Tim Matavž


Tim Matavž is a Slovenian football player who plays for Al Wahda as a forward.

Club career

Matavž began his football career at the age of 6 playing for Bilje. In 2004, he moved to Gorica youth squads. He was promoted to their senior squad in the 2006–07 season and played a total of 30 matches in the Slovenian first division, scoring 11 goals in the process.
On 30 August 2007, at the age of 18, he signed a five-year contract for Groningen. On 26 September 2007 he scored four goals in KNVB Cup in a match against IJsselmeervogels, but later moved to Emmen on loan and remained there until January 2009.
On 13 March 2009 Matavž scored his first goal in the Eredivisie in a 2–0 victory over Roda. Soon he began scoring for Groningen on regular basis in all competitions. On 24 February 2010 Matavž extended his contract with club until 2013. On 6 February 2011, in a match against Willem II, Matavž scored his first hat-trick in the Eredivisie.
On 2 February 2011, Groningen sporting director Hans Nijland said that Matavž had already agreed terms with Napoli and that he was looking forward to joining them.
However, Eredivisie side PSV Eindhoven were also in talks with Groningen to buy him before the transfer window closed. On 31 August 2011, Matavž eventually signed a five-year contract with PSV.
On 29 June 2017, Matavž returned to the Netherlands, to join Vitesse on a three-year deal.
On 19 July 2020, Matavž joined Al Wahda on a two-year deal.

International career

On 9 October 2010, Matavž scored a hat-trick for Slovenia in the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying match against Faroe Islands. At the age of 21, he became the youngest player ever to score three goals for Slovenia.

International goals

#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.8 October 2010Stožice Stadium, Ljubljana, Slovenia1–05–1UEFA Euro 2012 qualification
2.8 October 2010Stožice Stadium, Ljubljana, Slovenia2–05–1UEFA Euro 2012 qualification
3.8 October 2010Stožice Stadium, Ljubljana, Slovenia3–05–1UEFA Euro 2012 qualification
4.3 June 2011Svangaskarð, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands1–02–0UEFA Euro 2012 qualification
5.2 September 2011Stožice Stadium, Ljubljana, Slovenia1–11–2UEFA Euro 2012 qualification
6.15 November 2011Stožice Stadium, Ljubljana, Slovenia1–12–3Friendly
7.15 November 2011Stožice Stadium, Ljubljana, Slovenia2–32–3Friendly
8.12 October 2012Ljudski vrt, Maribor, Slovenia1–02–12014 FIFA World Cup qualification
9.12 October 2012Ljudski vrt, Maribor, Slovenia2–02–12014 FIFA World Cup qualification
10.31 May 2013Schüco Arena, Bielefeld, Germany2–02–0Friendly
11.19 November 2019Stadion Narodowy, Warsaw, Poland1–12–3UEFA Euro 2020 qualification

Career statistics

Honours

Club

;PSV Eindhoven
Matavž was born in Šempeter pri Gorici, Slovenia. He is a cousin of the football player Etien Velikonja. In June 2014, Matavž married his long-term partner Polona. He has two daughters, Tia and Ela, and one son, Val. Beside Slovene, Matavž is also fluent in Dutch.