Jiří Štajner

Jiří Štajner

Štajner playing for Hannover 96 in 2008
Personal information
Full name	Jiří Štajner
Date of birth	(1976-05-27) 27 May 1976
Place of birth	Benešov, Czechoslovakia
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)	Attacking midfielder, second striker
Team information
Current team	TJ Spartak Chrastava
Youth career
1982–1990	TJ Senohraby
1990–1994	Slavia Prague
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1994–1996	Slavia Prague	6	(0)
1995	→ Švarc Benešov (loan)	1	(1)
1996	České Budějovice	0	(0)
1996–1997	Slavia Louňovice	23	(22)
1998–1999	MUS Most	59	(26)
2000–2002	Slovan Liberec	63	(25)
2002–2010	Hannover 96	218	(42)
2004	→ Sparta Prague (loan)	14	(3)
2010–2013	Slovan Liberec	80	(32)
2013–2014	Mladá Boleslav	23	(4)
2015	Neugersdorf	13	(6)
Total		500	(161)
International career
2002–2012	Czech Republic	37	(4)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Jiří Štajner (born 27 May 1976) is a Czech former professional football striker who played as an attacking midfielder or second striker. Eight years a player for Hannover 96, he is extremely popular with Hannover fans and is seen as a cult figure at the club.

Club career

Czech Republic

Štajner started his active footballing career in the youth teams of SK Dynamo České Budějovice. At a young age, he was picked up by one of the league's best teams, SK Slavia Prague. He failed to make a breakthrough at Slavia, continuing his youth career with TJ Senohraby, an amateur club close to the city where he grew up - Benešov.

In 1998, Štajner moved on to FK Baník Most in an attempt to advance his career, although his breakthrough was to come at the beginning of the new millennium after signing for Slovan Liberec, as he became known as an excellent goalscorer and attracted attention with his European performances in the UEFA Cup. In the 2001–02 season he was the Gambrinus liga's top goalscorer with 15 goals as Slovan secured the title. In the summer of 2002, Štajner was signed by German Bundesliga side Hannover 96.

Hannover 96

Štajner quickly became a favourite with coach Ralf Rangnick, although the club from the Lower Saxonian capital had to pay his former club €3.5 million, which made Štajner the most expensive player in the history of Hannover 96.

At the beginning of his spell in Germany he had trouble adapting to the style of play, only becoming a regular starter in his second season. On 22 May 2003, Štajner helped cement his status as a cult hero for the club, notably scoring the decisive goal against Borussia Mönchengladbach to retain Hannover's place in the top flight. The match ended 2–2.

On 15 May 2010, he announced his return to his former club FC Slovan Liberec.

In 2015, he joined Czech lower league side TJ Spartak Chrastava.

International career

He was a member of the Czech national team, and played in the 2006 World Cup.

External links

• Profile at iDNES.cz
• Jiří Štajner at WorldFootball.net