Jiří Balcárek

Jiří Balcárek

Personal information
Date of birth	(1973-04-29) 29 April 1973 (age 51)
Place of birth	Czechoslovakia
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	SK Uničov (Manager)
Youth career
1997–1984	Sokol Leština
1984–1986	Sulko Zábřeh
1987–1992	Sigma Olomouc
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1992–1999	Sigma Olomouc	136	(20)
1992–1993	→ RH Cheb (loan)
1999–2004	Union Berlin	121	(5)
Total		257	(25)
International career
1994	Czech Republic U21	2	(0)
Managerial career
2005	Sigma Olomouc B (assistant)
2005–2006	SK Lipová
2006–2008	Sigma Olomouc B
2009–2010	Sulko Zábřeh
2010	Karviná
2011–2015	Sulko Zábřeh
2015–2017	Uničov
2017–2018	Znojmo
2018–2019	Vítkovice
2019–2020	Opava
2021–2022	Baník Ostrava (staff)
2022–2024	Uničov
2024–	Prostějov (director of football)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Jiří Balcárek (born 29 April 1973) is a Czech football manager and former player. He played club football domestically for Olomouc and RH Cheb, as well as German side Union Berlin[1] at club level and made two appearances for the Czech Republic under-21 national team.

Playing career

At club level, Balcárek spent six seasons playing for Olomouc, as well as competing in the Czechoslovak First League for RH Cheb,[2] before moving to Union Berlin in Germany, where he played for five more seasons.[3] Internationally he represented the Czech Republic under-21 national team, making two appearances in 1994.

Managerial career

Balcárek started his coaching career in June 2005 as assistant manager of Sigma Olomouc's B-team.[4] He then had a spell at SK Lipová as manager, before returning to Sigma Olomouc in the summer of 2006 as manager of their B-team.[5] In January 2009, Balcárek signed as manager of Sulko Zábřeh.[6]

In April 2010, Balcárek was appointed manager of second-tier side MFK Karviná.[7] He resigned in October of the same year due to poor results.[8] In January 2011, he returned to Sulko Zábřeh.[9] He left the position in June 2015.[10] He was then appointed manager of SK Uničov.[11] After winning the 2016-17 Moravian-Silesian Football League, Balcárek was appointed manager of Znojmo.[12] However, he was fired on 31 January 2018.[13]

In the summer of 2018, Balcárek became manager of MFK Vítkovice.[14] At the end of November 2019, he accepted a job offer from SFC Opava and became the club's new manager.[15] He left the club in June 2020.[16]

In 2021-2022, Balcárek worked in a different role at FC Baník Ostrava, before returning to SK Uničov in September 2022.[17]

References

1. "Balcárek: Kvalita českého fotbalu upadá. Není na trenéry" (in Czech). idnes.cz. 7 May 2015. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
2. Jeřábek, Luboš (2007). Český a československý fotbal – lexikon osobností a klubů (in Czech). Prague, Czech Republic: Grada Publishing. p. 14. ISBN 978-80-247-1656-5.
3. "Union, pýcha východního Berlína. Jediný Čech vzpomíná: Úplně jiná kultura!" (in Czech). idnes.cz. 8 December 2021. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
4. Jiří Balcárek je asistentem u juniorky, sigmafotbal.cz, 28 June 2006
5. Letní přípravné období - SK Sigma Olomouc, trenink.com, 8 June 2006
6. Kouč Balcárek: V Zábřehu chci jenom srdcaře, sumpersky.denik.cz, 13 January 2009
7. Novým trenérem se stal Jiří Balcárek, mfkkarvina.cz, 7 April 2010
8. "Exzábřežský kouč Balcárek skončil v Karviné". denik.cz (in Czech). 5 October 2010. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
9. Sulko má nějaké dluhy, tak šetříme, říká staronový kouč Zábřehu Jiří Balcárek, sumpersky.denik.cz, 19 January 2011
10. Jiří Balcárek odchází. Sulko Zábřeh přijde o svou ikonu, sumpersky.denik.cz, 3 June 2015
11. Mohelnice jde v poháru dál. Balcárkův Uničov končí, sumpersky.denik.cz, 25 July 2015
12. Chtěl bych hrát ofenzivně, měl jsem to tak nastavené i v Uničově, říká trenér Jiří Balcárek, 1scznojmo.cz, 19 June 2017
13. Na trenérských pozicích končí Balcárek a Paul, nahradí je Kalvoda a Šuškavčević, 1scznojmo.cz, 31 January 2018
14. Fotbalisté Vítkovic se v nové sezóně chtějí vyhnout bojům o záchranu, patriotmagazin.cz, 20 July 2018
15. Opava mění trenéra! Tým převzal Balcárek, končí i asistent Dvorník, isport.blesk.cz, 12 November 2019
16. Fotbalová Opava odvolala trenéra. Balcárkovi srazila vaz série bez vítězství, nahrazuje ho Kováč, irozhlas.cz, 11 June 2020
17. Trenér Balcárek: Táhlo mě to zpět na střídačku. V Baníku nepokračuje, sumpersky.denik.cz, 15 September 2022

External links

• Jiří Balcárek at FAČR (in Czech)