Robert Koren

Robert Koren ( 2009)

Robert Koren (born 20 September 1980 in Radlje whether Dravi ) is a Slovenian football player. Since summer 2010, the midfielder is the English football club Hull City under contract.

  • 2.1 club
  • 2.2 Personal

Career

Association

Koren started his football career with the Slovenian third division side NK Dravograd, where he played between 1996 and 2001. With good performances first division were aware of the attacking midfielder. So it was in the summer of 2001 with a conversion to public Celje. There Koren had first national success, missed with his team but several times a title. For the season 2002 /03 they played up to final for the championship, but had to settle for second place behind NK Maribor. In the same year the team reached the final of the Slovenian Cup. Here the team Olimpija Ljubljana was defeated. Because of the good performance of the previous year, Celje was allowed in 2003/ 04 to participate in the qualification for the UEFA Cup. This was the first time Koren chance to show to international. There one secured by a 7:2 and 5:0 victory against the Macedonian club Belasica Strumica a place in the first round of the competition. However, the team failed after a return match at Maccabi Haifa. Koren came in three of four games to use and was able to score his first international hit. The good national appearances of the then young stars were also teams from abroad not go unnoticed.

Finally, it attracted Uwe Rösler, former coach of Lillestrøm SK in the Norwegian Tippeligaen. As the season in Norway begins in April and lasts until October, Koren moved before the end of Slovenian football year. In Lillestrøm to Koren became one of the best players in the league. At this time he was repeatedly compared with the Slovenian football idol Zlatko Zahovič. 2006, the midfielder was honored by fans with the Kniksenprisen for the best midfielder last season. Meanwhile tried the first English clubs, including Leeds United and Manchester City to lure the attacking players on the island. However, only during the winter break of the season 2006/ 07 came about a transfer.

January 4, 2007 Koren signed the then English second division side West Bromwich Albion. With the help of the Bosman ruling, he pushed through this change. Two days later he was in the third round of the FA Cup debut in the dress of the Baggies. His first goal for West Bromwich scored Koren on May 6, 7-0 win against Barnsley FC. It was the last matchday of the season. By appropriate placement of the club was qualified for the play-offs for promotion to the Premier League. In the semifinals, they sat down after return game against Wolverhampton Wanderers by, but had to be in the final Derby County 0-1 defeated. Thus, the rise was missed. While preparing for the 2007/ 08 season, Koren was seriously injured on the eye. In the meantime, it was not clear whether his eyesight could be greatly reduced. Thus he missed the league opener, then gave but already in the League Cup against Peterborough United in late August his comeback. In September, the advanced level players signed a new two- year contract.

At the end of the season to West Bromwich secured the first place in the Football League Championship and thus the direct promotion to the Premier League. His debut in England's top flight was Koren on Matchday 2 of the 2008/09 season against Everton on 23 August 2008. His first two goals in the Premier League, the midfielder scored in the 3-0 win against Middlesbrough FC. On 17 January 2009, he secured by a double blow in the second half of his team's victory. For winter break, there was speculation about a departure Koren for Fulham FC. The transfer smashed though. On May 17, Koren was released from West Bromwich Albion, after the club has not used the option to extend his contract.

On 13 August 2010, he joined free transfer to Hull City. There he signed a two -year contract with an option for a third year. The next day he came in to replace Will Atkinson against FC Millwall.

National

His debut for the Slovenian national team gave Koren on 2 April 2003 in the qualifying match for the 2004 European Championship in Portugal. At that time he was appointed Bojan Prašnikar in the squad of the national selection and offered him his first international match in the starting lineup on. The game was won 4-1. Only in the 85th minute Koren was replaced by Mladen Rudonja. In the aftermath of the offensive players had often held only the role of spectator. With Nastia Čeh Amir Karic, Miran Pavlin, Goran Šukalo and Zlatko Zahovič the competition in midfield was very large. Only with time, Koren developed for service providers and an important pillar in the team structure. Meanwhile he was appointed by Matjaž Kek coach to captain the Slovenes. In 2010 he was appointed to the squad for the Soccer World Cup 2010 in South Africa. In the first group match against Algeria, he scored the 1-0 winning goal for Slovenia. This was the first victory in a World Cup for the Slovenes.

Achievements

Association

  • Winning the Football League Championship with West Bromwich Albion: 2008

Personally

  • Kniksenprisen as the best midfielder in the Tippeligaen: 2006
September 20 Hull City A.F.C. Maccabi Haifa F.C. Kniksen Award Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. Derby County F.C. Middlesbrough F.C. Fulham F.C. Millwall F.C. 2013–14 Premier League Sone Aluko George Boyd (footballer) Curtis Davies Ahmed Elmohamady Abdoulaye Faye Maynor Figueroa Shane Long Allan McGregor Paul McShane (footballer)
687413
de