With regret, I’ve decided to take an indefinite break from posting updates to the czechfootball@yahoogroups.com e-mail list, the Czech Football Daily weblog, the @czechfootball Twitter account and the Czech Football Daily Facebook page.

Because of work, I just don’t have the time to post as regularly or as thoroughly as I’d like these days, and I’d rather stop altogether than do a half-hearted job.

I will, however, be keeping the e-mail list and Facebook page running should anyone want to post anything of their own.

When I started the e-mail list back in 1998 (really!), it was almost impossible to find English-language Czech football news online.

Happily, that’s no longer the case, so, if you’re looking for alternatives to this list/blog, you might want to try the following sources:

• The English-language version of Fotbal.cz, the official Czech football association website (translated by my friend John Lowe)

• Benjamin Formela’s Hezky blog

• Mark Smith’s Play Waved On blog

• Martin Vait’s The Men Offside blog

(And I’m sure there are others I don’t know about.)

Finally, thanks to everyone who’s read, contributed to and corrected this list/blog down the years, particularly my good friend John Chadwick — now living in France — who continues to send me his copy of World Soccer every month!

Na shledanou!
Sam

Reduced to 10 men after Lukas Vacha picked up his second yellow card of the game, the Czech Under-21 team conceded a late goal and will miss out on next year’s Olympic tournament.

Officially, the Czechs will share the tournament’s bronze medal with Belarus, despite the defeat, but that was little consolation for coach Jakub Dovalil, who had made qualification for the 2012 Games his main target.

Talking after the game, the Czech Under-21 coach expressed his surprise and disappointment at the handball that led to Vacha’s sending-off, describing his player’s action as one of “absolute indiscipline”.

UEFA UNDER-21 CHAMPIONSHIP 2011
THIRD-PLACE PLAYOFF
SATURDAY, JUNE 25TH, 2011
Czech Republic 0, Belarus 1
Half Time: 0-0
Goal: 87th Filipenko
Sent Off: 75th Vacha (Czech Republic)
Attendance: 1,000

Czech Team: Tomas Vaclik — Ondrej Celustka, Marek Suchy, Ondrej Mazuch, Jan Lecjaks (13th Kovarik) — Marcel Gecov — Borek Dockal, Lukas Vacha, Tomas Horava, Adam Hlousek — Jan Chramosta

UEFA.com Coverage

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Sources: CTK (SportovniNoviny.cz), UEFA.com

The Czech Republic will play Belarus on Saturday for the bronze medal and a place at the 2012 Olympic tournament following an underwhelming extra-time defeat to Switzerland in Herning, Denmark last night (Wednesday).

Talking after the game, Czech coach Jakub Dovalil said he was bitterly disappointed with his team, whose “absolutely tragic” performance was one of the weakest he had ever been associated with.

He also revealed that he had raised his voice in the changing room as early as the half-time break, unhappy with his players’ failure to follow his tactical plan and for seemingly forgetting how to play.

The Czech Republic-Belarus game kicks off at 3pm Czech time in Aalborg; Switzerland will meet Spain in the final later on Saturday.

UEFA UNDER-21 CHAMPIONSHIP 2011
SEMI-FINALS
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22ND, 2011
Switzerland 1, Czech Republic 0 — After Extra Time
Half Time: 0-0
Full Time: 0-0
Goal: 114th Mehmedi
Attendance: 5,038

Czech Team: Tomas Vaclik — Lukas Vacha, Marek Suchy, Ondrej Mazuch, Ondrej Celustka — Marcel Gecov — Borek Dockal, Lukas Marecek, Jan Moravek (83rd Jan Chramosta), Milan Cerny (112th Vaclav Kadlec) — Jan Kozak (63rd Tomas Pekhart)

UEFA.com Coverage

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Sources: Ceska televize (Teletext), UEFA.com, CTK (SportovniNoviny.cz)

Jakub Dovalil’s Czech Under-21 team take on Switzerland, the only team at the tournament with a 100% record, tonight (Wednesday), with a place in the final and at next year’s Olympics at stake.

Dovalil is expected to keep faith with the 4-1-4-1 formation he used in Sunday’s decisive group game against England — and through much of the qualification campaign — with Lazio’s Jan Kozak again expected to start as the lone striker.

With the tournament’s top three teams (plus hosts England) qualifying for the 2012 Olympics, victory today would guarantee the Czech squad a place at the Games; defeat would mean the Czechs play off against the loser of the Spain-Belarus semi-final for the last remaining spot.

UEFA UNDER-21 CHAMPIONSHIP 2011
SEMI-FINALS
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22ND, 2011
Switzerland vs. Czech Republic (9pm Czech Time)
Venue: MCH Arena, Herning, Denmark (Capacity: 11,800)
Czech TV Coverage: Live on CT4

Predicted Czech Starting Line-Up: Tomas Vaclik — Ondrej Celustka, Marek Suchy, Ondrej Mazuch, Jan Lecjaks — Marcel Gecov — Borek Dockal, Lukas Vacha, Jan Moravek, Milan Cerny (or Adam Hlousek) — Jan Kozak

UEFA.com Coverage

ALSO TODAY
Spain vs. Belarus (6pm Czech Time)

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Sources: Ceska televize (Teletext), UEFA.com

The Czech Under-21 team qualified for the semi-finals of the European championship in dramatic fashion last night (Sunday), coming from behind in the last few minutes to beat England 2-1.

Needing a draw, the Czechs fell behind to a 76th-minute Danny Welbeck header and were heading out of the tournament until substitute Jan Chramosta equalized with one minute of regular time remaining.

Another of coach Jakub Dovalil’s substitutes, Tomas Pekhart, added another in stoppage time, putting the Czechs 2-1 up against an England team that needed to win to qualify, at the Czech Republic’s expense.

Talking after the game, Dovalil praised his team for staying calm when things weren’t going their way and said the impact his substitutions had made showed the quality of the players available to him on the bench.

In the semi-finals, the Czech Republic will face Group A-winners Switzerland in Herning on Wednesday night. The game kicks off at 8:45pm Czech time.

UEFA UNDER-21 CHAMPIONSHIP 2011
FINAL TOURNAMENT – GROUP B
SUNDAY, JUNE 19TH, 2011
England 1, Czech Republic 2
Half Time: 0-0
Goals: 76th Welbeck — 89th Chramosta, 90th(+4) Pekhart
Attendance: 5,262

Czech Team: Tomas Vaclik — Ondrej Celustka, Marek Suchy, Ondrej Mazuch, Jan Lecjaks — Marcel Gecov — Borek Dockal, Jan Moravek (83rd Jan Chramosta), Lukas Marecek, Jan Kovarik (68th Milan Cerny) — Jan Kozak (83rd Tomas Pekhart)

UEFA.com Coverage

ALSO IN GROUP B
Ukraine 0, Spain 3

GROUP B – FINAL STANDINGS
AFTER THREE GAMES
1st Spain, 7 points
2nd Czech Republic, 6 points
———————-
3rd England, 2 points
4th Ukraine, 1 point

Group B on UEFA.com

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Sources: Ceska televize (Teletext), UEFA.com, CTK (SportovniNoviny.cz)

Like their opponents, the Czech Republic need a result from their final group game today (Sunday) to reach the UEFA Under-21 Championship’s semi-finals and take a big step towards a place in next summer’s Olympic tournament.

While England need a win, however, a draw would be good enough for the “Lvicata” (”Lion Cubs”), assuming Ukraine don’t beat Spain in today’s other Group B game.

Czech coach Jakub Dovalil is expected to use the 4-1-4-1 formation he favoured during an unbeaten qualification campaign, with Libor Kozak replacing Tomas Pekhart as lone striker.

UEFA UNDER-21 CHAMPIONSHIP 2011
FINAL TOURNAMENT – GROUP B
SUNDAY, JUNE 19TH, 2011
England vs. Czech Republic (8:45pm Czech Time)
Venue: Viborg Stadion, Viborg, Denmark (Capacity: 9,566)
Czech TV Coverage: Live on CT4

UEFA.com Coverage

ALSO IN GROUP B
Ukraine vs. Spain

GROUP B STANDINGS
AFTER TWO GAMES
1st Spain, 4 points
2nd Czech Republic, 3 points
——————–
3rd England, 2 points
4th Ukraine, 1 point

Group B on UEFA.com

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Sources: Ceska televize (Teletext), UEFA.com

Yesterday’s (Wednesday’s) 2-0 loss in Viborg, Denmark means the Czech Republic must beat England on Sunday to guarantee themselves a place in the European Under-21 Championship semi-finals.

Talking after the game, Czech coach Jakub Dovalil admitted his team had been beaten by a far superior side and that trying to play attacking football against Spain had been a mistake.

Dovalil was pleased, however, that England’s 0-0 draw with Ukraine means his team still control their own fate.

UEFA UNDER-21 CHAMPIONSHIP 2011
FINAL TOURNAMENT – GROUP B
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15TH, 2011
Czech Republic 0, Spain 2
Half Time: 0-1
Goals: 27th Adrian, 47th Adrian
Attendance: 4,662

Czech Team: Tomas Vaclik — Ondrej Celustka, Marek Suchy, Ondrej Mazuch, Jan Lecjaks — Marcel Gecov — Borek Dockal, Jan Moravek (63rd Vaclav Kadlec), Lukas Vacha — Tomas Pekhart (46th Libor Kozak), Adam Hlousek (77th Milan Cerny)

UEFA.com Coverage

ALSO IN GROUP B
Ukraine 0, England 0

GROUP B STANDINGS
AFTER TWO GAMES
1st Spain, 4 points
2nd Czech Republic, 3 points
——————–
3rd England, 2 points
4th Ukraine, 1 point

Group B on UEFA.com

***********
Sources: Ceska televize (Teletext), UEFA.com

Czech Under-21 coach Jakub Dovalil is expected to make two changes to his team for today’s (Wednesday’s) game against Spain, bringing in Jan Moravek and Adam Hlousek — both of whom appeared as substitutes in Sunday’s 2-1 win over Ukraine — in favour of Tomas Horava and Jan Kovarik.

Victory today would guarantee the “Lvicata” (”Lion Cubs”) a place in the semi-finals, but Spain, whose line-up includes Barcelona star Bojan Krkic, are favourites to win the tournament outright and should be far tougher opponents than Ukraine.

UEFA UNDER-21 CHAMPIONSHIP 2011
FINAL TOURNAMENT – GROUP B
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15TH, 2011
Czech Republic vs. Spain (6pm Czech Time)
Venue: Viborg Stadion, Viborg, Denmark (Capacity: 9,566)
Czech TV Coverage: Live on CT4

Predicted Czech Starting Line-Up: Tomas Vaclik — Ondrej Celustka, Marek Suchy, Ondrej Mazuch, Jan Lecjaks — Marcel Gecov — Borek Dockal, Jan Moravek, Lukas Vacha, Adam Hlousek — Tomas Pekhart

UEFA.com Coverage

ALSO IN GROUP B
Ukraine vs. England

GROUP B STANDINGS
AFTER ONE GAME
1st Czech Republic, 3 points
=2nd England, 1
=2nd Spain, 1
4th Ukraine, 0

Group B on UEFA.com

***********
Sources: Ceska televize (Teletext), UEFA.com, Wikipedia

Liberec midfielder Borek Dockal scored twice as the Czech Republic began the UEFA Under-21 Championship finals with a relatively comfortable win over Ukraine yesterday (Sunday) in Viborg, Denmark.

Along with Dockal, Czech coach Jakub Dovalil also praised half-time substitute Jan Moravek, whose introduction Dovalil said had brought calm to his team’s play.

While the Czech coach admitted he had expected his team to beat Ukraine, he thought it was a valuable win, adding to his team’s peace of mind and self-belief ahead of key games against Spain (Wednesday) and England (Sunday).

UEFA UNDER-21 CHAMPIONSHIP 2011
FINAL TOURNAMENT – GROUP B
SUNDAY, JUNE 8TH, 2011
Czech Republic 2, Ukraine 1
Half Time: 0-0
Goals: 48th Dockal, 56th Dockal — 87th Biliy
Attendance: 4,500

Czech Team: Tomas Vaclik — Ondrej Celustka, Marek Suchy, Ondrej Mazuch, Jan Lecjaks — Marcel Gecov — Borek Dockal, Tomas Horava (46th Jan Moravek), Lukas Vacha (90th(+2) Lukas Marecek), Jan Kovarik (75th Adam Hlousek) — Tomas Pekhart

UEFA.com Coverage

ALSO IN GROUP B
Spain 1, England 1

GROUP B STANDINGS
AFTER ONE GAME
1st Czech Republic, 3 points
=2nd England, 1
=2nd Spain, 1
4th Ukraine, 0

Group B on UEFA.com

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Sources: Ceska televize (Teletext), UEFA.com

With all promotion and relegation issues already settled, the second division season drew to a close on Saturday.

DRUHA LIGA (SECOND DIVISION) 2010/11
30TH ROUND
SATURDAY, JUNE 11TH, 2011
Jihlava 2, Karvina 0

Zlin 1, Znojmo 2

Sparta Praha B 1, Varnsdorf 2

Sokolov 3, Dukla Praha 3

Zizkov 1, Hlucin 1

Trinec 1, Most 2

Caslav 2, Vlasim 1

Sezimovo Usti 1, Kladno 1

DRUHA LIGA 2010/11
FINAL STANDINGS
1st Dukla Praha, 63 points — Promoted
2nd Zizkov, 55 points — Promoted
3rd Jihlava, 53
4th Karvina, 46
5th Trinec, 44
6th Sokolov, 43
7th Vlasim, 42
8th Caslav, 41
9th Sezimovo Usti, 40
10th Sparta Praha B, 39
11th Zlin, 38
12th Most, 37
13th Varnsdorf, 37
14th Znojmo, 36
15th Kladno, 31 — Relegated
16th Hlucin, 21 — Relegated

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Source: Ceska televize (Teletext)