 Gera playing for Hungary atEuro 2016 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Zoltán Gera[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1979-04-22)22 April 1979 (age 46) | ||
| Place of birth | Pécs, Hungary | ||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[2] | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Vasas SC (manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1993–1996 | Pécsi Bőrgyár | ||
| Pécsi Zsolnay | |||
| Pécsi Kinizsi | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1996–1997 | Harkány SE | ||
| 1997–2000 | Pécs | 71 | (14) |
| 2000–2004 | Ferencváros | 115 | (32) |
| 2004–2008 | West Bromwich Albion | 135 | (21) |
| 2008–2011 | Fulham | 86 | (5) |
| 2011–2014 | West Bromwich Albion | 30 | (4) |
| 2014–2018 | Ferencváros | 89 | (15) |
| Total | 526 | (91) | |
| International career | |||
| 1999–2000 | Hungary U21 | 3 | (0) |
| 2002–2017 | Hungary | 97 | (26) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2018–2019 | Ferencváros (assistant manager) | ||
| 2018–2021 | Hungary (assistant manager) | ||
| 2019–2024 | Hungary U21[3] | ||
| 2024 | Vasas SC[4] | ||
| 2024– | Kecskeméti TE | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Zoltán Gera (born 22 April 1979) is a Hungarian former professionalfootballer who played as amidfielder forFulham,Pécsi Mecsek and Harkány SE, as well as enjoying two spells atFerencváros andWest Bromwich Albion.
Gera is known for his overhead-kick goals and his cartwheel to back-flip celebration, which he demonstrated in Fulham'sEuropa League quarter-final win againstJuventus in 2010. He was named Hungarian Player of the Year in 2002, 2004 and 2005. For his efforts in the2009–10 season and his goals in the Europa League, Gera was named Fulham's Player of the Season.
Gera made his international debut forHungary in 2002 againstSwitzerland, with his nation losing 2–1. In 2009, Gera briefly retired from the national team following a dispute with then-managerErwin Koeman. When Koeman was replaced bySándor Egervári in 2010, Gera returned to Hungary's international squad which he later represented at the2016 UEFA European Championship. He announced his final retirement from football on 28 June 2018.[5]
Gera started his professional career for Harkány SE in 1996, remaining there for one year before signing forPécsi Mecsek FC.[6]
Gera was signed byPécsi Mecsek in 1997. During his three-year spell with the club, he made 87 appearances and scored 16 times. On 1 July 2000, Gera moved to major Hungarian sideFerencváros on a free transfer.[6]
During his four-year spell at Ferencváros, Gera played 115 league games and scored 32 goals. He won theHungarian league title in 2001 and 2004, theMagyar Kupa in 2003 and 2004, and theSzuperkupa in 2004. He also received his first international call up while with the club.
On 30 July 2004, Gera moved to EnglishPremier League clubWest Bromwich Albion for a fee of£1.5 million.[7] He signed a three-year contract with Albion, with a further one-year option in the club's favour. He made his Premier League debut on 14 August 2004, replacingAndy Johnson in the 87th minute againstBlackburn Rovers. The match ended in a 1–1 draw. Gera's first appearance in the starting lineup came on 25 August 2004 againstTottenham Hotspur. He scored his first league goal early in the third minute; that match also ended in a 1–1 draw.[8]
The club struggled against relegation for most of the season, and Gera was portrayed by the media as an integral part of this struggle. Towards the end of the season, however, Gera's influence grew. He produced stirring performances, including a match-winning header againstEverton on 3 April 2005. The club's form quickly improved, securing its continued Premier League status on the last day of the season. Gera scored six league goals in this his first season and was the only player at the club to appear in all 38 league matches. He was nominated in the end-of-season "dream team" bysoccernet.com.During the2005–06 season, Gera struggled with injuries and underwent ahernia operation in November 2005. At the end of the season, West Brom were relegated and Gera committed himself to the club.[citation needed] His performance in the club's 4–2 win againstCharlton Athletic on 15 December 2007, scoring twice and setting up a third goal, earned him a place in theChampionship Team of the Week.[9][10] Gera helped Albion gain promotion in the2007–08 season and scored the only goal in an important win against local rivalsWolverhampton Wanderers in April to send West Brom top. On 9 June 2008, he decided to turn down a new contract offer from West Brom, choosing instead to joinFulham in the Premier League on a free transfer.[11] The three-year contract was completed on 11 June 2008.[12][13]
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Gera made his Fulham debut in a 2–1 defeat toHull City on the opening day of the2008–09 Premier League. Minutes after coming off the bench, he scored Fulham's second goal in a 2–0 win against league leadersManchester United. During the2009–10 Premier League season, Gera scored his first goal of the season againstWest Ham United in a 2–2 draw.[14] On 28 December 2009, Gera scored his second goal of the season atStamford Bridge againstChelsea, when he hooked the ball overPetr Čech from 12 yards after four minutes. Despite this early goal, Fulham lost the game 2–1.[15] Gera went on to score two goals in aman of the match performance againstJuventus, Fulham winning 4–1. He scored the goal which sent Fulham to its first ever European final in a 2–1 victory againstHamburger SV;[16][17] while Fulham lostthe final 2–1, Gera did provide the sole goal's assist. Having scored ten goals in all competitions, Gera was voted the fans' player of the season for Fulham's2009–10 season.[18]
Gera started the2010–11 season by scoring a hat-trick after coming off the bench in the 66th minute againstWerder Bremen in a 5–1 friendly win, and a brace againstPort Vale in the second round of theLeague Cup. His first league goal of the new campaign, a 30-yard volley which deflected off the post and then off the goalkeeper, came atThe Hawthorns against former club West Brom. Despite this, Fulham managerMark Hughes did not regularly start Gera, despite him being a fan favourite, instead using him sparingly as a substitute. Gera was sent off in Fulham's final match of the2010–11 Premier League season on 22 May 2011, a 2–2 draw againstArsenal.[19] This was the first red card Fulham had received all season and it nearly cost them a place in theEuropa League throughUEFA's Fair Play League, but Fulham finished ahead of closest challengersBlackpool by 0.01 points to win the qualifying berth.[20]
On 16 June 2011, Fulham announced that Gera was available on a free transfer as one of three players that were being released by the club[21] Subsequently, Gera looked to rejoin his former club West Brom.[22]
On 2 August 2011, West Brom bossRoy Hodgson announced that the club had signed Gera on a two-year deal.[23] On 5 November 2011, he made his second debut for West Brom as a starter in a 3–0 loss to Arsenal.[24] After three first team appearances, Gera was injured in a 3–1 defeat againstTottenham Hotspur on 26 November 2011; he was unavailable for the remainder of the season.[25] After nine months out due to his injury, Gera returned to the starting lineup againstLiverpool on the first day of the2012–13 Premier League season, opening the scoring with a volley from 25 yards, leading to a 3–0 win.[26] On 8 January 2013, it was confirmed Gera would be out injured for the rest of the season after he injured a knee in a game againstQueens Park Rangers.[27] On 1 July 2013, Gera's contract with West Brom expired, making him a free agent for a short period until he signed a new contract for another year with the club.[28][29] Gera left West Brom in 2014 after his contract expired.[30]
On 2 April 2016, Gera becameHungarian League champion withFerencváros after losing toDebreceni VSC 2–1 at theNagyerdei Stadion in the2015–16 Nemzeti Bajnokság I season.[31]
He scored the only and winning goal in the2016 Magyar Kupa Final on 7 May 2016 against archrivalÚjpest FC at theGroupama Arena.[32][33][34]
Gera earned his first international cap for theHungary national team on 13 February 2002 in a 2–1 defeat toSwitzerland. Up to 2009, he had played 63 games for Hungary, scoring 18 goals. Before the2010 FIFA World Cup qualification match on 14 October 2009 againstDenmark, Gera was excluded from the match squad by coachErwin Koeman after he arrived late at a team meeting. Following the incident, Gera announced his retirement from the national team.[35] On 23 July 2010, the newly appointed board of theHungarian Football Federation terminated the contract of Koeman and appointedSándor Egervári as the new national team coach. After a personal discussion with Egervári, Gera returned to the national team on 11 August 2010 againstEngland.
On 29 March 2011, Gera scored twice against theNetherlands in theAmsterdam Arena in front of 51,700 spectators in aUEFA Euro 2012 qualifying match. He scored the first goal in the 50th minute and his second goal in the 75th minute. Gera's goals, however, were not enough as Hungary lost 5–3. On 7 September 2012, Hungary started their2014 World Cup qualifying campaign with a 5–0 win inAndorra; Gera scored the second goal.[36] On 16 October 2012, Hungary beatTurkey at home 3–1. Gera scored the third Hungarian goal.[37][38]
On 31 May 2016, Gera was selected as vice-captain for theHungarian squad forEuro 2016 in France.[39] On 14 June, Gera played in the first group match in a 2–0 victory overAustria at theNouveau Stade de Bordeaux in Hungary's first match of the tournament.[40] Four days later, on 18 June, he played in a 1–1 draw againstIceland at theStade Vélodrome,Marseille.[41] On 22 June, he played in the last group match in a 3–3 draw againstPortugal at theParc Olympique Lyonnais,Lyon, and scored the first goal with a terrific half-volley from 25 yards out with his weaker foot. In so doing, he became the second-oldest goalscorer and the oldest goalscorer from open play at a European Championship, aged 37 years and 62 days; Austria'sIvica Vastić is the oldest scorer, at 38 years and 257 days, when he converted a penalty atEuro 2008.[42][43] Gera's goal was later voted the "Goal of the Tournament" in a UEFA online fan poll.[44][45]
In 2019, he was appointed as the head coach ofHungary national under-21 football team.[46] On 6 September 2019, he debuted with a goalless draw againstDenmark.[47]
On 26 February 2024, he resigned as the head coach of the U21 team.[48]
He was appointed as the manager of Nemzeti Bajnokság II clubVasas SC on 26 February 2024.[49] Vasas could not get promoted to the first division due to a defeat againstGyőr in the penultimats match day of the2023–24 Nemzeti Bajnokság II season.
On 21 August 2024, he was removed from his position at Vasas.[50][51] Vasas appointedAttila Pintér instead of him.
On 16 October 2024, he was appointed as theNemzeti Bajnokság I clubKecskeméti TE.[52] In an interview published by Nemzeti Sport, he said that he is aware of the risks of being the coach of Kecskemét.[53] His debut ended with a 3-0 defeat againstPuskás Akadémia FC at theSzéktói Stadion on 20 October 2024.[54]
Gera married on 19 June 2004; his wife gave birth to a boy named Szabolcs on 15 March 2008. Following the birth, he was given leave by his national team managerPéter Várhidi to miss Hungary's friendly againstSlovenia to spend time with his family.[55][56] In 2005, Gera featured in a television advertisement forPepsi representing the2006 World Cup, alongsideThierry Henry,David Beckham,Roberto Carlos,Ronaldinho,Nicklas Bendtner,Neil Ruddock andRaúl.[57]
Gera is a member of theFaith Church and was featured in billboard advertisements promoting the organization. He has often defended the Church from its critics and promoted it several times in the media.[58] He credits the Church with saving his life, helping him change his destructive lifestyle which included crime and drug abuse.[59]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Pécsi MFC | 1997–98[60] | Bajnokság II | 25 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 25 | 2 | |||
| 1998–99[60] | Bajnokság II | 31 | 8 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 31 | 8 | ||||
| 1999–2000[60] | Bajnokság I | 15 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 15 | 4 | ||||
| Total | 71 | 14 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 71 | 14 | |||||
| Ferencváros | 2000–01[61] | Bajnokság I | 32 | 7 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 35 | 7 | |||
| 2001–02[61] | Bajnokság I | 27 | 8 | 0 | 0 | — | 2[c] | 0 | — | 29 | 8 | |||
| 2002–03[61] | Bajnokság I | 26 | 6 | 3 | 0 | — | 6[d] | 1 | — | 35 | 7 | |||
| 2003–04[61] | Bajnokság I | 30 | 11 | 4 | 5 | — | 3[d] | 1 | — | 37 | 17 | |||
| 2004–05 | Bajnokság I | — | — | — | 1[c] | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 115 | 32 | 10 | 5 | — | 11 | 2 | — | 137 | 39 | ||||
| West Bromwich Albion | 2004–05[62] | Premier League | 38 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 42 | 6 | ||
| 2005–06[63] | Premier League | 15 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 3 | |||
| 2006–07[64] | Championship | 40 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 3[e] | 0 | 48 | 6 | ||
| 2007–08[65] | Championship | 43 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 49 | 10 | |||
| Total | 136 | 21 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 155 | 25 | ||
| Fulham | 2008–09[66] | Premier League | 32 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 38 | 3 | ||
| 2009–10[67] | Premier League | 27 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 18[f] | 6 | — | 50 | 10 | ||
| 2010–11[68] | Premier League | 27 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 32 | 4 | |||
| Total | 86 | 5 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 18 | 6 | — | 120 | 17 | |||
| West Bromwich Albion | 2011–12[69] | Premier League | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13[70] | Premier League | 16 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 18 | 4 | |||
| 2013–14[71] | Premier League | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 15 | 0 | |||
| Total | 33 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 36 | 4 | ||||
| Ferencváros | 2014–15[72] | Bajnokság I | 26 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 30 | 3 | ||
| 2015–16[72] | Bajnokság I | 30 | 4 | 5 | 3 | — | 4[f] | 2 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 9 | ||
| 2016–17[72] | Bajnokság I | 29 | 8 | 6 | 1 | — | 2[c] | 1 | — | 37 | 10 | |||
| 2017–18[72] | Bajnokság I | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 4[f] | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | |||
| Total | 89 | 15 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 114 | 22 | ||
| Career total | 528 | 91 | 49 | 14 | 11 | 5 | 39 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 631 | 121 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hungary | 2002 | 8 | 3 |
| 2003 | 6 | 2 | |
| 2004 | 13 | 2 | |
| 2005 | 6 | 2 | |
| 2006 | 7 | 3 | |
| 2007 | 10 | 3 | |
| 2008 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2009 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2010 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2011 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2012 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 3 | 1 | |
| 2015 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 10 | 2 | |
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 97 | 26 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Cap | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 October 2002 | Szusza Ferenc Stadion,Budapest, Hungary |  San Marino | 7 | 1–0 | 3–0 | UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying |
| 2 | 2–0 | ||||||
| 3 | 3–0 | ||||||
| 4 | 30 April 2003 | Puskás Ferenc Stadion, Budapest, Hungary |  Luxembourg | 9 | 1–0 | 5–1 | Friendly |
| 5 | 7 June 2003 | Szusza Ferenc Stadion, Budapest, Hungary |  Latvia | 10 | 3–1 | 3–1 | UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying |
| 6 | 8 September 2004 | Szusza Ferenc Stadion, Budapest, Hungary |  Iceland | 25 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 7 | 17 November 2004 | Ta' Qali Stadium,Ta' Qali, Malta |  Malta | 27 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 8 | 4 June 2005 | Laugardalsvöllur,Reykjavík, Iceland | Iceland | 30 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 9 | 2–1 | ||||||
| 10 | 16 August 2006 | UPC-Arena,Graz, Austria |  Austria | 36 | 1–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 11 | 2 September 2006 | Szusza Ferenc Stadion, Budapest, Hungary |  Norway | 37 | 1–4 | 1–4 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying |
| 12 | 6 September 2006 | Bilino Polje,Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina |  Bosnia and Herzegovina | 38 | 2–0 | 3–1 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying |
| 13 | 28 March 2007 | Szusza Ferenc Stadion, Budapest, Hungary |  Moldova | 42 | 2–0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying |
| 14 | 22 August 2007 | Puskás Ferenc Stadion, Budapest, Hungary |  Italy | 45 | 2–1 | 3–1 | Friendly |
| 15 | 8 September 2007 | Stadion Sóstói,Székesfehérvár, Hungary | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 46 | 1–0 | 1–0 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying |
| 16 | 6 February 2008 | Tsirion Stadium,Limassol, Cyprus |  Slovakia | 51 | 1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 17 | 19 November 2008 | Windsor Park,Belfast, Northern Ireland |  Northern Ireland | 57 | 2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 18 | 1 April 2009 | Puskás Ferenc Stadion, Budapest,Hungary | Malta | 60 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 19 | 8 October 2010 | Puskás Ferenc Stadion, Budapest, Hungary | San Marino | 67 | 8–0 | 8–0 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying |
| 20 | 29 March 2011 | Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands |  Netherlands | 71 | 2–1 | 3–5 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying |
| 21 | 3–3 | ||||||
| 22 | 7 September 2012 | Estadi Comunal,Andorra la Vella, Andorra |  Andorra | 74 | 2–0 | 5–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 23 | 16 October 2012 | Puskás Ferenc Stadion, Budapest, Hungary |  Turkey | 77 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 24 | 14 November 2014 | Groupama Arena, Budapest, Hungary |  Finland | 80 | 1–0 | 1–0 | UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying |
| 25 | 22 June 2016 | Parc Olympique Lyonnais,Lyon, France |  Portugal | 92 | 1–0 | 3–3 | UEFA Euro 2016 |
| 26 | 13 November 2016 | Groupama Arena, Budapest, Hungary | Andorra | 96 | 1–0 | 4–0 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Hungary U21 |  | 7 June 2019 | Present | 18 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 022.22 |
| Total | 18 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 022.22 | |||
Ferencváros
West Bromwich Albion
Fulham
Individual
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| International | |
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| National | |
