|
|
 |
 |
|
PETR KOUBA
Date of Birth: 28 January, 1969
Nationality: Czech Republic (international)
Period at Deportivo: 1996 - 2001
Transfer: 250 mln ptas (ca €1,6 million) (1996)
Previous Clubs: Viktoria Zizkov (1998-1999, on loan), Kaiserslautern (1997-1998, on loan), Sparta Prague (1990-1996), Bohemians Prague (1988-1990)
Sold: Free Transfer (2001, to Jablonec)
Height: 186 cm
Weight: 79 kg
Position: Goalkeeper
|
|
|
Cezch goalkeeper PETR KOUBA was considered one of he best goalkeepers around when he played the Euro 1996 tournament in England. Although he might have done better when Olivier Bierhoff scored the winner for Germany against the Czech Republic, he had saved his country in the semi-final when stopping a Reynald Pedros spot-kick. It earned his country a victory against France, a spot in the final and serious interest of a club like FC Barcelona.
But in the end he decided to sign at Deportivo La Coruña until 2000 as the club paid about €1,6 million for the goalkeeper. 4,000 supporters of Deportivo were there when he was presented and his contract contained a buy-out clause of 2.000 million pesetas (about €13 million). Kouba declared that "the competition here motivates me to fight for a starting place" refering to the presence of Liaño, Canales and Songo'o. It wouldn't be a happy marriage though as for both parties the relationship was disappointing. Coach John Toshack placed his confidence in another signing, Jacques Songo'o, and Kouba would play just four Liga matches that season. This also had to do with the fact that Kouba was considered a foreigner while Songo'o has a French passport. For his part, Songo'o would be the number one goalkeeper for four seasons and he won the Zamora trophy in the season 1996/1997.
The next season, he was loaned out to German club 1. FC Kaiserslautern, were he suffered a serious injury, and spent the season 1998/1999 in Viktoria Zizkov. For the season 1999/2000 he returned to Deportivo and even played two more matches during the campaign in which Deportivo won their title. But after it he spent some miserable time without football, before being released by the club on a free transfer. He went to Jablonec, helping them finishing ninth in the league. In 2002, Kouba returned to Sparta as a back-up goalkeeper, but did not make any league appearances.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
