Soccer (or if you’re from Europe, football), is one of the most popular sports in the world. Spectators from around the globe root on their favorite teams and players, hoping to get at least a small taste of victory (if not an entire meal).
While soccer is certainly popular across the globe, it can be argued that it’s most popular in Europe. Nearly every country has its team, including the Czech Republic, a team that has a pretty interesting past, historically speaking.
If you’re interested in learning more about soccer in the Czech Republic, read on for a brief history on one of the most famous (or infamous, depending on how you look at it) soccer teams in the world.
About the Czech Republic’s National Soccer Team
The national soccer team (or football team, as it’s referred to in the Czech Republic and all of Europe) of the Czech Republic is an international soccer team that, of course, represents the Czech Republic. The team is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, which governs professional football for the entire country.
Before World War I, the national team of what is now the Czech Republic played under the Kingdom of Bohemia, which was part of Austria-Hungary. As Bohemia, the team played a total of seven matches between the years 1903 and 1908. Six of those games were played against Hungary, and one was played against England.
When Bohemia became Czechoslovakia, the national soccer team finished as runners-up in the 1934 and 1962 World Cups, as well as in the European Championship in 1976.
During the 1990s, Czechoslovakia was dissolved and reformed into what is now known as the Czech Republic and Slovakia. After the reformation of the Czech Republic, the country’s national soccer team was established. The team’s first away game was played against Turkey in 1994, winning the game 4-1. The first home game of the newly formed Czech Republic national football team was played in Ostrava, and they competed against Lithuania. During this game, the Czech Republic claimed their very first home victory with a score of 5-3.
The first competitive match that the Czech Republic played in as part of the 1996 UEFA Euro qualifying campaign. During this game, the team beat their competition, Malta, with a 6-1 win. The Czech Republic went on to win a total of six games during the remainder of the 1996 qualifying match; they also had three draws and were mostly beat by Luxembourg. The team finished off in first place in their qualifying group, which put them above the favorite pick, the Netherlands. During the final, English tournament (which England hosted), even though Germany beat the Czech Republic 2-0 in the opening game, the team still managed to advance their group stage. They continued to advance and played in the EUFA Euro final of 1996; however, they were defeated by Germany, with a final score of 2-1.
Due to their massive success in the Euro 1996, it was expected that the Czech Republic would qualify for the 1998 FIFA World Cup; however, they didn’t make it, as they finished third in their qualifying group, with Spain and Yugoslavia standing ahead of them.
Czech Republic Soccer in the 21st Century
At the start of the 21st Century, the Czech Republic qualified for the Euro 2020; however, they didn’t qualify for the World Cup. Their luck changed, however, when they hit a 20-game winning streak and were undefeated in both 2002 and 2003, respectively. The team also took home a record win during the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification and qualifying for the World Cup. Unfortunately, however, they were defeated, as the team lost several players due to injuries.
The team successfully qualified for the Euro 2008 and started strong, but was ultimately defeated by the Turks.
Fast forward to today, and the Czech Republic’s soccer team still has its ebbs and flows with victories. Nevertheless, the team and its players are consistently top-ranking contenders amongst gamblers. If, like so many other people, you want to place your bets on the Czech Republic’s soccer team, improve your chances with betting bonuses at https://www.betting.org/.
