Marek MatÃÂjovský (born 20 December 1981) is a Czech former footballer who played as a central midfielder. He was valued as a creative player with a high number of assists for goals. He is among the most significant players of the history of the Czech First League, where he played 443 games and retired at the age of 43. He spent most of his career in FK Mladá Boleslav and AC Sparta Prague, but he also played in the Premier League and for the Czech Republic national football team.
MatÃÂjovský started his football career at the age of five with Slavoj Stará Boleslav, progressing to Alfa Brandýs nad Labem at the age of 13. After turning 18, he signed professional terms with FK Mladá Boleslav for the 1999âÂÂ2000 season, who were then playing in the Czech 2. Liga. In the spring of 2001, he switched to Czech First League team Jablonec, but returned to Mladá Boleslav in January 2003. After settling back into the team, he helped them win promotion to the Czech First League for the start of the 2004âÂÂ05 season, where they remained for the rest of MatÃÂjovský's stay at the club. He was promoted to captain of Mladá Boleslav at the start of the 2005âÂÂ06 season.
MatÃÂjovský's performances in the Czech Republic alerted big clubs elsewhere in Europe to his ability, and he was linked with moves to Liverpool, Hamburg and Steaua Bucharest. However, it was announced on 7 January 2008 that Reading had signed MatÃÂjovský on a three-and-a-half-year contract for an undisclosed fee, believed to be around ã1.42 million.
Nick Hammond said, "Marek is primarily a central midfield player but he is also capable of playing in both wide positions or behind the strikers â he is a player we have been following for some time, and when the opportunity arose to sign him it was too good to turn down." Brian McDermott kept an eye on him for roughly 18 months, and had seen him in action a number of times. He said "He's captain of his club, and has played all their games in the last three years except when he's been suspended. That's the type of guy he is."
He made his debut for Reading on 19 January in a 2âÂÂ0 home defeat to Manchester United, coming on as an 80th-minute substitute for Bobby Convey. His first start for Reading was in another 2âÂÂ0 home defeat, this time to Bolton Wanderers on 2 February. MatÃÂjovský scored his first goal for Reading on 15 March, with a 20-yard effort in a 2âÂÂ1 loss at Liverpool. Two weeks later, he was sent off in a goalless draw against Blackburn Rovers at the Madejski Stadium. He totalled 15 appearances in his first season, which ended with relegation to the Championship.
MatÃÂjovský returned to the Czech Republic in 2010, joining Sparta Prague and was announced as the new club captain ahead of the 2011âÂÂ12 Czech First League, taking over from TomÃ¡à ¡ à Âepka. He played 150 games for Sparta and is considered one of the club's personalities. Every year, he participates in the New Year's Eve derby between the legends of Sparta and Slavia over 35 years old.
Before the 2016âÂÂ17 season, MatÃÂjovský returned to FK Mladá Boleslav and became the club's captain. Despite his age, he remained a valuable player for his football thinking, creative playmaking and final passes. For Mladá Boleslav, he played a total of 287 first league league matches, the most in the club's history, and became a club legend. MatÃÂjovský was awarded as the Personality of the Season in the 2021âÂÂ22, 2023âÂÂ24 and 2024âÂÂ25 seasons by League Football Association (LFA).
MatÃÂjovský is among the most significant players of the Czech First League. He entered the Legends Club for players with 300+ league games in March 2018. In total, he played in 443 games during his active career (3rd most starts in history of the Czech First League at the time of the end of his career). He appeared in 22 seasons of the Czech First League, which is the most in history.
MatÃÂjovský is among the league's top ten players with the most goal assists (69 assists, 5th most after the 2024âÂÂ25 season). In the 2022âÂÂ23 season, at the age of 40âÂÂ41, he had 9 assists, the most among all players.
On 8 December 2024, MatÃÂjovský scored hattrick in the match against SK Dynamo ÃÂeské BudÃÂjovice and became the oldest hattrick scorer of the league at the age of 42 years, 11 months and 18 days. He was also the oldest scorer overall, surpassing his own record from May 2024, but on 5 May 2025, Josef Jindà Âià ¡ek surpassed him by a goal from penalty in his farewell match. MatÃÂjovský thus remains only the oldest scorer to score from a game.
In addition to his other records, with 110 yellow cards, MatÃÂjovský is the player with the highest number of yellow cards in league history (but Admir LjevakoviÃÂ, with 106 cards received them in much fewer matches).
MatÃÂjovský was capped 15 times by the Czech Republic national football team. Karel Brückner first called him up as a replacement for the injured David JarolÃÂm for the Czech Republic's Euro 2008 qualifier against Wales on 2 September 2006, but had to wait until 7 February 2007 to make his international debut as a 70th-minute substitute in a friendly with Belgium, coming on for TomÃ¡à ¡ Galásek and assisting the second goal in a 2âÂÂ0 win.
He scored his only international goal in the Czech Republic's 3âÂÂ0 win over Germany in Munich, also hitting the post, to cement their place at Euro 2008. He started the second and third group games at the Euro 2008 but was taken off with an injury against Turkey.
MatÃÂjovský married in the summer of 2007. Outside football, he is also a keen ice hockey player.