Jozo Matovac

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Jozo Izaija Matovac
Personal information
Full name Jozo Izaija Matovac
Date of birth (1970-05-22) 22 May 1970 (age 53)
Place of birth Sweden
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
Gunnilse IS
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1992–1994 BK Häcken
1995–1998 Örgryte IS
1998–2000 Aalborg BK
2000–2002 Helsingborgs IF
International career
1991 Sweden U21 1 (0)
1996–1997 Sweden B 2 (0)
1997–2001 Sweden 9 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Jozo Izaija Matovac (born 22 May 1970) is a Swedish former professional footballer who played as defender. He represented BK Häcken, Örgryte IS, Aalborg BK, and Helsingborgs IF during a career that spanned between 1992 and 2002. A full international between 1997 and 2001, he won nine caps for the Sweden national team.

Club career[edit]

Matovac played youth football for Gunnilse IS before signing with BK Häcken.[1] In 1995 he signed with Örgryte IS where he was considered one of Allsvenskan's best centre backs.[1] He signed with the Danish Superliga club Aalborg BK in 1998, before returning to Swedish football in 2000 as a replacement at Helsingborgs IF for the departed Andreas Jakobsson.[2] In 2000, Matovac helped the team qualify for the 2000–2001 UEFA Champions League in which he participated in all six group stage games.[1][3] In 2002, he retired from professional football following a hip injury.[4]

International career[edit]

Matovac made his full international debut for Sweden on 9 February 1997 in a King's Cup game against Romania in which he also scored his first international goal as Sweden won 2–0.[5] He made his competitive international debut for Sweden in a 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Estonia, playing the full 90 minutes as centre back alongside Patrik Andersson as Sweden won 1–0.[6] He won his ninth and final cap in a 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Moldova, again playing alongside Patrik Andersson at centre back.[7]

Personal life[edit]

Matovac was born in Sweden to Croatian parents.[8]

Career statistics[edit]

International[edit]

Appearances and goals by national team and year[5]
National team Year Apps Goals
Sweden 1997 3 1
1998 1 0
1999 0 0
2000 0 0
2001 5 0
Total 9 1
Scores and results list Sweden's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Matovac goal.
List of international goals scored by Jozo Matovac
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition Ref.
1 9 February 1997 National Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand  Romania 2–0 2–0 1997 King's Cup [9]

Honours[edit]

Aalborg BK

Sweden

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Klinteberg, Martin (2020-05-24). "AOH gratulerar Jozo Matovac…". Allt Om HIF (in Swedish). Retrieved 2020-12-10.
  2. ^ "SvenskaFans". www.svenskafans.com. Retrieved 2020-12-10.
  3. ^ "Jozo Matovac". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 2020-12-10.
  4. ^ "Matovac tvingas sluta spela fotboll". DN.SE (in Swedish). 2002-09-02. Retrieved 2020-12-10.
  5. ^ a b "Jozo Matovac - Spelarstatistik - Svensk fotboll". www.svenskfotboll.se. (in Swedish). Retrieved 2020-12-10.
  6. ^ "Sverige - Estland - Matchfakta - Svensk fotboll". www.svenskfotboll.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2020-12-10.
  7. ^ "Moldavien - Sverige - Matchfakta - Svensk fotboll". www.svenskfotboll.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2020-12-10.
  8. ^ Radio, Sveriges. ""En fantastisk prestation av Kroatien" - P4 Väst". sverigesradio.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2020-12-10.
  9. ^ "Rumänien - Sverige - Matchfakta - Svensk fotboll". www.svenskfotboll.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2020-12-10.
  10. ^ "King's Cup 1997". RSSSF. Retrieved 2022-07-21.