Czechs in turmoil as coach sacked

redout

The Czech Republic national side is in turmoil after coach Petr Rada was sacked and captain Tomas Ujfalusi quit.
Six players have also been banned, with West Ham's Radoslav Kovac and Reading's Marek Matejovsky among them.

A string of bad results prompted Rada's sacking, while a breach of discipline after last week's defeat by Slovakia led to the player bans.
The Czechs trail leaders Northern Ireland by five points in World Cup qualifying Group Three.

They lost 2-1 at home to neighbours Slovakia on 1 April after being held to a 0-0 draw in Slovenia on 28 March, seriously denting their chances of reaching the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa.



The Czech Republic have eight points from six matches, with a game in hand on leaders Northern Ireland.

Former Liverpool striker Milan Baros, Martin Fenin, Vaclav Sverkos and Ujfalusi were the other four players banned indefinitely, with captain Ujfalusi immediately announcing his retirement from international football.

The six players were criticised for visiting a restaurant following the defeat.

Another key Czech defender, Marek Jankulovski of AC Milan, said he is also considering retiring.

Rada last year replaced Karel Brueckner, who led them to the Euro 2004 semi-finals.

The Czechs next play in Slovakia on 5 September.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/internationals/7990168.stm

GLaDOS

Is there any indication as to why Ujfalusi quit?

Daemos

ScienceNerd wrote: »

Is there any indication as to why Ujfalusi quit?

Presumably because he disagrees with the manager being sacked, and feels like the team is going in the wrong direction. As if the captain resigning won't severely dent the self-confidence of the team.

Whatever chance they did have is completely gone now, IMO.

Kevin... he was banned. He won't be taken back any time soon if he was banned indefinatly.

Seaneh

they were banned for.. going to a restaurant after a game?

HOW DARE THEY EAT OUT IN THESE RECESSIONARY TIMES!

Ban them all for life.


Stupidity of the highest order.

eirebhoy

ScienceNerd wrote: »

Is there any indication as to why Ujfalusi quit?

In the article... He was banned and obviously disagree's strongly.

GLaDOS

Oh sorry, I missed that he had been banned aswell

Aidric

The Czechs have been going in the wrong direction for a while now. The slide was well advanced before Brueckner's departure.

JPA

Seaneh wrote: »

they were banned for.. going to a restaurant after a game?

HOW DARE THEY EAT OUT IN THESE RECESSIONARY TIMES!

Ban them all for life.


Stupidity of the highest order.

Czech Republic boss Petr Rada has been sacked following a run of poor results, while a number of players have been banned in relation to an incident last week.

Having worked as an assistant under Karel Bruckner, Rada was appointed as manager at the end of Euro 2008 last summer.

However, he has not enjoyed much success and the Czech Football Association has decided to remove him following last week's 2-1 defeat to Slovakia.

The result left Czech Republic fourth in World Cup qualifying Group Three and five points adrift of leaders Northern Ireland.

They face a fight to qualify for next summer's tournament in South Africa with just four games remaining.

Slavia Prague coach Karel Jarolim and former Sparta Prague boss Frantisek Straka are reportedly front-runners to replace Rada.

It has been a turbulent day for Czech Republic after captain Tomas Ujfalusi earlier announced his retirement from international football.
Banned

Ujfalusi had been criticised after visiting a Prague bar later on the same night that Czech Republic had lost to Slovakia.

Radoslav Kovac, Milan Baros, Marek Matejovsky, Martin Fenin and Vaclav Sverkos joined Ujfalusi and they have all now been suspended by the Czech FA.

"The executive board of the Czech FA has banned all these six players, who were present at the bar after the defeat to Slovakia," said board member Jaroslav Starka.

"However, it remains to be seen what a new coach will do with them once he is appointed. It will depend on him whether he will nominate them or not in future,"

Marek Jankulovski has stated he will consider his future with the team after being wrongly named by tabloids as another player caught up in the scandal.

It is alleged the players had been drinking heavily and were accompanied by prostitutes.

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12010_5161966,00.html

Sky sports are reporting it a little different, e.g. the last sentence.

redout

LoL

It will be coke and hookers next !

eirebhoy

It is alleged the players had been drinking heavily and were accompanied by prostitutes.

Did something like this not happen before with the Czech team (only in the last campaign)?

Isn't it ironic that they like their Beer and Woman the same.

Cheap and Imported.

monkey9

Good news for the North!!