Czech football team earns 375 million crowns at Euro championship
The Czech Republic was once seen as a genuine threat at European Championships and World Cups. Even though the team is past its heyday, when they boasted the likes of Pavel Nedved and Thomas Rosicky, the current group is showing their skills differently.
The present edition of the Czech football team may not have the same star power, but they are performing to a high standard.
Below is an overview of the Czech Republic’s performance at Euro 2020, along with a Champions League update for football fanatics.
Czech Republic reaches the quarter finals
When the draw was made for the Euro 2020 tournament, the Czechs were not seen as having a real chance to go deep in the competition. Considering the one-year delay to the tournament, the Czechs had more time to prepare and let their younger players grow into important roles within the team.
Such improvements meant that by the time the tournament came around in the summer of 2021, they were ready to show their skills to the rest of Europe. The Czech national side then made it to the quarter-finals of the competition.
The Czechs progressed from the group stages with a few impressive performances, before they took on the Netherlands in the last 16 of the competition.
Such a feat from the team is all the more impressive since they had strong teams in their group. Creditable results in those matches saw them progress to the knockouts.
Despite being the underdog in their game against the Netherlands in the round of 16, they put in a terrific display to nullify the Dutch attack and score goals on the counter-attack.
As a result of that impressive win, the Czechs booked a date with Denmark in the quarter-finals.
The on-form Danes proved too much for the Czechs, as they were defeated in the quarters and knocked out of the tournament. However, their fans could not have been prouder of the effort from every player in the squad.
Massive earnings for the Czech Football Team
Thanks to their fantastic displays in reaching Euro 2020, the Czech Republic football team earned 9.25 million euros or 235 million crowns. They made a further 5.5 million euros, or 140 million crowns, as a result of their performances during the tournament.
Many fans and pundits back home were not expecting an impressive Czech display at the Euros. Some fans were thinking they may be eliminated from the group stages, which would have been a huge shame for their fans who traveled to see matches.
As they were able to get out of the group stages and win their first knockout match, the Czechs earned more money than anticipated. Now those funds will be distributed among the national team and their football association.
Battling group stage results
The Czechs were not one of the teams fancied to progress to the knockout rounds, but they made light work of a group that also contained England, Scotland, and Croatia.
The first game for the Czech Republic saw them take on a very well-rounded and spirited Scotland team. Playing at Hampden Park, the home stadium of the Scots, the Czech Republic was not fancied to get a win from the clash.
However, a terrific display saw them put in the hard work on the defensive end while being decisive on the counter-attack. Striker Patrick Schick is the one who took all the headlines in this game, scoring both goals to give his side all three points.
Schick scored a very good goal in the first half, before following it up with an even better strike in the second period. The Czechs did not let Scotland score in the game, showcasing their defensive resilience.
Their next game saw them take on Croatia, who reached the last World Cup final. Another creditable display saw the Czech Republic claim a 1-1 draw, with Patrick Schick scoring a penalty before Ivan Perisic equalized for the Croats.
Despite losing their final game in the group stages to eventual finalists in England, the Czechs had done enough to claim a knockout round position as a result of their group stage results.
Excellent knockout stage performances
When the Czech Republic was drawn against the Netherlands, nearly every fan and pundit predicted a Dutch triumph. The game was meant to be a procession for the Netherlands, as they moved on to tougher tests in the quarter-finals against a top nation.
The Czechs, however, had other ideas. They put in a spirited display, nullifying the Dutch attack and frustrating their more fancied opponents. When Matthijs de Ligt committed a red card offense, the Czech Republic took advantage of their man advantage and scored two goals in the last 25 minutes of the game to seal a place in the quarter-finals.
One step too far
The Danish national side proved too difficult for the Czechs to handle in the quarter-finals of Euro 2020, with Thomas Delaney opening the scoring in their clash within the first ten minutes. Kasper Dolberg then gave the Danes a 2-0 lead before half-time.
While Patrik Schick did pull one back for the Czechs to continue his outstanding individual tournament, they did not have enough quality to score an equalizer to take the game to extra-time. The Czech Republic journey ended in the quarter-finals, with Denmark going on to meet England in the semis instead.
Fans expect even more in the future
There is no denying that the Czech Republic has set the scene for a bright future on the football field after Euro 2020. The European nation may not be one of the first that people consider when they think about the beautiful game, but they are emerging as a top side over the past few years.
Czech fans will be hoping they can continue to nurture their brightest talents while ensuring forwards such as Patrick Schick are still in red-hot form come to the next World Cup or European Championships.
