Czech Republic History
Czechs hitting
the heights again
The Czech Republic has only existed since 1993 but have inherited
Czechoslovakia's rich football history, which stretches back into the days of
the Austro-Hungarian empire.
Chaotic ending
With many young players receiving their training through Ceská ulicka, a form of
skilful, fast-moving street football, Czechoslovakia made an auspicious
international debut, beating Yugoslavia 7-0 in the opening round of the 1920
Olympics en route to reaching the final. Sadly the tournament ended in chaos as,
trailing the Belgians 2-0 after 35 minutes of the final, the Czechs left the
pitch in protest at what they perceived as biased refereeing.
Italian success
This controversy ultimately proved a minor footnote in Czechoslovakia's football
history as the FIFA World Cup assumed global pre-eminence ahead of the Olympics.
With a wonderfully talented goalkeeping captain in František Plánicka and two
fearsomely skilled attackers in Oldrich Nejedlý, the tournament's top scorer,
and Antonín Puc, they reached the final along with the hosts, in 1934.
Late defeat
Their Prague-bred short passing game saw them dominate the home side in the
final in Rome and Puc gave the Czechs a deserved lead in the 70th minute before,
just eight minutes from time, Plánicka misjudged a Raimondo Orsi shot-cross and
the Italians were level. Tiredness set in during extra time and Czechoslovakia
succumbed 2-1.
Brave goalkeeper
Plánicka blamed himself for the defeat, but in the next World Cup, by which time
the side's peak had passed, he would prove his considerable bravery by playing
for nearly half of a brutal quarter-final encounter against Brazil with a broken
arm.
Thwarted in Chile
The arrival of communism saw Czechoslovakia's football fortunes initially
plummet but, after a disappointing 1954 World Cup, they finished third in the
1960 UEFA European Championship and returned with a vengeance in the 1962 World
Cup. They progressed to the final where they faced world champions Brazil. The
Czechs took the lead through Josef Masopust, but Brazil went on to win 3-1.
European triumph
Czechoslovakia's finest hour came on 20 June 1976 when, with a team whose
core was largely Slovakian, they won the European Championship after a
remarkable display of heart and skill. Leading world champions West Germany 2-1
in the final minute, they conceded an equaliser. Where lesser teams may have
folded, Czechoslovakia kept their heads, battled through extra time and won
after a penalty shoot-out.
Venglos leads renaissance
A gold medal in the Moscow Olympics and third place in the European Championship
made 1980 a fine year as well, but the rest of the 1980s were relatively barren
times for Czech football. The overthrow of communism in 1989 was the cue for a
renaissance. Owing much to Jozef Venglos's studious management and Tomáš
Skuhravy's goalscoring touch Czechoslovakia advanced to the quarter-finals of
the 1990 World Cup before losing to eventual champions West Germany.
New name
The Czech Republic remained a strong side after the break-up of Czechoslovakia
in 1993 thanks to a talented new generation led by Patrik Berger, Karel Poborský
and Pavel Nedved. At EURO '96™ they advanced to the final before losing to an
Oliver Bierhoff golden goal in extra time against Germany.
Good omen
They failed to qualify for the subsequent World Cup, and despite not dropping a
point under Jozef Chovanec in qualifying for UEFA EURO 2000™, they failed to get
past the group stage. They also missed out on the 2002 World Cup but, as in 1996
and 2000, the Czechs have qualified for UEFA EURO 2004™ after missing out on the
previous World Cup.
Country Info
Thriving in
freedom
AREA: 78,866 sq km
POPULATION: 10,249,216
NEIGHBOURS: Austria, Germany, Poland, Slovakia
LANGUAGES: Czech
CAPITAL CITY: Prague
At the crossroads of east and west in Europe, the Czech Republic emerged from centuries of oppression after parting company with neighbouring Slovakia in 1993 and, boasting some of the continent's finest footballers, is now one of the most vibrant nations in central Europe.
Bohemian rhapsody
The Czech nation emerged from a band of disparate tribes to form the
independent state of Bohemia in the ninth century, and although that first taste
of self-government was not to last long as the German King Otto I incorporated
the nation into his Holy Roman Empire in 950, Prague was to thrive.
Golden Prague
Regaining something like independence early in the 13th century, Prague grew
into one of Europe's great capital cities under the Habsburg dynasty. However,
the golden age gradually turned sour, and as the strongly Catholic Habsburgs
helped to repress the Czech Hussite church reform movement, Bohemia struggled.
Independence movement
Indeed, as the centuries passed, Czechs were to lose more of their rights
and were increasingly subjected by the oppressive Austrian empire until they
finally rose up, with Bohemia and Moravia seizing independence in the mid-19th
century, before the Czechs and Slovaks banded together to form Czechoslovakia
early during World War I.
Footballing splendour
By this time, football was well established, but it was in the new nation
that it really thrived, with the independent Czechoslovakia finishing as losing
finalists in the 1934 FIFA World Cup.
Communist highs
A communist nation after World War II, Czechoslovakia finished third in the
1960 UEFA European Championship and were losing finalists in the 1962 World Cup
before a team dominated by Slovakian players sensationally won the European
Championship in 1976, defeating West Germany 7-6 on penalties.
Free movement
Those who thought that the newly founded Czech Republic would not be able to
build on their footballing heritage were to be dumbfounded as they finished as
runners-up at EURO '96™. With the likes of Juventus FC's Pavel Nedved and BV
Borussia Dortmund's Tomáš Rosický delighting fans across Europe, Czech football
is continuing to leave its mark on the continent.
Today year 2004 Czech Republic team
Player name list
 |
| Qualifying round | |||
| 12.10.2002 | v | Moldova | 2-0 |
| 16.10.2002 | v | Belarus | 2-0 |
| 29.03.2003 | v | Netherlands | 1-1 |
| 02.04.2003 | v | Austria | 4-0 |
| 11.06.2003 | v | Moldova | 5-0 |
| 06.09.2003 | v | Belarus | 3-1 |
| 10.09.2003 | v | Netherlands | 3-1 |
| 11.10.2003 | v | Austria | 3-2 |
| Group D | |||||||
| PLD | W | D | L | GS | GA | PTS | |
|
Czech Republic |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 6 |
|
Germany |
2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
|
Netherlands |
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
|
Latvia |
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |