Nejc Pečnik

Nejc Pečnik
Nejc Pečnik 2009.jpg
Pečnik with Slovenia in 2009
Personal information
Full nameNejc Pečnik[1]
Date of birth(1986-01-03) 3 January 1986 (age 28)
Place of birthDravograd, Yugoslavia
Height1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing positionMidfielder
Club information
Current team
Red Star Belgrade
Number11
Youth career
0000–2002Dravograd
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2002–2009Celje119(21)
2008–2009Sparta Prague (loan)4(0)
2009–2012Nacional37(2)
2011Krylia Sovetov (loan)21(1)
2012–2013Sheffield Wednesday10(0)
2013–Red Star Belgrade29(7)
National team
2005–2008Slovenia U213(0)
2009–Slovenia24(4)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 25 May 2014.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 7 June 2014

Nejc Pečnik (born 3 January 1986 in Dravograd) is a Slovenian professional footballer, who plays for Serbian SuperLiga team Red Star Belgrade as an attacking midfielder.

He represented Slovenia at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He was directly responsible in Slovenia's successful qualification to the 2010 World Cup, as he was the scorer of a crucial goal against Russia in the 2010 World Cup qualification Playoffs.

Pečnik's older brother, Andrej, is also a professional footballer.

Club career

Celje

Born in Dravograd, Slovenia, Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia, Pečnik started his career at hometown club NK Dravograd. After showing promise in its youth teams he was signed by NK Celje, making his first division debut on 24 April 2004 against FC Ljubljana.[2]

The following year Pečnik played in only seven league matches, adding a few Cup appearances including the final against FC Koper.[3] In the 2005–06 season he managed to gain a regular place in the first team, eventually establishing himself as a key offensive player.

In 2007–08, Pečnik was Celje's top scorer with 14 league goals.[4] After five seasons he was loaned out in June 2008 to Sparta Prague,[5] but appeared rarely with the Czech first division outfit during his six-month stay, spending most of his time with the reserve squad.[6]

Nacional

After a further 15 league games with Celje, Pečnik signed with C.D. Nacional of Portugal.[7][8] On 16 July 2012, after three seasons of irregular playing time, also being loaned to Russian club FC Krylia Sovetov Samara for five months,[9] he signed a two-year deal with Sheffield Wednesday in the Football League Championship.[10]

Sheffield Wednesday

In his official debut with the Owls, on 12 August 2012, Pečnik missed a penalty and was booked before half-time, as his team trailed at Oldham Athletic 0–2. He played the full 90 minutes in an eventual 4–2 win for the season's Football League Cup.[11]

Pečnik was released by Wednesday at the end of his only campaign.

Red Star Belgrade

Pečnik agreed to a two-year contract with Red Star Belgrade from Serbia, on 1 July 2013.[12] He scored his first goal for Red Star against ÍBV in the second qualifying round of the 2013-14 UEFA Europa League.

International career

Pečnik made his debut for the Slovenian national team on 1 April 2009, in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland.[13]

He scored his first goal for Slovenia on 10 October 2009, in the same competition, a 2–0 win Slovakia. On 14 November, he scored a decisive goal in the play-offs' first leg, as the national side lost 1–2 with Russia at the Luzhniki Stadium,[14] only to win 1–0 in the second leg, taking the tie on the away goals rule and qualifying for a World Cup for the second time in the nation's history; in the final stages, he appeared twice as a late substitute, having to be however stretchered off in the match against United States.[15]

Career statistics

Club

As of 9 November 2009
Club performanceLeagueCupContinentalTotal
SeasonClubLeagueAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
2003–04CeljeSlovenian League20????20
2004–0570????70
2005–062914020351
2006–0731243-355
2007–08351420-3714
2008–09Sparta PragueCzech League40002060
2008–09Sparta BSecond Division92--92
2008–09CeljeSlovenian League15300-153
2009–10NacionalPortuguese League811140132
TotalCelje119201032013123
TotalSparta Prague40002060
TotalSparta B92--92
Career total132221034014625

International goals

Scores and results list Slovenia's goal tally first.
#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
110 October 2009Tehelné pole, Bratislava, SlovakiaSlovakia2–02–02010 World Cup qualification
214 November 2009Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, RussiaRussia1–21–22010 World Cup qualification – Playoffs
314 November 2012Philip II Arena, Skopje, MacedoniaMacedonia1–22–3Friendly
414 November 2012Philip II Arena, Skopje, MacedoniaMacedonia2–32–3Friendly

Honours

Celje
Red Star

See also

  • Slovenian international players

References

  1. Jump up ^ "FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010: List of Players" (PDF). FIFA. 4 June 2010. p. 27. Retrieved 16 April 2014. 
  2. Jump up ^ "Zapisnik 26. kroga" (in Slovenian). PrvaLiga. 24 April 2004. Retrieved 8 October 2009. 
  3. Jump up ^ "Publikum dočakal prvo lovoriko" (in Slovenian). RTV Slovenia. 17 May 2005. Retrieved 8 October 2009. 
  4. Jump up ^ "Statistika sezone 2007/08 (Season statistics 2007/08)" (in Slovenian). PrvaLiga. May 2008. Retrieved 8 October 2009. 
  5. Jump up ^ "Nogometaš Nejc Pečnik se iz Celja seli v praško Sparto" (in Slovenian). Dnevnik. 27 June 2008. Retrieved 8 October 2009. 
  6. Jump up ^ "Nejc Pečnik" (in Czech). iDNES. Retrieved 3 December 2008. 
  7. Jump up ^ "Pečnik nasledil Cristiana Ronalda" (in Slovenian). NK Celje. 31 May 2009. Retrieved 15 July 2009. 
  8. Jump up ^ "Seduzido pela hipótese de jogar na Liga Europa" [Seduced with the chance of playing in Europa League] (in Portuguese). Diário de Notícias. 1 July 2009. Retrieved 15 July 2009. 
  9. Jump up ^ "Pecnik rescindiu" [Pecnik has rescinded] (in Portuguese). Record. 11 May 2012. Retrieved 23 July 2012. 
  10. Jump up ^ "Sheffield Wednesday sign Slovenian Nejc Pecnik". BBC Sport. 16 July 2012. Retrieved 23 July 2012. 
  11. Jump up ^ "Oldham 2 – Sheff Wed 4". BBC Sport. 12 August 2012. Retrieved 17 August 2012. 
  12. Jump up ^ FK Crvena Zvezda: Печник у Звезди наредне две године; Red Star's official website, 1 July 2013 (Serbian)
  13. Jump up ^ "Severni Irci spodrezali slovenska krila" (in Slovenian). RTV Slovenia. 1 April 2009. Retrieved 8 October 2009. 
  14. Jump up ^ "World Cup play-offs round-up". BBC Sport. 15 November 2009. Retrieved 7 June 2010. 
  15. Jump up ^ "World Cup 2010: Slovenian Nejc Pecnik breaks ankle". BBC Sport. 19 June 2010. Retrieved 23 July 2012. 

External links

Red Star Belgrade – current squad
  • 2 Petković
  • 5 Mijailović
  • 7 Rakić
  • 8 Lazović
  • 9 Dauda
  • 10 Milijaš (c)
  • 11 Pečnik
  • 14 Pavićević
  • 20 Araujo
  • 22 Vesić
  • 26 Gogić
  • 28 Savićević
  • 55 Kovačević
  • 95 Rajković
  • 99 Onyilo
  • Manager: Stojanović


Source :
sepakbola.biz
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