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Peter Pekarík
	Pekarík with Hertha BSC in 2012
Personal information
Full name	Peter Pekarík
Date of birth	30 October 1986 (age 38)
Place of birth	Žilina, Czechoslovakia
Height	1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Right-back
Team information
Current team	Žilina
Number	2
Youth career
	Žilina
Senior career*
Years	Team
2004–2009	Žilina
2004–2005	→ Dubnica (loan)
2009–2012	VfL Wolfsburg
2011–2012	→ Kayserispor (loan)
2012–2024	Hertha BSC
2024–	Žilina
International career‡
2006–	Slovakia
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 1 January 2025; ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 20:23, 9 September 2024 (UTC)

Peter Pekarík (Slovak pronunciation: [ˈpeter ˈpekariːk]; born 30 October 1986) is a Slovak professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Žilina and the Slovakia national team.

Club career

MŠK Žilina

Born in Žilina, Pekarík played football at the youth section of his local club.[3] His Corgoň Liga debut came for ZŤS Dubnica.^[3] In his first season, he played 27 matches and came back to MŠK Žilina in summer 2005.^[3] Pekarík won the Corgoň Liga in the 2006–07 season, playing 35 matches.^[4]^{[better source needed]}

Germany and loan to Kayserispor

Following great performances in the 2008–09 Slovak Superliga, Pekarík and signed a four-and-a-half-year contract for Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg in January 2009.^[5] On 31 January 2009, he made his Bundesliga debut during a 1–1 draw against 1. FC Köln, only to be replaced by Cristian Zaccardo at half-time.^[6] Except for one game, Pekarík played in all matches of the second half as Wolfsburg won its first Bundesliga title.^[7]

In August 2011, Pekarík joined Turkish Süper Lig club Kayserispor for the 2011–12 season on loan.^[8]

After a loan in Turkey, Pekarík returned to Germany, signing for Hertha BSC.^[9] On 31 March 2017, in his eighth season in Germany, he scored his first Bundesliga goal in a 3–1 loss against 1899 Hoffenheim which was his 151st Bundesliga match.^[10]

Return to MŠK Žilina

On 26 September 2024, Pekarík returned to his hometown club MŠK Žilina after 15 years of playing abroad, signing a contract until 30 January 2025.^[11]

International career

Early international career

On 10 December 2006, Pekarík debuted for the Slovak senior squad in a friendly match against United Arab Emirates.^[12] He scored his first international goal in a 7–0 home victory over San Marino.^[13]

Pekarík was included the Slovakia squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.^[14] After being an unused substitute in the opening match against New Zealand, he started the second and third Group F matches, assisting Kamil Kopúnek's decisive third goal in the 3–2 win over Italy that qualified Slovakia for the knockout stage.^[15] He went on to start in the team's round of 16 match against the Netherlands, where they lost 2–1.^[15]

Pekarík played in all four of Slovakia's matches at UEFA Euro 2016,^[16] where the team reached the round of 16, losing to Germany^[17] and all three of their matches at UEFA Euro 2020.^[18]

2020s

On 1 June 2021, Pekarík played his 100th match for Slovakia in a friendly 1–1 draw against Bulgaria.^[19] He was named in Slovakia's squad for UEFA Euro 2024 and played in all four of the team's matches at the tournament. This made him one of two players, along with the Juraj Kucka, to play in all eleven of Slovakia's matches in UEFA European Championships as an independent nation.^[20]

Style of play

British newspaper The Guardian praised Pekarík for his important leadership qualities as a centre-back.^[21]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 27 May 2023^[22]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			Cup		Continental		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
MFK Dubnica (loan)	2004–05	Slovak Superliga	27	0	–		–		–		27	0
Žilina	2005–06	Slovak Superliga	27	2	–		4	0	–		31	2
	2006–07		35	0	–		–		–		35	0
	2007–08		31	0	–		4	0	–		35	0
	2008–09		18	3	–		10	0	–		28	3
	Total		111	5	–		18	0	–		129	5
VfL Wolfsburg	2008–09	Bundesliga	16	0	2	0	–		–		18	0
	2009–10		16	0	0	0	7	0	–		23	0
	2010–11		23	0	1	1	–		–		24	1
	Total		55	0	3	1	7	0	–		65	1
Kayserispor (loan)	2011–12	Süper Lig	27	0	2	0	–		–		29	0
Hertha BSC	2012–13	2. Bundesliga	19	0	0	0	–		–		19	0
	2013–14	Bundesliga	31	0	0	0	–		–		31	0
	2014–15		30	0	2	0	–		–		32	0
	2015–16		12	0	1	0	–		–		13	0
	2016–17		31	1	3	0	2	0	–		36	1
	2017–18		17	0	1	0	5	0	–		23	0
	2018–19		3	0	0	0	–		–		3	0
	2019–20		9	0	0	0	–		–		9	0
	2020–21		23	3	1	1	–		–		24	4
	2021–22		27	1	2	0	–		2	0	31	0
	2022–23		5	0	0	0	–		–		5	0
	Total		207	5	10	1	7	0	2	0	226	5
Career total			454	10	15	2	32	0	2	0	503	12

International

As of match played 8 September 2024^[23]

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Slovakia	2006	1	0
	2007	0	0
	2008	5	0
	2009	12	1
	2010	10	0
	2011	8	0
	2012	8	0
	2013	6	0
	2014	8	0
	2015	5	1
	2016	10	0
	2017	7	0
	2018	5	0
	2019	6	0
	2020	6	0
	2021	12	0
	2022	6	0
	2023	9	0
	2024	8	0
Total		132	2

Scores and results list Slovakia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Pekarík goal.

List of international goals scored by Peter Pekarík
No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	6 June 2009^[13]	Tehelné pole, Bratislava, Slovakia	San Marino	2–0	7–0	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
2	27 March 2015^[13]	Štadión pod Dubňom, Žilina, Slovakia	Luxembourg	3–0	3–0	UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying