Matjaž Kek

Футболист

▸ Источник: Wikidata

ИИ

Matjaž Kek is a Slovenian footballer known for his defensive skills and leadership on the field.

He is currently the manager of Croatian Football League club Rijeka.

Kek made a total of 280 appearances for NK Maribor during his playing career.

На основе: Wikidata, Wikipedia

Биография

Early Life

Matjaž Kek is a Slovenian footballer born into a family with a rich football heritage. His father, Franc, played for NK Maribor in the early 1960s, which likely influenced Matjaž's passion for the sport. He began his own football journey at NK Maribor, where he developed his skills and established himself as a formidable defender.

Playing Career

Kek's professional career kicked off at NK Maribor, where he played from 1980 to 1985 before moving to NK Železničar Maribor for a season. In 1985, he ventured to Austria, joining SV Spittal, where he spent three years before transferring to Grazer AK. Over seven seasons at GAK, he became known for his leadership and defensive prowess. After returning to Maribor from 1995 to 1999, he won three Slovenian league titles and made a significant impact with 280 appearances. He also earned a cap for the Slovenia national team in a friendly against Cyprus in 1992.

Managerial Career

After retiring as a player, Kek transitioned into management, starting as an assistant at Maribor before becoming the head coach in 2000. He quickly led the team to a league title but faced ups and downs, including a second stint as manager and a sacking in 2004. His managerial career continued with the Slovenia national team, where he guided them to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Later, he had a brief spell with Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad before taking charge of Croatian club Rijeka, where he achieved notable success, including winning the Croatian First League.

Personal Life

Kek's legacy in football extends beyond his playing and managerial achievements; his son, also named Matjaž, followed in his footsteps as a footballer. This familial connection to the sport underscores the deep-rooted passion for football within the Kek family.

Собрано из открытых источников (3) · факты со ссылками · обработка ИИ

Wikidata

Галерея

Карьера и клубы

Playing career

Kek started his career at his home club NK Maribor, before moving to another Maribor-based team, Železničar Maribor. In 1980, he returned to Maribor. In 1985 he joined the Austrian club Spittal/Drau, where he stayed for three seasons. Kek then transferred to another Austrian club, GAK of the Austrian Bundesliga where he played for seven years. After that, he returned to Maribor, where between 1995 and 1999 he won three Slovenian league titles, before retiring. Overall, Kek made 280 appearances for Maribor in all competitions over the span of eleven seasons. He spent most of his career playing in defense, mostly in the centre-back position and was known for his leadership abilities. He was capped once by Slovenia, in a 1992 friendly match against Cyprus.

▸ Источник: Wikipedia

Managerial career

Maribor

After finishing his career as a player, Kek stayed at Maribor, serving as an assistant manager for one season, before being appointed as manager in March 2000 after Bojan Prašnikar left the club. He immediately won the league title in the 1999–2000 season. He resigned in September 2000 after a 3–1 defeat against Korotan Prevalje. In October 2001, Kek returned to Maribor as an interim manager after Ivo Šušak resigned. A couple weeks later, he was moved to the assistant manager position after Prašnikar took over the managerial role. In September 2002, he once again became a manager of the team, and won the league title in the 2002–03 season. Kek was sacked by the team on 20 September 2004 after a string of poor results.

Slovenia national team

Between 2006 and 2007, Kek was the head coach of Slovenia's under-15 and under-16 youth teams. On 5 January 2007, Kek was appointed manager of the Slovenia national team, which he led to the 2010 FIFA World Cup after beating Russia in the play-off. On 24 October 2011, after the unsuccessful UEFA Euro 2012 qualifications, Kek and the Football Association of Slovenia came to a mutual agreement on the early termination of his contract. He was succeeded by Slaviša Stojanović.

Al-Ittihad

On 20 December 2011, Kek became the head coach of Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad, however, his brief encounter with the Arabian football finished abruptly when he was sacked less than two months later, on 8 February…

▸ Источник: Wikipedia

Club: Grazer AK (1988–1995)
Club: SV Spittal (1985–1988)
Club: NK Maribor (1980–1985)
Club: Slovenia men's national football team (1992–1992)
Club: NK Železničar Maribor (1979–1980)
Club: NK Maribor (1995–1999)
Club: NK Maribor
Club: NK Železničar Maribor

Личное

Personal life

Matjaž's father, Franc, played for NK Maribor during the early 1960s, earning 51 appearances for the club and scoring one goal. His son, also named Matjaž, is a former footballer.

▸ Источник: Wikipedia