Zlatko Zahovič

Zlatko Zahovič

Personal information
Full name	Zlatko Zahovič
Date of birth	(1971-02-01) 1 February 1971
Place of birth	Maribor, Yugoslavia
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position	Attacking midfielder
Youth career
	Maribor
	Kovinar
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1989–1993	Partizan	37	(6)
1990–1991	→ Proleter Zrenjanin (loan)	25	(0)
1993–1996	Vitória Guimarães	79	(13)
1996–1999	Porto	84	(27)
1999–2000	Olympiacos	14	(7)
2000–2001	Valencia	20	(3)
2001–2005	Benfica	80	(14)
National team
1992–2004	Slovenia	80	(35)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Zlatko Zahovič (born 1 February 1971) is a Slovenian footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.

He was one of the best Slovenian footballers. After making a name for himself in Europe in Portugal, most notably with Porto and Benfica, he went on to have unassuming spells in Spain and Greece. He was great known by dribble and goal-scoring ability alike.

The all-time record holder in caps and goals for the Slovenian national team, Zahovič was an essential member as it qualified for the first time ever to a European Championship and a World Cup, in the early 2000s.

His son, named Luka, is also a footballer and was called for the 2012 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship.

Club career

Zahovič was born in Maribor, Slovenia, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In 1989, the 18-year-old Kovinar player was noticed by FK Partizan's Milko Ǵurovski, at the time doing his mandatory military service in town, and recommended the youngster to the national giants.

With the Belgrade side, he was retatively used over the course of three seasons - he also played one year on loan for FK Proleter Zrenjanin - contributing with 15 matches and three goals as Partizan won the 1992–93 national championship.

In 1992, aged 22, Zahovič moved to Portugal and signed for Vitória de Guimarães, joining fellow first divisioner F.C. Porto after three solid seasons, and two UEFA Cup qualifications. With Porto, he was equally important, winning three consecutive leagues whilst rarely missing a game; in the his last year, he netted a career-best 14 goals.

Zahovič then experienced two turbulent years, first with Olympiacos F.C. of Greece then Spain's Valencia CF. With the latter, he reached the final of the 2000–01 UEFA Champions League, lost after a penalty shootout against FC Bayern Munich, with the midfielder having his attempt saved by Oliver Kahn; additionally, he clashed with the coaches in both clubs, returning from holidays late when Dušan Bajević was in charge at Olympiakos, then arguing with his successor Alberto Bigon over tactics and complaining to Che boss Héctor Cúper he was not being given enough opportunities.

In the 2001 summer, Zahovič returned to Portugal and joined S.L. Benfica, as Carlos Marchena moved to Valencia. He was an important first-team member in his first three seasons, but lost his importance when manager Giovanni Trapattoni arrived at the Reds, a situation which was aggravated in January 2005, with the arrival of Nuno Assis; Benfica won the league precisely in that campaign, after a drought of 11 years, with the player contributing with ten matches (17 and four goals in all official matches, as Benfica also reached the round of 32 in the UEFA Cup), and retiring from football in June 2005, aged 34.

In the summer of 2007, Zahovič returned to his homeland, becoming director of football at NK Maribor.

International career

Zahovič's first match for Slovenia was on 7 November 1992, a friendly match with Cyprus.

The national team qualified for UEFA Euro 2000 in Belgium and the Netherlands, with the player scoring nine goals in 15 matches. In the finals, he continued to excel, netting three of Slovenia's four goals, in an eventual group stage exit.

Slovenia also managed to qualify for the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea and Japan, another first. However, after being replaced by manager Srečko Katanec in the 63rd minute of the first group match against Spain (1–3 loss), Zahovič insulted the coach, who immediately sent him home following the match. Katanec resigned immediately after the World Cup, after three defeats in the group stage.

Zahovič played his last match for the national team on 28 April 2004 against Switzerland. Altogether he appeared in 80 matches (a record) and scored 35 goals (also a record), thus making him the most successful Slovenian footballer since the country's independence in 1991, and the inception of its football association into FIFA the following year.

Personal life

His son Luka is also a footballer and plays as a forward. He was part of the Slovenia national under-17 football team at the 2012 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship, where he scored one of three tournament goals for his side.

Statistics

Club

Club performance			League		Cup		League Cup		Continental		Total
Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Yugoslavia			League		Yugoslav Cup		League Cup		Europe		Total
1989/90	Partizan	First League	9	1
1990/91	Proleter Zrenjanin	First League	25	0
1991/92	Partizan	First League	13	2
Serbia			League		Serbian Cup		League Cup		Europe		Total
1992/93	Partizan	First League	15	3
Portugal			League		Taça de Portugal		Taça da Liga		Europe		Total
1993/94	Vitória Guimarães	Primeira Liga	24	1
1994/95			22	4
1995/96			27	8
1996/97	Porto	Primeira Liga	26	7
1997/98			29	6
1998/99			29	14
Greece			League		Greek Football Cup		Greek League Cup		Europe		Total
1999/00	Olympiacos	Alpha Ethniki	14	7
Spain			League		Copa del Rey		Copa de la Liga		Europe		Total
2000/01	Valencia	La Liga	20	3
Portugal			League		Taça de Portugal		Taça da Liga		Europe		Total
2001/02	Benfica	Primeira Liga	21	6
2002/03			28	6
2003/04			21	2
2004/05			10	0
Country	Yugoslavia		47	3
	Serbia		15	3
	Portugal		237	54
	Greece		14	7
	Spain		20	3
Total			333	70

National team

Slovenia national team
Year	Apps	Goals
1992	1	0
1993	1	0
1994	5	1
1995	6	3
1996	6	1
1997	3	1
1998	9	6
1999	11	8
2000	10	6
2001	8	4
2002	8	2
2003	9	2
2004	3	1
Total	80	35

Honours

Partizan

• Yugoslav League: 1992–93

Porto

• Portuguese League: 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99
• Portuguese Cup: 1997–98
• Portuguese Supercup: 1998, 1999

Olympiacos

• Greek League: 1999–2000

Benfica

• Portuguese League: 2004–05
• Portuguese Cup: 2003–04

Valencia

• UEFA Champions League: Runner-up 2000–01

External links

• Stats and profile at Zerozero
• Stats at ForaDeJogo (Portuguese)
• Zlatko Zahovič at National-Football-Teams.com
• Zlatko Zahovic - Goals in International Matches; at RSSSF