# Pavel Kuka

Pavel Kuka (born 19 July 1968) is a Czech former professional footballer who played as a forward. He represented his national team on 87 occasions, scoring 29 goals. At club level Kuka started in 1987 with Rudá Hvězda Cheb in the Czechoslovak First League before transferring to Slavia Prague two years later. During the 1993–94 season he moved to Germany, where he played in the Bundesliga for 1. FC Kaiserslautern, 1. FC Nürnberg and VfB Stuttgart. In 2000 he returned to Slavia, where he spent a further five years before retiring from top-level football in 2005.

## Club career

Born in Prague, Kuka played for Rudá Hvězda Cheb and Slavia Prague, making a combined total of 149 appearances, scoring 66 goals, in the last six seasons of the Czechoslovak First League (1987–93). He then moved to Germany, playing for 1. FC Kaiserslautern (1994–98), 1. FC Nürnberg (1998–99), and VfB Stuttgart (1999–2000). Following his time in Germany, Kuka returned to Slavia Prague, where he played for five more seasons before retiring at the end of the 2004–05 season. His final game for Slavia took place on 28 May 2005, in a Czech First League match against Baník Ostrava.

## International career

Kuka scored 29 goals across 87 national team appearances for Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic. For the Czech Republic national team, Kuka played 63 times, scoring 22 goals He was part of the runner-up squad at UEFA Euro 1996 as well as the 2000 tournament.

## Personal life

Kuka has a son, Tomáš, and a daughter, Aneta, from a past relationship with sports television presenter Renata Dlouhá.

## Career statistics
### Czechoslovakia

Appearances and goals by national team and year :
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
| Czechoslovakia | 1990 | 2 | 1 |
| Czechoslovakia | 1991 | 9 | 3 |
| Czechoslovakia | 1992 | 6 | 2 |
| Czechoslovakia | 1993 | 7 | 1 |
| Total | Total | 24 | 7 |
    Scores and results list Czechoslovakia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Kuka goal.
List of international goals scored by Pavel Kuka :
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1 | 29 August 1990 | Kuusankosken Urheilupuisto, Kouvola, Finland | Finland | 1-1 | 1-1 | Friendly |
| 2 | 27 March 1991 | Andrův stadion, Olomouc, Czech Republic | Poland | 1-0 | 4-0 | Friendly |
| 3 | 1 May 1991 | Arena Kombëtare, Tirana, Albania | Albania | 2-0 | 2-0 | UEFA Euro 1992 qualification |
| 4 | 25 September 1991 | Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway | Norway | 3-2 | 3-2 | Friendly |
| 5 | 23 September 1992 | Všešportový areál, Košice, Slovakia | Faroe Islands | 2-0 | 4-0 | 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 6 | 23 September 1992 | Všešportový areál, Košice, Slovakia | Faroe Islands | 3-0 | 4-0 | 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 7 | 8 September 1993 | Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff, Wales | Wales | 1-0 | 2-2 | 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification |

### Czech Republic

Appearances and goals by national team and year :
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
| Czech Republic | 1994 | 8 | 4 |
| Czech Republic | 1995 | 7 | 1 |
| Czech Republic | 1996 | 13 | 8 |
| Czech Republic | 1997 | 11 | 3 |
| Czech Republic | 1998 | 4 | 1 |
| Czech Republic | 1999 | 9 | 1 |
| Czech Republic | 2000 | 5 | 1 |
| Czech Republic | 2001 | 6 | 3 |
| Total | Total | 63 | 22 |
    Scores and results list Czech Republic's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Kuka goal.
List of international goals scored by Pavel Kuka :
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1 | 25 May 1994 | Bazaly, Ostrava, Czech Republic | Lithuania | 1-0 | 5-3 | Friendly |
| 2 | 25 May 1994 | Bazaly, Ostrava, Czech Republic | Lithuania | 4-0 | 5-3 | Friendly |
| 3 | 5 June 1994 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Republic of Ireland | Republic of Ireland | 1-0 | 3-1 | Friendly |
| 4 | 5 June 1994 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Republic of Ireland | Republic of Ireland | 2-1 | 3-1 | Friendly |
| 5 | 29 March 1995 | Bazaly, Ostrava, Czech Republic | Belarus | 4-1 | 4-2 | UEFA Euro 1996 qualification |
| 6 | 26 March 1996 | Městský stadion, Ostrava, Czech Republic | Turkey | 2-0 | 3-0 | Friendly |
| 7 | 26 March 1996 | Městský stadion, Ostrava, Czech Republic | Turkey | 3-0 | 3-0 | Friendly |
| 8 | 24 April 1996 | Great Strahov Stadium, Prague, Czech Republic | Republic of Ireland | 2-0 | 2-0 | Friendly |
| 9 | 1 June 1996 | St. Jakob-Park, Basel, Switzerland | Switzerland | 1-0 | 2-1 | Friendly |
| 10 | 1 June 1996 | St. Jakob-Park, Basel, Switzerland | Switzerland | 2-0 | 2-1 | Friendly |
| 11 | 19 June 1996 | Anfield, Liverpool, England | Russia | 2-0 | 3-3 | UEFA Euro 1996 |
| 12 | 4 September 1996 | Stadion Střelnice, Jablonec nad Nisou, Czech Republic | Iceland | 1-1 | 2-1 | Friendly |
| 13 | 4 September 1996 | Stadion Střelnice, Jablonec nad Nisou, Czech Republic | Iceland | 2-1 | 2-1 | Friendly |
| 14 | 12 March 1997 | Bazaly, Ostrava, Czech Republic | Poland | 1-0 | 2-1 | Friendly |
| 15 | 20 August 1997 | Na Stínadlech, Teplice, Czech Republic | Faroe Islands | 1-0 | 2-0 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 16 | 6 September 1997 | Svangaskarð, Toftir, Faroe Islands | Faroe Islands | 2-0 | 2-0 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 17 | 10 October 1998 | Koševo City Stadium, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 3-1 | 3-1 | UEFA Euro 2000 qualification |
| 18 | 9 June 1999 | Stadion Letná, Prague, Czech Republic | Scotland | 2-2 | 3-2 | UEFA Euro 2000 qualification |
| 19 | 3 June 2000 | Max-Morlock-Stadion, Nuremberg, Germany | Germany | 1-1 | 2-3 | Friendly |
| 20 | 28 February 2001 | Toše Proeski Arena, Skopje, North Macedonia | North Macedonia | 1-1 | 1-1 | Friendly |
| 21 | 6 June 2001 | Na Stínadlech, Teplice, Czech Republic | Northern Ireland | 1-0 | 3-1 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 22 | 6 June 2001 | Na Stínadlech, Teplice, Czech Republic | Northern Ireland | 2-1 | 3-1 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification |

## Honours

1. FC Kaiserslautern
* 2. Bundesliga: 1996–97
* Bundesliga: 1997–98; runner-up: 1993–94
* DFB-Pokal: 1995–96
Czech Republic
* UEFA European Championship runner-up: 1996
* FIFA Confederations Cup Third place: 1997
Individual
* Czech Footballer of the Year: 1994