Nedvěd: another player with Czech roots found for national team

Czech national teams general manager Pavel Nedvěd said another footballer with Czech roots has come onto the national team’s radar. He did not name him, but said the player is from South America and his great-grandfather was Czech. Nedvěd spoke after the team lost all four of its Nations League matches.

Too early to expect results

“Nobody wants to lose, and neither do we. But we see clear progress in the way we play. I was satisfied with three of the matches, but not with England,” Nedvěd said. Journalist Michal Nussbauer agreed: judging results now makes no sense, and beating England or Spain at Wembley is unrealistic, but clear playing principles are visible. Fans have been praising the team too: according to the former midfielder, getting positive feedback after defeats is “not quite normal,” and it made him happy.

Results will really matter in March, when qualifying for the European Championship begins. Until then, Spanish coach Santiago Denia and his staff should fine-tune the team. “To those who ask where we will end up, I say: time will tell. The Spaniards signed a two-year contract and we want to be successful. Where to start if not with Euro qualifying? We will wait for the draw and from March we want to deliver results,” said the winner of the 2003 Ballon d’Or.

Newcomers, Sláma and Schick

The talk also turned to the Slavia players who were in the squad but pulled out for health reasons. Four of them — David Zima, Tomáš Vlček, Lukáš Provod and Tomáš Chorý — started on Friday in Zlín. “I was glad they all recovered. I like that the coaches took it as reality and focused on who would replace them. Nobody questions the players’ conscience; they must know whether they are ready to play for the national team,” Nedvěd said.

Eight newcomers made their national team debuts at the latest camp. One of them was Jiří Sláma, who became the busiest Czech and impressed with his performances against giants. “It was a huge surprise for everyone how he handled it,” Nedvěd noted. Nussbauer believes Sláma will keep getting called up and could move to an interesting club, for example in Poland, but not to a top league. Nedvěd replied: “The Nations League matches are watched by as many people as possible. I had plenty of phone calls, and the clubs were very interesting. I wouldn’t close the door to the Premier League.”

Nedvěd also explained how Ryan Naderi came to be called up: he and Radek Bejbl were once discussing the player, whom Bejbl had long had on his radar. They contacted the footballer’s mother, who was very keen for her son to play for the Czech team. According to Nedvěd, such cases are not isolated, and foreign coaches helped “switch on the light” on the issue.

On a possible return of striker Patrik Schick, Nedvěd said that both he and Denia have been in touch with him: “We know his form, he is fantastic. The doors are open to everyone. If we sense he wants to come back, nobody will be against it.” In his view, Schick is unlikely to join the next camp, but could return for qualifying.

Nedvěd also responded to criticism from former coach Ivan Hašek, who said he had not worked enough: “I have always tried to help Ivan. Sometimes I did not travel to matches with him, but you have to understand that I arrived a year ago and needed to get to know the environment and relationships in Czech football.” Of the next camp, less than a month away, he said: “We want to take a step forward in our play, ideally together with results. We have the world champions at home. Nobody loses at Letná, we’ll see.”

Around Prague, based on reporting by sport.cz