Sparta Poach Ex-Slavia Man Jurásek to Replace Departed Hašek... Wait, Hranáč? Let me redo title properly.

Football club Sparta Prague has bolstered its squad with a player from its fiercest rival, Slavia. Midfielder Matěj Jurásek has joined the Prague "red-and-whites" to fill the wing spot left vacant by long-time team captain Lukáš Hranáč, who departed to play in Saudi Arabia.

Sparta coach Brian Priske was left with a limited pool of options out wide, currently relying mainly on John Mercado and Josmar Alcocer. He also has Garang Kuol and Jean Grimaldo at his disposal, but neither has yet convinced the coaching staff of his level.

The club had been tracking the player for a while

Sparta's sporting director Tomáš Rosický explained the decision: "We know Matěj very well and had been in touch with him back in previous transfer windows. At just 22, he already has solid experience, including with the national team and at Norwich. We felt that with Hranáč leaving, he would fit our style thanks to his profile and his ability to beat a man one-on-one," Rosický said.

According to him, Jurásek isn't afraid to take responsibility in the final third, is unpredictable, and knows how to change the tempo of a game. "Just like with Adam Karabec, his time abroad has helped him — despite not getting a huge amount of playing time, he's grown both as a player and physically. We believe he'll keep developing and help us win matches," the sporting director added.

From Slavia's youth ranks to the national team and Norwich

Jurásek came up through Slavia's youth system and had a promising career ahead of him. Despite his young age, he made 91 official appearances for the Prague club, scoring 17 goals and providing 15 assists. He broke into the Czech national team and played at Euro 2024.

A turning point in his career came with his move to England's Norwich City in January 2025, when he signed a contract running until June 2030. Reports suggest the English club paid Slavia around 180 million crowns for the transfer.

However, Jurásek never quite found his form at Norwich — partly due to injuries, partly due to fierce competition for a starting spot. Over a year and a half, he made just 21 appearances and scored one goal.

Now the player will try to relaunch his career at Sparta. Given the Prague club's busy autumn schedule — including a Europa League campaign — he should have no shortage of chances to prove himself.

Around Prague, based on reporting by sport.cz