Page 31 - Soccer360 Issue 106

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S360 PREDICTION | 15TH PLACE
GROUP F - UEFA EURO 2024
FACTFILE
POPULATION:
10.5 million
EURO FINALS APPEARANCES: 10 (7 as Czech Republic, 3 as Czechoslovakia)
BEST FINISH:
Winners, 1976 (as Czechoslovakia)
MOST MEMORABLE EUROS MOMENT: Karel Poborsky’s lob against Portugal at Euro ‘96
HOW THEY GOT TO EURO 2024: Finished second to Albania in a tight qualifying group.
LAST EUROS APPEARANCE: 2020 - Impressively made it the quarter-finals before losing to Denmark.
MOST CAPPED PLAYER: Petr Čech, 124
LEADING INTERNATIONAL SCORER: Jan Koller, 55
HOW TO FOLLOW:
VS PORTUGAL VS GEORGIA VS TURKEY JUNE 18TH JUNE 22ND JUNE 26TH 3:00PM | EST 9:00AM | EST 3:00PM | EST
FIFA RANKING 36TH
CZECHIA
Czechia will be aiming to keep up their strong record in the European Championships and with a young, hungry squad, Ivan Hašek has assembled a team that few will be keen to face. Ian Waterhouse gives the lowdown.
EURO APPEARANCES: 10
EURO CHAMPIONSHIPS: 1
THEIR BEST THREE EUROS
1996
2004
2020
2ND
3RD
6TH
UEFA EURO OVERALL RECORD PLD:37 W:15 D:7 L:15
THE COACH:
IVAN HASEK
Briefly in charge of Czech Republic back in 2009, Ivan Hasek returned to the role at the start of 2024 following the resignation of Jaroslav Silhavy. He is one of the newest head coaches at the tournament and so hasn’t had the advantage of working with the team for a long period of time, but
the 60-year-old has some strong options to work with including the fit-again Patrik Schick.
KEY PLAYER:
PATRIK SCHICK
It surely would have been a much more comfortable qualifying campaign for the Czech Republic had Patrik Schick been available, but he is fit and firing again now and will be one of the strikers to watch at Euro 2024. After finishing the season on top form for Bundesliga winners Bayer Leverkusen, he will now aim to replicate his exploits at Euro 2020, where he was the joint top scorer with five goals.
A STEADY RESURGENCE
Former winners as Czechoslovakia, today’s Czech Republic side features a confident attacking flair that will leave defenders quaking in their boots. That is evident in the form of Bayer Leverkusen superstar Patrik Schick who has bagged nearly a goal every other game for the national side. In fact, Leverkusen players begin and end the team with Matej Kovar likely to be the man between the sticks.
West Ham United’s Tomas Soucek will provide the experience in the squad as he approaches 70 senior caps and the central midfielder is also not shy in front of goal having netted over double figures for the Czech Republic.
Despite making heavy work of qualifying
- with their unconvincing displays drawing criticism and ultimately leading to
coach Jaroslav Silhavy’s departure - the expectation will be for the Czech Republic to at least reach the round of 16 and it would indeed be seen as a considerable failure if they were not to advance beyond Group F. After all, the draw has been fairly kind as although they come up against a very strong Portugal side in their opening match, they should have far too much quality for Turkey and major tournament debutants Georgia. An outright repeat of their triumph in 1976 looks unlikely, but few will be surprised if
the Czech Republic can match their run to the quarter-finals at Euro 2020 and continue their recent return to prominence on the international stage.
PROBABLE STARTING XI
SCHICK
BARAK
COUFAL
CERNY
SOUCEK
HLOZEK
SADILEK
ZIMA
JURASEK
VACLIK
BRABEC
SOCCER360 SUMMER 2024 29