Mateja Kežman
From TheChels.info - The Chelsea Football Club Wiki
| Mateja Kežman | |
| |
| Full Name | Mateja Kežman |
| Date of Birth | 12 April 1979 |
| Place of Birth | Belgrade |
| Position | Striker |
| Chelsea career | 2004 - 2005 |
| Debut | 15 August 2004 |
| Games (goals) | 41 (7) |
| Other clubs | Radnički Pirot Loznica Sartid Smederevo Partizan PSV Eindhoven Atlético Madrid Fenerbahçe Paris Saint-Germain Zenit Saint Petersburg South China BATE Borisov |
Mateja Kežman is a Serbian former striker who played for Chelsea in the 2004-05 season. Previously a prolific goalscorer in the Dutch Eredivise, he left to join Atlético Madrid after one season after failing to make a significant impact in England. Nonetheless he was a member of Chelsea's 2004-05 Championship-winning squad, and also won the League Cup at Chelsea, having scored in the final.
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Before Chelsea
Kežman's early career saw him play for a succession of minor Serbian clubs before securing a move to Partizan Belgrade in 1998. Two years later he signed for PSV Eindhoven and scored 105 goals in 122 games, the best goalscoring record in the Dutch Eredivise since Marco van Basten. [1]
Chelsea career
In the summer of 2004 he was one of the first players recruited by new Chelsea manager José Mourinho, joining for a reported £5m. Though Kežman was a part of the side which won the Premier League and League Cup (where he scored against Liverpool in the final), he struggled to make an impact in west London, starting just 14 games and scoring only four league goals. After one season at Stamford Bridge he was sold to Atlético Madrid for £5.3m, where he would often partner future Chelsea striker Fernando Torres.
After Chelsea
Kežman subsequently played for Fenerbahçe and Paris Saint-Germain and had a loan spell with Zenit Saint Petersburg. He then moved to Hong Kong side South China, where he would return to finish his career after a brief spell at Belarusian side BATE Borisov.
International
Kežman won 49 caps international caps, scoring 17 goals. Both of his appearances at international tournaments ended with red cards. As a youngster at Euro 2000 he made a late substitute in a group stage match against Norway, but was sent off after 90 seconds for a tackle on Erik Mykland. Kežman's goals helped his national side to the 2006 World Cup, but again he was dismissed in a group stage match, this time against Argentina; a match that would prove to be his last for Serbia and Montenegro.
Statistics
| Season | Prem | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |
| 2004-05 | 25 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 7 |
| Total | 25 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 7 |
Goals
| # | Season | Date | Year | Competition | Opponent | Score | Result | Venue |
| 1 | 2004-05 | 27 October | 2004 | League Cup | West Ham United | 1-0 | 1-0 | Stamford Bridge |
| 2 | 2004-05 | 04 December | 2004 | Premier League | Newcastle United | 4-0 | 4-0 | Stamford Bridge |
| 3 | 2004-05 | 08 January | 2005 | FA Cup | Scunthorpe United | 1-1 | 3-1 | Stamford Bridge |
| 4 | 2004-05 | 27 February | 2005 | League Cup | Liverpool | 3-1 | 3-2 | Millennium Stadium |
| 5 | 2004-05 | 05 March | 2005 | Premier League | Norwich City | 2-1 | 3-1 | Carrow Road |
| 6 | 2004-05 | 19 March | 2005 | Premier League | Crystal Palace | 3-1 | 4-1 | Stamford Bridge |
| 7 | 2004-05 | 19 March | 2005 | Premier League | Crystal Palace | 4-1 | 4-1 | Stamford Bridge |
