Czech Republic
Identity crisis
The Czechs topped their qualifying group, ahead of Germany, which might lead casual observers to regard the campaign as an outright success. But, in fact, the team were far less convincing than their final position suggests.
The two games against the Germans exemplify the Czechs’ inconsistent showing. They gave a poor performance in the 2-1 home defeat in March 2007, after which a tabloid scandal pushed coach Karel Bruckner to the brink of resignation. Seven months later, the team remarkably won 3-0 in Munich, albeit with the Germans already qualified. That sealed the Czechs’ finals place and meant that Bruckner had become the first coach to lead a Czech Republic/Czechoslovakia team to three successive major finals.
It’s unclear which performance is the team’s true face: are they, in fact, still in decline or on the rise again?
Outclassed
The Czechs had started the campaign brightly, with 10 points from their first four games. But, fielding a near-full-strength side in Prague, they were outclassed by a German team missing several key players. What happened after the game would cause more damage than the defeat itself, however.
In the early hours of the morning, an undercover journalist gatecrashed the 29th birthday party of defender Tomas Ujfalusi at the team hotel. There, she discovered Ujfalusi, playmaker Tomas Rosicky, midfielder Jan Polak, defender Martin Jiranek and reserve goalkeeper Marek Cech in a room with six women alleged to be prostitutes.
In the aftermath, amid media outrage at the players’ indiscipline, a shaken Bruckner admitted he had considered resigning. The squad were fined but Bruckner kept his job and Rosicky retained the captaincy.
An unconvincing 1-0 win over Cyprus four days later did little to dispel impressions of a team lacking direction and
self-discipline. After June’s dull 0-0 draw in Wales, the knives were out. “It’s time to change coach,” argued daily newspaper Mlada fronta Dnes. “The national team isn’t heading towards the triumphal arch but to the cemetery gates.”
But the team weathered the storm and found form again in September in a vital 1-0 win over the Republic of Ireland in Prague.
Although Germany had already qualified four days before the rematch with the Czechs, few expected them to be pushovers on their own patch. And with Rosicky, Polak, Milan Baros, Marek Jankulovski and Zdenek Grygera all unavailable, Bruckner was forced to improvise. So the performance and the margin of victory was as impressive as it was unexpected. In midfield, Jaroslav Plasil and Libor Sionko both shone, while Marek Matejovsky and Daniel Pudil, two home-based players drafted into the team as cover, also impressed.
Wins in their final two games, against Slovakia and Cyprus, meant the Czechs finished two points ahead of Germany.
Of course, qualification was met with jubilation but questions remain about the squad’s quality. Munich aside, the midfield have looked pale imitations of predecessors such as Pavel Nedved, Karel Poborsky and Vladimir Smicer. The squad also remains over-reliant on three players – Rosicky, goalkeeper Petr Cech and striker Jan Koller. Worryingly, Rosicky and Cech have struggled with injuries this season while Koller is now 35 and plans to retire after Euro 2008.
Bruckner, who will also retire after the finals, has said his aim is to get beyond the group stage. It may be unwise to expect much more.
Interview with Czech Republic coach Karel Bruckner
Interview with Czech Republic's Petr Cech
Interview with Czech Republic's Petr Cech
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