The Czech Republic’s new favorite: Patrik Schick, who scored twice against Scotland
Photo: AFP/Pool/Robert Perry
Stefan Kuntz has not forgotten the phone call to this day. European Championship 1996, the long-time Bundesliga striker and today’s coach of the U21 national team, was already looking forward to the final against the Czech Republic when he called home from the Landmark Hotel in the center of London the day before. He just wanted to tell his father that he was going to play in the final when he said: “Man, we are so proud of you! The whole village is excited. But Mama still wants to talk to you. ”She read in the newspaper that the Queen would shake hands with every single player. “When the woman shakes hands with you, you make a very deep bow,” Kuntz reports in an NDR documentary about the mother’s request.
The 58-year-old is certainly not the only one in whom the encounter with the Queen of England before the start of the game in the old Wembley Stadium has burned itself deeply, before Oliver Bierhoff’s golden goal for Germany should make European Championship history.
Dasin Uhrin, who was the coach of the Czech Republic at the time, also remembers how Queen Elisabeth II shook his hand: “Yes, I still appreciate that today. I framed the photo. «The 78-year-old had been rather quiet recently, but he is now being approached again about the episodes from the European Championships in England. Because the parallels are obvious after the opening victory of the Czech Republic against Scotland (2-0): Once again, the national team on British soil can surprise at a European Championship.
In Glasgow the second group game against Croatia (Friday 6 p.m. / ZDF). The connoisseur Uhrin believes: “It’s a good team, skilful, mature. Soucek, Coufal, Darida, Barak, Schick, they are not idlers. You shouldn’t come back before the quarter-finals. “
Others consider the laurels to be premature – first the yardstick for Croatia in Hampden Park and then the endurance test against England in the new Wembley Temple will show whether Tomas Soucek, Vladimir Coufal (both West Ham United), Vladimir Darida (Hertha BSC), Antonin Barak (Hellas Verona) or Patrik Schick (Bayer Leverkusen) really follow the trail of the old heroes.
A quarter of a century ago, the troupe around the fine spirit Karel Poborsky threw the favorites Italy, Portugal and France out of the tournament after losing the first group game against Germany (0: 2). It is then doubtful whether Jaroslav Silhavy’s ensemble really has that much potential. It was not until March 2019 that the Czech Republic conceded the heaviest rubdown since the association was founded in England with a 5-0 draw in 1993. And: At the EM 2016 it was already over after the preliminary round, for the 2018 World Cup it did not even qualify.
That is why Patrik Berger, who played for a long time in England, the longest of which for Liverpool FC, is still cautious as one of the defining protagonists of 1996. In the final against Germany, the long-haired heartthrob converted a penalty to make it 1-0. Substitute Bierhoff only saved the Germans late with his first goal in extra time. Today, Berger is particularly impressed by Soucek, who finds his way around the steel pool of the Premier League. “I’ve been watching him, he’s had an amazing season. I think it’s good that we have some guys in the best league in the world again. We used to have more of it, then for a while no one was there, «the 47-year-old recently told the Czech online provider» iDnes «. He did not want to make a prognosis about the further course of the tournament; And just as little to complain about the unpleasant end of the European Championship in 1996. “Nobody believed in us. We came from the death group. In the end, silver was like gold to us. ”And there was also the Queen’s handshake.
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