The Football Guru

[Brian W]

[Newspaper article, early June 2010]

The Bleak Future of Eastern European Club Football

A Special Investigation By Jack Saunders

One of the most saddening aspects of modern football has been the fortunes of clubs outside the top leagues in the western side of the continent. A cursory glance at the Champions League draw in August, and the average fan could confidently predict at least twelve of the sixteen teams who would progress to the knockout stages, with at least eight of the 32 teams almost completely written off before a ball is kicked.

This is undoubtedly a result of the continuing increasing strength of La Liga, Serie A and the Premier League. The French and German leagues are both able to hold their own, but even the likes of the Dutch and Portuguese leagues – with the obvious exception of Porto in 2004 – do little more than make up the numbers. From the east, the story is the same, with clubs from Athens and Istanbul occasionally making the last-16, along with Russian and Ukrainian clubs managing the same but rarely more.

Between the western powers, and the nations of the former USSR though, there are a group of countries with rich footballing histories, and moderately successful national teams but for whom even an appearance in the group stages would be considered a surprise these days.

Hungary, home of Puskas and the Mighty Magyars of the 50s and Ferencvaros who reached three European finals in the 60s and 70s, had a very rare appearance in the group stage last season where Debrecen lost all six games. However, football in Hungary has largely been on decline at all levels for many decades – the national team has not made it to a major championship since 1986, which would suggest that the nation is not producing the quality of footballer which reached two World Cup finals.

The only dual World Cup finalist other than Hungary who have never lifted the trophy are Czechoslovakia. They, like Hungary, have a rich history, particularly either side of the Second World War. Unlike the Hungarians, the Czechs have a recent history of success too, with a 1976 European Championship success as well as the defeat to Germany at Wembley in the final in 1996.

Also, like Hungary, Czechoslovakian club sides scooped a single European trophy in the 1960s. That was the 1969 Cup Winners Cup, which was won by Slovan Bratislava. That trophy now resides in Slovakia, leaving the clubs of the present-day Czech Republic without so much as a European final in their entire history.

That is not to say that there have not been bright spots in the pasts of Czech club sides. In fact, the city of Prague has been represented five times in semifinals of the three main European trophies. Not many other cities can claim to match Prague's accomplishment of having been represented at that stage by four different clubs. In 1967, Dukla were the first of those teams when they fell to the team soon to be known as the Lisbon Lions in the semifinal stage of the European Cup. They remain to this day the only Czech participant in the final four of the premier competition.

After Dukla, Sparta were the next to reach a semifinal, when they got to the final four of the Cup Winners Cup in 1972. Ten years later, Bohemians reached the equivalent stage of the UEFA Cup, while in 1986 Dukla reached their second European semifinal – this time in the Cup Winners Cup. The final Prague team to make their mark were Slavia in 1996 when they lost out to Bordeaux for a place in the 1996 UEFA Cup final. The only Czech side from outside Prague to reach a semifinal were Banik Ostrava in the 1979 Cup Winners Cup.

Since 1996 – ironically, the year that marked the coming of age of their national team – Czech teams have struggled to make any progress in Europe. This can definitely be traced back to the national side. In 2006 and 2008, their squads for major championships contained just two players based in their home country. 2004 was little better with just five home-based players. In that time, Milan Baros, Vladimir Smicer and Marek Jankulovski have won Champions League medals, while Petr Cech was within a penalty kick of matching his countrymen.

So, the Czech Republic has the talent to produce teams who could challenge the elite, if only they could encourage them to remain in their homeland. With the Czech Republic the wealthiest of the newer members of the EU and the city of Prague itself being the fourth richest region in the whole of the EU, surely that would be possible with some effort from the authorities there?

Part two of this six-part report will be published next Tuesday when Jack looks at the infrastructure of Czech football, and finds the problems and potential solutions to the question of Czech domestic football.

[Brian W]

Jack put his newspaper back into his hand luggage as prepared to file off his no-frills flight which had just landed in Prague. His knees were aching from the lack of legroom during the two-hour flight, but that pain was counteracted by the sight of his article in a national newspaper.

He hoped it would be received well back home, and was looking forward to writing the sixth and final part of his investigation. All he had to do was get a couple of interviews on this final trip to the Czech capital, and sum up all of his findings into one coherent article.

He caught himself dreaming. Could he end up leading a major journalistic investigation? – a major sporting scandal. His name could appear above an article on the back page. Possibly even the front page. He wiped the latter thought from his mind – he was still first of all a sports fan, and a front page scandal involving prostitutes, drugs or illegal gambling wasn't what he was in this job for.

A nudge from behind. As his mind wandered into the realms of a day-dream, the plane had begun to empty, and he was holding up the passengers behind him. He mumbled an apology, and hurried ahead.

He went through the general protocols of entering the country, and started to look for the representative from the FA who had agreed to meet him. He was excited at this – it was potentially the best interview he had managed to arrange throughout the investigation.

A man walked towards him, and introduced himself as Pavel. He was tall and very muscular with a shaven head. He was dressed in a jet black suit and tie, with a white shirt and dark glasses. The name matched that of the man he was meant to meet. The appearance of the man – which he could only liken to a nightclub bouncer – did not. He was shown to a Mercedes with darkened windows. He willingly got into this car, but something felt wrong all of a sudden.

[chesterfan2]

Liking this already Bri,

Is this An FM11, let's see if dynamic Rep works thing ? or a more traditional bill of fayre ?

[Brian W]

Cheers cf2. I'll answer that largely in this post and the next one

------------

The car pulled up after a 15-minute journey of silence. Was this the FA? He saw neither the word “Fotbalovy” nor the logo of the Czech FA. He got out of the car as instructed, and followed Pavel into the building. He was greeted by another man who never introduced himself, and was led into a side room.

The room was dimly lit, and around a large table sat half a dozen men, all dressed in an identical manner to Pavel, but without the dark glasses. The majority were middle-aged, and all looked like they enjoyed a hearty business lunch. An odour of cigarettes enveloped the room, and a spirit glass was located in front of each man. The majority of these, like the bottle in the middle of the table were closer to being empty than full.

Jack was guided to a seat on the opposite side of the table by Pavel, while the man who had been his driver took a seat alongside the other six men.

Jack had by now forgotten of the interview he had planned. He was now confused and ultimately petrified. The atmosphere was intimidating in the extreme. These men could not be in charge of Czech football.

The first to speak was the plumpest of the men. He spoke in a thick accent.

“We have seen your articles”

Jack assumed the use of the plural here was a grammatical error resulting from speaking outside of his native tongue. The man continued after draining his glass.

“You think you know all the answers to everything, don't you?”

He felt there was nothing in the article which had been published which was unfair in any way to the subject it was dealing with. In fact, it was only background history. Jack stuttered.

“I'm...I'm sorry. I think you should wait until the series has been published before you judge it. Here, I can show you the next four articles if you like”

He motioned towards the door, outside of which was his bag containing his laptop.

“No need.”

It was the man on the far right. The youngest of the group by far.

“We have seen your other articles”

With that, the young man passed a dozen or so sheets of paper. Sure enough, Jack could instantly see these were the four unpublished articles which he had sent to his editor a week previously.

“How....?”

Jack attempted to ask how these had got in their hands but failed.

“Simple,” the man on the right continued, “we had to have you watched. We knew what you were doing, asking for interviews with players, managers, officials...we had to know what your purpose was. And your emails were hardly secure, were they?”

Jack was perplexed by this. He took all the usual precautions with computer security. The thought of a hacker knowing his personal details abhorred him. He opted to not answer the rhetorical question. He feared where this was leading.

[Brian W]

By now, fear had interwoven itself into Jack's expression. A short period of silence ensued, which was probably no longer than ten seconds, but felt like ten minutes to the Englishman. Finally, the quiet was ended. Possibly by the man whose voice began the meeting, or the man sat next to him – Jack was unsure:

“There's no need to be frightened”

Six words which had the exact opposite effect temporarily, before a sudden switch in mood. The same man continued:

“We liked your articles”

Fear turned to puzzlement. Puzzlement verging on amazement. These were words he rarely heard from his bosses, let alone a stranger in a smoky room somewhere in Prague.

“We like your ideas. We need your help. We are tired of seeing our best players flee to foreign lands. We are sick of our national league being an embarrassment”

“But how can I help? I'm just a journalist” interjected Jack.

“Just a journalist?” The plump gentleman continued; Jack nodded. “You should not be so hard on yourself. We need commitment, drive and hunger. A determination to work for Czech football, and not just for personal gain.”

“In an advisory capacity?”

The man who by now appeared to be the chair of this meeting looked in the direction of the IT guy again, this time to the slimmer middle aged man sat next to him. He produced a piece of paper, turned it round to face Jack, and pushed it towards the by-now utterly bemused journalist.

Jack scanned the paper. The UEFA logo jumped out immediately. He scanned down, and saw a name filled in.

“Who is Jakub Prochazka?”

“You”

“Woah...hang on”

“Its simple. It benefits all parties. We get a man to work for us who knows how to benefit our league and is committed to doing so. And you get a way out of your dead-end existence in England.”

Again, Jack's facial expressions said it all to this panel of people. There was anger now. How could they write off his life just like that?

The IT guy spoke. “We know everything. We know your wife ran off with your best friend. We saw your angry messages on Facebook, and your pathetic emails trying to win her back. She's gone. Get over it. We know everyone at work hates you. Why do you think you got sent to investigate football in North Korea?”

It was cutting, and all too true. Jack was too tired to argue with that. He did have some questions remaining though.

“How do you know I'm committed? What is this coaching licence all about?”

“Well, how else will we get you involved directly? You're going to manage the club. Build it into a European force. And you'll stay because...well...you wouldn't want to upset us. Would you? Oh, and we'll heavily subsidise your wage packet here at the FA. You may be employed by the club, but you work for us.”

“So, I'm manager of the club?” Jack was deciding to play along with this idea now.

“Yes”

“Which club?”

“Not one club. You will move from club to club, improving each one and implementing your ideas. You will be the football guru”

“But which one do I start at?”

“That is up to you. We will ensure you get whichever job you like. We will...make arrangements...if you get our drift”

“So, any club I like?”

“Well, steer clear of teams who qualified for Europe. We don't want to arouse suspicion by getting rid of a popular manager”

“Do I have to make a decision now?”

“No. Tomorrow, 9am”

Well, thought Jack – or is that Jakub? - that wasn't enough time to think. But it gave him an option to get out the room and plan his way out of here. There must be flights back to London he could get on before morning.

[Brian W]

Jack was given a lift to his hotel in the same Mercedes that had brought him to the meeting. He connected to the hotel's wireless network, and searched for flights out the country. He wasn't a football manager. He didn't want to be one. And it was fraud. He didn't have those qualifications. Who was this Jakub character? Was he made up, or the victim of some strange form of footballing identity theft?

As Jack's browser was pointed towards every website he could think about flights, he found himself also looking at the Gambrinus Liga 2009/10. There was, after all, another option. It could be fun. The words “dead-end existence” rattled round his head. They say the truth hurts, and it did. This was the chance for a new life.

But what if the plan was uncovered. Surely it was illegal. What were jails over here like, and was it worth the risk? Thoughts jumped round his head for hours. Before he knew it, he had to make a choice. Airport or stay? Indecision led to a decision. It was too late to go. He was still there, and redoubled his attention on the league table.

With champions Sparta Prague out of the question, along with Jablonec and Baník Ostrava who both ran them close last season and made it into the Europa League. For the same reason, cup winners Viktoria Plzeň, who finished fifth in the league, were also off the radar.

The obvious choice, therefore, would be Teplice, the team who finished between Baník and Viktoria Plzeňlast season, and won the cup in 2009. As a club with third place as their best finish ever, a relatively low level of expectation could also be useful.

Another obvious choice would be Ústi nad Labem, who are groundsharing with Teplice due to their ground not being up to scratch. Their first top-flight season since the 50s would make for an easy ride in terms of expectations, but as the smallest club in the league, any achievement would be hard to come by.

Fellow promotees Hradec Králové matched their achievement of a half-century ago by being reaching the top flight in 2010. They will have to go some to match their 1961 performance and take the title at the first attempt back in the big time.

Both of these teams would be hoping to overhaul the likes of Slovácko and České Budějovice, who finished just outside the relegation zone last season. The former, as the name would suggest, were the closest club to the Slovakian border. The latter, other than being completely unpronounceable and with too many accents in their name, had all-time international appearance record holder Karel Poborsky as chairman. Jack felt it unfair to include such a legend in such a scheme. As such, they were the first scrubbed off the list.

The largest team, by far, that did not make it into Europe in 2010 were Slavia Prague, title winners in both 2008 and 2009. Their seventh placed finish last time out would make their manager easy to depose. However, it would be a massive job to take on the Czech Republic's second biggest side. Moderate failure could result in a sacking which would leave him in limbo very quickly. On the other hand, a quick route into Europe was eminently possible there.

Ahead of Slavia finished Sigma Olomouc, a fairly consistent team whose finest hour came in 1992, when they reached the quarterfinals of the UEFA Cup, losing by the odd goal over two legs to Real Madrid. Behind Slavia were Mladá Boleslav, who have a shorter history, only reaching the top flight in 2004. They are now comfortable at this level though, and unlikely to be relegation candidates.

Slovan Liberec remain one of ever-presents in the Czech top-flight since its inception in 1993. Their 9th place finish last season was their worst in a decade which saw them win two titles, reach the UEFA Cup quarter finals, and narrowly miss out on the Champions League group stage courtesy of an away goals defeat to eventual winners AC Milan in 2002/03.

The Brno club, newly christened as Zbrojovka Brno for the new season have finished eleventh for two seasons running. They had their best years in the late 70s when they won their only title of the old Czechoslovakia.

There are two clubs remaining, and both can to varying degrees trace their roots back to the other great Prague clubs. Both also illustrate the complex nature of Czech football, with the rights to clubs and their names changing hands at an alarming rate.

Firstly, Bohemians are now known as Bohemians 1905. The roots of this club trace back to those of Bohemians Prague, the 1983 UEFA Cup semifinalists. However, a century after their formation, they nearly became extinct. The club's fans saved the club from financial oblivion, but at a price – relegation to the third division, and the loss of the club's rightful name. Their name, and logo (famously, a kangaroo representing a gift from a tour of Australia in 1927), were bought by the club previously known as Střížkov Prague. This new side were also in the 3rd division at the time. The true side – now 1905 – found their way back to the top flight by 2007. A year later, the new Bohemians Prague also made it to the same league, but 1905 were relegated at the same time. When 1905 returned the the top flight at the first time of asking, the Gambrinus Liga features two sides called Bohemians, playing in identical strips, with almost identical badges. That was until the side owning the name refused to play the historic side, and were deducted 15 points for that offence, and another of allegations of bribery against Sigma. This caused their relegation, and after being refused a licence, Bohemians Prague now play in the 3rd division.

The second of the historic Prague sides not immediately obvious on a league table are Dukla Prague, twice continental semifinalists. The old army team fell on very hard times, and were relegated with just a single win in the first season of football after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia. Financial problems meant that turned out to be a double relegation direct to the 3rd division. A short while later, Dukla merged with Příbram, taking the latter's league position in the 2nd division, and the former's name and stadium. The merger was a success briefly, with a cup final and promotion back to the top flight. Things turned sour though, as the lack of an agreement with the army over the ground meant the club relocated to Příbram. The club was briefly renamed as Dukla Příbram before the Dukla was dropped in favour of sponsorship in 2000, briefly wiping the Dukla name off the map. Příbram remain in the Gambrinus Liga, and finished 10th last season.

While Příbram lay a chronological claim to Dukla Prague's past, the more romantic connection is with the present-day Dukla Prague, who reformed in 2006 and play at their rightful ground, Na Julisce. They began in the 4th division, but a merger with a 2nd division team in 2007 got them to the level which they currently remain. Sixth place last season in that league would indicate promotion is a possibility but by far the hardest possibility Jack considered that night. It was the romance which kept them open as an option for Jack.

A whole range of possibilities lay before him. Each had compelling arguments for and against. He decided to try to sleep on it.

After little sleep at all, Jack's phone rang dead on 9 o'clock. The voice was familiar.

“Well, have you made a decision yet Jakub?”

A pause – he was struggling to cope with the name change – Jack answered succinctly.

“Yes, yes I have”

[Brian W]

Around 30 miles northeast of Prague lies the city of Mladá Boleslav, a fairly affluent city of less than fifty thousand inhabitants. It is a city which had given the world Jan Železný, a man who could throw the javelin further than any other man who has ever lived, and the Skoda motor company. A list of tourist attractions in Mladá Boleslav in fact includes the Skoda museum which, one can only assume, is a popular destination among stand up comedians.

Since 2004, the city had also been able to claim to a top-flight football team as the club, now named simply as FK Mladá Boleslav having previously carried Skoda in their name for 25 years, and Aston Villa for 30 years. A second place finish in 2006 gave them a chance to compete in the Champions League qualifiers. After defeat to Galatasaray though, they had to make do with a shot at success in the UEFA Cup. Their chances would have seemed low when they drew Olympique Marseilles in the first round, but a famous comeback win got them into the group stage. That was where it ended that season though as they drew three of their four matches, losing the other one.

The following year, after a third place finish in the league, and a late equaliser and penalty shooutout win against Palermo, Mladá Boleslav again found themselves in the group stage of European football’s second trophy. After defeating Elfsborg, it was perhaps not surprising that they failed to accrue another point in the group as they succumbed to single goal defeats against Villareal, AEK Athens and Fiorentina in a particularly tough group.

Since then, finishes of 7th, 6th and 8th have meant that the team are steady in the Gambrinus Liga, but have not required any international transport in order to fulfil their fixtures.

Jack was making himself at home in his small office at the Městský Stadion, which translates as the unimaginative Municipal Stadium. It was a small office, and a small stadium. Just five thousand seats made it the smallest stadium used in the Gambrinus Liga – as an aside, Usti nad Labem’s own Městský Stadion which can only accommodate 3,000 would be the smallest were they allowed to use it.

He’d had a look round the place. The training facilities were ok, but in no way good. It seemed that the youth players had slightly better facilities, but these too were in need of improvement. If he was going to make the Czech domestic scene a place to be, these were the sort of things that would have to be improved. Not only here, but at future clubs he went to.

The phone rang. Jack answered it.

“Hello”

“Jack, its your boss”

“Ah, hello chairman, how can I help you?”

“No, not that boss…you work for us remember”

Of course, it was his overseers at the FA. The voice continued.

“We’d like a report from you.”

“Uh-huh?”

“We want a list of the top-ten players in the league and your opinions on them. We want to keep track of them. Same goes for the top-ten youth prospects. Oh, and what should we expect from our teams in Europe this year? Fax that over to us too. Shall we say….by Friday?”

“But I need to sort things out here. We start the season in under four weeks.”

“Remember.” The FA man sounded angered. “Who pays you more?”

“OK, Friday it is”

Jack felt frustrated, but he had no choice. Rather than meeting his players, he was writing about the players who, in the main, he would like to have.

[mametz1536]

Excellent Story Brian, the Czech league is a favourite of mine since a tour of the country in the mid 90's. I remember going to the Bohemians stadium deep in the suburbs of Prague to be greeted by a Queen tribute band concert. I will be following with interest, it's going to be a difficult task, dislodging the Prague giants.

[Panpardus]

Great start, will be following along.

[Elrithral]

I love Eastern European football and the Czech Republic has been on my to do list for a while now. The brief factoids make it all the more enjoyable, good luck Brian.

[chesterfan2]

Liking this so far Bri, your attention to the history of Czech footy is great. Still, I can't believe you haven't managed to weave that old Half Man Half Biscuit song 'All I want for Christmas is a Dukla Prague Away Kit' into the story. Please do so forthwith.

[Satio]

I may as well be another one to add to this growing list of compliments and messages

I'm enjoying this so far, as Chester has said, great attention to detail and history. Look forward to more of the same.

[Brian W]

Yikes...thanks for the compliments guys - not sure I've ever had so many in a row!

I like the history angle normally, and the history of some of these Czech clubs is quite extraordinary. Its probably what I use in place of a sub-plot, which isn't my strength at all.

As for Dukla Prague Away Kit - damn it!...I always planned on including that, and totally forgot in the end. My ambition on this story is probably to manage three clubs. Mlada Boleslav are the first, another mid-table team, and then I want to end it at Dukla. Problem is, I suspect that's at least 25-30 seasons down the road!

Next couple of updates on their way....after my customary argument with the WYSIWYG editor

[Brian W]

From: Jakub Prochazka

To: Czech FA

Top Ten Players in Czech Football, Summer 2010

1 Ondrej Kuzmir - Czech – Sparta Prague – 26yo – D/WB R

Without doubt, in my opinion, the best player currently plying his trade in the Czech Republic, albeit in an unfashionable full back position. The 26-year-old, currently recovering from a broken ankle, has 3 caps for the country. He has pace to burn, and has all the attributes needed to frighten his opposition fullback to death with supreme ball control, and a final ball to excite strikers waiting in the box. A move abroad must be in the offing when Ondrej regains fitness.

2 Marek Matejovsky – Czech – Sparta Prague – 28yo – AM C

After two-and-a-half seasons in England with Reading, Marek has returned home in a move worth £1million. Unfortunately, his destination was the riches of Sparta Prague, rather than here at Mladá Boleslav. A natural creative talent, he is sure to set up more goals for the particularly fortunate Sparta strikers.

3 Tijani Belaïd – Tunisian – Slavia Prague – 22yo – AM RC

Another superb creative talent plying his trade in the capital, it is hard to work out where Tijani is best utilised. His passing and vision seem to make him a good fit for the middle of the park, but that would waste his crossing and dribbling ability which could be deadly out wide. Add in a deadly accurate shot from outside the area, and a talent with set pieces, and the youngster is a very exciting player.

4 Frantisek Rajtoral – Czech – Slavia Prague – 24yo – AM RC

Frantisek is one of those players who knows how to make the most of his ability. He will more often than not be in the right place at the right time, and make the right choice when he’s there. Add in superb control with the ball at his feet, and passing ability right out of the top drawer and it is hard to see this player remaining in Plzen too long.

5 Tomas Marek – Czech – Banik Ostrava – 29yo – DM C

Tomas is probably getting too old to consider a move to a bigger league, and is embarking on his fifth season in the top flight, having been a somewhat late developer. At his happiest sitting in front of the back line, he is committed to the cause, and has the ability to stifle the opposition while being comfortable enough on the ball himself to initiate attacking moves for his own side.

6 David Lafata – Czech – Jablonec – 28yo – S C

A failed £1.3million move to Austria in 2007 ended with just 6 goals in a season and a half before Lafata moved back to Jablonec, with the Czech side pocketing a seven-figure profit over the two moves. Lafata has since notched double figures in both seasons since his return, and is a calm, cool finisher. Jablonec will hope he can continue that form in both the league and Europe League this time out.

7 Vaclav Kadlec – Czech – Sparta Prague – 18yo – S C

Quite simply, the brightest prospect in Czech football. Even at age 18, he is a regular for the top side in the country. This could well be his breakthrough season in terms of goalscoring with his pace and movement likely to threaten all but the best defenders in the league. Highly sought after talent who is being watched by Manchester United. I can’t see Sparta selling for less than £5million though. And I sincerely hope they don’t!

8 Tomas Repka – Czech – Sparta Prague – 36yo – D C

At double the age of his team-mate, Kadlec, Repka is still regarded as the best defender in the league. His experience in England and Italy, as well as on the international stage is invaluable in this league. His strength, aggression and bloody-mindedness have made him a club legend, and although he would be a candidate to become a manager, it would be no surprise if he were to sign an extension to his playing contract which expires at the end of the current season.

9 Marek Kulic – Czech – Mladá Boleslav – 34yo – AM R, S C

Another veteran, this time at my own club, Marek is impressive even in the twilight of his career. He notched 11 goals last season, and still has enough pace to worry defenders ten years his junior. He is obviously a good finishers who at times appears to have the ball on a piece of string when running with it. He will find himself deployed as a marauding inside forward coming in from the right wing.

10 Bony – Ivorian – Sparta Prague – 21yo – S C

Highly-rated forward with the physique to give defenders sleepless nights. He can drive at them with the ball at his feet, or arrive late to head in. Combine all that with supreme energy, and a desire to use it, and he won’t give anyone an easy ride. If rumours of a move to France, Spain, Italy, Germany or Holland prove to be true, it would be a loss to the league, but a blessing for those who have to face him.

[Brian W]

From: Jakub Prochazka

To: Czech FA

Top Ten Prospects in Czech Football – Summer 2010

1 Vaclav Kadlec – Czech – Sparta Prague – 18yo – S C

See previous notes.

2 Jan Chramosta – Czech – Mladá Boleslav – 19yo – S C

Another technically gifted striker who has a devastating turn of pace. My biggest job here will be to keep Jan at the club, with half of France seemingly interested in him. I hope I can convince him a season in the first team here will be better than a place on the bench in the Champions League with Auxerre.

3 Martin Zeman – Czech – Sparta Prague – 20yo – AM L

Along with Kadlec, Zeman is ensuring that Sparta have to accommodate a ridiculous number of scouts at their home games. With his speed, agility and dribbling ability, Zeman is high on the list of any club looking to fill a gap on their left wing. If he can add to his two international caps, that interest is sure to increase further.

4 Lukas Hejda – Czech – Sparta Prague – 20yo – D C

Hejda can also fill in as a holding midfielder, but is likely to end up being a defensive rock. This season may be a year too early for him to make his mark, but with Repka’s career due to end soon, Sparta fans will be pleased that there is a replacement already there.

5 Pavel Dreksa – Czech – Sigma Olomouc – 20yo – D C

One member of a youthful defence at Sigma, and probably the best. More likely to play than Hejda, as Sigma have fewer other options in central defence. A solid run of games could be the making of the youngster.

6 Bassirou Dembelé – Malian – Slavia Prague – 20yo – DM C

The free transfer move from Paris Saint Germain could prove to be excellent business for Slavia. Bassirou has the required attributes to excel in his favoured position, thwarting attacks before they get started.

7 Milan Machalicky – Czech – Sigma Olomouc – 19yo – D L

Sigma seem to be building a good defensive line for the future, with Machalicky being the best prospect at full back currently in the country. He is equally adept going forward as he is in defence, and could well attract interest from abroad before the season is out.

8 Kerim Bulut – Australian – Mladá Boleslav – 18yo – AM L

A player I am grateful to my predecessor for recruiting. He is a promising prospect and even at just 18 is sure to get some playing time this season. International honours are certainly a possibility in the future, and he will have to choose between Australia and Turkey if that possibility comes to fruition.

9 Zdenek Folprecht – Czech – Sparta Prague – 18yo – M C

Zdenek is yet another player off the conveyor belt of talent at Sparta. This season, though, he will be starting off at Viktoria Zizkov in the Second Division, having agreed to go on loan there until the turn of the year. His passing ability and reading of the game should be a massive success at that level, and at 18 his progress there is sure to be of interest to a number of clubs.

10 Josef Husbauer – Czech – Banik Ostrava – 20yo – AM C

Josef is a midfielder who has no obvious weaknesses. He is very much an all-round performer, but one that has little to convince he will make it at the absolute highest level. He should, however, prove to be a very useful player at this level, and one Banik are unlikely to want to sell.

[Dalbeider]

Oooh, look, a bandwagon! Can I jump in?

Seriously, this is good stuff, Brian. I don't know much about the Czech league, but Bohemians and Slovan Liberec are among my favourite Eastern Europe teams. Gonna be following for sure.

[Brian W]

Thanks Dalbeider...I have to admit, Bohemians are probably my least favourite team, given the length of time it took me to understand their history!

----------------------------------------------

From: Jakub Prochazka

To: Czech FA

Czech Prospects in Europe – 2010/11

The Current Situation

15 Denmark 27.350

16 Scotland 25.791

17 Bulgaria 22.000

18 CZECH REPUBLIC 21.975

19 Austria 19.575

20 Israel 18.875

This season, 18th position in the rankings grants us just one place in the Champions League qualifiers. Also, we have one team entering in the second qualifying round of the Europa League and two more entering in the third qualifying round.

The Potential for Change

Once performances in the 2005/06 season are removed from the equation, the rankings look like this:

15 (16) Scotland 21.541

16 (13) Switzerland 19.000

17 (20) Israel 17.375

18 (18) CZECH REPUBLIC 17.350

19 (19) Austria 16.325

20 (21) Cyprus 14.999

Consistency has been the key to the Czech Republic club rankings, and this is shown in the lack of change in position. Israel lose a poor season from their record on the four-year rankings to leapfrog us, while Bulgaria lose a particularly good one to drop from 17th to 21st.

Only a disastrous season would see us fall below Cyprus or anyone below that. Similarly, we will need a very good season to overhaul Scotland from their privileged position of 15th – the position which grants automatic entry into the Champions League group stage.

Prospects

Sparta Prague

As already stated, Sparta have a wealth of talent, and the majority of the talent in the Czech Republic right now. They have two qualifying rounds to negotiate to make it into the Champions League. They will be seeded for both of those as the fourth ranked team going through the champions qualification route. As such, they cannot face anyone ranked higher than Rosenborg of Norway. Red Bull Salzburg are another team they should look to avoid in the final qualifying round. If they make it through to the group stage, they will almost certainly face an uphill task being drawn from Pot 4.

Jablonec

Last year’s runners-up Jablonec embark on their fourth season in European competition knowing they need to overcome two opponents to make it into the group stage. They will be relying on the likes of David Lafata and ex-Spurs prospect Tomas Pekhart for goals as well as some luck of the draw. They are unlikely to be seeded in either round, and could face the likes of Liverpool or Juventus in either round.

Viktoria Plzen

Cup winners Viktoria Plzen make their debut in European competition and, like Jablonec, enter in the third qualifying round. Due to their lack of European experience, they enter the competition completely unranked and will therefore also be open to face a whole range of teams they would rather avoid. It is particularly hard to see them progressing through the two rounds they would need to in order to make the group stage.

Banik Ostrava

Last season’s third placed side perhaps have the best chances among the three Europa League entrants despite having to play an extra qualifying round. They will be seeded for that round, and could also be seeded for the third qualifying round too due to their greater experience in Europe. The final qualifying round though will still be a challenge and they will require a friendly draw from the pot of seeds. They do also arguably have the best squad of the Europe League entrants.

[Brian W]

Jack was relieved to get back to his day job. He was honoured and slightly humbled at this position he had, and excited by the prospect of managing sides in his adopted country to success in the Champions League but right now, he needed to concentrate on the job immediately at hand, and in less than a week, his side had to start a hectic preseason tour, starting in Poland before returning home for two games, crossing the border to Hungary and then going back to Poland. All that would then be followed by the first league game away to Slavia – a particularly tough opener.

He immediately set about checking his squad for weaknesses, and identifying the best place to spend the £1million generously allocated by his chairman.

The place to spend was not on the man behind the back line with theAnglo-Czech sounding Miroslav Miller having a firm grip on the gloves. He is a bit of a legend in these parts, with ten years of service behind him since he made his debut for Mlada Boleslav as a teenager in the second division. His deputy will be the much-travelled 35-year-old Michal Vorel, whose recent move to these parts has been the tenth of his career.

The best two centre backs at the club are Petr Johana and Adrian Rolko. With a combined age of 64, it is hard to see either being a permanent fixture at the club for long. The former is the older, at 33, and has experience in Austria and Turkey, as well as 13 international caps. Rolko is a giant, standing at just short of two metres, and will face competition from 27 year old Tomas Janicek if his form is allowed to dip. The final specialist in this position is Adrian Vizingr, who at 35 is probably in his last season at the club.

Another area Jack was extremely pleased with was the full back positions. On the left, he could call on a 29-year-old Czech international in the shape of Radek Sirl. Although he was unlikely to add to his 9 caps now, Sirl was definitely among the best in his position in the league. Another left-sided full back was Tomas Hrdlicka, who could also play in midfield, and would probably find himself appearing there more often than on the left side of the back four.

There were three more full backs at the club. Each of the three could play on either flank. Each of them can play on either side, but all prefer their right foot and, with Sirl on the left, all three are more likely to play on the right. Vaclav Kalina, 31, was the oldest of the three, and still the pick of the three. Ondrej Kudela is the youngest of the trio, and at 23 has a good career ahead of him. It would be hard to argue against the fact though that Petr Mach will probably not remain at this level. He is solid enough to fill in when things are desperate, but unlikely to improve at the age of 25 from being a third choice full back.

Another reason for Mach’s lack of security lies in the form of the holding midfielder at the club, Vaclav Prochazka. Vaclav is probably the second best central defender and left back in the squad, and the best right back. However, he is also the only specialist holding midfielder, and a very good one at that. His versatility and ability make him one of the most important members of the squad, and on day one, Jack summoned him and his agent into his office to extend his contract by three years – an offer that Vaclav was delighted to accept.

As with the holding midfield role, Mlada Boleslav were also short in the midfield positions further forward. Hrdlicka was one option there, as was Ivan Delic, one of two Montenegrins in the squad. More attack-minded options were Slovakian Lukas Opiela and Czech under-21 international Tomas Fabian. All could do a job, but none had that spark that Jack wanted to see, so another midfielder was high on Jack’s shopping list.

Jack’s idea of a 4-5-1 formation was formed when looking at the wing options. Marek Kulic, the ex-international rated by his new manager in the top-ten players in the league was the best option on the right. Younger options on the right were Frenchman Alexandre Mendy and Czech Jan Kysela. Like Kulic, both of these men were fast, talented with the ball at their feet, and could also play as a forward. The same was also true of left winger Ivo Taborsky, a very talented left-sided player. With this in mind, two inside forwards would be deployed on either wing, looking to support the lone striker.

More conventional wingers, who want to find the byline and get a cross into the area are right-sided David Brunclik and left-sided Kerim Bulut. The Turkish Australian was just eighteen years old, and another man who made it into Jack’s faxes to the FA.

Finally, there were was Jan Chramosta, the man likely to be the key to the season and the future of Mlada Boleslav. Just nineteen years old, fearsomely quick and with an eye for goal. Goce Toleski, a 33-year-old Macedonian, was probably the next best specialist striker, but with four of the wide players all better options should Chramosta miss a game, its unlikely he will feature.

All in all, the squad was good. The centre of midfield was the area of most concern, and the area which Jack wanted to strengthen most.

[Mark Snellink]

Excellent stuff so far, delighted to see someone tackle the Czech Republic. I've spent many summer holidays in and around Prague, and especially České Budějovice was a delightful little town, with lovely architecture and amazing little eateries. I don't think there is a city I love more than the city of Prague. Every year there was more to see and more to do, and the people we've met over there are amongst the nicest anywhere.

[Brian W]

Thanks Mark. Unfortunately, I've never been to the Czech Republic, but I think I'd like to go. You'll have to wait a long time for Ceske Budejovice to get a mention in this story - a quirk of the fixture list means that they are the one side I don't play until after the mid-season break.

-----------------------------

[Jack Saunders’ diary entry]

Monday, 5th July 2010

Dear Diary,

(That’s how these things are meant to begin, isn’t it?)

What a couple of weeks it has been! Fear, mental torture, realisation, trepidation and excitement. I think overall now I’m looking at the good side of it. The threatening introduction to my superiors at the FA in that smoky, alcohol filled room with men who looked like they could arrange for bad things to happen seems a distant memory.

The masterplan cooked up with the FA is to improve a range of teams. Success on the pitch is crucial, but building foundations for the future is vital too. Here at Mlada Boleslav, the stadium is an issue and will limit revenue. If I can get European success, the chairman may allow for expansion or the building of a new stadium.

Also crucial is to try not to weaken our league opponents too much. The FA want success for the nation, not for me. Success for me is measured through some aspects beyond my control, but pillaging talent from the other top flight teams isn’t going to help my quest. Nor will selling star players to foreign clubs if it can be helped, although this may be unavoidable until the cycle of success has begun.

The job here is tough, but there are finally signs that my ideas are working. The trip to Poland was unfortunate. We outplayed Kolejarz but the finishing was off all day as we lost 1-0, a poor result against a team outside their top flight.

Wednesday was worse if anything. Metalist really taught us a lesson. I know the Ukrainian league is a better standard, but we really were poor. Chramosta’s goal owed more to complacent play from the keeper than anything, and the 3-1 scoreline fairly reflected our play.

On Friday we got our act together. Second division Vlasim were completely slaughtered. Chramosta, Taborsky and Kulic all netted in the first half. Fabian, Mendy and Bulut added to the score in the second as we won 6-1.

Tomorrow we head to Hungary to play Ajka and in a week’s time we go back to Poland to play Ekstraklasa side Slask. I hope the confidence from the Vlasim result goes right through those two games and into the starting game at Slavia.

One thing that has surprised me in this job is how annoying agents can be. Each day I get names thrust at me, most of whom I have never heard of and have no desire to hear of either. Prior to the Metalist game though, my day really was a tale of two agents.

To start the day, I called Ivo Taborsky into my office to discuss his contract which is due to expire at the end of the year. The club simply can’t afford to lose a player of his talent for nothing. His agent was a fairly obnoxious individual, and demanded a pay rise of over 50%, a figure the club cannot stretch to. He stormed out of the office with his client, stating the player would never sign a new deal with the club.

That was a bad start to the day, but as I opened up my emails, I had a message from a Gerald Josephs. Like so many before him, he wanted to make a tidy sum for himself selling one of his players. The difference here was the player in question was one I’d actually heard of – Siphiwe Tshabalala, scorer of the opening goal of the World Cup earlier this year. From that tournament, I knew he was a player who could do something over here, so I got in touch with the chairman, and got an offer of £170,000 sent over to the Kaizer Chiefs.

Once that was accepted, Gerald and Siphiwe flew over, and discussions over personal terms were amicable, leaving all parties happy. Although they were to speak with clubs like Espanyol, I had a feeling they would come back and accept the contract offer. Just this morning, I received confirmation that Siphiwe would be joining us – a real coup, at least in the headlines it will create. It also allows me the chance to get a fee for the contract rebel Taborsky.

Tshabalala was actually only my second signing though, as yesterday we sealed a deal to sign Filip Dort from second division Jihlava. The fee of £150,000 may be steep for a 29-year-old, but our need for creativity in midfield is such that the fee doesn’t concern me.

Anyway, off to find my counterfeit passport, I have a trip to Hungary now. Once that is done, I will resume the unsuccessful hunt for a holding midfielder.

[Mark Snellink]

I can certainly recommend it, it's a wonderful place to go with a lot of history, lovely architecture and natural beauty.

I'm really enjoying this story, it reads like a good book

[Brian W]

[Newspaper article, 17th July 2010]

Clinical Chramosta Slays Slavia

By Tomas Polak

The Gambrinus Liga kicked off last night with no sign of the end of the suffering for Slavia Prague’s fans. The champions in 2008 and 2009 who had to endure their team limping to seventh place last season would have hoped to see the season kick off with a convincing performance and positive result at home to a Mlada Boleslav side managed for the first time by Jakub Prochazka.

However, it was to be the rookie manager, about whom so little is known, that masterminded the victory against his dual title winning counterpart. Both managers opted for variations of 4-5-1, with Jarolim opting for two holding midfielders behind an attack built around the exciting Belaïd operating behind veteran international Stanislav Vicek. On the other hand, Prochazka went for just one holding player, and the lightning quick youngster Jan Chramosta being supported by two wingers keen to get into the box.

A cagey opening to the game saw few chances in the opening exchanges, although Belaïd went close with a free kick from 25 yards out in the eighth minute. Slavia were on the attack again in the fourteenth minute when the ball broke to Kulic just outside his own area. The Mlada Boleslav winger played a ball over midfield towards Chramosta. The 19 year old’s pace caused havoc in the defence with Vomacka hopelessly outpaced, and Vaniak unsure whether to come out of his area to challenge for the ball. Chramosta made the most of the goalkeeper’s indecision, with a first time lob over the stranded keeper. It was a sublime touch that explains precisely why so many top European clubs are tracking the Mlada Boleslav youngster.

Within five minutes, the lead was doubled. A deep freekick from Sirl was poorly delivered, with no attacking player close to Hubacek as he tried to clear the ball. Instead, the ball did little more than hit him and bounce towards Chramosta in the middle of the penalty area. The finish required this time was far easier, and no problem for the Czech under-21 international.

With a two-goal lead, Mlada Boleslav were able to sit back and defend resolutely, waiting to hit their opponents on the counter with their pace at the top end of the pitch. It was a plan with worked to perfection for the remainder of the first half, with Slavia restricted to no more than a couple of long range efforts. Taborsky had a chance to kill the game before half time, but swung wildly at the ball to waste a great breakaway opportunity.

At half time, Jarolim took off the disappointing Belaïd, and brought on a second striker as the home side switched to 4-4-2. The change in formation did not bring a change in momentum as, for all their possession, Slavia were still unable to fashion a chance. On the hour mark, Chramosta got on the end of a well-worked move after some good wing play by Taborsky. The striker’s hattrick opportunity was denied by a flying save by Vaniak though.

The discontent in the stadium had been palpable since the closing stages of the first half, and by the final quarter of the game the boos had turned into resignation as many of the home supporters started to leave as their players were still unable to create anything more than a half chance.

With the clock approaching the last ten minutes, the underworked Miller finally had a save to make, when an attempted cross from Kisel flew towards the goal, causing a moments’ panic. The Mlada Boleslav keeper parried it away with his defenders completing the clearance.

All that prevented this from being a thoroughly professional away win were the final two minutes plus injury time, where the previously impenetrable defence became worryingly porous. A poorly cleared corner in the 88th minute came back to the original corner taker, Kisel. His second delivery was met by substitute Ales Besta to give Slavia a lifeline.

It was a lifeline which they almost took full advantage of in the final minute of the four added on, courtesy of another corner. This time, the corner found its intended target at the first time of asking, but Vicek could only put his header wide. That was to be the last touch of the game as the referee did not even allow play to restart.

Had that last gasp chance been converted, the headlines would undoubtedly be different, but such a result would be unfair on Mlada Boleslav, their debutant manager, and their young striker, all of whom deserve to make the short trip back home with three points.

Slavia Prague (0) 1

(4-5-1) Vaniak; Hubarek, Vomacka, Koubsky, Celustka; Ragued (Jarolim 73), Trapp, Cerny, Belaïd (Besta 45), Kisel (Janicek 88); Vicek.

Goals: Besta (88)

Mlada Boleslav (2) 2

(4-5-1) Miller; Sirl, Rolko, Johana, Kudela; Prochazka, Dort (Opiela 72), Hrdlicka (Fabian 79), Taborsky, Kulic (Mendy 62); Chramosta.

Goals: Chramosta (14, 19)

[Brian W]

Monday, 23rd August 2010

Today was decision day.

Firstly, for Ivo Taborsky and his agent, and then, depending on their reaction, for me.

Before training began, I called Ivo over, and asked him to get his agent over for a meeting after the session had finished. I wanted to give him another chance for them to soften their stance on their contract demands.

I attempted to explain in the meeting that I was stretching the budget as far as I could, and that he was still getting a pay rise. Neither he nor his agent were impressed though. Talks had completely broken down.

The choice was now simple. Allow him to run down his contract, and leave for nothing in the summer. Or sell now. I pondered for half an hour before choosing to at least brighten a dull day for a short while by calling Karolina into my office. Although idle chat seemed like a better idea, I had to send her off with instructions – to circulate a fax to every club we had details for. Ivo Taborsky was for sale.

I found some barely edible food in the canteen, and mulled over what I should do if bids came in from clubs in both the Czech Republic and abroad. Gut instinct would be to sell him abroad and avoid the wrath of the fans. My mission though swayed me towards encouraging a sale to a rival team. After forcing down lunch, I popped back by Karolina’s office and got three sheets of paper. They were all offers for £325,000 for Ivo. I informed the player that Betis, Getafe and Monaco. The move to Madrid seemed to excite the player most, and I fully expect him to leave for sunnier climes this week.

It’s a shame that this business has spoilt such a great start to the season. Fifteen goals in six games tells its own story for my attacking plans. The less said about the ten goals conceded the better though.

Given that those six games included games against four of the other members of the top-six, our second place, a point behind Sparta was commendable to the extreme.

Two highlights have been the two trips to Prague. After Chramosta inspired the opening day win over Slavia, the second trip in week 5 was perhaps more satisfying given the esteem I regard the champions in. We fell behind twice in that game, but equalised both times, the pick of the goals being a free-kick from Sirl, atoning for his error in giving away the penalty which resulted in the first goal.

That draw was more commendable given the match the previous week, where we were taught a lesson in front of our own fans, going down 4-2 to Slovan Liberec, the side who current sit a place and a point behind us in third.

Those two games have been the only two we failed to win so far. Prior to the Slovan game, we had seen off newly promoted Hradec Kralove in near identical fashion to that which we beat Slavia a week previously – with a 2-1 lead where we only conceded very late on – and Sigma Olomouc in a convincing 4-1 win where Marek Kulic netted a hattrick.

Last Sunday saw us build on the draw at Sparta with a win over Viktoria Plzen. Filip Dort was key in the win, as he netted the equaliser and seemed unfortunate to not be credited with the third in a 3-1 win, which instead went down as an own goal.

I hope for the first clean sheet of the season in either of our next two games against bottom-of-the-league Pribram, and fourth division Kolin in the FA Cup.

[Mark Snellink]

Pleased to see this continue

[Brian W]

Thanks Mark...had a lot going on and no inclination to write for a while. Hopefully updates will be more frequent now.

---------------------------------------

From: Jakub Prochazka

To: Czech FA

Czech Clubs in Europe – 2010/11 – August Update

Sparta Prague

The league champions and current leaders joined in the 2nd qualifying round, and managed a pair of 1-0 wins over Macedonian champions Renova before overcoming Ekranas 3-0 in Lithuania after a poor goalless draw at home. Unfortunately, they then drew the highest seed possible in the playoff round in Rosenborg. After escaping with a goalless draw in Norway, they were the victim of a smash and grab back at home as ex-Sunderland man Rade Prica got the decisive goal.

Sparta enter the group stage of the Europa League instead, and have been drawn against Bayer Leverkusen, Olympiakos and AIK Solna. They will need to rely on their home form, as well as winning in Sweden to get through to the last 32.

Jablonec

Jablonec had a long trip in the third qualifying round of the Europa League as they went to Breiðablik in Iceland to protect a 1-0 first leg lead. They succeeded in their task, and indeed repeated their first leg scoreline.

The league strugglers – currently 13th of 16 in the league – then achieved a third successive 1-0 win in the Europa League with an 89th minute goal to seal a historic win over big-spending Manchester City. In truth, it was probably the worst possible draw, and a 3-0 defeat in England ended their European run.

Viktoria Plzen

A narrow 2-1 aggregate win over Motherwell got them into the playoff round where they came up against Porto. It was another very tough draw, and after a 2-0 away defeat, conceding first at home utterly killed their hopes. They did recover to draw the second leg, but a 3-1 aggregate defeat ended their European hopes too.

Banik Ostrava

Banik had an extra round to negotiate, and achieved that fairly easily, winning 3-0 at home against Istra Ribniţa of Moldova before drawing 1-1 in the second leg. They then overcame Honka 1-0 and 2-1 to get just one round from the group stage. They had a tough draw, but an easier one than either of their compatriots as they drew Montpellier. A 1-0 defeat in France was not the end of the world, but a dismal performance in the return leg resulted in a 2-0 defeat, and the third Czech elimination of the night, leaving Sparta fighting alone in Europe.

Provisional Rankings – August 2010

15 (16) Scotland 24.141

16 (20) Israel 21.875

17 (13) Switzerland 21.167

18 (19) Austria 20.325

19 (18) CZECH REPUBLIC 19.850

20 (21) Cyprus 17.499

Overall, the news was bad. Not only have we dropped a place to 19th, but each of the four nations above us still have an entrant in the Champions League where we do not. On top of that, Scotland and Austria have a second team in the Europa League. Trust our luck that Hibs make it three teams from Scotland still in Europe past August!

[Brian W]

Jack’s desire for a clean sheet was quite strong now, but at the same time, he didn’t want to curb his player’s attacking instincts. So, he sent out his team with the same instructions against Pribram, the team rooted to the bottom of the table without a point from six games. If the truth was told, Pribram weren’t that bad, although an Ivan Delic goal in the first half – his first for the club – settled Jack’s team sufficiently. Mlada Boleslav had the better of the chances, but the scorers weren’t troubled again. It was the first time Jack hadn’t seen his team score twice. More importantly though, it was the first time Miller got back to the dressing room without having to pick the ball out of his net.

Next up was a trip to Kolin. With an international break coming up, Jack was able to send out his full team against the fourth division side. The results were quite inevitable. Chramosta was a class apart from the opening minute right through to the end. After he opened the scoring on 29 minutes, he set up Tshabalala to get his first for the club five minutes later. The second half was the Chramosta show as he got three more goals. Four goals and an assist – a performance of pure class, regardless of the opponents.

More domination came after the internationals as Mlada Boleslav played host to Teplice. It took a while to bring some penetration to the domination though, with the first goal coming seventeen minutes from time with a good run and shot from Marek Kulic. A minute from time, Chramosta doubled that advantage to ensure victory.

After the entertainment of the first half dozen games, just three goals had been seen in Mlada Boleslav’s last two league games. Was this the dawn of a new, sober Mlada Boleslav?

Well, no. No it wasn’t. Not even after a goalless first twenty minutes of the home game against Slovacko. By half time, there were five goals marked up on the scoreboard. Firstly, Filip Dort arrived late with perfect timing to convert Chramosta’s centre. The defensive gremlins then returned, allowing Ondrejka to equalise. Chramosta restored the lead from the edge of the area before more slack defending in the 44th minute got Slovacko level for a second time. There was still time though for Chramosta to rewrite Jack’s half-time team talk, latching onto the slide rule pass to notch his second of the game. Seven minutes after the interval, the hattrick was converted with a simple tap-in. That killed the game as a spectacle as Slovacko never looked like getting back into it, and Mlada Boleslav didn’t need to push harder.

A return to cup action in midweek meant a couple of minor changes to the starting line-up. One of the changes was the introduction of Rainford Kalaba, a Zambian international whose agent contacted Jack searching for a club for his client. Jack was impressed enough, and a simple contract negotiation later, Kabala became his second signing from Africa. The game against second division side Trinec was a fairly facile victory. Charmosta’s cross was headed in by Kulic before the youngster got two of his own in what turned out to be a 3-1 win. Charmosta had now scored ten times in four games. On top of that, he had set up three of the four other goals Mlada Boleslav had scored in that time.

September ended on a sour note, however. Firstly, Jack suffered a surprise attack in the media from the manager of Usti nad Labem before failing to let the football do the talking as the newly promoted strugglers held out for a goalless draw. To top it all off, Tshabalala sprained his ankle, an injury that would mean the World Cup star was out of action until mid-November. With the midseason break beginning in mid-November, he would be unlikely to play before the season resumes in late February.

Much more positive news for Jack came in the form of Chramosta’s signature on an extension to his contract which tied him to the club until 2015. Also, the league table was still good to look at. Sparta remained top and had increased their lead to three points with four successive wins. Slovan Liberec remained third, a point behind Mlada Boleslav, but the gap back to fourth place – the highest position potentially not rewarded with European football – was already up to six points with a third of the thirty games played.

[Brian W]

Wednesday, 6th October 2010

Another aspect of the job I am in became apparent to me today. These are all young men, and a few of them are away from their loved ones. Perhaps the pain of that is more apparent when the player in question has little to take his mind off matters.

That is certainly the case with Siphiwe this week. With his ankle in plaster, he is unable to train, and not likely to be fit before the league shuts down for the three-and-a-half month winter break. So, I found myself with a problem when the man, just a few months ago the hero of a nation, telling me he was unhappy at the club. He stopped short of saying he wanted to leave, but was looking to me for guidance.

Given his injury situation, I decided to allow him five weeks away from the club to hopefully freshen his mind up. It really will only account for his recuperation from his ankle sprain. When he comes back, we will re-evaluate his state of mind and, if necessary, consider allowing him to move on. It would be a shame though.

The only other problem on my mind right now is Jan Chramosta. The man is a class apart from almost everyone else in this league as far as I can tell. He rescued us again on Monday with both goals as we came from a goal down to beat Banik 2-1. It had been a traumatic opening with Bulut and Johana both limping off before Banik took the lead in the 25th minute.

So, while on one hand I have a striker who is scoring for fun – 16 in 13 games – I wonder how much interest there will be in the January transfer window. Even with the chairman assuring me I can invest the majority of any transfer fees I receive, I don’t fancy the chances of replacing such a prolific scorer.

[Brian W]

[Newspaper article, 1st November]

Magnificent Mlada Boleslav Keep Pace

By Tomas Polak

Surprise package of the season Mlada Boleslav tore last season’s runners-up apart as they continued to remain in touch with Sparta at the top of the table, and show that they are a true force to be reckoned with.

It would be easy to single out the excellent Chramosta as the difference between the sides, as he has so often been this season, and he was instrumental in many of the goals as well as adding his eleventh league goal of the season – eighteenth of the season overall – but this was a team performance of the highest order which resulted in five players getting on the scoresheet.

After a cagey opening, it was the visitors to Na Streinici who opened the scoring. A fourteen-pass move resulted in a shot by Filip Dort. The midfielder, who has been on a rich vein of goalscoring form, saw his shot blocked, but rebound to Marek Kulic. The veteran used his experience to slot the ball past the onrushing keeper and put Mlada Boleslav a goal to the good.

Jablonec then started to get a foothold in the game, and both Lafata and Jarolim could have got them level, but it was to be Mlada Boleslav who netted next, with the goal that was to remain the pick of the goals on the night. Chramosta was the provider as he collected a throw-in on the by-line. He looked up, and played a nicely weighted ball back to the edge of the area where Radek Sirl was making a rare run forward. The left back met the ball superbly with a first time shot which flashed past Kolar before he got a chance to move. Although the keeper was beaten at his near post, it was hard to put any blame on him, due to the surprise aspect of the shot, and the sweetness of the strike.

Four minutes later, Kolar was called into action again, parrying a Kulic shot which would surely have rendered the second half a no-contest. That was to most certainly not be the case though, as in the 42nd minute, poor set piece marking from Mlada Boleslav allowed the prolific Lafata a free header from eight yards out. He was never going to miss, and a 2-1 scoreline could have been better for the home fans as Lafata missed another header in time added on.

After the interval, Jakub Prochazka must surely have been cursing his defence again as Lafata had yet another headed chance. Again, though, his side were spared as the Jablonec forward could only find the crowd behind the goal. By the 52nd minute, it was the home defence again being questioned. Delic’s low ball was turned in at the near post by Chramosta. It was a true poacher’s effort, and restored the two-goal lead for the visitors.

A barren period of seventeen minutes followed that goal, before the scoreline doubled within the space of eight minutes, a period which signalled the home fans heading for the exits after a demoralising thrashing.

Chramosta’s run was thwarted by the keeper, but with two other men following the counter attack, the ball bounced away to Filip Dort who found the other, Lukas Opiela. The left winger made no mistake with his finish to make the score 4-1.

That goal signalled a double change for the visitors, as both the goalscorer and the man who set the goal up being replaced. Kysera replaced Opiela, while Kalaba took Dort’s place roaming from midfield.

The Zambian only had to wait three minutes for his chance to increase the lead. Chramosta led yet another break out of defence, and was able to square the ball to Kalaba, who sidefooted into the empty net. After a well-worked goal by Jablonec reduced the deficit through another Lafata header, Kalaba immediately restored the four-goal advantage with another goal made by Chramosta.

The last thirteen minutes were a winding down period. Jablonec accepted their fate, while Mlada Boleslav had no desire to humiliate their opponents further.

The win maintains the three point gaps with both Sparta Prague above them and Slovan Liberec below them for the fourth week running as the top-three continue to break clear of the chasing pack.

Jablonec (1) 2

(4-4-2) Kolar; Loucka, Drsek, Pavlik, Krajcik; Belej (Haurdic 45), Jarolim, Elias, Pitak (Kovarik 70); Lafata, Pekhart (Vosahlik 52)

Goals: Lafata (42, 76)

Mlada Boleslav (2) 6

(4-5-1) Miller; Sirl, Janicek, Johana, Kudela; Prochazka, Dort (Kalaba 70), Delic, Opiela (Kysela 70), Kulic; Chramosta.

Goals: Kulic (19), Sirl (35), Chramosta (52), Opiela (69), Kalaba (73, 77)

[Mark Snellink]

Very nice result there. Still very much enjoying this

[Brian W]

Thanks Mark - think it helps I'm enjoying writing it

----------------------------------------

The remainder of the calendar year was a joy for Jack. He presided over seven wins out of eight games in October and November overall. October saw the wins against Banik Ostrava and Jablonec sandwich convincing 3-1 league wins over Brno and Bohemians. Filip Dort and Marek Kulic both scored in each of those victories. A Sirl free-kick provided the third goal against Brno, while the Frenchman Mendy got the other goal against Bohemians.

Mendy also got on the scoresheet in the first leg of the cup tie against Slovacko. Chramosta, after a rare scoring drought of two games, made it 2-0 to made progress momentarily appear certain. There was to be a rude awakening for Mlada Boleslav though, as Svancara scored a cracking goal to get the score back to 2-1, with the trip east still to come.

That trip came after a 1-0 win over Hradec Kralove which was secured with a 6th minute Dort goal, and started very badly, as Slovacko took the lead on the night within 65 seconds. With the away goal from the first leg, Mlada Boleslav now had to score to remain in the competition. What followed was the most dominant display of attacking football under Jack’s management as Slovacko withstood attack after attack for 37 minutes before Dort struck the equaliser. The relief was noticeable, and when Chramosta put the visitors ahead in first half injury time, Slovacko suddenly needed three to progress. They did manage to get two of them, but with the second only coming in the 92nd minute, and both coming against the run of play, it was a defeat on paper only, as Jack’s side progressed with no further scares.

November 15th saw the final game of the calendar year, and Jack was delighted to welcome back Tshabalala to the starting line-up. The South African had returned to the Czech Republic a happier figure, and one who was now not feeling his homesickness. Mendy, Chramosta and Johana got the goals in a 3-1 win to increase the winning run to six, and the unbeaten run to twelve.

Even better news was that both Sparta and Slovan Liberec had finally begun to drop points. Sparta’s penultimate game of the year saw them held at Teplice, while Slovan Liberec had only managed a solitary point from outings against Viktoria Plzen and bottom-of-the-league Pribram

All that left Mlada Boleslav a point behind Sparta, with the champions remaining unbeaten. The gap to Slovan Liberec had now ballooned out to eight points. Brno and Banik Ostrava follow them, but a further eight points adrift. With just fourteen games to go, Mlada Boleslav are a full sixteen points clear of the highest league position not rewarded with a Europa League place.

[Brian W]

From: Jakub Prochazka

To: Czech FA

Czech Clubs in Europe – 2010/11 – December Update

Sparta Prague

Simply put, they have been an utter disaster in Europe. After failing to score against Rosenborg, they then failed to score in their first four Europa League group games. This included a double-header against AIK which should have been crucial to their potential success. The goalless draw in Sweden accounted for their only point in the group as December defeats to Leverkusen and Olimpiakos kept them rooted to the bottom of the group.

Provisional Rankings – August 2010

15 (16) Scotland 25.741

16 (19) Austria 24.325

17 (20) Israel 23.125

18 (13) Switzerland 23.000

19 (18) CZECH REPUBLIC 20.100

20 (17) Bulgaria 18.750

21 (22) Norway 18.500

Suffice to say, each and every one of these nations put up a better show in the European groups than we managed, and that is emphasised by the way the four above us have all pulled clear. Rapid Wien managed to top a competitive group in the Europa League, and now face Auxerre. Zurich also did well to progress, but their reward is a meeting with shock casualties of the Champions League groups, Real Madrid.

We are guaranteed to remain in the top-20, although Norway could edge us into the final place of that group with Rosenborg taking advantage of one of the weaker groups and qualifying for the knockouts. They will have to overcome Manchester United though to progress further. No other clubs from nations ranked lower than us remain in European competition.

Our clubs have earnt just 2.750 co-efficient points this season, which is 24th overall in Europe. None of the other nations in the top-20 performed as poorly as we did.

All I can say is that I hope that Mlada Boleslav can both qualify for the Europa League and find a friendly draw to make a better attempt at the group stages than Sparta managed this year.

[Brian W]

Monday, 31st January 2011

Well, it’s been a long time now since I wrote here. Christmas passed off as well as can be expected for a man who left what was left of his family for a clandestine existence 800 miles away.

Yesterday was a mixed day for me as I took my side to Serbia to play the first of three mid-season friendlies. The mid-season friendly would, back home, be considered a callous money-making initiative, somewhere in the Middle East. Over here though, it is perhaps even more vital than the pre-season games, given the three-and-a-half month gap between competitive games in winter, which is double that between the end of one season and the start of the next.

The reasons for the mixed emotions are that I was delighted to finally get back to the coal face of the job – the dugout. Unfortunately, that was just about the only bright spot as Tomas Hrdlicka’s poor, late challenge in the tenth minute of the game left us with ten men. In truth, Johana could easily have joined him in the second half, but the referee opted for a lenient interpretation of the last man rule. The players that remained performed well, and might have won on another day. On this day though, they lost 3-1, going for an equaliser in the dying moments, and being hit on the counter in the 93rd minute.

The result didn’t bother me though – the early sending off completely changed the game. Next week, we head northeast, through Poland and into the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad to play Baltika. For them, it is a pre-season friendly, and I hope to come away with a good win, given their relegation into the Russian regional leagues last season. After that, we have a home game against Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, a game I was keen to organise to compare to our performance against their compatriots Metalist back in June.

Against Baltika, I hope to field a debutant in the shape of Edgar Manucharyan. He joined us for £300,000 from Pyunik Yerevan in his native Armenia. He is happiest as a striker, but can also play on the wing. His preference is on the left wing, making use of his left foot. However, I plan to use his skill on the right wing, cutting in. With Kulic now past his 35th birthday, we are going to need re-enforcement on that side of the pitch. This 24-year-old with 21 caps is the man I have earmarked to fill that gap.

Overall, the transfer window was quiet for me, which was a massive relief. After many rumours of interest in Chramosta at the start of the month, all it took was a statement to the media that the youngster was not for sale, and the rumours seemed to stop, much to my surprise. I expected much more interest in a 20-year-old with 20 goals in as many games, who has also been credited with 13 assists.

Elsewhere it was a transfer window that was very much good and bad for me. Good, because Sparta Prague sold over £5million worth of talent, including the league’s joint top-scorer Bony, and the promising Martin Zeman. The bad news was that Sparta had sold over £5million worth of talent, including the league’s joint top-scorer Bony, and the promising Martin Zeman.

On one hand, this league cannot afford to lose young, talented players like these two, and young midfielder Kemil Vacek. Vacek went for just short of £1million to Leverkusen. Zeman went for £1.4million to Sunderland, and Bony for £2.5million to Real Madrid, where he is only likely to ever turn out for Castilla.

On the other hand though, it gives me a massive chance. We’re a point behind them with fourteen games left to play. And, it’s fair to say, that the loss of these players will affect them.

At the very least, winning the league gives us an easier route into the group stages of a European competition. At this stage, the Europa League may be as good as the Champions League in terms of co-efficients. A good run in the secondary competition can net more points than a dismal campaign in the big one. Winning the league means that a third qualifying round win guarantees a group place in one competition or the other. Second place in the league means a fourth qualifying round win in the Europa League is needed. A comparison of the teams faced at those respective stages this season shows Sparta playing Ekranas of Lithuania, while Jablonec drew Manchester City of Abu Dhabi. I know which I’d prefer.

[Panpardus]

Still reading Brian, great work, one of the first stories I look for on here.

Glad the patch was nice and quick.

[Brian W]

Thanks Panpardus - I was very pleased with the patch too!

--------------------

The second of Mlada Boleslav’s mid-season friendlies took place with Chramosta travelling to meet up with the under-21 side. With Manucharyan making his debut on the left, it gave the veteran Kulic a chance to move into the middle as the focal point of the attack. Jack was, obviously, delighted with the result of the personnel switch – a 4-0 win, with Kulic scoring all four goals. In truth though, Baltika were not of the quality required to test Mlada Boleslav these days.

A much sterner test was Dnipro, and this was a game chosen by Jack to directly compare to the abysmal preseason game at home to Metalist. As such, the Mestsky Stadion was the chosen venue again. Dnipro’s season had been a mixed bag thus far, with them sitting a relatively disappointing sixth, a full half dozen points behind Metalist in the race for third place. In Europe, they had performed creditably in taking eight points from a group containing Napoli, PSV and Paris SG. That haul was only good enough for third place though, and a pre-Christmas exit. In Mlada Boleslav, the visitors were similarly patchy, as Rusol’s first half goal from a poorly defended corner was matched fifteen minutes from time by Manucharyan’s first for the club. The game was definitely a 1-1 game, which satisfied Jack. Against Metalist, a 3-1 defeat had been flattering to his side.

The key business though was to be had in the league, and the one side yet to play Mlada Boleslav were Ceske Budejovice. However, with the return matches of this round of fixtures being played out on the final day of the season, the more intriguing fact was that Sparta Prague would face third-placed Slovan Liberec in this round of games. That game would be in Prague, meaning their final game of the season would be away to one of the strongest sides in the league. This gave Jack even more hope, but he couldn’t get carried away. There were thirteen games before that, starting with the match at home to Ceske Budejovice.

That game was to result in a solid, but very unspectacular win, secured by Ivan Delic’s second goal of the season from eighteen yards out. It was, in fact, a very similar goal to his first goal of the season, which was also the only goal in a 1-0 win. Would it be fair to say the Montenegro international had gained his side four points now?

Sparta’s win over Slovan Liberec kept the former a point ahead of Mlada Boleslav, but detached the latter even further – the gap between second and third reaching eleven points. Those gaps were to remain the same a week later. Mlada took care of managerless Slavia Prague through a Kulic penalty and yet another goal from Chramosta, while Sparta and Slovan Liberec entertained their fans much more. Sparta’s 5-3 win at Pribram was the season’s most goal-laden fixture for a full three hours before Slovan Liverec went one better, winning 6-3 at Slovacko.

Those matches took the league to the 60% complete marker, and marked the start of a crucial run for Mlada Boleslav. Jack would next have to take his side to the only side who had defeated them so far in the shape of Slovan Liberec. After travelling to the third placed side, he would have to welcome the league leaders Sparta, a team who had just notched up their 51st league game without defeat.

[Brian W]

[newspaper article, 12th March 2011]

Mlada Boleslav Hit The Top

By Tomas Polak

Jakub Prochazka was understably delighted on a cool, wet evening at U Nisy as his side jumped to the top of the league for the first time since August courtesy of a superb second half performance, which saw them find the net four times against a shell-shocked Slovan Liberec side.

Coming into this game on the back of eight successive victories, many were tipping the visitors to put in a better show than they did earlier in the season at the Mestsky Stadion against the same opposition in a game that remains their only defeat of the season so far. Few would have expected the scoreline that came to fruition at the final whistle, particularly after a first half that would have left Josef Petrik the happier of the two managers at the interval, having managed to keep the visitors almost completely out of the game for forty-five minutes.

Andrej Keric managed to sting the palms of Miller twice in that first half, first with a shot from twelve yards out, and secondly with a bullet of a header. He at least found the target, which was more than could be said of his partner in attack, Stajner, who shot wide with the best opportunity of the half. Brasanec and Martinez were equally wasteful with chances that were created for them.

The closest Slovan Liberec came to opening the scoring though resulted from a freak event in the 27th minute from the unlikeliest of sources. Radek Dejmek, the centre half, found himself in the right full back position, supporting Bakaric in an attack. The winger played the ball back to Dejmek to cross from deep. His attempt at the cross was poorly struck, but looped and swirled, flat-footing Miller who was thankful to hear the sound of ball against metal as it rebounded off the crossbar with him beaten.

Prochazka certainly earned his money at half time, and despite making no changes, could have fooled anyone watching that he’d substituted all ten outfield players for the second half. Within a minute of the restart, Chramosta had picked up the ball in the centre of the pitch, and picked out Tshabalala. The South African’s first touch took him past Dejmek, and his second angled the ball across Hauzr in the Liberec goal to put Mlada Boleslav a goal ahead.

Eight minutes later, Marek Kulic scored a goal which owed much to his fitness levels at the age of 35. Chasing down, and harassing Martinez, he was able to nick the ball away from the daydreaming defender. From there, the finish for 2-0 was straightforward, but it was a chance many players younger than him would not have had the desire or the commitment to fight for. On the other hand, Martinez will not have looked forward to explaining his part in that goal to his manager at full time.

If there is one doubt over Mlada Boleslav’s title credentials, then is falls in their defence, and yet again that was exposed just past the hour mark. Papousek’s freekick was angled in, but Keric had the all the time and space in the world as he ghosted in behind all the visiting defenders to volley home unchallenged, and give his side a real chance of salvaging something from the game.

After Chramosta could only find the side netting within twenty seconds of the restart, Delic wasted another opportunity created by the youngster on 66 minutes when he shot wide. The roles were reversed on 78 minutes though, with Delic centring the ball for Chramosta to volley home from close range. That goal all but sealed the points, and it would be kind to Radek Dejmek to not mention the fourth Mlada Boleslav goal, a goal credited as an own goal after a fierce Kulic shot was parried by Hauzr straight towards Dejmek who could not readjust his feet in time and had to watch the ball agonisingly trickle over the line.

The 4-1 win flattered the visitors to a vast degree, having been second best for the whole of the first half, and coming out of the game with only 40% possession. It does, however, show what taking your chances can do to your fortunes, and gives Mlada Boleslav at least 72 hours at the summit of the league before Sparta visit Slovacko on Monday night.

Slovan Liberec (0) 1

(4-4-2) Hauzr; Holenak, Radek Dejmek, Kelic, Laciga (Novotny 45); Papousek, Brasanec, Martinez, Bakaric (Gecov 46); Keric, Stajner (Robin Dejmek 69)

Goals: Keric (61)

Mlada Boleslav (0) 4

(4-5-1) Miller; Sirl, Janicek, Johana, Kudela; Spilacek (Bulut 82), Dort (Kalaba 82), Delic (Hrdlicka 82), Tshabalala, Kulic; Chramosta.

Goals: Tshabalala (46), Kulic (54), Chramosta (78), Radek Dejmek (og 86)

[Brian W]

[newspaper article, 19th March 2011]

Chramosta Keeps Mlada Boleslav in Pole Position

By Tomas Polak

Sparta Prague’s week went from bad to worse tonight as they failed to hold onto a lead that would have sent them back to the top of the league. After the shock defeat at Slovacko on Monday, the draw here will have been a disappointment to them. Equally, on the balance of play, Mlada Boleslav will be slightly disappointed to not extend their lead to five points having had by far the better of this top-of-the-league clash.

The crucial goal, an equaliser in the 69th minute was not a thing of beauty. In fact, it probably ranks alongside the scrappiest goals the league leaders have scored this season. A Tshabalala corner into the six-yard box first hit a Sparta head before Petr Johana’s. The ball then dropped to the ground where two defenders lunged towards the ball, but neither were quick enough to beat the striker’s instincts of Jan Chramosta. The under-21 international poked home for the 23rd and most important time this season.

The first half had begun as a cautious affair, with no real opportunities carved out until almost a quarter of the game was gone. The chance was worth waiting for though, as Dort won the ball and immediately spotted Chramosta in the inside-left channel. The youngster was able to steady himself before placing a right foot shot just inside the far post. Blazek was able to get just enough of a hand to it though to divert it for a corner.

That was to be the only effort on target in the first forty-five minutes, and Chramosta was the most profligate, missing the target with three good opportunities before the interval. Tshabalala was also clear on one occasion before a very wild shot relieved the pressure.

Chances were coming at a rapid rate though by the time Mr Prihoda blew for half time, and Prochazka would have been more than happy to not have the interval, such was the supremacy the home side were enjoying at the time. Prochazka’s ire was not helped in the first two minutes as his side fell behind. Ats Purje’s marauding run down the left created panic in the home defence, which resulted in a lack of communication. With no attacking player near to him, Janicek guided the winger’s cross past his own keeper to give Sparta an undeserved lead.

Prochazka urged his players forward, and they responded, but it seemed as though Chramosta’s shooting boots were missing as he spurned two more gilt-edged chances. Kulic, for Mlada Boleslav, and Kadlec, for Sparta Prague, then exchanged opportunities, but both men could only shoot high and wide before, finally, Chramosta got a chance that he could not miss, and calmed the nerves of the capacity crowd.

Mlada Boleslav had chances to claim all three points, but Blazek was equal to shots by Sirl and Kalaba in the final twenty minutes, which was played out relatively tentatively, with both teams perhaps quite happy to settle for a point apiece.

The draw leaves Mlada Boleslav two points clear of their opponents, and firmly in pole position to claim a first league title, particularly with the easier run-in of the two sides, and a stronger looking squad after the respective activities in the recent transfer window.

Mlada Boleslav (0) 1

(4-5-1) Miller; Sirl, Janicek, Johana, Kudela; Spilacek , Dort, Delic (Kalaba 72), Tshabalala, Kulic (Manucharyan 72); Chramosta.

Goals: Chramosta (78)

Sparta Prague (0) 1

(4-5-1) Blazek; Parnic, Brabec, Repka, Kusnir; Kladrubsky, Kucka (Hoheneder 70), Purje, Matejovsky, Janotka (Kalaiska 75); Kadlec (Kweuke (75)

Goals: Janicek (og 47)

[gavrenwick]

It's nice to read about a different league. Nice match reports too, well laid out. Keep it up, Brian.

[Brian W]

Thanks Gav

-------------------

Jack had a sore head. He also had a note on his desk. He knew the reason for both. He also saw the day’s newspaper on his desk. That completed the triumvirate of misery. He decided to deal with the note first.

Jakub,

We, at Mlada Boleslav, cannot tolerate actions such as yours after the game last night. We have received a call from the stadium manager at Teplice, and we have agreed to pay for the damage caused to the visitors’ changing rooms after the match yesterday. These costs will be deducted from your wages this month. We understand your frustrations at recent results, but we do ask you to watch your future conduct.

Regards,

The Chairman

Next, Jack picked up the newspaper. “Teplice’s domination of title challengers Mlada Boleslav was near complete last night. Sparta Prague must have watched with delight as their only title challengers stayed four points behind and looked a shadow of the team they were just weeks ago, finishing with ten men and on the wrong end of a 4-1 defeat.” Jack didn’t read on. Instead, he folded the newspaper in half, and in half again, and threw it towards the bin. He missed.

He felt like passing the club’s fine on to the stupid Janicek, whose 40th minute sending off ended all hope the previous evening. To pin the blame on one man would be harsh though, and very few players came away with any credit at all.

Having come away from the Sparta game with a two-point lead, within three games, Mlada Boleslav were now four points back, having lost for the second and third times in the season at Viktoria Plzen and now Teplice. Both performances had been poor and insipid. Even the 3-0 win over bottom-of-the-league Pribram had only been achieved by way of a Chramosta hattrick which the team performance did not warrant.

With four points to make up, could Jack inspire Mlada Boleslav to come back at their Prague rivals and force a title challenge?

[Brian W]

Well, no is the simple answer to that question.

In truth, Jack began to dread his away trips. The home form was fine. Usti nad Labem, Bohemians 1905 and Jablonec were all beaten with something to spare. Each away game though caused more misery. A trip to Slovacko halted the losing run away from home, but having played 80 minutes against ten men, a 1-1 draw was a result just as poor as the defeats at Viktoria Plzen and Teplice.

A week after that defeat, Mlada Boleslav visited Banik Ostrava and received their fourth, and thankfully last, defeat of the season. As with the previous three, it was a heavy defeat, going down 3-1, and it put them nine points behind Sparta. That gap meant that the next away game would leave Mlada needing to win to have any mathematical hope of the title. A dull 0-0 confirmed what the Czech Republic had known for weeks as Sparta celebrated without even the need to kick a ball. It was an unsatisfactory way for the title to be won, and Jack made sure his players knew that.

A final day win at Ceske Budejovice did at least end the away day blues after five away games in the league without a win. Mlada Boleslav’s run in the cup was also a victim of their away form. After a quarter final win over second division Hlucin, they were drawn against Jablonec in the semifinal. With Sparta going out in spectacular style in the quarterfinals, by losing their second leg 4-0 after winning the home leg 4-1, Jack was eyeing a trophy in his first season. That was what made the toothless 3-0 defeat in the away leg hurt even more. Even though Chramosta scored in the opening minute at home, his side could only find the net once more, and went out 3-2 on aggregate.

A season that promised so much really did run out of gas in the home straight, Jack could not be mad though. Second place was achieved with ease, and Sparta Prague were a class apart, winning their final ten games in succession after drawing in Mlada Boleslav. Had anyone offered Jack a Europa League place before the season started, he would have snapped their hand off. In many seasons, sixty-eight points would be enough to achieve more than the runners-up spot it did this time around.

[font=Courier New]  | Pos   | Inf   | Team             |       | Pld   | Won   | Drn   | Lst   | For   | Ag    | G.D.  | Pts   | 
 [/font][font=Courier New]| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
 [/font][font=Courier New]| 1st   | ECC   | Sparta Prague    |       | 30    | 25    | 4     | 1     | 69    | 18    | +51   | 79    | 
 [/font][font=Courier New]| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
 [/font][font=Courier New]| 2nd   | EC    | Mlada Boleslav   |       | 30    | 21    | 5     | 4     | 66    | 33    | +33   | 68    | 
 [/font][font=Courier New]| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
 [/font][font=Courier New]| 3rd   | EC    | Slovan Liberec   |       | 30    | 18    | 5     | 7     | 60    | 34    | +26   | 59    | 
 [/font][font=Courier New]| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
 [/font][font=Courier New]| 4th   |       | Sigma Olomouc    |       | 30    | 15    | 7     | 8     | 58    | 38    | +20   | 52    | 
 [/font][font=Courier New]| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
 [/font][font=Courier New]| 5th   |       | Teplice          |       | 30    | 15    | 5     | 10    | 66    | 47    | +19   | 50    | 
 [/font][font=Courier New]| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
 [/font][font=Courier New]| 6th   |       | Viktoria Plzen   |       | 30    | 15    | 4     | 11    | 59    | 53    | +6    | 49    | 
 [/font][font=Courier New]| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
 [/font][font=Courier New]| 7th   |       | Brno             |       | 30    | 11    | 10    | 9     | 46    | 44    | +2    | 43    | 
 [/font][font=Courier New]| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
 [/font][font=Courier New]| 8th   |       | Slovacko         |       | 30    | 12    | 7     | 11    | 50    | 52    | -2    | 43    | 
 [/font][font=Courier New]| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
 [/font][font=Courier New]| 9th   |       | Banik Ostrava    |       | 30    | 11    | 6     | 13    | 37    | 38    | -1    | 39    | 
 [/font][font=Courier New]| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
 [/font][font=Courier New]| 10th  |       | Usti nad Labem   |       | 30    | 8     | 8     | 14    | 33    | 52    | -19   | 32    | 
 [/font][font=Courier New]| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
 [/font][font=Courier New]| 11th  | EC    | Jablonec         |       | 30    | 7     | 9     | 14    | 34    | 55    | -21   | 30    | 
 [/font][font=Courier New]| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
 [/font][font=Courier New]| 12th  |       | Slavia Prague    |       | 30    | 8     | 4     | 18    | 30    | 59    | -29   | 28    | 
 [/font][font=Courier New]| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
 [/font][font=Courier New]| 13th  |       | Ceske Budejovice |       | 30    | 8     | 3     | 19    | 27    | 51    | -24   | 27    | 
 [/font][font=Courier New]| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
 [/font][font=Courier New]| 14th  |       | Hradec Kralove   |       | 30    | 8     | 3     | 19    | 34    | 50    | -16   | 27    | 
 [/font][font=Courier New]| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| 
 [/font][font=Courier New]| 15th  | R     | Bohemians 1905   |       | 30    | 6     | 7     | 17    | 29    | 46    | -17   | 25    | 
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 [/font][font=Courier New]| 16th  | R     | Pribram          |       | 30    | 4     | 9     | 17    | 28    | 56    | -28   | 21    | 
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[Brian W]

[Newspaper Article - 31st May 2001]

Czech Season Review

By Tomas Polak

Sparta Prague’s domination of the final third of the season secured their twelfth title in eighteen years since the break-up of Czechoslovakia in record-breaking style. It was a ruthless annihilation of all who stood in their way that allowed them to notch up ten successive wins and blow the challenge from Mlada Boleslav completely out the water. The only clouds in an otherwise superb season were the departures of Bony and Zeman in the winter, a 4-0 capitulation in the FA Cup, and a European campaign which saw the exit to Rosenborg in the Champions League playoff, and a solitary point gained in the Europa League.

It is an immense credit to Mlada Boleslav and their unknown manager Jakub Prochazka that they were able to compete with the rampant Sparta Prague outfit for so long, even topping the table as late as round 20 of the season. A rough patch away from home in the second half of the season put paid to their title aspirations, but the form of Jan Chramosta was a continual source of pleasure for the runners-up. The young striker ended with thirty-seven goals in all competitions, and will surely attract interest from abroad sooner rather than later.

The final European qualifier through league position was secured by Slovan Liberec, the third member of the trio of clubs who broke away early on in the season. Ultimately, it was their home form which cost them a run at a place in the top-two as they lost four times at home. Their away form was second only to the champions, and they secured European qualification with four games to spare. Keric and Stajner formed the most settled strike pairing in the league, and their goals were vital for the club from the north of the country.

Sigma Olomouc led the chasing pack after a solid second half of the season, inspired by the goals of Michal Hubnik who, despite injuries, ended with eighteen strikes in the league, many of them set up by Lukas Bajer, who had a superb season in the middle of midfield. Sigma were closely followed by Teplice and Viktoria Plzen. Like all the teams above them, both had a man near the top of the scoring charts. Teplice’s Mahmutovic scored eighteen times, while Jan Rezek of Viktoria Plzen hit the back of the net twenty times.

Both Brno and Slovacko will have been pleased to achieve top-half finishes with no fear at all of relegation at any point. Banik Ostrava, however, will not have been pleased to finish ninth after their third-placed finish in 2010, and will count themselves amongst the sides particularly unhappy with the last ten months of action.

Predicted basement-dwellers Usti nad Labem will be another side very happy with their season. After a sticky start, they pulled out of the relegation in the eighth week of the season, and never returned, finishing up seven points clear of the drop zone. The runners up in the Second Division last season finished above the runners-up in the First Division as Usti nad Labem finished two points above Jablonec, for whom the consolation was a win in the FA Cup which will see them competing in Europe next season.

While Jablonec have consolation in their disappointing season, there is no such luck for Slavia Prague. The nation’s second biggest side were poor in the opening half of the season, and nothing short of abysmal after the winter break, winning just two of their fourteen games. Manager Karel Jarolim was an inevitable casualty, and his replacement Miroslav Beranek will not be sleeping easily, particularly after the successive 6-0 defeats to Slovan Liberec and fierce rivals Sparta towards the end of the season. The worst defence and worst goal difference in the league leads only to the conclustion that twelfth place ultimately flattered them.

Slavia were one of five clubs who failed to average a point a game. Hradec Kralove and Ceske Budejovice were the other two of that quintet fortunate enough to find two teams worse than themselves, and will have to improve next season if they want to remain at this level.

The two clubs to go down were Pribram and Bohemians 1905. Both sides occupied the bottom two places since October, and decent runs in the second half of the season only made the opening months of the season more frustrating, detaching the two sides from the rest of the league by too great a distance to make up in the later months. Both will be confident of mounting a challenge to return to the top flight at the first time of asking though.

Second division champions Caslav will be hopeful of making an impact on the top flight next season, along with Karvina who edged out Sezimovo Usti and Sokolov on head-to-head results for the second promotion spot. Slovan Varnsdorf and Znojmo will be taking part in regional football though, having lost their status in the Second Division.

[Brian W]

[Newspaper Article - 1st June 2011]

European Season Review

By Tomas Polak

There were echoes of 2004 as the Champions League trophy took up residence in Portugal once again with a shock winner. Benfica took advantage of a bad-tempered final against Iberian neighbours Sevilla – another surprise finalist – with star players Oscar Cardozo and David Luiz scoring the goals in a 2-0 win. The Europa League also saw a surprising trans-Iberian encounter, with Real Madrid recovering from a poor Champions League group performance to secure Jose Mourinho’s fourth European trophy as his current side beat his former side Porto in the final.

Neither of the continental finalists from Spain came close to winning their national title though, as a thoroughly rampant Barcelona side topped 100 goals, as they won the league by seventeen points. The two Madrid sides finished tied on points behind them, with Sevilla qualifiying for the Champions League in fourth place. Unfortunate history was made at the other end of the table by Athletic Bilbao, who suffered their first ever relegation, going down alongside Osasuna and Levante.

Manchester United secured title number nineteen in England to overtake Liverpool in terms of titles won in the world’s oldest league competition. There was some comfort for the Merseysiders though, as they succeeded in returning to Champions League football, as well as winning the FA Cup. Arsenal and Spurs took the other Champions League spots with ease, as big-spending Chelsea and Manchester City finished well behind, notching up a combined twenty-five defeats as they finished up fifth and sixth respectively. There were shocks lower down the league too as Sunderland dropped out the league, and Derby and Bristol City were among those promoted. Preston won the League Cup, and will represent the nation in Europe while competing in the Championship.

Italy was another nation which saw surprising results in their domestic league. AC Milan’s ageing side managed to take the title, which surprised many, but not as many as the identity of the remainder of the top-four – Lazio, Napoli and Udinese. Palermo finished fifth, with Inter and Roma locked together in sixth and seventh, ahead of Juventus, who failed to even make the Europa League.

Christian Gross’s Stuttgart side took the Bundesliga title, two points clear of Bayer Leverkusen. German giants Bayern took the third Champions League place, edging out Steve McClaren’s Wolfsburg. Newly promoted Mainz earnt a very creditable fifth place, ahead of Werder Bremen. At the bottom, it was another relegation for former greats Borussia Mönchengladbach, with Hertha Berlin making their time in 2.Bundesliga short and sweet with a convincing promotion.

Lyon, Rangers and Dinamo Kiev were unsurprising winners of their national titles, although there was a surprise in Romania where FC Vaslui headed a top-three also including Timisoara and Braşov.

The European Championship qualifiers will conclude in the autumn, with several teams close to securing a trip to Poland and the Ukraine. Amongst those teams are France and Sweden, who both sit six points clear in their groups, having won six out of six. Albania are the surprise team in France’s group, sitting second and four points clear of the chasing pack. In Sweden’s group, there is a bigger surprise as Holland sit fourth, three points behind both Hungary and Finland, although the Hungarians have played a game more than their rivals.

The third team with a 100% record is, of course, the Czech Republic. There is optimism about the squad which performed so poorly in attempting to qualify for the World Cup in South Africa, but that has to be tempered with the remaining games away to Lithuania and Scotland, and the home match with Spain all opportunities to drop points and let the reigning world and European champions back in to make up their five point deficit.

England and Croatia look to be qualifying with something to spare as well. Fabio Capello’s side remain unbeaten in a very competitive group where the remaining four sides are all taking points off each other. Croatia sit three points clear of Greece, and three wins in their remaining four games while avoiding a heavy defeat in Athens will be enough for them to progress.

Another group which is looking like nearing conclusion is Group B, with Slovakia surprisingly sitting four points clear of the chasing pack. That chasing pack is led by Macedonia, with Ireland a point behind. Russia, the favourites, have had a rotten campaign and sit five points off of the play-off spot, and behind Armenia. Only four wins from their last four games can give them any hope of qualification.

Italy and Serbia will slug it out at the top of Group C throughout the autumn internationals. The Italians sit a point clear but have to travel to Belgrade in October in a match which will almost certainly decide the fate of the automatic qualification place. It is Group A though, which has the most permutations, and the closest fight to the wire. Belgium sit two points behind Germany, with Turkey a further point behind. The Turks, however, have a game in hand, and still have the opportunity to welcome the group leaders to Istanbul.

Can the surprises continue, or will the traditional powers win through in the end?

[Brian W]

From: Jakub Prochazka

To: Czech FA

Top Ten Players in Czech Football, Summer 2011

1 (NE) Jan Chramosta – Czech – Mlada Boleslav – 20yo– S C

I couldn’t put him anywhere but top of this list. The headline figure of thirty-seven goals in thirty-eight games may be a touch flattering with thirteen coming in a particularly prolific cup run, and four of those against non-league opposition. However, starting every game in the league, and coming up with twenty-four goals in that competition shows his class. I won’t be selling for anything less than silly money.

2 ▼ Ondrej Kuzmir - Czech – Sparta Prague – 27yo – D/WB R

Ondrej recovered from his injury lay-off last year and performed well in the second half of the season as the club from the capital secured a record-breaking title. He remains the league’s top full back, and one of few domestic players to be called up to the national side.

3 ▼ Marek Matejovsky – Czech – Sparta Prague – 29yo – AM C

Marek’s return to his homeland was a success with seven goals from midfield in an injury-hit season. More important than his goals was his general contribution to the team, with assured passing culminating in eleven assists for his side. He was also a key factor in their ten consecutive wins which ended the title-winning season.

4 ▲ David Lafata – Czech – Jablonec – 29yo – S C

Lafata continued his good form, and managed a goal every other game for a side struggling in the league. His advancing years may mean that is as good as it gets for him, and it would not be a surprise if he opted to see out his years at Jablonec now.

5 ▲ Vaclav Kadlec – Czech – Sparta Prague – 19yo – S C

The departure of top-scorer Bony last season was a blow to Sparta, but it also gave this youngster a chance for first team football which he was able to grasp with both hands. A dozen goals from nineteen starts in all competitions, with four of those starts in the ill-fated European campaign show the class of the striker.

6 (NE) Niklas Hoheneder – Austrian – Sparta Prague 24yo – D C

He began the season as the junior partner in the Sparta defence, but ended it as the senior partner in a defence which conceded just eighteen goals in a thirty game league campaign. The departure of Tomas Repka should not affect Sparta’s defence of their title due to the composed head of this young Austrian.

7 (NE) Siphiwe Tshabalala – South African – Mlada Boleslav – 26yo – AM L

The highly-rated signing from Kaizer Chiefs has a good first season in the Czech Republic, and was a constant threat to opposing sides. He is sure to improve having fully settled in Europe.

8 (NE) Hans Martinez – Chilean - Slovan Liberec – 24yo – D C

Another very promising addition to the Czech football scene, this South American arrived for less than £200,000 and it would be a surprise if he left for anything less than a seven-figure sum. He was key to the Europa League qualifiers’ successful campaign last time out.

9 ▼ Frantisek Rajtoral – Czech – Viktoria Plzen – 25yo – AM RC

This midfielder had a very fractured season, which accounts for his drop in position from last season. Thirteen games, two goals, and four separate injuries were the numbers from his last year at Viktoria Plzen.

10 ▼ Tijani Belaid – Tunisian – Slavia Prague – 23yo – AM RC

Still supremely talented, but suffered by being part of a Slavia Prague side who finished roughly ten places below where they would have hoped, and at times were a complete laughing stock. His manager will hope he can inspire the side to a much improved performance this season.

Last Year’s Top Ten

5 Tomas Marek – An average season at Banik which ended in him not being able to agree a contract with the club. Now a free agent.

8 Tomas Repka – Released from Sparta, expected to retire

9 Marek Kulic – Now 35 years of age, and a player I plan on phasing out of Mlada Boleslav this season

10 Bony – Transferred to Real Madrid for £2.5m, where he has turned out once for the first team.

[Mark Snellink]

I'd love to see this picked back up if the save isnt trashed