peter cech

Petr Cech


Petr Cech (born 20 May 1982 in Plzen, Czechoslovakia, now Czech Republic) is a Czech international football goalkeeper who is currently contracted to English Premier League football club Chelsea, for whom he has played since July 2004. Petr Cech has previously played for Viktoria Plzen, Chmel Blšany, Sparta Prague, and Rennes. He was voted into the all-star team of Euro 2004 after helping his country reach the semi-finals. Cech also received the individual award of Best Goalkeeper in the 2004/2005, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 seasons of the UEFA Champions League. In addition, he was named in the FIFPro and UEFA Champions League teams of the season in 2006.

He currently holds one record: a Czech professional league record of not conceding a goal in 855 competitive minutes (he previously held a record for the most clean sheets accomplished in a single Premier League season (25), set during Chelsea’s 2004–05 title-winning campaign). He also has a club record at his former team Sparta Praha, having gone 928 minutes unbeaten in all competitions in 2001–2002, when his unbeaten run in Czech league competition was combined with his performances in the UEFA Champions League. During the 2004–05 season, Cech went 1,025 minutes without conceding a goal - a former Premier League record until Edwin van der Sar of Manchester United broke it on 27 January 2009.

Personal information

Date of birth 20 May 1982 (1982-05-20) (age 27)
Place of birth Plzeň, Czechoslovakia
Height 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)
Playing position Goalkeeper

Club information

Current club Chelsea
Number 1

Youth career

1989–1999 Plzeň

Senior career*

Years Team Apps (Gls)†
1999–2001 Blšany 027 (0)
2001–2002 Sparta Prague 027 (0)
2002–2004 Rennes 070 (0)
2004– Chelsea 158 (0)

National team‡

2001–2002 Czech Republic U21 015 (0)
2002– Czech Republic 067 (0)

Club career

Early Career

Cech started playing football at age 7 in his native town. As a young boy, he played for Viktoria Plzen and he first started as a striker due to him being tall at an early age. Cech started as a goal keeper in training, goalkeeper coaches took note of his ablities. By age 14, Petr Cech grew from 180 cm to 196 cm. This drew him attention, not because of his height, but his talent as a goalkeeper.

Chelsea

It was Claudio Ranieri, then manager of Chelsea, who decided that Cech was his choice as understudy to Carlo Cudicini.After the original bid was rejected,Rennes accepted a second in February. Cech agreed a summer move to Chelsea for £7 million, signing a five-year contract, to commence in July 2004. This transfer meant that he had cost more than every other Chelsea goalkeeper in history put together. Cech’s transfer from Rennes was one of those about which the Stevens inquiry report in June 2007 expressed concerns because of the lack of co-operation from agents Pini Zahavi and Barry Silkman.

When he arrived at Chelsea, Carlo Cudicini was Chelsea's established first choice, but after Cudicini suffered a pre-season elbow injury, Cech was promoted into the starting spot, which he kept into the new season. He kept a clean sheet in his Premier League debut in a 1-0 victory over Manchester United.


2009-10 season

Cech began the 09-10 season in winning form with Chelsea, beating Manchester United in the Community Shield final at Wembley. With the game tied 2-2 at the end of normal time, Cech saved penalties from Ryan Giggs and Patrice Evra. Cech kept goal for Chelsea in the six match winning run that opened their season and placed them on top of the Premier League. However,on September 26th, 2009, Cech was sent off and at the same time conceded the winning penalty for tripping Wigan Athletic midfielder Hugo Rodallega, in the defeat that broke the run and conceded the lead in the league to Manchester United which Chelsea took back after beating Liverpool F.C. 2-0 with HIlario making a few stellar saves.


International career

Cech began his career in the U15s, working his way up each age group level before making his senior debut in February 2002. He was part of the Czech Euro 2004 team. Some stunning saves helped his team progress as far as the semi-finals, where they lost to eventual winners Greece on the silver goal rule. He was named in the all-star team as best goalkeeper at the tournament.

The Czech Republic qualified for the 2006 World Cup, held in Germany, and were placed in Group E, alongside Ghana, Italy and the United States. The Czech Republic was placed third by the end of the group stages, and with one win against the United States, winning by 3–0, and two losses against Ghana and Italy, the score 2–0 in both games, the Czech Republic did not advance to the second round.

On 17 October 2007, Cech was captain of the Czech Republic team for their Euro 2008 Group D qualifier against Germany. He kept a clean sheet and the Czechs defeated Germany 3–0 away to book their place for the finals in Austria and Switzerland. In the last group game of the final tournament, Cech was beaten three times in the final 15 minutes as Turkey overcame a two-goal deficit to knock the Czechs out. Cech had a cross slip through his hands, allowing Nihat to score the second (and equalizing) goal.

After the blunder against Turkey, he took full responsibility of his team's exit from the UEFA Euro 2008 and actually considered retiring but then he was talked out of it and he stated that he wants to keep representing the Czech Republic "for many years to come" and also stated that he wants to repay his mistake and confidence that all the Czech Republic's players have in him.

Rennes

* Coupe Gambardella : 2003

Chelsea

* FA Premier League: 2004-05, 2005-06
* FA Cup: 2007, 2009
* FA Community Shield: 2005, 2009
* Football League Cup: 2005, 2007
* World Football Challenge: 2009

International

* 2002 UEFA U21 Championship

Individual

* Best Goalkeeper of French League: 2003-04
* PFA Team of the Year: 2005
* IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper: 2005, 2007, 2008
* Barclays Golden Glove: 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07
* FA Premier League Player of the Month: December 2005, March 2007
* UEFA Club Football Awards: Best Goalkeeper: 2005, 2007,[43] 2008
* Czech Player of the Year: 2002, 2005, 2007
* UEFA Best European Goalkeeper: 2005, 2007, 2008
* UEFA Club Football Awards Best Goalkeeper:2003, 2005, 2007, 2008
* ESM Team of the Year: 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08
* World Football Challenge: 2009