Slavia coach Jindřich Trpišovský will not lead the Czech national team in the March play-offs for the World Cup. The Football Association of the Czech Republic announced that the Prague club did not release the forty-nine-year-old coach to the national team. FAČR chairman David Trunda said on the X social network that the management will now look for another option.
The national team is without a head coach after the unexpected 1:2 defeat in the World Cup qualifier in the Faroe Islands in October, after which Ivan Hašek and his colleague Jaroslav Veselý were dismissed. The second of the assistants, Jaroslav Köstl, remained as a temporary coach and led the team at the November meeting.
Statement by FAČR representatives on the current situation of the selection of the head coach of the national team. pic.twitter.com/7v1YSnsO3J
— FAČR (@FACR_Associace) December 13, 2025
Trpišovský was one of the main options, but FAČR did not get Slavia’s permission to release a successful coach, at least for the March playoffs, despite their best efforts. According to media speculation, another option is to hire Croatian coach Slaven Bilic. At the end of March, the national team will welcome Ireland in Prague in the play-off semi-finals. In the event of progress, they would again host Denmark or North Macedonia at home in the final.
“The hiring of Jindřich Trpišovský was one of the options announced by the FAČR when it came to filling the position of coach of the national team. We made every effort to hire him for the March meeting, but the club ultimately decided not to release its head coach.” stated Trunda. “We respect this final decision. Our task now is to find another option as soon as possible,” added the head of FAČR.
After today’s 4:3 win over Jablonec in the final round of the autumn part of the league season, Trpišovský said that he has no ambition to lead the national team for a long time. However, he did not rule out that he would at the same time help the association in the March play-off during his engagement in Slavia. He would consider it in case of great interest from the players and the whole of Czech football. At the same time, he stated that he would have a meeting with the closest management of the club and the owner, Pavel Tykač. Apparently, the negotiations were not long and Slavia decided not to release him.
The composition of the basic groups for the World Cup 2026 in the USA, Canada and Mexico was drawn today in Washington. ????????
In the event of promotion from the playoffs, we would face Mexico, South Africa and South Korea in Group A. ???????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/YCbRW6pWH2
— Czech national football team (@ceskarepre_cz) December 5, 2025
“Jindřich Trpišovský would be a logical and excellent alternative for the Czech national team. He is one of our most experienced and successful coaches and would certainly have an undeniable authority among the players and the public.” said Pavel Nedvěd, general manager of the national teams.
“In addition, he knows very well the Czech football environment and, of course, the individual players. It is a shame that this possibility could not be realized. Our work on hiring a new coach of the Czech national team continues and further negotiations await us,” added the former national team captain and winner of the Golden Ball.
FAČR already announced after Hašek’s dismissal that in the future it would like a foreign coach for the national team. There was speculation about interest in German legend Jürgen Klinsmann, later there was talk of Bilic.
