Opposition watch [Czechia]: "I want to say we didn’t just play against Cristiano Ronaldo, we defeated him."
As far as the bookies are concerned, Czechia come into the tournament as slight outsiders in Group F, where Türkiye are marginally favoured to join Portugal in the top two positions. However, with just one defeat in their last 14 matches and several players emerging from successful seasons, the 1976 champions should not be underestimated.
Whilst there has been a consistency in results over the last year, Czechia have endured some instability off the field. Manager Jaroslav Šilhavý quit at the end of his contract in November despite guiding the nation to successive European Championships. "Sometimes I don't understand why, the anger and aggression (is directed towards me),” Šilhavý said on the way out, referencing the intense scrutiny from fans and media.
Controversy did not end in the manager’s dugout. Three international players - Vladimir Coufal, Jakub Brabec and Jan Kuchta - were all sent home from the national team’s base after being photographed in a nightclub ahead of their final qualifier against Moldova, which proved Šilhavý’s last match.
New manager Ivan Hašek has been in charge since January. Vastly experienced in football, the 60-year-old was part of the Czechoslovakia World Cup team of 1990, where he scored in a 5-1 win over the United States and subsequently apologised to the Americans for the severity of the defeat. It is the second time Hašek has held the position, having led his country for five undefeated matches in 2009.
How will they line up:
Since taking the reins, Hašek has continued with the previously-used 3-5-2 system and results have remained steady. Wins over Norway (2-1), Armenia (2-1), Malta (7-1) and North Macedonia (2-1) mean Hašek comes into the tournament with a 100% record in his second stint so far in 2024.
Goalkeeper is an intriguing selection, with just 13 international caps between the three men selected depicting an inexperienced prospect between the sticks. Matěj Kovář is perhaps most likely to get the nod, having performed well as Bayer Leverkusen’s goalkeeper in their run to the Europa League final. Other options include Jindřich Staněk of Slavia Prague and Vítězslav Jaroš, who recently helped Sturm Graz to the Austrian title to end Red Bull Salzburg’s domination.
The back three will likely be led by the tall pair of Ladislav Krejčí, a recent acquisition by Champions League-bound Girona in Spain, and David Zima, who became the most expensive transfer in Czech domestic history when he returned to Slavia Prague from Torino for €4m in January. The third spot could be filled by 6’4 highly-rated Martin Vitík, 21, fresh from helping Sparta Prague to the title and tipped for a big move; his inclusion allowed Hašek to omit one of the trio of rebels from November, Jabuc Brabec, citing the emergence of young talent in the position.
Benfica’s David Jurásek and Vladimir Coufal of West Ham will likely occupy the left and right wing-back roles respectively, while in midfield another West Ham man, the towering Tomáš Souček, captains the side and could be partnered by Lukáš Provod, who stands 6’2 himself. The creative output should come from advanced midfielder Antonín Barák, who has gained good experience playing for many years in Italy with Udinese, Lecce, Verona and more recently Fiorentina. Barák has a very good international goalscoring record of 11 in 41, showing he is not just creator.
The frontline provides clear dangers, likely in the form of an all Bayer Leverkusen starting pair, led by star man Patrick Schick, who contributed 13 goals to Bayer’s remarkable double season. Alongside him could be Adam Hložek, 21, who like Schick and the rest of the Czechia side offers an aerial threat at 6’2 and his seven goals for Bayer saw him play a respectable role in the Germans’ success.
Should the starting duo struggle to find their shooting boots, 20-year-old Slavia Prague wide forward Matej Jurasek offers some exciting variation from the bench. Jurasek is seen by many as a potential surprise weapon. In the 2022-23 season, data collected from Europe’s top 15 leagues showed only three players 18 or younger when the campaign started registered more goal contributions than Jurasek: Evan Ferguson (Brighton), Youssoufa Moukoko (Dortmund) and Arda Güler (Fenerbahçe).
History:
The teams have a quite straightforward history across their five competitive matches. The Czechs overcame Portugal 1-0 at Euro 1996 on their way to reaching the final in England, since when the Seleção have dominated the fixture. Wins at Euro 2008 (3-1) and Euro 2012 (1-0) were followed by 2-0 and 5-0 victories for Portugal in 2022 in Nations League competition.
Fun fact:
Czechia have the lowest name variation of all countries in the tournament. 30% of Czech footballers across Europe are named Jan, Lukáš, or Tomáš.
What are they saying:
Ivan Hašek (manager):
"I believe we will be ready. The Portuguese are players who play in the best clubs in the world, they are stars and they go into it as the favourites, but we want to win. We want to stop Ronaldo. I want to say after the match that we didn’t just play against Cristiano Ronaldo, we defeated him.
“The first match doesn't decide anything yet. I'm glad that the players are fine, and it will start tomorrow. We've been waiting long enough. It will be a football holiday and a very big one for us.”
Tomáš Souček (captain)
"Portugal is the favourite of the whole tournament. Ronaldo is a star, he scored the most goals of any player in the whole world in Saudi Arabia. But it's not just about him and Bruno Fernandes, there is also Silva, Leão. They are players who have great quality in attack and defence. We will not underestimate them, we know about their qualities, but we also want to focus on our team,"
"It will start 0:0 and the chance is great. We believe that we want to go a long way, not as an outsider. Every point counts for the group. We all want to advance and we go into the match from the first to the last minute.
“Poborský’s goal against Portugal in 1996? It was a goal like when Panenka scored in the final of the Euro. Whole generations will remember it, it would be nice if something like that happened tomorrow.”
By @SeanGillen9