Milan Baroš
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Milan Baroš (; born 28 October 1981) 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, rugby lea ...
who played as a forward. In 2005, he was part of the
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team which won the
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...
. He went on to win
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with
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in 2007, the
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
with
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in 2008 and the
Süper Lig The Süper Lig (, ''Super League''), also known as Trendyol Süper Lig for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Turkey and the highest level of the Turkish football league system. In the 2023–2024 season, twen ...
with Galatasaray in 2012. He also had spells with Baník Ostrava, where he started his career, and English club Aston Villa, and retired from professional football in 2020 following his fourth spell at Baník Ostrava. Born in
Valašské Meziříčí Valašské Meziříčí (; ) is a town in Vsetín District in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 23,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Monum ...
, Baroš represented the Czech Republic international team in 93 matches, scoring on 41 occasions. He won the Golden Boot as top scorer of the Euro 2004 tournament, where his nation reached the semi-finals. He went on to play in three more major international tournaments. His 41 goals for the Czech Republic is second behind only
Jan Koller Jan Koller (; born 30 March 1973) is a Czech former professional footballer who played as a forward. He was noted for his height, strong physique and heading ability. He began his career at Sparta Prague, then moved to Belgium, where he beca ...
.


Club career


Early career

As a boy, Baroš played for youth clubs in Vigantice and Rožnov pod Radhoštěm before joining the youth team of Baník Ostrava at the age of 12. In 1998, he made his debut for the club in the
Czech First League The Czech First League () also known as the Chance Liga for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in the Czech Republic and the highest level of the Czech Republic football league system. Seasons typically run from A ...
, the top division of Czech football, becoming a regular over the next few seasons. In 2000, he won the Talent of the Year award at the Czech Footballer of the Year awards. He was described by the Czech News Agency in the 2000–01 season as "perhaps the biggest star of the zechfootball league". He played his last game for the club on 2 December 2001, in a 1–0 loss at Viktoria Žižkov. During his time in Ostrava, he scored 23 league goals in 76 appearances.


Liverpool

Baroš joined
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
in July 2001 for an undisclosed fee and on a contract of undisclosed length; he joined compatriots Patrik Berger and Vladimír Šmicer at the club. The BBC estimated his transfer fee as £3.2 million. He did not move to England straight away due to delays in obtaining a
work permit A work permit or work visa is the permission to take a job within a foreign country. The foreign country where someone seeks to obtain a work permit for is also known as the "country of work", as opposed to the "country of origin" where someone ho ...
, which was obtained in December. He made his club debut in a
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tie away to
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on 13 March 2002; he played the last 16 minutes in place of Emile Heskey as the match finished goalless. It was his only appearance of the 2001–02 season. In the 2002–03 season, Baroš scored twice on his Premiership debut away to
Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers Football Club ( ) is a professional association football, football club based in Horwich, Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in EFL League One, League One, the third level of the Englis ...
on 14 September 2002, as Liverpool won 3–2 away. Baroš was a substitute in the 2003 Football League Cup Final against
Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
. He entered the game in the second half, but did not play to the end of the game, being substituted himself a minute before the end of the game. Liverpool won the game 2–0 to win the cup, the first major trophy of Baroš' career. Towards the end of the season, he scored twice in a 6–0 away win over already-relegated West Bromwich Albion in April 2003. He ended his first season in the Premiership with 12 goals for the club. Baroš broke his ankle in a September 2003 match against Blackburn Rovers, a match which also saw teammate Jamie Carragher sustain a broken leg. Baroš subsequently missed five months of football and scored just two goals in the 2003–04 season. His first goal came in a league match against Leeds United in February 2004, while his other goal was in March in a 1–1 Champions League draw against
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. Baroš would later claim that had manager
Gérard Houllier Gérard Paul Francis Houllier (; 3 September 194714 December 2020) was a French professional football manager and player. Clubs he managed include Paris Saint-Germain, Lens and Liverpool, where he won the FA Cup, League Cup, FA Charity Shield, ...
stayed at the club after the summer of 2004, he would have put in a transfer request. As it was, Houllier left the club and was replaced by Rafael Benítez. Baroš entered the 2004–05 season having been the top goalscorer in the summer's Euro 2004 tournament. With
Michael Owen Michael James Owen (born 14 December 1979) is an English former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Striker (association football), striker for Liverpool F.C., Liverpool, Real Madrid CF, Real Madrid, Newcastle United ...
and Emile Heskey having been sold and new signing Djibril Cissé out with a long-term injury, Baroš was now Liverpool's only senior striker. Despite being the club's joint top scorer with 13 goals, including a
hat-trick A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three. Origin The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three Wick ...
against Crystal Palace, Spaniard
Fernando Morientes Fernando Morientes Sánchez (; born 5 April 1976) is a Spanish former professional Association football, footballer who played as a striker (association football), striker. He played for a number of clubs during his career, including Real Madri ...
was preferred to Baroš in Liverpool's starting lineup for the League Cup Final, a match they lost to Chelsea. However, he did start the 2005 Champions League Final, being substituted after 85 minutes as the game finished 3–3 in normal time. Liverpool went on to win the match on penalties. Baroš reportedly dropped the trophy during the team's celebration, leaving a dent, but Liverpool decided not to mend it because it "added to the character" of the trophy. He finished the season with 13 goals, becoming the joint-top scorer for the club. Baroš also received his first red card during the campaign, being sent off for a high challenge on Everton's Alan Stubbs in the
Merseyside derby The Merseyside derby is an association football match between Everton F.C., Everton and Liverpool F.C., Liverpool, two clubs based in Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is the longest running top-flight local derby, derby in England, with its fi ...
on 20 March. In June 2005, former manager Gérard Houllier, then with French club
Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
, made an approach to sign Baroš. The player rejected the approach, but only made two substitute appearances for Liverpool in the 2005–06 season before leaving the club. He left Liverpool with league figures of 19 goals in 68 appearances.


Aston Villa

Baroš moved to Premiership side Aston Villa for a fee of £6.5 million in August 2005, signing a four-year contract. He was given the number 10 shirt. Just ten minutes into his Aston Villa debut, he scored the only goal in his new team's league victory over Blackburn. He played a crucial role in Villa's League Cup second round victory against Wycombe Wanderers in September. With Villa trailing 3–1 at half time, Baroš scored shortly after the beginning of the second half and won a penalty, which Gareth Barry converted. He also provided the cross for Barry's second goal of the game as Villa scored seven goals in the second half, resulting in a final score of 8–3, their biggest win in over 40 years. He set up the first Aston Villa goal in a November match against
Sunderland Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...
in dubious circumstances; back-heeling the ball, which "looked to have gone out of play" to Aaron Hughes. Hughes' pass found Kevin Phillips, who opened the scoring against his old club. He later scored a goal himself in the same game, which ended 3–1 to Villa. In the
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match against Everton, Baroš was involved thoroughly in the proceedings. He opened the scoring in the 35th minute, having handled the ball immediately beforehand. This was not punished and the referee awarded a goal. Baroš subsequently celebrated in front of the travelling Everton fans, making a gesture as if to listen to them. A number of missiles from the crowd were subsequently thrown in Baroš' direction. The goal was just his third in what Glenn Moore of ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' described as "an indifferent season" for Baroš. He went on to score his second goal of the game, and Villa's fourth, earning him
man of the match In team sport, a player of the match award (also known as man of the match or woman of the match) is often given to the most outstanding player in a particular match. This can be a player from either team, although the player is generally chose ...
honours. Baroš scored twice in January 2006's fourth round
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
win against Port Vale, and added another in the following round's 1–1 draw with
Manchester City Manchester City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Manchester, England, that competes in the Premier League, the English football league system, top flight of Football in England, English footbal ...
. Late in the season, he scored two goals in the Second City derby against
Birmingham City Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. The team compete in the ...
at Villa Park, marking his 11th and 12th goals of the season and winning another man of the match award. He would score no further goals that season. Baroš failed to score at the start of the 2006–07 season, leading new manager
Martin O'Neill Martin Hugh Michael O'Neill, (born 1 March 1952) is a Northern Irish professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Association football, player who played as a midfielder. After a brief early career in the Irish Leag ...
to challenge him in October to prove himself before the January
transfer window In association football, a transfer window is the period during the year in which a football club, club can add players to their squad who were previously under contract with another club. Such a Transfer (association football), transfer is comp ...
. He subsequently scored his first goal of the season in December 2006, eight months since scoring his last one, with a close-range equaliser against Sheffield United in a 2–2 draw. Although he also managed to score for Aston Villa in a 2–1 loss to Manchester United in the FA Cup, he left the club in January 2007, having scored just once in 17 league matches that season.


Lyon

On 22 January 2007, Baroš signed with French side Lyon, signing a three-and-a-half-year contract and reuniting with former manager Gérard Houllier from his time at Liverpool. The deal swapped Baroš with Lyon striker John Carew, who joined Aston Villa on a three-and-a-half-year deal. Just two days after joining the club, he made his Lyon debut in a league match against
Bordeaux Bordeaux ( ; ; Gascon language, Gascon ; ) is a city on the river Garonne in the Gironde Departments of France, department, southwestern France. A port city, it is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the Prefectures in F ...
. He appeared as a substitute, as league leaders Lyon lost 2–1 for their first home defeat of the season. Baroš took part in that year's Champions League, featuring as a substitute in a 0–0 draw in
Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
against Roma. He played no further part in that season's Champions League campaign, as he remained on the bench in the return leg as Lyon were eliminated. In May 2007, Baroš was accused of making a racist gesture towards his
Cameroon Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...
ian opponent Stéphane Mbia during Lyon's match against
Rennes Rennes (; ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in Northwestern France at the confluence of the rivers Ille and Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the Brittany (administrative region), Brittany Regions of F ...
on 18 April. After having been fouled by Mbia several times, Baroš held his nose in front of Mbia and waved his hand as if to waft away an unpleasant smell. In the ensuing controversy, Baroš insisted that his gesture was not intended to be racist in any way, and he was only trying to tell Mbia to get out of his face and leave him alone. Baroš and Mbia were brought before an official disciplinary hearing of the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), which ruled that Baroš was innocent of racist behaviour, but he was nevertheless suspended for the remaining three games of the season for unsportsmanlike conduct. The end of the season saw Lyon win the league title, but nonetheless manager Houllier left the club. Baroš scored in Lyon's opening game of the 2007–08 season as his club won 2–0 against
Auxerre Auxerre ( , , Burgundian language (Oïl), Burgundian: ''Auchoirre'') is the capital (Prefectures in France, prefecture) of the Yonne Departments of France, department and the fourth-largest city in the Burgundy historical region southeast of Par ...
. However, he played significantly less under new manager Alain Perrin, making just six starts and scoring a total of three league goals. In mid-November, Baroš revealed a break down in his relationship with Perrin and hinted at a move to another club.


Portsmouth

Baroš joined Premier League side
Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
on loan from Lyon in January 2008 until the end of the season, with the option of making the move permanent at the end of the loan. Baroš played a significant role in the club winning the 2008 FA Cup. He won Portsmouth's match-winning penalty kick in the quarter-final at Manchester United and assisted Nwankwo Kanu's deciding goal in the semi-final match against West Bromwich Albion with a suspected handball that went unnoticed by both the referee and his assistant. The final match of Baroš' loan spell was the 2008 FA Cup Final victory over Cardiff City at
Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium, currently branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE Limited, EE for sponsorship reasons, is an association football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Sta ...
, where he appeared as an 87th-minute substitute for Kanu. By the end of the season, Baroš had played 16 matches for Portsmouth, including seven as a substitute, although he failed to score. He was one of a number of Portsmouth players to be absent at the team parade after the club won the FA Cup, leading to speculation he could have played his last game for the club. At the end of the season, Baroš returned to Lyon.


Galatasaray

In August 2008, Baroš joined Turkish champions Galatasaray from Lyon for a fee of €4.7 million. He made his first appearance against
Kayserispor Kayseri Spor Kulübü, commonly known as Kayserispor, and also called Bellona Kayserispor due to sponsorship reasons, is a Turkish professional football club based in Kayseri. They play their home matches at the RHG Enertürk Enerji Stadium ...
, playing the last 15 minutes. Baroš scored his first two goals for the club in the
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first round, first leg game against Bellinzona. Three days later, in his first league start, he once again scored two goals against Kocaelispor, with Galatasaray going on to win the match 4–1. On 21 December 2008, Baroš scored a hat-trick in the 4–2
Süper Lig The Süper Lig (, ''Super League''), also known as Trendyol Süper Lig for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Turkey and the highest level of the Turkish football league system. In the 2023–2024 season, twen ...
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win against Beşiktaş, converting two penalties and scoring one from open play. He scored another hat-trick later in the season against Hacettepe. He finished the 2008–09 season as the Süper Lig top scorer with 20 goals. Baroš scored his first goal of the 2009–10 season in his third league game when he scored twice in a 4–1 win against Kayserispor. His next two goals came on 13 September where Galatasaray played rivals Beşiktaş. Galatasaray won the match 3–0, with Baroš scoring his third and fourth goals of the season. He scored a total of five times in ten matches before breaking his left foot in two places after a tackle by Emre Belözoğlu in the Fenerbahçe–Galatasaray derby on 25 October 2009. He returned to action four and a half months later on 14 March 2010 for a game against Ankaragücü, scoring a goal on his comeback. During the season, he scored his third hat-trick for the club in a match against Diyarbakirspor. He finished the season with league figures of 11 goals in 17 matches. In August 2010, a week before the start of the 2010–11 Süper Lig, he extended his contract with Galatasaray for two seasons, keeping him contracted to the club until the end of the 2012–13 season. Although he had been injured during pre-season training, Baroš appeared as a substitute in his club's UEFA Europa League qualification match against Karpaty Lviv, scoring twice as Galatasaray returned from 2–0 down to draw the match. At the end of September, he scored his fourth hat-trick for the club against Istanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor, although he failed to complete the game due to an injury. He scored two more goals in a 4–2 loss against Ankaragücü on 17 October, but was injured again. Baroš was suspended for three matches in March 2011 after insulting referee Fırat Aydınus in a match against Beşiktaş. By the end of the season, Baroš had appeared in 17 league games and scored 9 goals.. Retrieved 19 November 2013. Galatasaray started the 2011–12 season well and were top of the league in January, having won eight consecutive league matches. Baroš did not start a match for his club for four weeks, but scored an important goal against
Samsunspor Samsunspor Kulübü, officially known as Samsunspor Football Club Joint Stock Company, or as Reeder Samsunspor due to sponsorship agreements, is a Turkey, Turkish Football club (association football), professional football club that competes in t ...
in the eighth match of the streak. The club won a ninth-straight game, with Baroš scoring his seventh goal of the season, in the 5–1 win against Kardemir Karabükspor, although he left the game with an injury. He returned from injury in a February match against
Antalyaspor Antalyaspor Kulübü is a Turkish professional multi-sport club based in Antalya, southern Turkey. The club's colours are red and white. The association football, football side play their home matches at the Antalya Stadium. In Turkey, the cl ...
, coming on as a substitute, but was on the field of play just 15 minutes before receiving a
red card A red card is a type of penalty card that is shown in many sports after a rules infraction. Red card may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''Red Card'' (album), 1976 release by Streetwalkers * Red card, suit (cards) of hearts or di ...
. His dismissal resulted in a three-match suspension. Baroš scored his last goal for the club in April 2012 in the last match of the regular season against Manisaspor. In 2012, Baroš was told by then-coach
Fatih Terim Fatih Terim (born 4 September 1953) is a Turkish people, Turkish professional Association football, football Manager (association football), manager and former player. He is the manager of Saudi Pro League club Al Shabab FC (Riyadh), Al-Shabab ...
that he would not play for the club any more. He played no competitive football after Euro 2012 and finally left the club in February 2013.


Return to Baník Ostrava

On 18 February 2013, Czech club Baník Ostrava announced that Baroš had rejoined the club where he started his career, signing a one-and-a-half-year contract. Under the terms of the contract, his salary was donated to support the youth club of the team. Having not played a competitive match since 21 June of the previous year, he played his first match of the season on 23 February, coming on as a substitute in the 0–0 home draw with Dynamo České Budějovice. He scored a hat-trick in Ostrava's 3–0 league victory against
Hradec Králové Hradec Králové (; ) is a city of the Czech Republic. It has about 94,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of the Hradec Králové Region. The historic centre of Hradec Králové is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech R ...
on 9 March 2013, his first hat-trick in the top flight of Czech football.


Antalyaspor

On 16 July 2013, Baroš agreed a one-year contract with Turkish club Antalyaspor. He made his club debut in August, appearing as a substitute in a 0–0 Süper Lig draw against Kayseri Erciyesspor. He scored his first goal for Antalyaspor against Bursaspor in August, then his second against Rizespor in October. He suffered damage to his
anterior cruciate ligament The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of a pair of cruciate ligaments (the other being the posterior cruciate ligament) in the human knee. The two ligaments are called "cruciform" ligaments, as they are arranged in a crossed formation. In ...
(ACL) in December 2013, ruling him out of action for the rest of the season. Baroš returned to the Czech Republic for treatment in January 2014.


Return to the Czech league

24 September 2014 saw Baroš re-join Ostrava; he signed a contract until the end of the 2014–15 season. Following the end of the 2014–15 season, Baroš left Ostrava and signed a two-year contract with
Mladá Boleslav Mladá Boleslav (; ) is a city in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 47,000 inhabitants. It lies on the left bank of the Jizera (river), Jizera River. Mladá Boleslav is the second most populated city in the region. I ...
. Following the end of the 2015–16 season, Baroš left Mladá Boleslav and signed a two-year contract with Slovan Liberec. He only spent one of the two years at Liberec before returning to Baník Ostrava in 2017. On 3 July 2020, 38-year-old Baroš announced that he would retire from professional football at the end of the Czech season, due to persistent injuries.


International career


Youth and early senior careers

Baroš represented various Czech Republic youth teams ranging from under-15 until under-18. He played in the
2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, officially branded as Sydney 2000, and also known as the Games of the New Millennium, were an international multi-sport event held from 15 September to 1 October ...
, making three appearances for the team. Baroš took part in two other major tournaments at junior level: the 2000 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship where Czech Republic placed second, and the 2002 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, which the Czechs won. Baroš debuted for the Czech senior squad on 25 April 2001 in a
friendly match An exhibition game (also known as a friendly, scrimmage, demonstration, training match, pre-season game, warmup match, or preparation match, depending at least in part on the sport) is a sport, sporting event whose prize money and impact on th ...
against
Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
whilst scoring his first goal as well. He and national teammate
Pavel Nedvěd Pavel Nedvěd (; born 30 August 1972) is a Czech former professional Association football, footballer who played as a midfielder. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Czech players of all time and he won numerous trophies with Italian cl ...
were both shown the red card in a November 2001 qualification match for the following year's World Cup, as the Czech Republic were eliminated by Belgium.


UEFA Euro 2004

At UEFA Euro 2004, Baroš scored the first goal for the
Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...
in their first game of the tournament, a come-from-behind 2–1 victory over
Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...
. With the goal he became the youngest goalscorer at the European Championships for the Czech Republic. His second goal of the tournament came against the
Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
; the Dutch team had taken a two-goal lead over the Czechs before
Jan Koller Jan Koller (; born 30 March 1973) is a Czech former professional footballer who played as a forward. He was noted for his height, strong physique and heading ability. He began his career at Sparta Prague, then moved to Belgium, where he beca ...
scored from a Baroš pass. Baroš then scored before Vladimír Šmicer completed the scoring, as the Czechs won the game 3–2. The third group match saw the Czech Republic make nine changes to their starting lineup, having already qualified for the quarter-finals. Baroš appeared as a substitute and scored the winning goal, as opponents
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
failed to advance to the next stage of the tournament. Baroš added two goals in two minutes of the second half of the Czechs' quarter-final win over
Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
, and finished as the tournament's Golden Boot winner with five goals.


2006 FIFA World Cup

In qualification for the 2006 World Cup, Baroš scored five goals for his country, including four in consecutive matches in 2005. An injury to his foot, picked up in a match on 3 June, kept him out of
2006 FIFA World Cup The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international Association football, football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which had won the right to FIFA World Cup hosts ...
games against the
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and
Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...
. He appeared in the Czechs' final group game against
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
, but appeared unfit and left the game after 64 minutes to be replaced by David Jarolím.


UEFA Euro 2008 and suspension

In the run up to
UEFA Euro 2008 The 2008 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2008 or simply Euro 2008, was the 13th UEFA European Championship, a quadrennial association football, football tournament contested by the member nations of UEFA ( ...
, Baroš had not scored an international goal since March 2007. He started the Czech Republic's second group game against
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
, but Portugal won 3–1 and Baroš failed to score. Jan Koller was preferred to Baroš in the starting lineup for the next match, against
Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
. Despite neither playing in the match nor even being on the pitch, Baroš suffered the indignity of receiving a yellow card during stoppage time at the end of the match. Baroš was banned indefinitely from playing for his national side in April 2009 after a breach of discipline, having attended a bar late at night. However, he was recalled to the national side after the appointment of Ivan Hašek as head coach.


National team comeback and retirement

On 12 August 2009, Baroš marked his national team return with a goal from the penalty spot in the 3–1 home friendly victory against Belgium. The following month, Baroš scored a career high of four goals against
San Marino San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino, is a landlocked country in Southern Europe, completely surrounded by Italy. Located on the northeastern slopes of the Apennine Mountains, it is the larger of two European microstates, microsta ...
, in a World Cup qualifier which the Czech Republic won 7–0. By doing so, he became only the second player from the Czech Republic to score four goals in an international match. After the tournament, during which he failed to score, Baroš announced his retirement from international football, having scored a total of 41 international goals in 93 matches. His total of 41 international goals for his country is second only to strike partner Jan Koller, who holds the record with 55.


Style of play

Baroš gained the nickname "the Ostravan Maradona" in his native Czech Republic due to perceived similarities with the Argentine footballer of the same name. He was noted particularly for being a quick player with good
dribbling In sports, dribbling is maneuvering a ball by one player while moving in a given direction, avoiding defenders' attempts to intercept the ball. A successful dribble will bring the ball past defenders legally and create opportunities to score. As ...
skill.


Personal life

Baroš was born in the Czech town of
Valašské Meziříčí Valašské Meziříčí (; ) is a town in Vsetín District in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 23,000 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Monum ...
. He is of partial Vlach and Romani descent. He grew up in the village of Vigantice. In 2009, he married Tereza Franková, whom he started dating in 2005. Their son Patrik was born on 2 September 2009. On 1 November 2007, Baroš was arrested in France while driving at in his black Ferrari F430, on a freeway limited to . Stopped by French police between
Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
and
Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...
in the region of Ain, the local authorities said the radar reading of 271 km/h was the fastest speed ever recorded in the region, surpassing the previous mark of set by a motorcyclist in 2000. As a result, Baroš had his car and licence confiscated and had to return to Lyon in a taxi.


Career statistics


Club

Source: League matches;
Cup and League Cup matches;
Liverpool European matches;
European club matches from 2006


International

Baroš made his debut opposed to
Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
in April 2001, netting his first goal as the match ended in a 1–1 draw. Baroš has only scored a hat-trick once, which came against
San Marino San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino, is a landlocked country in Southern Europe, completely surrounded by Italy. Located on the northeastern slopes of the Apennine Mountains, it is the larger of two European microstates, microsta ...
in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification match in September 2009, where he accomplished a career mark by scoring four times. :''Czech Republic score listed first, score column indicates score after each Baroš goal. Updated as of final match played 21 June 2012.'' :Source:


Honours

Liverpool *
Football League Cup The English Football League Cup, often referred to as the League Cup and currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout competition in men's domestic football in England. Orga ...
: 2002–03; runner-up 2004–05 *
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...
: 2004–05 Olympique Lyon *
Ligue 1 Ligue 1 (; ), officially known as Ligue 1 McDonald's France, McDonald's for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in France and the highest level of the French football league system. Administered by the Ligue de ...
: 2006–07, 2007–08 *
Trophée des Champions The Trophée des Champions (, ) is a French association football trophy contested in an annual match between the champions of Ligue 1 and the winners of the Coupe de France. It is equivalent to the Super cup, super cups found in many other count ...
:
2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
Portsmouth *
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
: 2007–08 Galatasaray *
Süper Lig The Süper Lig (, ''Super League''), also known as Trendyol Süper Lig for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Turkey and the highest level of the Turkish football league system. In the 2023–2024 season, twen ...
: 2011–12 Mladá Boleslav * Czech Cup: 2015–16 Czech Republic U21 *
UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship The UEFA European Under-21 Championship, the UEFA Under-21 Championship or simply the Euro Under-21, is a biennial football competition contested by the European men's under-21 national teams of the UEFA member associations. Since 1992, the comp ...
:
2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
Individual * UEFA European Championship Golden Boot:
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
* UEFA European Champions Team of the Tournament: 2004 * Süper Lig top scorer: 2008–09


References


External links


Profile
at the Liverpool F.C. website * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Baros, Milan 1981 births Living people Sportspeople from Valašské Meziříčí Czech men's footballers 21st-century Czech sportsmen Men's association football forwards FC Baník Ostrava players Liverpool F.C. players Aston Villa F.C. players Olympique Lyonnais players Portsmouth F.C. players Galatasaray S.K. footballers Antalyaspor footballers FK Mladá Boleslav players FC Slovan Liberec players Czech First League players Premier League players Ligue 1 players Süper Lig players UEFA Champions League–winning players Czech Republic men's youth international footballers Czech Republic men's under-21 international footballers Olympic footballers for the Czech Republic Czech Republic men's international footballers Footballers at the 2000 Summer Olympics UEFA Euro 2004 players 2006 FIFA World Cup players UEFA Euro 2008 players UEFA Euro 2012 players Czech expatriate men's footballers Czech expatriate sportspeople in England Czech expatriate sportspeople in France Czech expatriate sportspeople in Turkey Expatriate men's footballers in England Expatriate men's footballers in France Expatriate men's footballers in Turkey Footballers from the Zlín Region Czech people of Romani descent