  2. "2006 FIFA World Cup Germany List of Players" (PDF). FIFA.com. p. 8. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  3. Palmer, Kevin (16 September 2012). "Champions League 2012–13, Group H". ESPN FC. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
  4. "Tomas Ujfalusi – International Appearances". RSSSF. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
  5. "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.
  6. "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.
  7. "Lionel Messi suffers ankle injury in win over Atletico". BBC Sport. 19 September 2010. Retrieved 20 September 2010.
  8. "Una victoria dolorosa" [A painful victory]. El País (in Spanish). 19 September 2010. Retrieved 20 September 2010.
  9. "Two-game ban for Atletico's Tomas Ujfalusi for tackle on Lionel Messi". USA Today. 21 September 2010. Archived from the original on 26 October 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  10. "Gala sign Ujfalusi". FIFA. 20 June 2011. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 20 June 2011.
  11. "Tomas Ujfalusi'nin Transfer Sözleşmesi" (in Turkish). Turkish Public Disclosure System (KAP). 20 June 2011. Archived from the original on 17 March 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2011.
  12. "Galatasaray crowned Turkish champions". ESPN Soccernet. 12 May 2012. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  13. "Galatasaray signs Chedjou from French Lille". Business Standard. 31 May 2013. Retrieved 4 June 2013.
  14. "Tomas Ujfalusi Futbol İdari Koordinatörü Oldu" (in Turkish). Galatasaray S.K. 18 December 2013. Archived from the original on 18 December 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2013.
  15. Tomáš Ujfaluši – FIFA competition record
  16. "Ujfalusi backing Czechs to shine". BBC Sport. 7 June 2008. Retrieved 7 June 2008.
  17. "Ujfalusi quits international football". BBC Sport. 8 April 2009. Retrieved 8 April 2009.
  18. "Tomáš Ujfaluši". Turkish Football Federation. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  19. "Tomas Ujfalusi" (in Turkish). Mackolik. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  20. "Tomas Ujfalusi". Footballdatabase. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  21. Tomáš Ujfaluši at Soccerway
  22. "Yılın yeteneği Semih Kaya..." (in Turkish). Fanatik. 15 May 2012. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  23. Matteo Magrini (23 August 2016). "Festa al Franchi, presenti e assenti. No eccellenti da Rui Costa, Baggio e Batistuta" (in Italian). Fiorentina.it. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
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