EM team without stars: the Czech generation spurned

Surprises are always subject to a subjective approach.

What was unexpected for the majority of the sports-loving European public was hardly surprising for Pavel Kuka.

What is meant is the victory of the Czech national team in the round of 16 against the Netherlands (2-0).

"I was expecting it," says the now 52-year-old attacker who once stormed in the Bundesliga for 1. FC Kaiserslautern, Nuremberg and VfB Stuttgart.

Kuka drew his optimism from the power of history, the Czech Republic had repeatedly won against the Netherlands in major tournaments in the past.

“They suit us.

It has something to do with character.

The Dutch always play very well, they are fine footballers.

But at a European championship that alone is not enough, you have to give more and fight if necessary, ”says Kuka.

For that matter, the Czech Republic is well prepared for the quarter-finals against Denmark this Saturday.

The current team is strong in everything that is considered a secondary virtue in football circles.

Fight, run, will, commitment.

“In these areas, we are certainly at the forefront,” says Kuka.

"That is our trump card and could pose the same problems to the other teams as Holland."

As an example of the strong work ethic, he cites Patrik Schick, who as a center forward not only scored four of the five Czech goals, but also works a lot for the team.

“He takes walks that you didn't know about him.

That says a lot about a team if its finest footballer is not too bad to take on unpleasant tasks for him. "

No Nedved, no Rosicky, no Koller

The Czech Republic is back in the quarter-finals of a European Championship for the first time since 2004.

At that time in Portugal the end only came in the semifinals against the eventual surprise winner Greece.

Unlike seventeen years ago, the Czech Republic no longer has the great soloists of yore.

In this summer's team there is no one with the skills of Pavel Nedved, Jan Koller or Tomas Rosicky.

This is a novelty in the history of Czech football, as it was always successful when it produced great individual talent. For decades, the national team was considered a haven for bohemians, artists who liked to shine and gave the audience unforgettable moments. Like Antonin Panenka, who mischievously lifted the decisive penalty kick in 1976 against Germany.

Panenka or the striker Zdenek Nehoda had this year, the European championship runners-up from 1996 had the virtuoso Karel Poborsky, Nedved, Vladimir Smicer or Kuka, who was seeded as a striker.

After the 2004 generation, considered to be one of the most talented in Czech history, this tradition was torn down.

This was partly due to changed premises in the promotion of young talent.

Tactics and systems came to the fore, the individual to the back.

The generation of workers

The consequence: For some time now, the Czech Republic has been producing many hard-working workers who individually cannot match the skills of their predecessors, but function as a team.

Players like the hard-working right-back Vladimir Coufal from West Ham United and captain Vladimir Darida, who had to pass injured in the round of 16 but is fit again against Denmark.

“He is very important to us in midfield.

Along with Soucek and Holes, who plays a very strong European Championship, Darida is one of the pillars, ”says Kuka.

Darida was like some of his teammates last season.

At his club Hertha BSC he was not always part of the permanent staff.

Goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik is only number two at Sevilla FC, defender Tomas Kalas only played in the second division for Bristol in England, even Schick was not always seeded at Bayer Leverkusen.

In addition, there are a relatively large number of players who play in the Czech league, which is at most second-rate internationally. That was different once, too, around the turn of the millennium many Czechs played in the most important clubs in Europe. The current generation is not one of the export hits. The Czech selection started as the team of the spurned at the European Championships, and their strong sense of togetherness brought them to the quarter-finals.

To the annoyance of many fans, the game (6 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the European Football Championship, on ARD and MagentaTV) will kick off in Baku, in far-away Azerbaijan. The Czech capital Prague and Baku are about 3000 kilometers apart. Only a few fans are likely to undertake this long journey. Midfielder Michal Sadilek was also angry about the venue, saying: “I think it's unfortunate to have a quarter-final between Denmark and the Czech Republic in an Asian country. That doesn't make sense to me. ”In the round of 16 against the Netherlands, the team in Budapest had the support of thousands of fans.

Against Denmark, the Czechs will have to rely more on themselves again. On their team spirit and the strength of solidarity. Pavel Kuka expects a very close game. As some newspapers have suggested in the past few days, he does not see the Czech Republic as a favorite. “The Danes are very much like us. They also have a lot of character and a good mentality. You run a lot and give everything for success. It's a very tough opponent, ”says Kuka. Can these sworn Czechs also become European champions? “I would wish you so. Unfortunately, we weren't able to do it, ”says Kuka.