World Soccer - UK (2020-04)

CZECH REPUBLIC

on the platform.
Like the TV rights, any increase
in money would be shared equally –
a move which 31 of 32 clubs support.
“Slavia disagree with the model a bit,”
says Hanus. “They are a modern club
and speak to clubs in Belgium, the
Netherlands and the Champions League.
I can see their point of view but they are
the only ones.”
Slavia are looking to compete with the
rest of Europe just as UEFA appears to
be pulling up the drawbridge to protect
the elite. “This is the most important
discussion,” adds Hanus.
For Trpisovsky, any conversations used
to be in Czech, which made him less
attractive to overseas suitors, but the
most feted Czech coach of the modern
era has begun learning English.
If he succeeds in rebuilding Slavia and
making inroads into Europe again next
term, his players will not be the only
ones attracting overseas interest.

BANIK OSTRAVA

League winners in 2004,

they were bought by

Czech millionaire Vaclav

Brabec in 2016 after relegation. They

returned to the top flight a year later

and finished fifth last season.

BOHEMIANS 1905

Formed as AFK Vrsovice

and league winners in

1983. The only Czech
      club where the supporters hold a
      stake, a move that came about
      following a financial crisis in 2005.

DYNAMO CESKE

BUDEJOVICE

Returned to the top flight

this season as second-

tier champions. Their chairman is

Karel Poborsky, who started his

career at the club.

FASTAV ZLIN

Moravian club who

qualified for the Europa

League group stage

in 2017-18 and celebrated their

centenary last year.

JABLONEC

In the top flight since the

1993-94 season, they

have won the domestic

cup twice and were fourth in the

league last time out. They are owned

by former national federation

president Miroslav Pelta.

KARVINA

Formed from a merger

in 2003 and owned by a

state-controlled company.

MLADA BOLESLAV

The city council owns

34 per cent and car

manufacturer Skoda

provide funding. Regular European

competitors but only seventh in the

league last season.

O PAVA

Founded in 1907 and

owned by the city council.

No major success apart

from a 2017 Cup Final appearance.

PRIBRAM

The legal successors to

former European Cup

semi-finalists Dukla

Prague but they have few fans.

SIGMA OLOMOUC

Cup winners in 2012, they

went down in 2014 but

bounced back and were

in the Europa League last season.

SLAVIA PRAGUE

The only foreign-owned

club, they are controlled

by Chinese company

Sinobo. Winner of 19 league titles.

SLOVACKO

Formed from a merger in

2000 between FC Synot

and FC Slovacka Slavia.

Twice cup finalists.

SLOVAN LIBEREC

Three-time title winners,

they have reached the

Europa League group

stage three times in the last six years.

SPARTA PRAGUE

Founded in 1893 and

winners of a record 36

domestic titles. Finished

third in the league last season.

TEPLICE

Cup winners in 2003 and

2009, they qualified for

the Champions League

as league runners-up in 1999.

VIKTORIA PLZEN

Won their first league title

in 2011 and have added

four more since.

FIRST LEAGUE: 2019-20

League clash...

Pribram (in green)

and Banik Ostrava

Heated...tempers boil over in the Slavia-Sparta derby in Prague