FIFA World Cup Germany 2006 player's profile
Mateja Kezman is a player who thrives on goals. A poacher supreme, he is always ready to pounce on the slightest mistake by the opposition defence.
Serbia and Montenegro coach Ilija Petkovic is fortunate to have a wealth of striking talent at his disposal. However, it seems likely that Kezman will get the nod for Germany, thanks to the crucial goals he scored in qualifying which helped his team finish above Spain and avoid a potentially hazardous play-off match. Of the five goals he scored in his seven appearances, the one against Spain at the Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid was particularly memorable, as was the decisive goal against Bosnia-Herzegovina in his sides final group game. That strike officially sealed Serbia and Montenegro's place at the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany. The striker, nicknamed 'Batman', began his career in his homeland, first with lower-league clubs and then in the first division with Sartid. He continued his rise to the big time with a move to Partizan Belgrade, where he came to the attention of Europes footballing elite. Kezman is reserved and uncomfortable in the limelight, a family man who has not forgotten his roots. However, in 2000, the international language of goals brought him to the Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven; a force to be reckoned with in the Eredivisie and beyond. Here, over four seasons, the striker became a veritable goal machine, also proving himself in European competition. He then moved on to London, where he had a one-year spell at Chelsea before being lured to Spains La Liga by Atletico Madrid. There was a great deal of expectation surrounding the forward's arrival at Chelsea, but he never quite clicked with the Blues. While in Spain, his club made a slow start to the season and Kezman himself succumbed to injury. He has, however, shown signs of being back on track at Atletico and has produced some fine performances for his national side. Kezman is a winner and a big-game player, particularly in a supportive atmosphere. His experience marks him out as a veteran, but he is still only 27 years old and will continue to improve. His main qualities are pace, opportunistic instincts and the ability to drop off and find space in deep areas. These attributes could be very useful in Germany, where everything suggests that Petkovic will send his team out to play a tactical game, looking to hit the opposition on the break. Kezman scored on his international debut in 2000 in a friendly against China, and has been a regular member of the national set-up ever since. He was involved at UEFA Euro 2000, where he was sent off only 44 seconds after coming on as a substitute against Norway in Liege. He also took part in the qualifying phases for the 2002 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2004. In February 2003, following a 2-2 home draw against Azerbaijan, Kezman announced his retirement from international football, but the return of current manager Ilija Petkovic in 2004 after, ironically, the return match against Azerbaijan, made him change his mind. On that day, a new and successful period kicked off, culminating this summer in Germany.
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Serbia and Montenegro international, Mateja Kežman, will sign a three year contract with Fenerbahçe today. The striker spent an unsuccessful season with Chelsea and all three parties have agreed to this 7 million Euro transfer.

Kežman started his career in Serbia and Montenegro, where he became popular while playing for Partizan, Belgrade. He was bought by the Dutch team PSV, where he was a prolific striker, setting a record number of goals per season. His year in Chelsea was not as successful, as he mostly started games as a substitute and managed to score only seven goals in official games.

Other teams that demonstrated an interest in Kežman this summer included Sevilla, Olympique de Marseille and Schalke 04.

Kežman led Serbia and Montenegro's scoring during the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifications with 5 goals, including the only goal in the final game against Bosnia and Herzegovina which in turn allowed Serbia and Montenegro to qualify directly, having come first in their group.  He has managed 16 goals in 45 caps for Serbia and Montenegro, as of December 2005.

He failed to make an impact with the London club, and only started 14 games for Chelsea, leaving for Atlético de Madrid after just one season.  Despite his disappointing year, Chelsea made a transfer profit on the player. After a short spell in Madrid, Fenerbahçe SK trusted in "Batman" and signed him to a three year contract in August 2006. The management and fans knew he was a risky transfer, especially considering he was to fill the void of departed superstar Nicolas Anelka. The management's faith seemed to pull through as Kežman quickly found his PSV-form back again and scored in consecutive matches early into the season. Kežman scored 3 crucial goals in his first 3 matches (2 were Game-winning and 1 was Game-tying). All three were beautiful strikes and won weekly honours.