Dúbravka... no wait — Dúdera Leaves Slavia: Outcast National Team Defender Heads to the US

Slavia Prague and Czech national team defender David Dúdera is leaving the club to continue his career in the United States. According to American sports media, the 28-year-old has signed with Cincinnati of Major League Soccer.

Dúdera was dropped from Slavia's squad after the abandoned spring derby against Sparta, in which he was sent off for insulting behaviour — alongside another red-carded player, forward Tomáš Chorý. However, while the club's owner Pavel Tykač ordered the troublesome forward's return to the team ahead of the new season, the hot-headed Dúdera found the door to Slavia firmly shut.

A New Role at Cincinnati

According to The Athletic, Dúdera's arrival will give Cincinnati a fresh option at full-back and allow his Czech national teammate Pavel Bucha — who has spent recent months playing right wing-back — to return to a central midfield role.

Dúdera made 153 appearances for Slavia across all competitions, scoring 13 goals and providing 22 assists, and won the Czech league title twice with the club. He has earned 18 caps for the national team, scoring twice.

A Poor World Cup Showing

At the World Cup in the United States, however, the defender failed to impress, making his move to an American club all the more surprising given his lacklustre form. Coach and television pundit Miroslav Soukup criticised Dúdera's performance against Mexico: "He was jittery, frightened. There was almost nothing from him."

The low point came near the end of the match, when Dúdera struck a clearance from midfield that sailed high and wide of the Mexican goal. "I don't know what to say about that," Czech TV commentator Jaroslav Bosák remarked in disbelief on air.

Around Prague, based on reporting by denik.cz