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Stories
Defensive performance against Spain went against coach Pavel Vrba’s usual style
17 June ~ Disappointment at conceding a late goal against Spain has given way to a more positive mood in the Czech Republic, with everything still to play for against Croatia today. Having taken an atypically defensive approach against Spain, coach Pavel Vrba has promised to return to his trademark attacking style for the remaining group games. Sparta Prague midfielder Borek Dockal, the Czechs’ leading scorer in qualification, is expected to return to the starting line-up.
The world of Twitter is gaining more followers by the day, with clubs now producing their own official pages. Ian Plenderleith tries to work out what all the fuss is about
People who have never looked at Twitter (twitter.com) tend to ask: “What is Twitter actually supposed to be?” They used to ask the same things about email and blogs, but then at least a feasible, semi-coherent explanation could be given to even the technologically inept. Once you’ve been inside the super-inane world of Twitter, however, a response is much more challenging, because the point still eludes you. It’s perhaps best described as mankind’s best attempt to waste millions of hours since the invention of prayer.
As Reading resume life as a Championship side, Roger Titford reflects on how two seasons in the Premier League changed both perceptions of his club and the expectations of their own fans
As a Reading fan, our relegation from the Premier League only really strikes home when you see the clubs passing in the opposite direction. Joyous city-centre parade in Hull; Dave Kitson leaving the returning Reading expedition to leap aboard the Stoke outing. Best of luck with the big beasts, chaps, you’ll need it.
What are the expectations for the team?
Fairly low – although the Czech Republic topped Group D, ahead of Germany, it was a problematic qualifying campaign. The low point came after the 2-1 loss to Germany in Prague, when a tabloid journalist visited the team hotel and reportedly found five players celebrating Tomas Ujfalusi’s birthday with prostitutes. Coach Karel Bruckner almost resigned over the incident, and Karel Poborsky was later hired as a sort of national-team babysitter.
Are there any players who have appeared in TV commercials or other advertising?
That nice Petr Cech has become a one-man advertising industry over the past couple of years, simultaneously pitching Samsung, the Ceska Sporitelna bank and, modelling leisurewear alongside his wife Martina, Marks & Spencer.
Is the coach popular?
After leading the Czechs to three successive tournaments Bruckner is respected, but if he hadn’t decided to retire after Euro 2008 he would probably have been edged out. One of the conditions for his retaining his job after the 2006 World Cup disappointment was the appointment of Petr Rada, a potential successor, as his assistant.
Do any of the players have famous girlfriends or wives?
Jan Koller’s wife Hedvika has appeared in the Czech edition of Playboy, Tomas Rosicky has been involved with beauty queen-turned-weather girl Radka Kocurova for several years, and defender Radoslav Kovac’s girlfriend Klara Medkova was runner-up in the 2003 Miss Czech Republic contest – a position that the Czechs, rather unfortunately, refer to as “vicemiss”. Keeping track of who Milan Baros and the recently divorced Ujfalusi are seeing keeps large sections of the Czech Republic’s tabloid press in work.
Are there any players involved in politics?
Baros’s experiences have probably put his team-mates off any political involvement. Baros campaigned for the right-of-centre Civic Democratic Party (ODS) during the 2006 election. When the ODS took power, Baros applied for a grant to set up a football academy in his home town, prompting a row within the party over whether he had been promised the money in exchange for his participation in the campaign.
What will the media coverage be like?
Prima, the free-to-air commercial station that has the Euro 2008 TV rights, has announced that Vladimir Smicer will be the “face” of their coverage. This is the first time Prima, who currently show English Premier League games, have covered a major football tournament, so it’s a bit of a step into the unknown. In February, there were reports that Prima had been trying to sell the rights on to Ceska Televize, the state broadcaster that normally handles major tournaments, which doesn’t inspire confidence.
Will there be many fans travelling to the tournament?
Demand for tickets has been intense, exceeding that for the World Cup in Germany. Czech fans aren’t the most boisterous supporters – typically, a chant of Cesi do toho (Czechs go for it) fizzles out after three or four repetitions. That said, the sight of several thousand fans jumping up and down and chanting Hop! Hop! Hop! Kdo neskace neni Cech! (If you’re not jumping, you’re not Czech) is oddly impressive.
Sam Beckwith