Tomáš Rosický (; born 4 October 1980) is a Czech former professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugb ...
who was the captain of the
Czech Republic national team for a ten-year period. He played club football for
Sparta Prague,
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e. V. Dortmund, commonly known as Borussia Dortmund (), BVB (), or simply Dortmund (), is a German professional sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is best known for its men's professional fo ...
and
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostl ...
.
He started his professional career at his hometown club
Sparta Prague, playing three seasons in the
Czech First League
The Czech First League, known as the Fortuna liga for sponsorship reasons, is a Czech professional league for football clubs. At the top of the Czech football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Seasons typically r ...
before moving to
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e. V. Dortmund, commonly known as Borussia Dortmund (), BVB (), or simply Dortmund (), is a German professional sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is best known for its men's professional fo ...
in 2001 for
DM 25 million (approximately
£8 million), at the time a record transfer fee paid by a
Bundesliga
The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of the German football league system, the Bundesliga is Germany's primary footb ...
club. In his first season in Germany, he helped his team win the league title and reach the
2002 UEFA Cup Final
The 2002 UEFA Cup Final was an association football match played on 8 May 2002, between Feyenoord of the Netherlands and Borussia Dortmund of Germany at the Feijenoord Stadion in Rotterdam, Feyenoord's home ground. It was the 31st UEFA Cup final ...
. Rosický joined
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostl ...
in 2006, and made 247 appearances for the club, including appearing in their victory in the
2014 FA Cup Final
The 2014 FA Cup Final was an association football match contested by Premier League clubs Arsenal and Hull City at Wembley Stadium in London, England, on 17 May 2014. It was the 133rd FA Cup final overall and the showpiece match of English foo ...
. He spent a total of ten seasons in the
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...
, affected by several long-term injuries.
Internationally, Rosický made his debut for the Czech Republic in 2000 and became
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
of his country in 2006. He has taken part in four
UEFA European Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship, less formally the European Championship and informally the Euro, is the primary association football tournament organised by the Union of European Football Associations ( UEFA). The competition is conte ...
s as well as the
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Germany 2006, 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 had won the right to host th ...
. He earned his
100th cap on 12 June 2015. Rosický is the Czech Republic's fourth highest goalscorer of all time.
Club career
AC Sparta Prague
Rosický began his career at
Sparta Prague, following his father
Jiří who played for the club in the 1970s and brother,
also called Jiří who played as a trainee in the 1990s. Having played for Sparta's youth teams, Tomáš debuted for Sparta's senior team in 1998 and played three matches in the 1998–99 season,
winning the
national title with Sparta.
He scored five goals in the
1999–2000 season as the team won the league for the second year in succession.
[ He was named the "Talent of the Year" at the 1999 ]Czech Footballer of the Year
The Czech Footballer of the Year ( cs, Fotbalista roku) is awarded in the Czech Republic by the Football Association of the Czech Republic (FA ČR). Eligibility extends to Czech players in the Czech Republic and abroad. Awards for young player, co ...
awards.[ During the ]2000–01 UEFA Champions League
The 2000–01 UEFA Champions League was the 46th season of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA's premier European club football tournament, and the ninth since it was rebranded from the "European Champion Clubs' Cup" or "European Cup". The competitio ...
group stage
A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:
# One or more competitions held at a single venue and concen ...
, he scored goals in matches against Shakhtar Donetsk
Football Club Shakhtar Donetsk ( uk, Футбольний клуб «Шахтар» Донецьк , short nickname "miners") is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Donetsk. In 2014, due to the War in Donbass, the club was f ...
and Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostl ...
, attracting the attention of German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
Bundesliga
The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of the German football league system, the Bundesliga is Germany's primary footb ...
club Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e. V. Dortmund, commonly known as Borussia Dortmund (), BVB (), or simply Dortmund (), is a German professional sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is best known for its men's professional fo ...
, which had a bid accepted for the player in January 2001.
Borussia Dortmund
On 9 January 2001, Rosický joined Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e. V. Dortmund, commonly known as Borussia Dortmund (), BVB (), or simply Dortmund (), is a German professional sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is best known for its men's professional fo ...
, signing a five-year contract.[ His transfer fee of DM 25 million (approximately £8 million), made him the most expensive player in ]Bundesliga
The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of the German football league system, the Bundesliga is Germany's primary footb ...
history and the most expensive Czech player to be sold to a foreign team. In his first full season at Dortmund, Rosický helped the club to win the 2001–02 Bundesliga title. He also took part in the 2002 UEFA Cup Final
The 2002 UEFA Cup Final was an association football match played on 8 May 2002, between Feyenoord of the Netherlands and Borussia Dortmund of Germany at the Feijenoord Stadion in Rotterdam, Feyenoord's home ground. It was the 31st UEFA Cup final ...
, which Dortmund ultimately lost 3–2 to Feyenoord
Feyenoord Rotterdam () is a Dutch professional football club in Rotterdam, which plays in the Eredivisie, the top tier in Dutch football. Founded as Wilhelmina in 1908, the club changed to various names before settling on being called after its ...
. During his first two-and-a-half seasons with the club, Rosický played 75 league matches, scoring nine goals and registering 20 assists. He subsequently agreed to extend his contract with Dortmund in July 2003, signing a deal to stay at the club until 2008.[ At the end of the season, Rosický was announced as the winner of the Czech Republic's Golden Ball award.
Although Rosický was part of the Dortmund team that reached the final of the ]2003 DFB-Ligapokal
The 2003 DFB-Ligapokal was the seventh edition of the DFB-Ligapokal. It was won by Hamburger SV, who beat Borussia Dortmund 4–2 in the final, securing their first title.
Participating clubs
A total of six teams qualified for the competition. The ...
, losing 4–2 to Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein e.V. (), commonly known as Hamburger SV () or Hamburg (), is a German sports club based in Hamburg, with its largest branch being its football section. Though the current HSV was founded in June 1919 from a merger of three ...
, he later described the 2003–04 season as his "worst club season," as Dortmund failed to qualify for the following season's UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
competition. He scored his first competitive goal of the 2005–06 season in February 2006, against MSV Duisburg
Meidericher Spielverein 02 e. V. Duisburg, commonly known as simply MSV Duisburg (), is a Football in Germany, German association football club based in Duisburg, North Rhine-Westphalia. Nicknamed ''Die Zebras'' for their traditional striped jers ...
; it was his 16th Bundesliga goal on his 139th league appearance. March 2006 saw him have injury problems with his thigh, but he scored twice in Dortmund's 4–2 win against Hamburg at the end the month. He was linked with a move to Spanish side Atlético Madrid
Club Atlético de Madrid, Sociedad Anónima Deportiva, S.A.D. (; meaning "Athletic Club of Madrid"), known simply as Atleti in the Spanish-speaking world and commonly referred to at international level as Atlético Madrid, is a Spanish profess ...
, which he discussed in sports magazine ''Kicker
Kicker or The Kicker may refer to:
Sports
* Placekicker, a position in American and Canadian football
* ''Kicker'' (sports magazine), in Germany
* Kicker, the German colloquial term for an association football player
* Kicker, the word used i ...
'', although mentioned in March 2006 that he had not signed a contract to move elsewhere.
Arsenal
2006–07 season
On 23 May 2006, Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostl ...
confirmed that they had signed then 25-year-old Rosický on a long-term contract for an undisclosed fee. He made his competitive debut for Arsenal on 8 August 2006 in a 3–0 win over Dinamo Zagreb
Građanski nogometni klub Dinamo Zagreb ( en, Dinamo Zagreb Citizens' Football Club, link=yes, italics=yes), commonly referred to as GNK Dinamo Zagreb or simply Dinamo Zagreb (), is a Croatian professional football club based in Zagreb. Dinamo ...
in a Champions League qualifier. Rosický scored his first Arsenal goal on 13 September 2006 against Hamburg in Arsenal's first Champions League game of the season, which Arsenal won 2–1. On 6 January 2007, he scored twice against Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
at Anfield
Anfield is a football stadium in Anfield, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, which has a seating capacity of 53,394, making it the seventh largest football stadium in England. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892. ...
in the FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
, in a 3–1 victory for Arsenal. In February 2007, Rosický was announced as the Czech Footballer of the Year
The Czech Footballer of the Year ( cs, Fotbalista roku) is awarded in the Czech Republic by the Football Association of the Czech Republic (FA ČR). Eligibility extends to Czech players in the Czech Republic and abroad. Awards for young player, co ...
for 2006, marking his third time winning the award after previous victories in 2001 and 2002. He scored his first Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...
goal on 11 February 2007 against Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic Football Club () is an English professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system.
Founded in 1932, ...
. He also scored against Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers Football Club () is a professional football club based in Horwich, Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in . The club played at Burnden Park for 102 years from 1895 after moving from their original home at Pike's ...
on 14 April 2007 and against Manchester City
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...
on 17 April 2007. He finished his debut season at Arsenal having scored six goals in 37 appearances for the club in all competitions.
2007–08 season
On 29 August, Rosický scored in a Champions League qualifying match against his former club Sparta Prague, scoring what the BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
journalist Phil Harlow described as a "quality goal," shooting the ball under Sparta's goalkeeper after receiving a pass from
. Rosický scored his first Premier League goal of the season against
in a 3–1 home win. He scored another goal from a cross provided by Walcott in a 2–0 October 2007 league match victory against Bolton, then scored Arsenal's second goal in a 2–0 victory over Wigan the following month, after a counter-attacking move towards the end of the game. His next league goal came in December when he scored in injury time in a 2–1 away loss at
, and he finished the month with another counter-attack goal, scoring the last of Arsenal's goals in a 4–1 away victory against
. His last goal of the season came in a 3–0 away win against
. A
in January 2008 resulted in him playing no more matches that season.
due to his hamstring tendon injury. He played half of a pre-season
in July 2009, but suffered an injury to his hamstring in August, delaying his competitive return to the first team. On 12 September 2009, he played his first match for Arsenal since January 2008, appearing as a substitute in the league match away to Manchester City.
to score Arsenal's first goal in the match and scored the second goal himself as Arsenal lost 4–2.