Czech Republic
Youngsters seeking inspiration
from World Cup Stars
At the dawn of the new era of Czech football in
the late 1990s, Tomas Rosicky, Petr Cech and Milan Baros were starting their careers in the national under-17 team.
At the time Pavel Nedved, Karel Poborsky and Jan Koller were the youngsters' inspiration. All three were playing
for top European clubs and were highly successful.
Rosicky, Cech and Baros are now World Cup team-mates of the experienced trio, and they have become the ones playing
at the highest level in Europe and inspiring the Czech stars of the future.
For the next two weeks, those prospects, in the form of the Czech Republic's current under-17 side, will be playing
in the UEFA European Championships in Luxembourg.
In a tournament that has recently played host to Cesc Fabregas, Wayne Rooney and Cristano Ronaldo, it is with great
anticipation that Europe awaits the birth of its next generation of superstars.
And it is widely expected that the 2006 Championships will see some of those genuine future stars wearing the Czech
shirt.
It is not surprising that this is the case when you see this generation's record. As the under-16 side a year ago,
the squad won the strongly contested Ballymena International Tournament in Northern Ireland.
Since then, the majority of the squad have remained together and as the under-17s they have played 15 matches,
losing just two and scoring 31 goals.
In qualifying for the finals the team became notorious for their poor starts after they lost their first matches
in both the preliminary Qualifying Round and the Elite Round.
But it was during the tougher of the two rounds, the Elite Round, that the side excelled by winning a group that
included two of the favourites, France - who were champions in 2004 - and Turkey - last season's champions.
Strike partners Tomas Necid and Tomas Pekhart were the stars for the Czech side in both qualifying rounds and they
are expected to impress once more in Luxembourg.
The 16-year-old duo play their domestic football for SK Slavia Praha alongside Lukas Vacha and Martin Dostal who
are also in the under-17's squad.
Jan Ricka, Slavia's Sporting Director, who discovered Petr Cech in 1999 and signed him for Chmel Blsany, has confidence
in the club's new crop of talent.
"We will closely follow the European championships. We are proud that our players played a big role in achieving
qualification to the tournament," he said.
It is a testament to Slavia's youth scheme that Pekhart recently signed a three-year deal with English side Tottenham
Hotspur.
The 1.9m tall frontman is touted as the next Jan Koller and has a strong physical presence, agility and technical
abilities that will no doubt prove a big asset when he moves to England in July.
The under-17's success can also be attributed to the team's young Head Coach Jakub Dovalil, who at just 32-years-old
is already in his third year coaching the side.
Dovalil, who quit football as a lower-league player in 1998 went on to coach Slavia's youth side before becoming
under-16 national coach in 2002.
Before this year, Dovalil's record as under-17 boss was unimpressive after falling at the Elite Round in the past
two seasons. But with another year of experience and a strong group of players, Dovalil is confident his side can
perform.
"Just like every team, we want to reach the semi-final," he said. "What is very important is to
not to lose the first match against Serbia and Montenegro. We will enjoy the atmosphere of the tournament and will
do everything for success," he added.
For the Czech's to fulfil Dovalil's aim and reach the semi-finals, the side will have to finish in the top two
of Group B. To do so, they will have to overcome Serbia and Montenegro, Belgium and a German side who, after winning
10 of their last 11 matches and drawing the other, will be group favourites.
If the team progress they will meet one of Group A's top two, which could be Hungary, Luxembourg, Spain or Russia. |
