Tomáš Hubočan

Infobox Football biography


playername = Tomáš Hubočan
fullname = Tomáš Hubočan
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1985|9|17
cityofbirth =
countryofbirth = fb|Czechoslovakia
height = Height|m=1.83
position = central defender
currentclub = Zenit St. Petersburg
clubnumber =
youthyears = ?-2004
youthclubs = MŠK Žilina
years = 2004-2005 2006 2006-2008 2008-
clubs = MŠK Žilina → ViOn Zlaté Moravce (loan) MŠK Žilina Zenit St. Petersburg
caps(goals) = 36 (1) 9 (0)
nationalyears = 2007-present
nationalteam = flagicon|Slovakia Slovakia
nationalcaps(goals) = 4 (0)
pcupdate = September 30, 2008
ntupdate = May 26, 2008

Tomáš Hubočan ("pronounced" Tomash Hubochan) (born 17 September, 1985) is a Slovak football defender. He currently plays for the club Zenit St. Petersburg and the Slovakia national team.

MŠK Žilina

Hubočan ("called" Hubo) played in MŠK Žilina since his youth years, beyond the time when he was on loan in ViOn Zlaté Moravce since January 2006 till June 2006. After the end of loan he came back to MŠK Žilina and he worked up for one of the best defenders in Corgoň liga. In the season 2006/2007 he won The Slovak Football League with his club MŠK Žilina.

Zenit Saint Petersburg

Hubočan signed for Zenit on 11 February 2008 on three year contract for €3,8 million , the highest ever paid to a slovakian club. [http://www.profutbal.sk/clanok56597.htm sk icon] Hubočan is hoped to fill the vacancy in the center of Zenit's defense created by fellow Slovak defender Martin Škrtel being sold to Liverpool. MŠK Žilina General manager Karol Belaník said of transfer, "It's great, gigantic transfer. All conventional clauses arguing, that the Slovak football is not so bad when they want pay high sum for our player".

Champions League

As Zenit's star center-backs Ivica Križanac and Nicolas Lombaerts were still on the injured list, and defenders Kim Dongjin and Roman Shirokov were not quite ready to make their comebacks, Hubočan received his first taste of Champions League football against Real Madrid (at the Petrovsky stadium) on September 30, 2008. Only having played a total of 11 games for Zenit, it was a rude awakening as he conceded a disastrous own-goal in the 4th minute. The match only got tougher as he, along with Sébastien Puygrenier, had the task of containing Ruud van Nistelrooy as well as Rafael van der Vaart and Arjen Robben, often in 1 on 1 situations. Zenit desperately pushing towards an equalizer led to many gaping holes in their defense and subsequent counter-attacking opportunities for Real.

International career

He played first international match for Slovakia against San Marino on November 21, 2007. [http://hn.hnonline.sk/c1-22470350-fiasko-sa-skoncilo-vyhrou-nad-outsiderom sk icon]

References

External links

* [http://www.mskzilina.sk/eng/index.php?page=hraci MŠK Žilina players]
* [http://www.national-football-teams.com/v2/player.php?id=25471 National Football Teams]