Nejc Pečnik

Nejc Pečnik (born 3 January 1986) is a former Slovenian professional footballer.[2] Primarily an attacking midfielder, he also played as a winger or forward.

Nejc Pečnik
Pečnik with Slovenia in 2009
Personal information
Date of birth (1986-01-03) 3 January 1986
Place of birth Dravograd, SR Slovenia, SFR Yugoslavia[1]
Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Position(s) Attacking midfielder, winger
Youth career
0000–2003 Dravograd
2003–2005 Celje
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2003–2009 Celje 120 (21)
2004–2005 → Dravograd (loan) 7 (2)
2008–2009 → Sparta Prague (loan) 4 (0)
2009–2012 Nacional 37 (2)
2011 → Krylia Sovetov (loan) 21 (1)
2012–2013 Sheffield Wednesday 10 (0)
2013–2014 Red Star Belgrade 43 (9)
2015 JEF United Chiba 39 (14)
2016–2017 Omiya Ardija 27 (1)
2017–2018 Tochigi SC 34 (8)
2018–2020 Dravograd 49 (24)
2021–2022 SC Eibiswald 7 (4)
2022–2023 Dravograd 27 (8)
International career
2001 Slovenia U15 5 (0)
2006–2007 Slovenia U20 3 (1)
2005–2008 Slovenia U21 20 (2)
2009–2015 Slovenia 32 (6)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

He represented Slovenia at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Prior to that, he had been directly responsible for Slovenia's successful qualification to the tournament as he scored an away goal against Russia in the 2010 World Cup qualification playoffs.

Pečnik's older brother, Andrej, is also a former professional footballer.

Club career

Celje

Born in Dravograd, Slovenia (then part of Yugoslavia), Pečnik started his career at hometown club Dravograd. After showing promise in its youth teams he was signed by Celje, making his first division debut on 24 April 2004 against Ljubljana.[3]

The following year Pečnik played in only seven league matches, adding a few cup appearances including the final against Gorica.[4] In the 2005–06 season he managed to gain a regular place in the first team, eventually establishing himself as a key offensive player.

In 2007–08, Pečnik was Celje's top scorer with 14 league goals.[5] After five seasons he was loaned out in June 2008 to Sparta Prague,[6] but appeared rarely with the Czech first division outfit during his six-month stay, spending most of his time with the reserve squad.[7]

Nacional

After a further 15 league games with Celje, Pečnik signed with Nacional of Portugal.[8][9] On 16 July 2012, after three seasons of irregular playing time, also being loaned to Russian club Krylia Sovetov Samara for five months,[10] he signed a two-year deal with Sheffield Wednesday in the Football League Championship.[11]

Sheffield Wednesday

In his official debut with the Owls, on 12 August 2012, Pečnik missed a penalty and was booked before half-time, as his team trailed at Oldham Athletic 2–0. He played the full 90 minutes in an eventual 4–2 win for the season's Football League Cup.[12]

Pečnik was released by Wednesday at the end of his only campaign.

Red Star Belgrade

On 1 July 2013, Pečnik agreed a two-year contract with Serbian side Red Star Belgrade.[13] He scored his first goal for Red Star against ÍBV in the second qualifying round of the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League.

International career

Pečnik made his debut for the Slovenia national team on 1 April 2009, in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland.[14]

He scored his first goal for Slovenia on 10 October 2009, in the same competition, a 2–0 win over Slovakia. On 14 November 2009, he scored a decisive away goal in the 2010 World Cup qualification playoffs, as the national side lost 2–1 against Russia at the Luzhniki Stadium,[15] only to win 1–0 in the second leg, taking the tie on the away goals and qualifying for a World Cup for the second time in the nation's history;[16] in the final stages, he appeared twice as a late substitute, having to be however stretchered off in the match against the United States.[17]

Career statistics

Club
As of 31 December 2018[18][1][19][20]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Celje 2003–04 Slovenian PrvaLiga 20000020
2004–05 703000100
2005–06 3024020362
2006–07 31233—345
2007–08 351420—3714
2008–09 15300—153
Sparta Prague (loan) 2008–09 Czech First League 40002060
Sparta Prague B (loan) 2008–09 Czech 2. Liga 92——92
Nacional 2009–10 Primeira Liga 2426[lower-alpha 1]080382
2010–11 901[lower-alpha 1]0—100
2011–12 401[lower-alpha 1]0—50
Krylia Sovetov (loan) 2011–12 Russian Premier League 21110—221
Sheffield Wednesday 2012–13 Championship 1004[lower-alpha 2]0—140
Red Star Belgrade 2013–14 Serbian SuperLiga 2873141359
2014–15 15210—162
JEF United Chiba 2015 J2 League 391400—3914
Omiya Ardija 2016 J1 League 21110[lower-alpha 3]4—315
2017 606[lower-alpha 3]1—121
Tochigi SC 2017 J3 League 126——126
2018 J2 League 22200—222
Career total 3445845916140568
  1. Includes Taça da Liga and Taça de Portugal
  2. Includes EFL Cup FA Cup
  3. Includes J.League Cup and Emperor's Cup

International
Scores and results list Slovenia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Pečnik goal.
List of international goals scored by Nejc Pečnik
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 10 October 2009 Tehelné pole, Bratislava, Slovakia  Slovakia 2–0 2–0 2010 World Cup qualification
2 14 November 2009 Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, Russia  Russia 1–2 1–2 2010 World Cup qualification playoffs
3 14 November 2012 Philip II Arena, Skopje, Macedonia  Macedonia 1–2 2–3 Friendly
4 2–3
5 14 June 2015 Stožice Stadium, Ljubljana, Slovenia  England 2–2 2–3 UEFA Euro 2016 qualification
6 12 October 2015 San Marino Stadium, Serravalle, San Marino  San Marino 2–0 2–0 UEFA Euro 2016 qualification

Honours

Celje

Red Star

See also

References
  1. "Slovenia – N. Pečnik – Soccerway". soccerway.com. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  2. "Upokojeni Nejc Pečnik v zgodbi, ki zabava navijače Crvene zvezde: Se ga še spomnite? Zdaj ima 20 kilogramov preveč" (in Slovenian). Nogomania. 19 September 2023. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  3. "CMC Publikum 1–2 Ljubljana" (in Slovenian). Slovenian PrvaLiga. 24 April 2004. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  4. "Publikum dočakal prvo lovoriko" (in Slovenian). Celje: RTV Slovenia. 17 May 2005. Retrieved 8 October 2009.
  5. "Statistika sezone 2007/08 (2007–08 Season statistics)" (in Slovenian). Slovenian PrvaLiga. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  6. "Nogometaš Nejc Pečnik se iz Celja seli v praško Sparto". Dnevnik (in Slovenian). 27 June 2008. Retrieved 8 October 2009.
  7. "Nejc Pečnik" (in Czech). iDNES. Retrieved 3 December 2008.
  8. "Nejc Pečnik po stopinjah Cristiana Ronalda" (in Slovenian). Siol. 31 May 2009. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  9. "Seduzido pela hipótese de jogar na Liga Europa" [Seduced with the chance of playing in Europa League] (in Portuguese). Diário de Notícias. 1 July 2009. Archived from the original on 7 October 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2009.
  10. "Pecnik rescindiu" [Pecnik has rescinded] (in Portuguese). Record. 11 May 2012. Archived from the original on 13 May 2012. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  11. "Sheffield Wednesday sign Slovenian Nejc Pecnik". BBC Sport. 16 July 2012. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  12. "Oldham 2–4 Sheffield Wed". BBC Sport. 13 August 2012. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  13. FK Crvena Zvezda: Печник у Звезди наредне две године Archived 6 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine; Red Star's official website, 1 July 2013 (in Serbian)
  14. "Severni Irci spodrezali slovenska krila" (in Slovenian). RTV Slovenia. 1 April 2009. Retrieved 8 October 2009.
  15. "World Cup play-offs round-up". BBC Sport. 15 November 2009. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
  16. Rok Viškovič (18 November 2019). "Večer v Mariboru, ko je Zlatko postal zlatko" (in Slovenian). Siol. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  17. "World Cup 2010: Slovenian Nejc Pecnik breaks ankle". BBC Sport. 19 June 2010. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  18. "Nejc Pečnik – Nogometna zveza Slovenije". nzs.si (in Slovenian). Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  19. Nippon Sports Kikaku Publishing inc./日本スポーツ企画出版社, "2017 J1&J2&J3選手名鑑 (NSK MOOK)", 8 February 2017, Japan, ISBN 978-4905411420 (p. 41 out of 289)
  20. Nippon Sports Kikaku Publishing inc./日本スポーツ企画出版社, "J1&J2&J3選手名鑑 2015 (NSK MOOK)", 14 February 2015, Japan, ISBN 978-4905411246 (p. 168 out of 298)
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