– Editor of the fantastic website 2nd Yellow takes a look at the new power in Czech Republic football. And how this season has gone for others.

The Gambrinus Liga has been dominated in recent years by the traditional Prague powers Sparta and Slavia.  This season was one of sharp contrasts for the two, and ended with the silverware going to some unexpected destinations.

The Czech Republic has a new champion – meet Viktoria Plzeň, who have secured their first ever Gambrinus Liga title ahead of Sparta Prague, who finished second.

Plzeň (translated Pilsen) are a small club from a Bohemian city famous for it’s beer – you know it as Pils.  To say that they were underdogs for the title is perhaps an understatement, yet coach Pavel Vrba’s side were able to defy the odds all season, and even overcome the loss of their starting central defensive pairing during the mid-season transfer window.  Plzeň suffered just three defeats in the thirty match league season, one of which was the final game with the title already won.  They also finished as the league top-scorers.

Amazingly, this is also the centenary year for Viktoria, and now they can celebrate it in style.  Having won the Czech Cup in 2009/10, they entered the Europa League this season, but were eliminated at the first hurdle by Besiktas.  Now they will enter the Champions League qualifying rounds, and they will hope to have improvements to their stadium completed in time to meet UEFA’s ground grading standards.  Their Štruncovy Sady stadium is much smaller than those of most top division clubs, with a capacity of just under 7,500, although they still boasted the 2 ^nd highest average attendance in the league.  If the work is not completed in time, they’ll play their 2 ^nd Qualifying round home leg at a neutral venue – the “home” tie against Besiktas in the Europa League was actually played in Prague.

And what of their squad?  Perhaps unsurprisingly, there aren’t many household names – perhaps the best known is 36 year old captain Pavel Horvath – although this season’s success has naturally attracted the attention of national team coach Michal Bílek.  Horvath won 19 caps for the Czech national team, but lost out in large part because of the presence of the likes of Pavel Nedved and Patrik Berger in midfield.  However, Spurs fans might remember David Limberský, and Norwich fans may recall David Střihavka, though perhaps neither would do so with any great fondness.

Trouble for Slavia Prague

In Prague, meanwhile, whilst Sparta finished as runners-up it was far from a happy season for their arch-rivals Slavia.  Although they eventually finished 9 ^th , the first half of the season was disastrous, with just three victories before the winter break leaving them in genuine relegation danger.

The background to this was an unfolding financial crisis that could yet lead to Slavia tumbling into extinction.  Having budgeted for, and then failed to reach, the Champions League group stages a couple of years ago, the club were then plummeted into crisis with an ownership dispute involving ENIC, the owners of Spurs.

ENIC are owed £3.6m and there is a dispute over who the owners really are.  Finances are now so bad that the players have yet to be paid this year, and Slavia will be granted a license for the Gambrinus Liga next season on appeal, which would have seen them  demoted to the third tier.

Events on the pitch turned even more sour in May when the first leg of the Czech Cup semi-final against Sigma Olomouc was abandoned at half-time after protesting fans attempted to break into the directors boxes and began vandalising the club’s Synot Tip Arena.

The league can ill afford to lose one of it’s two main attractions, so the fact that results improved and Slavia were able to pull away from relegation trouble comes as a relief, but there is an awful long way to go before danger is averted.

Next season, there will be another Prague club, Dukla (of Half Man Half Biscuit fame), returning to the Gambrinus Liga.  They clinched the Druha Liga title, and will be joined in the top flight for 2011/12 by Viktoria Žižkov (although financial problems could yet hinder this).  Ústí nad Labem and FC Brno drop down into the second tier.

Mladá Boleslav won the Czech Cup final on penalties against Olomouc, the first major trophy in their history.  They will now enter the Europa League along with Sparta and 3 ^rd placed FK Jablonec.

National teams – steady progress

The Czech Republic national team, meanwhile, sit in 2 ^nd place in Group I of the European Championship qualifiers.  Although Spain are, barring a calamitous collapse, nailed on to win the group, the Czech’s currently hold a 5 point advantage over Scotland in third, although they still face a trip to Hampden, as well as a home game against the Spaniards and a tricky visit to Lithuania.  With the Scots also holding a game in hand, there’s still plenty of work to do in the battle to seal a play-off spot.

The Under 21 squad travel to Denmark for their European Championship campaign in good form and with an excellent track record.  Having finished top of their qualification group, and well ahead of Germany, by winning 22 out of a possible 24 points, they went on to beat Greece 5-0 on aggregate in the play-off.  This was a Greek team that had finished ahead of England in their qualifying group, and the Czech youngsters will meet England in their final group game in Viborg on the 19 ^th June.  With Spain and the Ukraine also in group B, it’s difficult to predict who will go through, but that final game will likely prove decisive – watch this space!

If you enjoyed Mark’s work please visit his superb website 2nd Yellow – where he looks at the dirty side of football.