Vladimír Coufal
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Vladimír Coufal[1] | ||
Date of birth | 22 August 1992 | ||
Place of birth | Ludgeřovice, Czechoslovakia | ||
Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)[2] | ||
Position(s) | Right-back | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | West Ham United | ||
Number | 5 | ||
Youth career | |||
Baník Ostrava | |||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2009–2010 | Bílovec | ||
2010–2012 | Hlučín | 14 | (0) |
2012 | → Opava (loan) | 13 | (1) |
2012–2018 | Slovan Liberec | 118 | (3) |
2018–2020 | Slavia Prague | 65 | (6) |
2020– | West Ham United | 131 | (0) |
International career‡ | |||
2014 | Czech Republic U21 | 2 | (0) |
2017– | Czech Republic | 51 | (1) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:55, 25 November 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:36, 19 November 2024 (UTC) |
Vladimír Coufal (Czech pronunciation: [ˈvlaɟɪmiːr ˈtsoufal]; born 22 August 1992) is a Czech professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Premier League club West Ham United and the Czech Republic national team. He has previously played for Bílovec, Hlučín, Opava, Slovan Liberec and Slavia Prague.
Club career
[edit]Coufal began his career at local club Baník Ostrava, playing in the club's academy, before being released at the age of 17 as he was considered to be too small.[3] In 2009, following his release from Baník Ostrava, Coufal joined amateur club ŠSK Bílovec. He believed Baník had destroyed his opportunity to become a professional footballer and described his time with Bílovec as playing "with 40-year-old men. These guys played for sausages and beer after the game, just to drink after work".[3][4]
Hlučín
[edit]Coufal began his professional career with Hlučín, making his debut against Dukla Prague in September 2010 in 2. Liga just after his 18th birthday.[5] During the 2010–11 season, Coufal made 14 appearances for the club.[6]
Opava (loan)
[edit]Coufal spent the 2011–12 season on loan with 2. Liga club Opava where he made 13 appearances and scored one goal for the club.[6]
Slovan Liberec
[edit]After impressing in the second division with Hlučín and Opava, Coufal was signed by Czech First League club Slovan Liberec in 2012, following a trial with Sparta Prague, who saw Coufal as a replacement for the outgoing Ondřej Kušnír, who had joined Liberec himself in the summer of 2012. Despite playing for Sparta Prague in a pre-season friendly against Viktoria Žižkov, Sparta opted to sign Pablo Gil over Coufal.[7]
During his first season with Liberec, Coufal played in ten league games.[6] In his second season with the team, the 2013–14 season, Coufal became a regular for the team featuring in 21 matches.[6] Over the next three seasons, Coufal played consistently, making 57 league appearances, with a further 8 cup appearances, for Liberec.[6]
Coufal's last season for Liberec, was arguably his most impressive. He made 30 appearances for the club and scored two goals, these performances also earned him a call up and debut to the Czech national team.[6][5] Coufal was with Slovan Liberec for six seasons, making more than 150 appearances across all competitions, and playing in the team which won the Czech Cup in 2015.[8] During Coufal's time at Liberec, he was made club captain.[4]
SK Slavia Prague
[edit]Coufal's impressive displays at Slovan Liberec earned him a move to one of the Czech Republic's largest clubs, Slavia Prague, following protracted interest from rivals Sparta Prague. On 1 July 2018, Coufal joined Slavia Prague on a three-year contract, for a reported fee of 18 million Kč. Upon his move to Slavia Prague, Coufal was reunited with manager Jindřich Trpišovský, who he had previously played under at Slovan Liberec.[7]
During the 2018–19 season, Coufal made 28 appearances for the Slavia Prague, scoring 3 goals and helping lead the team to the Czech First League title.[6] The next season, during the 2019–20 campaign, he made a further 32 appearances and scored another three goals in season that was suspended for two months, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[6] During this season, Coufal and Slavia Prague retained the Czech First League title. During the 2020–21 season, Coufal made 5 appearances for Slavia Prague before transferring to West Ham United and the Premier League,[5] playing his last game for the club in a 4–1 UEFA Champions League qualification loss against Danish club Midtjylland.[9]
West Ham United
[edit]This section needs to be updated. The reason given is: prose stops at the end of the 2020–21 season..(November 2024) |
On 2 October 2020, Coufal joined West Ham United for a fee of £5.4 million, signing a three-year deal, reuniting with fellow Czech and former Slavia Prague teammate Tomáš Souček,[8] following interest from fellow Premier League clubs Brighton & Hove Albion and Southampton.[9] He made his West Ham debut in a 3–0 win against Leicester City on 4 October 2020.[10] Coufal created seven assists for West Ham during his first season in English football, one behind Aaron Cresswell. The pair created more assists than any other Premier League full-back duo in the 2020–21 season.[11] Coufal finished runner-up in West Ham's Hammer of the Year award for the 2020–21 season, behind compatriot Souček.[12]
International career
[edit]In 2014, Coufal made two appearances for the Czech Republic under-21 side.[13]
Coufal debuted for the Czech Republic national team on 11 November 2017 in a friendly match against Qatar.[14] On 4 September 2020, he scored his first goal for the Czech Republic, scoring the opening goal in a 3–1 UEFA Nations League group game against neighbours Slovakia.[15]
Coufal was a member of the Czech Republic squad for Euro 2020 which was eliminated in the quarter-finals by Denmark.[16][17] On 16 November 2021, he served as captain for the first time, in a 2–0 World Cup qualification game against Estonia.[18]
On 19 November 2023, Coufal along with Jakub Brabec and Jan Kuchta had been kicked out of the Czech Republic training camp after they allegedly went out clubbing two days before the Euro 2024 qualifier match against Moldova.[19] In May 2024, he was named as a member of the Czech Republic squad for Euro 2024.[20]
Personal life
[edit]Coufal was born in the village of Ludgeřovice. Coufal's mother, Alena Dřevjaná, represented the Czechoslovak gymnastic team at the 1988 Summer Olympics. Coufal's siblings, Petr and Jana, are both figure skaters.[21]
Career statistics
[edit]Club
[edit]- As of match played 25 November 2024[6]
Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Hlučín | 2010–11 | Czech 2. Liga | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 14 | 0 | |||
Opava (loan) | 2011–12 | Czech 2. Liga | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 13 | 1 | |||
Slovan Liberec | 2012–13 | Czech First League | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 11 | 0 | |||
2013–14 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 4[c] | 0 | — | 26 | 0 | ||||
2014–15 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 3[c] | 0 | — | 19 | 0 | ||||
2015–16 | 27 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | 10[c] | 1 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 2 | |||
2016–17 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 10[c] | 2 | — | 27 | 2 | ||||
2017–18 | 30 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 33 | 2 | |||||
Total | 118 | 3 | 12 | 0 | — | 27 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 158 | 6 | |||
Slavia Prague | 2018–19 | Czech First League | 28 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | 11[d] | 1 | — | 39 | 4 | ||
2019–20 | 32 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | 8[e] | 0 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 3 | |||
2020–21 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2[e] | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | ||||
Total | 65 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | 21 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 88 | 7 | |||
West Ham United | 2020–21 | Premier League | 34 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 36 | 0 | ||
2021–22 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4[c] | 0 | — | 34 | 0 | |||
2022–23 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10[f] | 0 | — | 38 | 0 | |||
2023–24 | 36 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7[c] | 0 | — | 47 | 0 | |||
2024–25 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 8 | 0 | ||||
Total | 131 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 21 | 0 | — | 163 | 0 | |||
Career total | 341 | 10 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 69 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 436 | 14 |
International
[edit]- As of match played 19 November 2024[22]
National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
Czech Republic | 2017 | 1 | 0 |
2018 | 2 | 0 | |
2019 | 4 | 0 | |
2020 | 5 | 1 | |
2021 | 14 | 0 | |
2022 | 8 | 0 | |
2023 | 6 | 0 | |
2024 | 11 | 0 | |
Total | 51 | 1 |
- Scores and results list Czech Republic's goal tally first.
No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | 4 September 2020 | Tehelné pole, Bratislava, Slovakia | Slovakia | 1–0 | 3–1 | 2020–21 UEFA Nations League B |
Honours
[edit]Club
[edit]Slovan Liberec[23]
Slavia Prague[23]
- Czech First League: 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21[25]
- Czech Cup: 2018–19[24]
- Czechoslovak Supercup: 2019[24]
West Ham United[23]
Individual
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "2020/21 Premier League squads confirmed". Premier League. 20 October 2020. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
- ^ "V. Coufal". West Ham United F.C. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
- ^ a b McGrath, Mike (23 April 2022). "The rise of Vladimir Coufal: 'How I escaped playing for sausages and beer to find my home at West Ham'" – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
- ^ a b "'If you don't have a broken leg, you can play' – West Ham's new 'psycho' Vladimir Coufal ready for Wales test". The Times. 29 March 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
- ^ a b c "West Ham United sign Czech Republic international Vladimír Coufal | West Ham United". West Ham United F.C. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "V. Coufal". Soccerway. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
- ^ a b "Před šesti lety nebyl Coufal pro Spartu dost dobrý, teď jí to vrátil i s úroky" (in Czech). Expres. 5 June 2018. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
- ^ a b "West Ham United sign Czech Republic international Vladimír Coufal". West Ham United F.C. 2 October 2020. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
- ^ a b "Bubliny snů" (in Czech). Bez frází. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
- ^ "West Ham end Leicester's 100% winning start" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
- ^ "Watch: Every Aaron Cresswell and Vladimír Coufal assist from the 2020/21 season". West Ham United F.C. 31 May 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
- ^ "West Ham United supporters crown Tomáš Souček 2020/21 Betway Hammer of the Year!". West Ham United F.C. 6 August 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
- ^ "Vladimír Coufal". FAČR. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
- ^ Palička, Jan; Novák, Miloslav (11 November 2017). "Oni snad nebyli ani zpocení, žasl debutant Coufal. Byl šťastný za výhru" ["They might not be even sweaty", said debutant Coufal. He was happy to win.]. Mladá fronta Dnes (in Czech). Prague: Mafra.
- ^ "Čtenáři ocenili výkon na Slovensku, nejvíc je potěšil Coufal". Mladá fronta Dnes (in Czech). Prague: Mafra. 5 September 2020.
- ^ "Vladimír Coufal and Tomáš Souček called up by Czech Republic for UEFA Euro 2020". West Ham United. 24 May 2021. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
- ^ "Czech Republic 1-2 Denmark". BBC Sport. 3 July 2021. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
- ^ "Vladimír Coufal". Bez frází (in Czech). 28 April 2022.
- ^ Leeks, Jacob (19 November 2023). "West Ham star among three banished from national team after "fundamentally violating" rules". Mirror Online. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
- ^ "Euro 2024: West Ham's Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal in Czech squad". BBC Sport. 28 May 2024. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
- ^ "V Baníku ho nechtěli, v Premier League Vladimír Coufal září" (in Czech). Deník. 22 March 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
- ^ "Vladimír Coufal". EU-Football.info. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ^ a b c "5 : Vladimr Coufal". whufc.com. West Ham United. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
- ^ a b c "Achievements and statistics". vladimircoufal.cz. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
- ^ "Návrat ztracených synů! Souček, Coufal, Král či Škoda budou čestnými hosty při předání poháru Slavii". Ruik. 22 May 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
- ^ Stone, Simon (7 June 2023). "Fiorentina 1–2 West Ham United: Jarrod Bowen goal decides Europa Conference League final". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
- ^ "Tomáš Souček and Vladimír Coufal presented with diplomatic award for promoting Czech/UK relations". West Ham United F.C. 9 August 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
External links
[edit]- Vladimír Coufal at West Ham United F.C. (archive)
- Vladimír Coufal – Czech First League statistics at Fotbal DNES (in Czech)
- Vladimír Coufal at FAČR (also at old FAČR website) (in Czech)
- Vladimír Coufal at National-Football-Teams.com
- Vladimír Coufal at Soccerbase
- Vladimír Coufal at Soccerway
- Vladimír Coufal at WorldFootball.net
- Vladimír Coufal – UEFA competition record (archive)
- 1992 births
- Living people
- People from Opava District
- Czech men's footballers
- Footballers from Ostrava
- Men's association football fullbacks
- Czech Republic men's under-21 international footballers
- Czech Republic men's international footballers
- UEFA Euro 2020 players
- UEFA Euro 2024 players
- Czech National Football League players
- Czech First League players
- Premier League players
- FC Hlučín players
- SFC Opava players
- FC Slovan Liberec players
- SK Slavia Prague players
- West Ham United F.C. players
- UEFA Conference League–winning players
- Czech expatriate men's footballers
- Czech expatriate sportspeople in England
- Expatriate men's footballers in England