Czech Republic
National Team Information
General Info
UEFA
Nároďák (The National Team), Lokomotiva (The Locomotive)
Czech Republic National Football Team History
Beginnings
Czech players played for the Czechoslovakian national team between 1920 and 1993. Czechoslovakia were runners-up at the 1934 and 1962 World Cups and won the 1976 European Championship. Some legendary Czech players from the era include Frantisek Planicka, Josef Masopust, Ivo Viktor, Jaroslav Burgr and Svatopluk Puskal.
Upon the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993, the Czech Republic formed a national team soon after. They played their first match in 1994 and defeated Turkey in Istanbul, 4-1. In their first-ever international tournament as an independent nation, the Czech Republic were runners-up at the 1996 Euro.
2000-2004 History
They qualified for the European Championship again in 2000 but failed to qualify for the World Cup in both 1998 and 2002. A new generation of Czech footballers emerged, and they quickly became one of the best teams in the world. Czech Republic soccer betting was often highly profitable in the 2000s, especially from 2002 to 2004. Pavel Nedved, Tomas Rosicky, Jan Koller, and Petr Cech all played big roles in a 20-match unbeaten run during those years.
2004-2008
The Czech Republic qualified for their third consecutive Euro in 2004. They reached the semifinals but fell to eventual shock champions Greece. Finally, they qualified for their first World Cup in 2006 and came into the tournament ranked second in the world. Injury problems plagued the squad, and they crashed out in the group stage. Euro 2008 didn’t go much better. The Czech Republic led Turkey 2-0 in the final group game and would have advanced if not for Turkey scoring three goals in the final 15 minutes.
2012-2022
They made the quarterfinals of both Euro 2012 and Euro 2020 but haven’t returned to a World Cup since 2006. Recently, Czech Republic also got relegated from the UEFA Nations League A. They won just one of their seven competitive matches in 2022 and lost in a World Cup-qualifying semifinal playoff to Sweden.
- Jan Koller – Goals: 55
- Milan Baroš – Goals: 41
- Vladimír Šmicer – Goals: 27
- Tomáš Rosický – Goals: 23
- Pavel Kuka –Goals: 22
- Pavel Nedved – One of only two Czech Ballon d’Or winners, Pavel Nedved was a complete midfielder during his playing career. Nedved captained an independent Czech Republic to second place in their first tournament, Euro ‘96. He’s also one of the greatest Juventus players of all-time.
- Frantisek Planicka – A game-changing goalie, Frantisek Planicka was a one-club man for Sparta Prague. Planicka captained Czechoslovakia when they reached the finals of the 1934 FIFA World Cup. He also won the Best Goalkeeper award at the 1938 World Cup.
- Josef Masopust – Another Ballon d’Or winner, Josef Masopust is one of the most underrated midfielders of all time. He helped Czechoslovakia make the final of the 1962 World Cup. In 2003, he was named the most outstanding Czech player of the last 50 years by the Czech Football Association.
- Petr Cech – Petr Cech is one of the greatest goalkeepers to ever grace the Premier League. With 124 Czech Republic appearances, he’s their most-capped player of all time. With Chelsea, Cech won the EPL four times and the UEFA Champions League and Europa League.
- Ivo Viktor – A lot of the great Czech Republic soccer players have been goalies and Ivo Viktor is no exception. Viktor was Czechoslovakia’s goalkeeper when they won the 1976 European Championship. That year, he placed third in the Ballon d’Or voting.
We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention Czechoslovakia’s 1976 European Championship win, even if it isn’t a strictly Czech triumph. Back then, only four teams qualified for the final tournament, which was single-elimination. In the semifinals, Czechoslovakia defeated the Netherlands 3-1, in extra time. Then, they drew 2-2 with Germany in the final. In penalties, Czechoslovakia managed a 5-3 win for their first and only major trophy.
Czech Republic’s first tournament as an independent country was at Euro ‘96. After losing to Germany in their opening match, they still managed to qualify for the knockout stage. Karel Poborsky’s goal in the quarterfinals against Portugal was enough for the Czech Republic to advance to the semis. There, they managed a scoreless draw against France and triumphed 6-5 in penalties. That set up an opportunity for revenge against Germany. However, Oliver Bierhoff’s golden goal in extra time gave Germany a 2-1 win.
The Czechs have typically held their own at major tournaments. The only time they’ve failed to win a match was at Euro 2016. A late goal gave defending champions Spain a 1-0 win over the Czech Republic in the first match. In the Czech Republic’s next match against Croatia, they went down 2-0. However, they completed an impressive comeback to draw 2-2. Needing a victory to keep the possibility of qualifying for the knockout stage open, they lost 2-0 to Turkey in their last match.
Czech Republic Soccer Leagues & Clubs:
Czech First League/Fortuna Liga:
There are a lot of tiers in the Czech Republic football pyramid. The top-tier Czech Republic soccer league is called the Czech First League, or Fortuna Liga. The league was founded in 1993 and features 16 clubs. The season runs from August to May and initially follows a double-round robin format. Then, the league breaks into three groups, a championship group, a playoff group and a relegation group.
Points carry over in the championship and relegation groups, and a winner is crowned from the championship group after five additional matches. The bottom team in the relegation group after 35 games is demoted to the Czech National Football League. The 14th and 15th place teams contest promotion/relegation playoffs against the second and third place teams from the second tier.
Czech First League Clubs 2022-23
| Team |
|---|
| Bohemians 1905 |
| FC Zbrojovka Brno |
| SK Dynamo České Budějovice |
| FC Hradec Králové |
| FK Jablonec |
| FC Slovan Liberec |
| FK Mladá Boleslav |
| SK Sigma Olomouc |
| FC Baník Ostrava |
| FC Viktoria Plzeň |
| SK Slavia Prague |
| FC Slovácko |
| AC Sparta Prague |
| FK Teplice |
| FC Trinity Zlín |
| FK Pardubice |
Czech National Football League:
The Czech National Football League is the second division in Czech Republic soccer. The format is much simpler than the Czech First League. Each of the sixteen teams play each other both home and away. At the end of the season, the winner is promoted to the Czech First League. The bottom two teams are relegated to the third tier. Meanwhile, second and third place qualify for the promotion playoffs.
Czech National Football League Clubs 2022-23
| Team |
|---|
| SK Prostějov |
| AC Sparta Prague B |
| FC Sellier & Bellot Vlašim |
| FC Silon Táborsko |
| FC Vysočina Jihlava |
| FK Dukla Prague |
| FK Fotbal Třinec |
| FK Varnsdorf |
| FK Viagem Příbram |
| MFK Chrudim |
| MFK Karviná |
| MFK Vyškov |
| SFC Opava |
| SK Líšeň |
| SK Sigma Olomouc B |
| SK Slavia Prague B |
Czech Republic Cups & Tournaments
Over 100 of Czech Republic’s soccer teams compete each year in the Czech Cup. The Czech Cup is the premier cup competition and the winner gains entry into the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round. Teams from the Czech First League enter the single-elimination competition in the second round. FC Slovacko won their first-ever Czech Cup in 2022, but Sparta Prague have a record seven titles.
The Czech Cup has been played since 1961 and the Czech Supercup was played from 2010 to 2015 between the winners of the Czech First League and Czech Cup. Now, the Czech Cup winner plays the Slovak Cup winner in the Czechoslovak Cup, which was also the case from 1961 to 1993.
Czech Republic Soccer Betting Information
Betting on the Czech Republic
The Czech First League is a popular league to bet on in the Czech Republic. UEFA’s club coefficients rate the level of play as similar to the Swiss, Norwegian, and Ukrainian leagues. A handful of Czech teams have done well in European competitions. Slavia Prague, Viktoria Plzeň, Sparta Prague and Slovan Liberec regularly appear in the group stage of UEFA tournaments.
Those interested in Czech Republic soccer betting should note that only five clubs have won league titles. They are Sparta Prague, Slavia Prague, Viktoria Plzeň, Slovan Liberec, and Banik Ostrava. Viktoria Plzeň were champions in 2022, and they -plus the two big Prague clubs- have won 25 of a possible 29 league titles between them.
Home teams nearly won half of their matches in 2021-22, with a 47 percent win percentage. Draws were relatively common, as 26 percent finished all square. Meanwhile, road teams won just 27 percent of their matches. Totals betting is quite difficult given the vig, as 53 percent of matches finished with over 2½ goals. In 2021-22, both teams scored in 54 percent of matches.
Czech Republic National Team Betting Tips & Odds
UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers also start in 2023 and Czech Republic are certainly expected to qualify.
The Czech Republic national team has punched above their weight at various points. They’ve also suffered some disappointments, like missing out on four consecutive World Cups. They also haven’t made it past the quarterfinals of the Euros since 2004. So, betting tips don’t usually recommend taking them to go very far in major tournaments.
In 2022, Czech Republic disappointed, but they did face stiff competition. With Portugal, Spain and Switzerland in their UEFA Nations League group, the Czech Republic won just one match. With a 1-4-1 record and a four-match losing streak to close out the Nations League, Czech Republic got relegated to the Nations League B. In two previous appearances in the Nations League B, they finished in the top two places in their group. Thus, they will be a team to watch for the 2024-25 Nations League.
UEFA Euro 2024 qualifiers also start in 2023 and Czech Republic are certainly expected to qualify. The other teams in their group are Poland, Albania, Faroe Islands and Moldova. With the top-two teams securing direct qualification to the Euros, it’d be a massive disappointment if they failed to qualify. Even a first-place group finish isn’t remotely out of the question. So, it could be an interesting few years ahead for the Czech Republic.
Conclusion
The Czech First League is a mid-tier European league that is often difficult to bet on without solid knowledge. Czech teams are most commonly bet on, or against, in European competitions like the Champions League and Europa League.
The Czech champions Viktoria Plzeň struggled mightily in the 2022-23 Champions League group stage in a group with Barcelona, Inter Milan, and Bayern Munich. They were eliminated from knockout stage contention after just four of their six matches. That doesn’t mean Czech teams are always out of their element. Slavia Prague reached the quarterfinals of the Europa League in 2020-21.
Czech Republic soccer betting, especially on the national team, could be something to look at over the next few years. The national team seems to be in an awkward place between being too strong for teams in the Nations League B but unable to compete in the Nations League A. So, they could be a popular pick in their upcoming Nations League campaign.
With a favorable group in Euro qualifiers, they could be another popular pick there as well. The most prominent current Czech players are West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek and Bayer Leverkusen striker Patrik Schick.
