View source for Libor Sionko

{{short description|Czech footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Libor Sionko
| image = Libor Sionko.jpg
| caption = Libor Sionko
| alt = 
| image_size = 250px
| full_name = Libor Sionko<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fifadata.com/document/fwc/2006/PDF/FWC_2006_SquadLists.pdf |title=2006 FIFA World Cup Germany: List of Players |publisher=FIFA |page=8 |date=21 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190610174527/https://www.fifadata.com/document/fwc/2006/PDF/FWC_2006_SquadLists.pdf |archive-date=10 June 2019}}</ref>
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1977|2|1}}
| birth_place = [[Ostrava]], [[Czechoslovakia]]
| height = 1.71m
| position = [[Right winger]]
| currentclub = 
| youthyears1 = 1984–1986
| youthyears2 = 1986–1993
| youthclubs1 = [[TJ Vítkovice]]
| youthclubs2 = [[FC Baník Ostrava|Baník Ostrava]]
| years1 = 1993–1994
| years2 = 1994–1996
| years3 = 1996–1997
| years4 = 1997–1999
| years5 = 1999–2004
| years6 = 2004
| years7 = 2004–2006
| years8 = 2006–2007
| years9 = 2007–2009
| years10 = 2010–2012
| clubs1 = [[FC Baník Ostrava|Banik Ostrava]]
| clubs2 = [[TŽ Třinec]]
| clubs3 = [[VTJ Znojmo]]
| clubs4 = [[FC Baník Ostrava|Banik Ostrava]]
| clubs5 = [[AC Sparta Prague|Sparta Prague]]
| clubs6 = [[Grazer AK]]
| clubs7 = [[FK Austria Wien|Austria Wien]]
| clubs8 = [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]]
| clubs9 = [[F.C. Copenhagen]]
| clubs10 = [[AC Sparta Prague|Sparta Prague]]
| caps1 = 1
| caps2 = 12
| caps3 = 0
| caps4 = 45
| caps5 = 95
| caps6 = 15
| caps7 = 63
| caps8 = 18
| caps9 = 54
| caps10 = 40
| goals1 = 0
| goals2 = 3
| goals3 = 0
| goals4 = 11
| goals5 = 25
| goals6 = 2
| goals7 = 8
| goals8 = 3
| goals9 = 9
| goals10 = 7
| totalcaps = 343
| totalgoals = 68
| nationalyears1 = 1998–2000
| nationalyears2 = 1999–2010
| nationalteam1 = [[Czech Republic national under-21 football team|Czech Republic U21]]
| nationalteam2 = [[Czech Republic national football team|Czech Republic]]
| nationalcaps1 = 19
| nationalcaps2 = 41
| nationalgoals1 = 7
| nationalgoals2 = 8
}}

'''Libor Sionko''' (born 1 February 1977) is a Czech former professional [[Association football|footballer]] who played as a [[midfielder]]. At club level he started in his home town of [[Ostrava]], playing for the youth teams of [[TJ Vítkovice]] and [[FC Baník Ostrava|Baník Ostrava]]. Professionally, he played in his native country until 2004, featuring for clubs including Ostrava and [[AC Sparta Prague|Sparta Prague]]. He then went abroad, playing in Austria for [[Grazer AK]] and [[FK Austria Wien|Austria Wien]] before heading to Scotland where he played for [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]]. He subsequently had a spell in Denmark with [[F.C. Copenhagen]] before returning to the Czech Republic to finish his career with Sparta, where he last played before retiring in 2012.

Internationally Sionko made his debut for the Czech Republic in 1999 and took part in three tournaments, in particular the [[Football at the 2000 Summer Olympics|2000 Olympics]], the [[2006 FIFA World Cup|2006 World Cup]] and [[UEFA Euro 2008|Euro 2008]]. He played sporadically until 2010, finishing his career with 8 goals from 41 games.

==Club career==

===Early career===
Born in [[Ostrava]], Sionko started playing for [[TJ Vítkovice]] and [[FC Baník Ostrava|Baník Ostrava]] as a youth.

In 1999, he signed with [[AC Sparta Prague|Sparta Prague]]. He played successfully for Sparta in the [[Czech First League]] and the [[UEFA Champions League]], progressing from twice (1999–00 and 2003–04) from the Champions League group stage.

Sionko left Prague, due to contract problems, to join Austrian club [[Grazer AK]] in February 2004, helping to achieve the first ever Austrian championship for the Styrians. He also was in the team winning the Austrian Cup for the 4th time. After that remarkable success and change to Austria Vienna, he was a principal for a very successful challenge in the 2004–05 [[UEFA Cup]], when the Viennese side reached the quarter-final. In 2005–06 the Czech player was an Austrian double winner a second time.

===Rangers & Copenhagen===
Sionko completed a [[Bosman ruling|Bosman]] transfer to [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]] on 16 May 2006 on a three-year contract.<ref name="Sionko completes Rangers switch">{{cite news |title=Sionko completes Rangers switch |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/4957738.stm |publisher=BBC Sport |date=16 May 2006 |accessdate=8 July 2007}}</ref>

He scored on his [[Scottish Premiership]] debut against [[Motherwell F.C.|Motherwell]] on 30 July 2006 in the Gers' 2–1 win.<ref name="Motherwell 1-2 Rangers">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/5223938.stm |publisher=BBC Sport |title=Motherwell 1–2 Rangers |date=30 July 2006 }}</ref> Frequent injury, however, meant that he was used intermittently by [[Paul Le Guen]]. He re-established himself in the team in December 2006 where he scored against [[Hibernian F.C.|Hibernian]]<ref name="3-0 Hibs">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/6218820.stm |publisher=BBC Sport |title=Rangers 3–0 Hibernian |date=9 December 2006}}</ref> and [[Aberdeen F.C.|Aberdeen]],<ref name="Raith appointment">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/6201951.stm |publisher=BBC Sport |title=Aberdeen 1–2 Rangers |date=23 December 2006}}</ref> as Rangers' form improved after a poor start to the season.

After making 24 appearances for Rangers in his first season, Sionko signed a two-year contract with [[Danish football champions|Danish champions]] F.C. Copenhagen in the summer of 2007.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/6919724.stm |publisher=BBC |title=Sionko signs Copenhagen contract |date=1 August 2007|accessdate=6 October 2021}}</ref>

On 4 August came Sionko's debut for the club, where he assisted in the single goal at the 1–0 victory away against [[Aarhus GF|AGF]]. His first goal for the club came in his second match, and his home debut at [[Parken Stadium]], against [[Esbjerg fB]] notching a 5–2 victory. Afterwards he started the next six matches at the bench, but on 23 September he was back in the lineup in his first [[New Firm (Denmark)|New Firm Derby]] against [[Brøndby IF]]. This match ended 1–0 for FCK, the goal assisted by Sionko. Afterwards he has scored twice in a [[Danish Cup|cup]] match against [[FC Fredericia]] and once against [[Lyngby Boldklub]] – in both matches he was named man of match.

Following the Lyngby match, Sionko told ''fck.dk'' that his family had settled down well in Copenhagen and that he called [[Copenhagen]] his second home.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://fck.dk/index.php?pageid=754&newsid=7262 |title=Sionko: – Mit andet hjem |publisher=F.C. Copenhagen |date=29 September 2007 |accessdate=30 September 2007 |language=Danish }}</ref>

===Sparta Prague===
Sionko was rarely used in F.C. Copenhagen's first team in the autumn of 2009, and in January 2010 he was released from his contract and subsequently signed with [[AC Sparta Prague|Sparta Prague]]. The midfielder has signed with the Czech club a contract until June 2012, after being released by the Danish club.

He retired on 27 August 2012 after failing to find a new club after his Sparta Prague contract ran out.

==International career==
Sionko has represented his country at Under 17, Under 18, Under 20 and Under 21 level as well as playing twice in an unofficial friendly tournament in May 1998. He earned his first full cap in a friendly against [[Polish national football team|Poland]] on 24 April 1999 and has been [[cap (sport)|capped]] 41 times by the [[Czech Republic national football team|Czech Republic national team]], scoring 8 goals. He had been only a substitute for a long time, because his position of right winger was occupied by [[Karel Poborský]].

===2000 Olympics===
Sionko played in all three games at the [[Football at the 2000 Summer Olympics|2000 Olympics]] as the Czechs drew with the [[United States men's national soccer team|United States]] and [[Cameroon national football team|Cameroon]] and lost to [[Kuwait national football team|Kuwait]], meaning they were eliminated at the group stage and finished bottom of their group.

===2006 World Cup===
He was called up to the [[Czech Republic national football team|Czech team]] for the [[2006 FIFA World Cup|2006 World Cup]] due to [[Vladimír Šmicer]] being injured; however he only featured as a late substitute role in some games as the Czechs were knocked out in the group stage of the competition. Sionko's [[FIFA World Cup|World Cup]] debut came against [[Ghana national football team|Ghana]] on 17 June 2006. Ghana won the game 2–0.

===Euro 2008===
On 11 June, Sionko scored for the Czech Republic in their second game of [[UEFA Euro 2008|Euro 2008]], a 1–3 defeat to [[Portugal national football team|Portugal]] which sent the Portuguese through to the quarter-finals of the tournament. Sionko equalised in the 17th minute after [[Deco]] had opened the scoring in the 8th minute. However, [[Cristiano Ronaldo]] and [[Ricardo Quaresma]] added two further goals for their team in the second half to leave the Czechs to battle it out with [[Turkey national football team|Turkey]] in the [[UEFA Euro 2008 Group A#Turkey vs Czech Republic|final game]] of [[UEFA Euro 2008 Group A|Group A]].

===International goals===
:''Scores and results list the Czech Republic's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Sionko goal''.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ List of international goals scored by Libor Sionko
|-
!scope="col"|No.
!scope="col"|Date
!scope="col"|Venue
!scope="col"|Opponent
!scope="col"|Score
!scope="col"|Result
!scope="col"|Competition
|-
| align="center"|1 || 12 November 2003 || [[Na Stínadlech]], [[Teplice]], Czech Republic || {{fb|Canada}} || align="center"|4–0 || align="center"|5–1 || Friendly
|-
| align="center"|2 || rowspan="2"|6 September 2006 || rowspan="2"|[[Tehelné pole]], [[Bratislava]], Slovakia || rowspan="2"|{{fb|Slovakia}} || align="center"|1–0 ||rowspan="2" align="center"|3–0 || rowspan="2"|[[UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying Group D|UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying]]
|-
| align="center"|3 || align="center"|2–0
|-
| align="center"|4 || 17 October 2007 || [[Allianz Arena]], Munich, Germany || {{fb|Germany}} || align="center"|1–0 || align="center"|3–0 || UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
|-
| align="center"|5 || rowspan="2"|30 May 2008 || rowspan="2"|[[Stadion Letná|Letná]], Prague, Czech Republic || rowspan="2"|{{fb|Scotland}} || align="center"|1–0 || rowspan="2" align="center"|3–1 || rowspan="2"|Friendly
|-
| align="center"|6 || align="center"|3–1
|-
| align="center"|7 || 11 June 2008 || [[Stade de Genève]], Geneva, Switzerland || {{fb|Portugal}} || align="center"|1–1 || align="center"|3–1 || [[UEFA Euro 2008]]
|-
| align="center"|8 || 15 October 2008 || [[Na Stínadlech]], [[Teplice]], Czech Republic || {{fb|Slovenia}} || align="center"|1–0 || align="center"|1–0 || [[2010 FIFA World Cup qualification - UEFA Group 3|2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying]]
|}

==Honours==
*[[Austrian Football Bundesliga]]: [[2003–04 Austrian Football Bundesliga|2003–04]], [[2005–06 Austrian Football Bundesliga|2005–06]]
*[[Austrian Cup]]: [[2003–04 Austrian Cup|2003–04]], [[2004–05 Austrian Cup|2004–05]], [[2005–06 Austrian Cup|2005–06]]
*[[Danish Superliga]]: [[2008–09 Danish Superliga|2008–09]]
*[[Danish Cup]]: [[2008–09 Danish Cup|2008–09]]
*[[Czech First League]]: [[1999–2000 Czech First League|1999–2000]], [[2000–01 Czech First League|2000–01]], [[2002–03 Czech First League|2002–03]]
*[[Czech Cup]]: [[2003–04 Czech Cup|2003–04]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{FACR player|new_id=899|old_id=SionkoLibor}}
* {{Fotbal DNES|id=3000015|new_id=3241}}
* {{Soccerbase}}
* {{drdkstat|121362}}

{{Navboxes colour
|title= Czech Republic squads
|bg= #D7141A
|fg= white
|bordercolor = #11457E
|list1=
{{Czech Republic Squad 2000 Summer Olympics}}
{{Czech Republic Squad 2006 World Cup}}
{{Czech Republic Squad 2008 Euro Cup}}
}}
{{F.C. Copenhagen Player of the Year}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sionko, Libor}}
[[Category:1977 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Footballers from Ostrava]]
[[Category:Men's association football wingers]]
[[Category:Czech Republic men's international footballers]]
[[Category:Czech men's footballers]]
[[Category:Czech Republic men's youth international footballers]]
[[Category:Czech Republic men's under-21 international footballers]]
[[Category:Olympic footballers for the Czech Republic]]
[[Category:Footballers at the 2000 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Czech expatriate men's footballers]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Austria]]
[[Category:Czech expatriate sportspeople in Austria]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Scotland]]
[[Category:Czech expatriate sportspeople in Scotland]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Denmark]]
[[Category:Czech expatriate sportspeople in Denmark]]
[[Category:FC Baník Ostrava players]]
[[Category:AC Sparta Prague players]]
[[Category:1. SC Znojmo FK players]]
[[Category:FK Austria Wien players]]
[[Category:Grazer AK players]]
[[Category:Austrian Football Bundesliga players]]
[[Category:F.C. Copenhagen players]]
[[Category:Danish Superliga players]]
[[Category:Scottish Premier League players]]
[[Category:Czech First League players]]
[[Category:2006 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:UEFA Euro 2008 players]]
[[Category:21st-century Czech sportsmen]]