1. Overview
Alex Král, born on May 19, 1998, is a professional footballer from the Czech Republic who plays as a defensive midfielder. Born in Košice, Slovakia, he later moved to the Czech Republic and represents the Czech Republic national team at international level. Král is known for his stints at several prominent clubs, including SK Slavia Prague, FC Spartak Moscow, West Ham United, Schalke 04, and Union Berlin, and is currently on loan to Spanish La Liga side RCD Espanyol. He stands at 73 in (186 cm) tall.
2. Early Life
Alex Král was born in Košice, Slovakia, on May 19, 1998. During his childhood, his family relocated to Štýřice, a district of Brno in the Czech Republic. It was there that he began his football journey at a young age, laying the foundation for his future professional career.
2.1. Childhood and Youth Career
Král started playing football at the age of six with SK Moravská Slavia Brno. He continued his development within the Brno football system, joining Zbrojovka Brno at the age of nine. At 14, his talent was recognized by SK Slavia Prague, which led to him being scouted and recruited by the club. He then moved to Prague to further his development within Slavia Prague's youth academy, where he continued to hone his skills until 2017.
3. Club Career
Alex Král's professional club career has spanned several countries, beginning in the Czech Republic and later seeing him play in Russia, England, Germany, and Spain.
3.1. FK Teplice
Král commenced his professional career by signing a contract with FK Teplice in February 2017. He made his professional debut for the club on May 7, 2017, in a match against FC Hradec Králové. During his tenure at Teplice, he made 43 league appearances, scoring 1 goal, and contributed 5 appearances and 1 goal in national cup competitions.
3.2. SK Slavia Prague
In January 2019, Král returned to his former youth club, SK Slavia Prague, signing a four-year contract. His return marked a significant step in his career, allowing him to play at a higher level in the Czech First League. During his time with Slavia Prague, he made 18 league appearances, 3 national cup appearances, and 8 European appearances, where he scored 1 goal. He also made 1 appearance in the Czechoslovak Supercup.
3.3. FC Spartak Moscow
On September 1, 2019, Alex Král made a significant move to the Russian Premier League club FC Spartak Moscow, signing a five-year contract. He became a key player for Spartak Moscow over several seasons, participating in both domestic competitions and the UEFA Champions League.
3.3.1. Loan to West Ham United
On August 31, 2021, Král joined English side West Ham United on a season-long loan, with an option for the deal to be made permanent. He made his debut for the club on September 22 in a 1-0 victory against Manchester United in the EFL Cup at Old Trafford. His Premier League debut followed on December 28, 2021, when he appeared as a substitute in a 4-1 win against Watford. Before his loan concluded, Král made one appearance in the Premier League, three appearances in the Europa League, and one appearance each in the FA Cup and the EFL Cup.
3.3.2. Contract Suspension and FC Schalke 04
On July 1, 2022, Spartak Moscow announced that Král had suspended his contract for the 2022-23 season. This action was taken under FIFA's special regulations, which allowed players to temporarily suspend contracts with Russian clubs due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent international responses. Subsequently, on July 14, 2022, Schalke 04 in Germany announced the signing of Král on a one-year contract. Under the FIFA regulations, he remained a Spartak player but temporarily played for Schalke 04, where he wore jersey number 30. During his loan spell, he made 29 appearances in the Bundesliga and 2 appearances in the DFB-Pokal.
3.4. 1. FC Union Berlin
On June 2, 2023, Union Berlin announced the signing of Alex Král ahead of their 2023-24 season. In his first season with the club, Král made 24 appearances in the Bundesliga, 2 appearances in the DFB-Pokal, and a further 6 appearances in Union Berlin's inaugural campaign in the Champions League.
3.4.1. Loan to RCD Espanyol
On August 7, 2024, Král was loaned to the newly promoted La Liga side RCD Espanyol. He has since made 23 appearances in La Liga and 2 appearances in cup competitions for the Spanish club.
4. International Career
Alex Král has represented the Czech Republic at various youth levels before making his senior team debut, consistently showcasing his talent on the international stage.
4.1. Youth National Teams
Král has been a regular fixture in the Czech Republic's youth national teams. He participated in the UEFA European Under-17 Championship in 2015 and the UEFA European Under-19 Championship in 2017. He also featured for the Czech Republic at the U-18, U-20, and U-21 levels. For the U-17 team, he made 18 appearances and scored 1 goal. With the U-18 team, he appeared 13 times and scored 1 goal. For the U-19 team, he accumulated 20 appearances and scored 1 goal. He made 3 appearances for the U-20 team and 9 appearances, scoring 1 goal, for the U-21 team.
4.2. Senior National Team
Alex Král made his debut for the Czech Republic senior national team on March 26, 2019, in a friendly match against Brazil. He entered the game as a 69th-minute substitute for David Pavelka. He scored his first international goal on October 14, 2019, in a friendly against Northern Ireland.
4.2.1. International Goals
Scores and results list the Czech Republic's goal tally first.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | October 14, 2019 | Generali Arena, Prague, Czech Republic | Northern Ireland | 2-3 | 2-3 | Friendly |
| 2. | November 14, 2019 | Doosan Arena, Plzeň, Czech Republic | Kosovo | 1-1 | 2-1 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualification |
5. Career Statistics
Alex Král's professional career statistics are detailed below, covering his club and international appearances and goals.
5.1. Club
Figures updated as of February 11, 2025.
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Teplice | 2016-17 | Czech First League | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2017-18 | Czech First League | 23 | 1 | 3 | 1 | - | - | 26 | 2 | |||
| 2018-19 | Czech First League | 17 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 19 | 0 | |||
| Total | 43 | 1 | 5 | 1 | - | - | 48 | 2 | ||||
| Slavia Prague | 2018-19 | Czech First League | 12 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 | - | 21 | 1 | |
| 2019-20 | Czech First League | 6 | 0 | - | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | ||
| Total | 18 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 1 | ||
| Spartak Moscow | 2019-20 | Russian Premier League | 19 | 0 | 4 | 0 | - | - | 23 | 0 | ||
| 2020-21 | Russian Premier League | 29 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 30 | 0 | |||
| 2021-22 | Russian Premier League | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | 7 | 0 | ||
| Total | 53 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | 60 | 0 | |||
| West Ham United (loan) | 2021-22 | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Schalke 04 (loan) | 2022-23 | Bundesliga | 29 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 31 | 0 | ||
| Union Berlin | 2023-24 | Bundesliga | 24 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | - | 32 | 1 | |
| Espanyol (loan) | 2024-25 | La Liga | 23 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 25 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 191 | 1 | 20 | 1 | 19 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 232 | 4 | ||
Notes:
- National cup includes appearances in the Czech Cup, Russian Cup, FA Cup, and DFB-Pokal.
- "Other" column includes appearances in the Czechoslovak Supercup and EFL Cup.
5.2. International
Figures updated as of November 19, 2024.
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Czech Republic | 2019 | 9 | 2 |
| 2020 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 13 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 43 | 2 | |
6. Honours
- Slavia Prague
- Czech First League: 2018-19
- Czech Cup: 2018-19
- Individual
- UEFA European Under-19 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2017