Czech Republic national football team

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Czech Republic

Nickname

Association

Českomoravský fotbalový svaz

Head coach

Karel Brückner (2002-)

Captain

Tomáš Rosický

Most caps

Karel Poborský (118)

Top scorer

Jan Koller (47)

FIFA code

CZE

FIFA ranking

Highest FIFA ranking

2 (March 1994)

Lowest FIFA ranking

67 (September 1999)

Elo ranking

Highest Elo ranking

1 (Jun 2004, Jun 2005)

Lowest Elo ranking

22 (Jan 2002)





Home kit





Away kit

First international

Hungary 2 - 1 Bohemia

(Budapest, Hungary; 5 April 1903)

Turkey 1 - 4 Czech Republic

(Istanbul, Turkey; 23 February 1994)

Largest win

Czech Republic 8 - 1 Andorra

(Liberec, Czech Republic; 4 June 2005)

Czech Republic 7 - 0 San Marino

(Liberec, Czech Republic; 7 October 2006)

Worst defeat

Switzerland 3 - 0 Czech Republic

(Zürich, Switzerland; 20 April 1994)

World Cup

Appearances

1 (First in 2006)

Best result

Round 1, 2006

European Championship

Appearances

3 (First in 1996)

Best result

Runners-up, 1996

The Czech national football team is the national football team of the Czech Republic and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic.

Before World War I, Bohemia (present-day Czech Republic), while being part of Austria-Hungary, played seven matches between 1903 and 1908, six of them against Hungary and one against England. Bohemia also played a match against Germany in 1939 while being the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia.

When the Czech Republic was part of Czechoslovakia, the national team had runner-up finishes in World Cups (1934, 1962) and a European Championship win in 1976. After Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the national team was reformed, and played its first match against Turkey in 1994.

Now, the Czech Republic is continuing its football tradition, finishing second in Euro 96 and making the semifinals of Euro 2004. They made their first World Cup as an independent country in 2006 and they are currently the eighth-ranked country in the world according to the FIFA World Rankings.

The Under-21 national team of Czech Republic won the European championship in 2002.

1 Stadiums
2 World Cup record
3 European Championship record
4 Players
- 4.1 Notable former players
- 4.2 Current players
5 2006 World Cup squad
6 2006 World Cup Information
7 Past squads and campaigns

[edit] Stadiums

The most important matches of the Czech national team are held in Prague´s Toyota Arena, the home stadium of Sparta Prague. Other venues include the cities of Teplice, Olomouc and Liberec. The new leaders of the Czech Football Association have announced that they will be building a new state of art stadium for 50,000 people.

[edit] World Cup record

1930 to 1994 - See Czechoslovakia
1998 - Did not qualify
2002 - Did not qualify
2006 - Round 1

[edit] European Championship record

1960 to 1992 - See Czechoslovakia
1996 - Runners-up
2000 - Round 1
2004 - Semifinals

[edit] Players

[edit] Notable former players

This lists players who have played most or all of their international careers in the Czech Republic era. For notable players from the Czechoslovakia era, see Czechoslovakia national football team.

[edit] Current players

Source: The website of The Football Association of the Czech Republic
Goalkeepers

Jaromír Blažek (AC Sparta Praha, Czech Republic)
Petr Čech (Chelsea F.C., England)
Antonín Kinský (FC Saturn Ramenskoe, Russia)
Martin Vaniak (Panionios NFC, Greece)
Marek Čech (Slovan Liberec, Czech Republic)

Defenders

René Bolf (AJ Auxerre, France)
Zdeněk Grygera (Ajax Amsterdam, Netherlands)
Tomáš Hübschman (FC Shakhtar Donetsk, Ukraine)
Marek Jankulovski (A.C. Milan, Italy)
Martin Jiránek (FC Spartak Moscow, Russia)
Radoslav Kováč (FC Spartak Moscow, Russia)
Pavel Mareš (FC Zenit Saint Petersburg, Russia)
Zdeněk Pospěch (AC Sparta Praha, Czech Republic)
David Rozehnal (Paris Saint-Germain, France)
Tomáš Ujfaluši (ACF Fiorentina, Italy)
Tomáš Zápotočný (FC Slovan Liberec, Czech Republic)

Midfielders

Tomáš Galásek (1. FC Nürnberg, Germany)
David Jarolím (Hamburger SV, Germany)
Jiří Jarošík (Celtic FC, Scotland)
David Kobylík (DSC Arminia Bielefeld, Germany)
Karel Piták (Slavia Praha, Czech Republic)
Jaroslav Plašil (AS Monaco FC, Monaco)
Jan Polák (1. FC Nürnberg, Germany)
Tomáš Rosický (Arsenal FC, England)
Libor Sionko (Rangers FC, Scotland)
Tomáš Sivok (AC Sparta Praha, Czech Republic)
Rudolf Skácel (Southampton F.C., England)
Vladimír Šmicer (FC Girondins de Bordeaux, France)
Roman Týce (TSV 1860 München, Germany)
Štěpán Vachoušek (FK Austria Wien, Austria)
Lukáš Zelenka (Vestel Manisaspor, Turkey)

Forwards

Milan Baroš (Aston Villa F.C., England)
Marek Heinz (Galatasaray SK, Turkey)
Tomas Jun (Besiktas JK, Turkey)
Jan Koller (AS Monaco FC, France)
Marek Kulič (Mladá Boleslav, Czech Republic)
Roman Bednar (Heart of Midlothian FC, Scotland)
David Lafata (FK Jablonec, Czech Republic)
Miroslav Matušovič (AC Sparta Praha, Czech Republic)
Václav Svěrkoš (Hertha BSC Berlin, Germany)
Jiří Štajner (Hannover 96, Germany)

[edit] 2006 World Cup squad

Head coach: Karel Brückner

No.	Pos.	Player	DoB/Age	Caps	Club
1	GK	Petr Čech	20 May 1982	44	Chelsea F.C.
2	DF	Zdeněk Grygera	14 May 1980	44	Ajax Amsterdam
3	DF	Pavel Mareš	18 January 1976	10	FC Zenit Saint Petersburg
4	MF	Tomáš Galásek	15 January 1973	51	1. FC Nürnberg
5	MF	Radoslav Kováč	27 November 1979	7	FC Spartak Moscow
6	DF	Marek Jankulovski	9 May 1977	51	A.C. Milan
7	MF	Libor Sionko	1 February 1977	18	Rangers F.C.
8	MF	Karel Poborský	30 March 1972	118	SK Dynamo České Budějovice
9	FW	Jan Koller	30 March 1973	69	AS Monaco
10	MF	Tomáš Rosický	4 October 1980	57	Arsenal FC
11	MF	Pavel Nedvěd	30 August 1972	90	Juventus F.C.
12	FW	Vratislav Lokvenc	27 September 1973	74	Red Bull Salzburg
13	DF	Martin Jiránek	25 May 1979	24	FC Spartak Moscow
14	MF	David Jarolím	17 May 1979	4	Hamburger SV
15	FW	Milan Baroš	28 October 1981	50	Aston Villa
16	GK	Jaromír Blažek	29 December 1972	11	Sparta Prague
17	MF	Jiří Štajner	27 May 1976	24	Hannover 96
18	FW	Marek Heinz	4 August 1977	29	Galatasaray
19	MF	Jan Polák	14 March 1981	21	1. FC Nürnberg
20	MF	Jaroslav Plašil	5 January 1982	17	AS Monaco FC
21	DF	Tomáš Ujfaluši	24 March 1978	50	Fiorentina
22	DF	David Rozehnal	5 July 1980	25	Paris Saint-Germain
23	GK	Antonín Kinský	31 May 1975	5	FC Saturn Ramenskoe

[edit] 2006 World Cup Information

Czech Republic started the World Cup with an impressive victory. USA barely had a sniff of goal throughout, and the Czechs capitalized. Jan Koller opened the scoring in the 5th minute with a brilliant header after Grygera crossed in the ball. Arsenal's new signing for the summer, Tomáš Rosický hit a belter past US keeper, Kasey Keller before half time to put the Czech's 2-0 up, but it was not all good news. Jan Koller, scorer of the first goal, sustained a hamstring injury just before half time. He had to be stretchered off, and was out of the remainder of the tournament. Karel Bruckner's side emerged from the second half buoyant as before, despite losing Koller, who was replaced upfront by Lokvenc. Two thirds of the way through the second half, Rosický secured the three points with a brilliant solo effort.

Czech Republic next played Ghana on the 17th, losing 2-0 at Cologne. This match was full of excitement right from the start to the end.

The Czechs lost their third game as well, falling 2-0 to Italy. This loss ended their World Cup run, with Italy and Ghana advancing to the Round of 16.