Vladimír Šmicer

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Vladimír Šmicer, born on 24 May 1973 in Děčín, is a Czech former footballer who played mainly as a midfielder. He began his professional career with Slavia Prague, then moved to Lens in France, where he won the Ligue 1 title. In 1999 he joined Liverpool in England and stayed until 2005. With Liverpool, he won the UEFA Cup and the FA Cup and League Cup in 2001, plus the League Cup again in 2003. He is especially remembered for a long-range goal in the 2005 Champions League final against AC Milan, and for scoring Liverpool’s second goal in that final as the team came back to win on penalties. He also had notable moments like a late winner against Chelsea in 2002 and a volley against Borussia Dortmund.

Šmicer returned to Slavia Prague in 2007 and was named Czech Footballer of the Year in 2008. He retired from professional football in 2009, with a farewell party in 2010.

Internationally, Šmicer earned 80 caps for the Czech Republic and scored 27 goals, after appearing once for Czechoslovakia in 1993. He played in Euro 1996, where the Czech Republic finished as runners-up; he came on as a late substitute in the final. In Euro 2000 he scored both goals in the 2–0 win over Denmark, the team's only victory in that tournament. He missed the 2006 World Cup due to a leg injury. After retiring, he briefly worked as sports manager for the national team. He also stood for a small Czech party in the European Parliament elections and speaks Czech, English and French.