“I was pleased that the clubs that were successful in the cups during the week were able to switch very quickly and have no problems in the league. One draw loss for Pilsen in Liberec does not mean anything, I have a healthy team and in Nisa the others from the top three can also leave points,” says the former Czech national team member Milan Fukal in a regular commentary for Aktuálně.cz on the happenings in the football league.
Direct promotion to the Champions League awaits at the end of the season, and that is a huge motivation for all three. They cannot afford to underestimate anything.
Especially Sparta against a stronger opponent from Hradec, but also Slavia against Pardubice confirmed their great quality, and now they only changed two players from the starting line-up.
I am glad that my opinion, which follows on from this, that the player will play best in his position, is being confirmed. Which, for example, coach Trpišovský did not keep so much in Slavia, he moved the players a lot, rotated them perhaps too much.
You certainly can’t play a tough season with twelve players, but not with twenty-eight either. Yet now, even though they didn’t make it to the Champions League, but they showed against Lille what an awfully strong team they have, as well as a very numerous squad, they are still talking about further strengthening.
This can backfire in that players will be disgruntled because they don’t play much. In Slavia, they must know best what they want, whether they really need it. It is difficult to evaluate in advance…
Sparta brought in several reinforcements in the summer and now, even after promotion to the Champions League, they sold Kuchta, who had to make way for Rrahmani. Since she bought him for that price, she has to give him a chance, and he’s good at it right away.
I was surprised how quickly the departure took place, but they don’t play with feelings here. Kuchta deserves it, he has quality, he has done valuable services here and he can continue to develop in Midtjylland, which has a similar game philosophy to Sparta. Which is good news not only from his point of view, but also from the national team’s point of view.
Plzeň could have won or lost, in the end they have a point. Nothing is happening, Liberec will be better, it presents itself as a club of the future. Hradec seems to be like that too, I really liked it against Sparta, even though it didn’t succeed.
I have mixed feelings about the events in Mladá Boleslav. The change of coach brought a short-term effect. It was promoted to the Conference League, an away win in the league was added.
But the club’s management should think long-term, for the whole season, or rather three years. Although he claims that he is doing it, it is accompanied by an incomprehensible step towards coach Holoubek for me from a human point of view.
This is not how you deal with a person, but with a piece of rag. After all, Holoubek brings energy to football, he likes his daily work, he is a professional. I think he would also win in Hungary and advance… I know, something similar has already happened elsewhere. However, I still think that even unpleasant things can be solved at a level.
Kozel took the chance
Even in Liberec in the summer, things did not go well with the coach. That is why I am pleased that Luboš Kozel, whom I have respected as a decent person since the player era, immediately found new motivation in the rival Jablonec, where he once started as a coach. And look how he got hold of her!
He made a good preparation, calmed down the disorganized cabin, and the team is on its way again after the previous misery. Sparta was sold out after a long time in Jablonec, then won at Bohemka, now another point from Slovácko.
People here are enjoying football again, they are having fun, I didn’t expect that. They would still like it if there were more players from the region, after all, even the youth team advanced to the extra league at the expense of Bohemians. But they probably won’t get that from Mr. Pelta…
One more thing pleased me, namely the form of Jan Kliment. I’ve been following him since he left for Stuttgart after the Under-21 Euro, where he scored a hat-trick.
I considered him a devalued talent until now. Now he has finally, actually for the first time, received trust and wants to repay it, to assert himself. He had incredible moments in Pilsen, then I felt sorry for him when something went wrong and he didn’t play again. I trust him even though I don’t know him personally.
Olomouc is doing well, the local boy Janotka has also revived him in the coaching position, as a football fan I am happy.
What is happening in Bohemka?
On the other hand, something is not right in Bohemka, where I also played. I miss the “bohemian” grab it at all costs. Maybe they want to play nicer, but first I have to show what I’m really capable of. I would like them to present themselves in better ranks for a longer period of time. I believe he will wake up, I really have no choice.
The situation will never change rapidly with the departure or injury of two or three players. The same applies to Teplice, which I expected to follow up on a pleasant spring. But they clearly can’t do it now.
Maybe the boys have grown in confidence that they don’t go completely dead even to the last step… They have to start from scratch. Defend, run, fight. And then maybe even the creative ones will catch on, who will affect the quality of the game.
I know there is talk of selling the club. But it’s not behind the scenes, they have a decent background. The people who play football there breathe for Teplice and would fall for them.
I see it differently in České Budějovice, which now, it probably sounds cruel for the “kangaroos”, did not even beat the struggling Bohemka.
At the same time, they need to win at least two games in a row to catch up. Franz Straka can probably cut, but he doesn’t have the quality to make the turn. And in the winter it may be too late, I can see it’s pretty bad with them.
On the other hand, they have long-term problems, and although I don’t wish it on anyone, that one year in the second league can cement them together, pick them up and help them bounce back.
- A former strong hitter. He was born on May 16, 1975.
- He won two league titles with Sparta, he made a great name in the German Bundesliga, where he spent six seasons. First in Hamburg, then in Borussia Mönchengladbach. He also played for Bohemians, Jablonec and Hradec Králové.
- He played 19 games for the Czech national team.
Watch the clip of the Leverkusen – Leipzig match including the miss by the goalkeeper Kovář (at 1:03) | Video: Associated Press
