Spain's Denia emerges as favorite to take over Czech national football team

The Football Association of the Czech Republic (FAČR) is considering 52-year-old Spanish coach José Francisco Molina, better known as Denia, as the leading candidate for the position of head coach of the national team. According to Sport.cz, FAČR leadership has already prepared Denia's candidacy, although a final decision has yet to be made.

FAČR chairman David Trunda plans to present candidates for the vacant post in August at an executive committee meeting, which is expected to approve the team's new coach. However, there is currently no consensus among committee members — some oppose the idea of appointing a foreign specialist, leaving the outcome of the vote uncertain.

As a reminder, previous coach Ivan Hašek stepped down early at the end of June, following the World Cup. Under his guidance, the team reached the tournament in the US, Canada and Mexico via play-off matches, but managed just one point in three group games and failed to advance further.

The 70-year-old Hašek could be replaced by a coach a generation younger, with a far more impressive résumé. Denia is a figure with an intriguing background: he currently manages Qatari club Al Shahania, and previously played as a defender for Albacete and Atlético Madrid. After retiring as a player, he worked as both a coach and an executive at the famous Madrid club.

Since 2010, Denia has worked with Spain's youth national teams, coaching the U17, U19 and U21 sides. He has won European Championship gold with the U17 squad (2017) and the U19 squad (2019), and two years ago he led Spain's Olympic team to victory at the Paris Games.

The specialist is well acquainted, through the youth system, with Spain's current head coach Luis de la Fuente, under whom the Spanish national team won its most recent European and World titles.

Denia is expected to bring Spanish coaching methods to Czech football. Following the disappointing World Cup performance and Hašek's departure, FAČR chief Trunda had already stated that, for the first time in history, a foreign specialist could take charge of the national team. In the federation's view, Denia fits that profile and could, alongside his work with the senior squad, help develop youth football in the country.

It remains to be seen whether all executive committee members can be brought on board with his candidacy, and on what financial terms the Spaniard would agree to a Czech offer — his current job in Qatar suggests that his present salary is clearly no small sum.

Denia isn't the first foreigner whose name has been linked to the Czech national team this summer: a few weeks ago, Jürgen Klinsmann's candidacy was discussed, though talks never got serious. This time, things look different — Spanish outlet AS even reported that Denia had already signed a two-year contract at Strahov in Prague. That report is likely premature, though Trunda has indeed been considering a two-year deal with an option to extend.

The first test for the potential new coach would come in the elite division of the Nations League, where the Czech national team will face Croatia, England and Spain — an extremely tough start for any new manager.

Around Prague, based on reporting by sport.cz