Ex-star as new arrival

Once played against Messi – and now in Lavanttal!

Once even scored against England and Rooney (center/with captain's bow): Pecnik (second from left).(Bild: GEPA pictures/ Matic Klansek)

A small transfer bomb in Carinthian soccer. And it's not Bundesliga club WAC that's set it off, but 2nd class C club St. Paul. With a Slovenian who has already played against Messi, Buffon, Rooney and co. - and scored goals for Cristiano Ronaldo's youth club!

The biggest star in the Lavanttal does not play for the WAC - but for St. Paul! Because the club from the 2nd class C recently landed the transfer coup par excellence: with the Slovenian Nejc Pecnik. The 38-year-old striker has a great footballing career behind him:

Scored a decisive goal against Russia in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers: St. Paul Slovenian legionnaire Nejc Pecnik (right).(Bild: SERGEI KARPUKHIN)

The ex-professional, who lives near Dravograd, played 31 times for his country - and scored six goals in the process. One of them was probably one of the greatest for Slovenia: In 2010, he laid the foundation for Slovenia's second World Cup appearance with the 2-1 equalizer against Russia in the play-off. He then made two appearances in South Africa (a 1-0 win over Algeria and a 2-2 victory over the USA), but then broke his ankle.

Against Pirlo, Rooney, Messi. .
Pecnik scored against England and captain Wayne Rooney in the 2016 European Championship qualifiers, played against Italy's former greats Gigi Buffon and Andrea Pirlo in 2011 - and even faced megastar Lionel Messi: in 2014 in La Plata in a test that was lost 2-0 to Argentina. Not many can claim all that. .

Lionel Messi(Bild: APA/AFP/FRANCK FIFE)

At club level, Pecnik also played for Cristiano Ronaldo's youth club Nacional Madeira, as well as for Sparta Prague, Red Star Belgrade (with whom he became Serbian champion), Sheffield Wednesday and in Japan's second division.

St. Paul is beaming: Chairman Stephan Weinberger (left) and coach Markus Leitner (right) welcome Nejc Pecnik.(Bild: zvg)

But how does such an ex-star find his way to St. Paul? "Our assistant coach Bostjan Damis and player Aljosa Gluhovic are his friends - he's all about fun and not about money," says coach Markus Leitner happily.

Of course, the goal of the current third-placed team is now: "Promotion!"