Today’s showcase: the EURO with a home stay, Štrougal had a relationship with football

The Czech national team will fly to the British Isles for the EURO matches, and set up camp at home. The idea of expanding the league did not pass even under the communist regime. Slavia still has a challenge ahead of it – from the 1930s. The goalkeepers have to learn to kick penalties too.

Long jumps to the EURO

The peak of the European Championship season – the real one, across the continent – is approaching. However, the Czech team will not relocate to the British Isles, where they will play three preliminary group matches, and set up camp. It will be flying to the games, once Glasgow, twice London.

This is because UEFA, the organiser, has failed to ensure that the participants (along with the Czech Republic, Croatia has chosen this step), are not bullied by the health and political measures brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.

However, everyone trusts that UEFA will take strict care to avoid racism and will find the appropriate tools. Whatever they are.

Freedom trumps Strougal

A loophole has opened for Brno to escape sporting sanctions and leave the top competition again. According to the revelations, the club’s owner met with the chairman of the League Football Association, Dusan Svoboda (a Brno native, originally from Hruška), and a model for preserving the 18-team competition was created. That is, with only one relegation this year, which would affect Opava.

However, it is dangerous to suspect someone of promoting his native lump, because nobody acts in such a superficial way. It was about higher interests – support for Sparta Prague’s candidate for the post of head of Czech football, Karel Poborský.

In any case, a similar idea – expanding the league to save the popular club – was rejected by the chairman of the communist government, Lubomír Strougal, when the red Sparta was relegated in 1975 (for the first and last time in history). But new fighters always rise.

The red and white ride

Slavia Prague ran through the league like a machete through a coconut, never once finding an opponent. In addition to winning the cup, the crown of the king of scorers – divided – for striker Jan Kuchta, the best coach Jindřich Trpišovský, the best player Lukáš Provod. Are there any challenges left for the next year?

Something can always be found. In the 1929/1930 season, the Red and Whites dominated the competition in an even more emphatic way, going through the competition without losing a point – 14 wins, score 64::13, derby with Sparta 2::0 and 3::2.

The team was led by the legendary Scottish grandfather John William Madden. His successor Jindřich Trpišovský has a lot to build on.

Goalkeepers in opposite roles

The Europa League final Villarreal vs. Manchester United will go down in history. After a 1-1 draw, shots from the penalty kick mark decided the series when the team’s goalkeepers had to take charge in the eleventh. The Argentine goalkeeper in the service of the Spanish team succeeded, the Spanish one catching for the English club did not.

The duties of the goalkeepers continue to increase in burden. Not only to be able to catch (penalties), but also to be able to kick (penalties).