Slovak football mourning Marek Špilár
Sunday, September 8, 2013
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Former Slovakia defender Marek Špilár, who won 30 caps for the national team and twice won the Belgian league with Club Brugge KV, has died at the age of 38.
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Slovak football is mourning the death of former international centre-back Marek Špilár, who has passed away at the age of 38.
"This is sad and painful news for the Slovak football family," read a statement on the website of the Slovak Football Association (SFZ). Špilár won 30 caps for the national side between 1997 and 2002, making the last of his appearances in a UEFA EURO 2004 qualifier against Turkey in September 2002.
In the club arena, the defender won the Slovak championship with MFK Košice in 1997/98 after starting his career at FK Drnovice. Following spells with Czech outfits FC Baník Ostrava and SK Sigma Olomouc, he signed for Belgian side Club Brugge KV in 2002 and picked up league titles in 2002/03 and 2004/05, before ending his career with Nagoya Grampus in Japan.