The coach of the Czech national team, Jaroslav Šilhavý, is ready for a shot. After the results and especially the performances of the Czechs in the qualification for Euro 2024, the coach’s chair is swaying, although in the end Souček, Coufal, Krejčí et al. advance to the tournament in Germany.
Mainly the 0:3 loss in Albania and the resigned interview of coach Jaroslav Šilhavý after the match led the management of the football association to take a dramatic step. On Tuesday, the management of the FAČR will meet for an extraordinary meeting to either recall Šilhavé or, on the contrary, confirm him in the position for the rest of the qualification – i.e. in the matches in Poland and at home against Moldova.
The Czechs need to beat Moldova to advance. And with a high probability, even the draws in Warsaw and with the Moldovans should be enough. But the aftertaste of the team’s performances will remain anyway.
The football podcast Seznam Správ Nosiči vody is releasing its 100th episode in its history on Tuesday. And he invited a special guest who saw the defeat in Albania with his own eyes – Jindřich Šídl.
We asked the water carriers – that is, Luďek Mádl, Jaromír Bosák and Karel Tvaroh, what they thought about the further stay of Jaroslav Šilhavý.
Take their answers as a small taste of the hundredth episode of the Water Bearers podcast.
Karel Tvaroh: “Backstage reports reached me that the atmosphere at the national team meetings was too relaxed. And in some cases it was very visibly reflected on the field. You can’t play the qualification like this. It clearly goes to the implementation team. If a new coach were to be sought, for example for the remaining two matches in the group, I would remind you that David Holoubek works for the association, who has already managed a similar task several times.”
Jaromír Bosák: “The match in Albania showed that it really can’t go on like this. There was nothing to lean on, the team was not prepared for that match at all. And so, logically, the position of the national team coach is about to be changed, things have already gone too far. The name of Michal Bílek is also mentioned, but from what I have heard, he is now impassable for the current leadership of the association.”
Luděk Mádl: “In Albania, the national team was completely burnt out, both in terms of results and performance, the team was not well prepared for the match. This was followed by a match with the Faroe Islands, in which a well-played but goalless first half was followed by a spasm and relief in the form of a converted penalty. The executive committee of the FAČR will probably discuss the position of national team coach on Tuesday, there is not much time for a solution, a key match is already being played in Warsaw on November 17. In my opinion, the management of the association should have addressed this issue much more carefully last April, when they somehow automatically extended Jaroslav Šilhavé’s contract. Now, right before the end of the battles in the qualifying group, a difficult situation arises. Few will be willing to take over the team for just two games. Maybe just one of the retired coaches. According to my information, Jindřich Trpišovský fundamentally rejects the idea that he would jump to the national team from Slavia. Maybe some will say: So let them play it out with Šilhavy. But when I saw Jaroslav Šilhavy after the game with the Faeroes, despite the victory, he had a completely broken, empty impression. And such a state of mind clearly calls for change. Candidates should be Michal Bílek or Vítězslav Lavička, I would prefer a mix of Ivan Hašek’s experience with assistant – innovator David Horejš.”
Water carriers
Football Podcast List of behind-the-scenes football news. Reporter Luděk Mádl, commentator Jaromír Bosák and former professional footballer Karel Tvaroh comment on events in the Fortuna League, the Premier League, other European competitions, but also in the Czech national football team.
