The year 2024 started with a crucial choice for Czech football. Virtually only one candidate was appointed to the position of national team coach: Ivan Hašek. The water carriers discuss not only what they can offer the national team.
This year’s first chapter of the football podcast Nosiči vody was devoted to the biggest transfers to date and other transfer speculations within the Czech Fortuna League, the performance decline of London’s Arsenal or the upcoming continental championships in Africa or Asia. Naturally, the central topic was the situation surrounding the Czech national football team.
“Even if it doesn’t seem like it at the beginning of January, the Euro is around the corner. The first warm-up match against Norway is actually scheduled for a few weeks, specifically on March 22,” long-time football journalist Luděk Mádl digs into the discussion.
Jaromír Bosák describes the period of the last few weeks, when the decision was made on the new national team coach, as a special episode in the history of Czech football. “We waited too long for a definitive confirmation. In the end, it gave me the impression that everyone involved was a bit volunteer. And don’t let anyone get mad at me, but when Petr Fousek starts the announcement of the new coach with a long monologue about why Jindřich Trpišovský could not be acquired, it gives the impression that the national team is left to Hašek. It was really a tirade,” the podcast host doesn’t take his napkin.
“The way the football association has its communications set up seems like a hoot. The whole movement is fragmented, we are coming out of Berbristan. Unfortunately, Petr Fousek does not have any great power or the necessary respect. The association is an open-air museum in every way,” criticizes Luděk Mádl.
“We should look forward to progressing to the Euros and focus on how to succeed there. But at present we are unable to organize even basic things. The Sports Council of the Football Association of the Czech Republic completely resigned on Thursday due to disagreements with the management. And experts such as Vladimír Šmicer, Tomáš Rosický, Jan Říčka, Ondřej Lípa or Verner Lička remained in it,” adds Mádl dejectedly.
The water carriers are thoroughly solving why Pavel Nedvěd will not appear for the Czech national team for the time being. Who should replace the Sports Council? And why doesn’t Ivan Hašek have a sports manager available?
A matter of life and death
Petr Fousek justified the selection of candidate Ivan Hašek “on the basis of his human and player experience or coaching achievements”. The Water Bearers half agree with the chairman of Czech football.
“I see it as the easiest way to go with this choice as well. Ivan Hašek was simply one of the few available. In any case, we have a respected personality in the role of head national team coach, a capable manager and a person who knows how to handle the cabin,” former defender Karel Tvaroh is looking for reasons for optimism.
“Anyone who has been involved in the Arab world is not a fool who would train camels somewhere. But let’s face it, we haven’t seen his work for almost 20 years,” Luděk Mádl alludes to one of the main arguments against the Czech coach, but also adds an opposite perspective: “On the other hand, few people in the Czech Republic can say that they coached the French league.”
The trio of Water Bearers agree that Haška’s attitude and motivation to succeed can move the team forward in many ways. “He thinks of representation as something that is a matter of life and death for him. He is a player with great character, he is definitely not an item on his resume,” emphasizes Mádl.
One and a half assistants
Ivan Hašek has a contract until the end of the qualification for the 2026 World Cup. As key assistants, he called on Jaroslav Köstl, who ends up in Slavia, and Jaroslav Veselé, for whom it is not so obvious with the termination of cooperation with Bohemians 1905. “One and a half people really can’t make the national team in 2024,” warn the Water Carriers.
Why is this such a major move? How is it even possible that there is an option hanging in the air, that the head coach of the first league kangaroos would simultaneously pursue the national team duties? And what does the life of the implementation team at the service of the native include? In what style does Ivan Hašek want to present himself? And you will also learn what it is like with the “specific Czech cabin”, which Petr Fousek talked about at the press conference.
Why was the sale of Rafio Durosinmi to the German Bundesliga and how big a problem is it for Pilsen and for the striker himself? What does it look like with the other reinforcements of Prague “S”? And how promising is the newly stitched Dutch talent Mohamed Ihattaren offering? This is not the only thing the newest Water Bearers are discussing.
And they also talk about all sorts of reasons for the lack of games and results of the until recently sovereign Arsenal. Do Mikel Arteta’s squad need a rest break, an elite striker or a plan B? The opening chapter of the new year is closed in style by the tip box within the betting window with Fortuna, when the trio Bosák, Mádl and Tvaroh choose the favorites of the African and Asian championships respectively.
Water carriers
Football Podcast News List. The trio of Jaromír Bosák, Luděk Mádl and Karel Tvaroh every week about Czech and world football. Stories, affairs, important characters on the field and behind the scenes.
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