Youth Football Coach in Střelice Drank for Years — Neighbors and Acquaintances Knew All Along

A scandal is brewing in the village of Střelice around a local youth football coach who battled alcohol addiction for years and, according to available information, caused a car accident that left several children injured. Neighbors and acquaintances say his drinking problem was widely known in the area, but he was skilled at hiding it in public.

He Drank at Home, Not at the Pub

According to one neighbor, the coach originally lived with his family in a house he built himself in Střelice, after marrying a woman from a nearby town. The couple divorced a few years ago — reportedly also due to his drinking. They have a son roughly the same age as the child who died in the recent crash.

After the divorce, the man moved back in with his parents. "He was quiet, never caused trouble. But he drank. Not at the pub — at home," the neighbor told the outlet. She said his drinking likely cost him his driver's license at one point: for a while he unexpectedly started commuting to work by train instead of driving, only to be back behind the wheel a few months later. Acquaintances noticed his hands sometimes shook, but no one ever saw him drunk in public.

"He Drank Like a Pro"

A former colleague from the brass band where the man once played recalled: "I knew him personally. About ten years ago we played together in the band, and even then he was drinking like a pro — always beer, plus something stronger." According to this source, the coach allegedly worked as a bandmaster for one of the ensembles and was fired specifically because of his drinking — a claim confirmed by another source as well. However, the current head of that ensemble told the outlet that the man left on his own seven years ago, and firmly objected to the band being associated with him in any way. For that reason, the editorial team is withholding both the name of the ensemble and its director.

The coach got involved in youth football through his son, who used to train with the local team. When the boy quit, the father stayed on with the club as a coach. "It's a tragedy, because ours is a small village — we all know each other, and we knew the family of the boy who died too. His parents are wonderful people who lived only for each other," the neighbor said sorrowfully.

"He Always Bought Vodka"

A popular liquor store sits just a few hundred meters from the house where the coach lived in recent years. The clerk confirmed he was a regular customer. "I know him. He'd come in for booze. Always vodka. Sometimes he'd stop by three times a week, then disappear for a while — probably went somewhere else," he said.

Every neighbor and acquaintance interviewed agrees on one thing: the man's drinking problem was no secret to anyone in the village.

Football Club Declines to Comment

It remains unclear whether the football club itself was aware of the coach's alcohol addiction — after all, he was entrusted with working with children and was even sent with the team to training camps, which required driving to reach the pitch. It was during one such trip that the crash occurred. Club management has so far refused to answer any questions, declining to comment entirely.

The coach himself, like the children injured in the crash, remains in the hospital. According to available information, police have not yet questioned him, let alone filed charges — that may happen as early as next week.

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Source: novinky.cz