Full name Jiri Stajner 1982–1990 TJ Senohraby Role Football player Weight 78 kg | Current team TJ Spartak Chrastava Name Jiri Stajner Height 1.85 m Position Forward | |
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Date of birth (1976-05-27) 27 May 1976 (age 39) Place of birth Benesov, Czechoslovakia Playing position Number 24 (FC Slovan Liberec / Forward), 24 (FK Mlada Boleslav / Forward) | ||
Ji tajner
Jiří Štajner (born 27 May 1976) is a Czech football striker currently playing for TJ Spartak Chrastava. Eight years a player for Hannover 96, he is extremely popular with Hannover fans and is seen as a cult figure at the club.
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Czech Republic
Štajner started his active footballing career in the youth teams of SK Dynamo České Budějovice. At a young age, he was picked up by one of the league's best teams, Slavia Prague. He failed to make a breakthrough at Slavia, continuing his youth career with TJ Senohraby, an amateur club close to the city where he grew up - Benešov.
In 1998, Štajner moved on to FK Baník Most in an attempt to advance his career, although his breakthrough was to come at the beginning of the new millennium after signing for Slovan Liberec, as he became known as an excellent goalscorer and attracted attention with his European performances in the UEFA Cup. In the 2001–02 season he was the Gambrinus liga's top goalscorer with 15 goals as Slovan secured the title. In the summer of 2002, Štajner was signed by German Bundesliga side Hannover 96.
Hannover 96
Štajner quickly became a favourite with coach Ralf Rangnick, although the club from the Lower Saxonian capital had to pay his former club €3.5 million, which made Štajner the most expensive player in the history of Hannover 96.
At the beginning of his spell in Germany he had trouble adapting to the style of play, only becoming a regular starter in his second season. On 22 May 2003, Štajner helped cement his status as a cult hero for the club, notably scoring the decisive goal against Borussia Mönchengladbach to retain Hannover's place in the top flight. The match ended 2-2.
On 15 May 2010 he announced his return to his former club Slovan Liberec.
International career
He was a member of the Czech national team, and played in the 2006 World Cup.
