Czech Republic

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The Czech Republic's modern history began after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia. Their first competitive match was a UEFA Euro 1996 qualifier, a 6–1 win over Malta in Ostrava. They topped their qualifying group ahead of the Netherlands, then reached the final at Wembley, losing 2–1 to Germany. The 2000s saw a golden generation: Pavel Nedvěd, Jan Koller, Tomáš Rosický, and Petr Čech led an unbeaten run through 2002 and 2003, scoring 53 goals in 19 games. At Euro 2004, they came from 2–0 down to beat the Netherlands 3–2, then defeated Denmark in the quarter-finals before falling to Greece on a silver goal in extra time. They qualified for their first World Cup in 2006, beating the United States 3–0 in the opener, but injuries to Koller and a red card to Jan Polák contributed to group-stage exit after losses to Ghana and Italy. At Euro 2008, they led Turkey 2–0 with 15 minutes left, only to concede three goals and lose 3–2. The 2010s brought a new generation: at Euro 2012, they lost 4–1 to Russia, then beat Greece 2–1, with Petr Jiráček and Václav Pilař scoring inside the first six minutes.

In Their Own Story

The Czech Republic's first international after the split of Czechoslovakia was a friendly away to Turkey on 23 February 1994. Their first home game, in Ostrava against Lithuania, produced their first home win. At Euro 1996, despite a 2–0 opening loss to Germany, they progressed to the final, where Germany again beat them 2–1 at Wembley. The 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign saw their record win, 8–1 against Andorra in Liberec, where Jan Koller became the all-time top scorer with his 35th international goal. They qualified by defeating Norway in a playoff, boosted by Pavel Nedvěd's return from international retirement. At the tournament, ranked second in the world, they beat the United States 3–0, but Koller left with a hamstring injury. Without him, they lost 2–0 to Ghana, then needed a win against Italy. Jan Polák was sent off before half-time for two bookable offences, and Italy won 2–0. Nedvěd, Karel Poborský, and Vratislav Lokvenc retired after the tournament.

Reader's Guide

The Czech Republic's defining era began with Euro 1996, where they finished as runners-up. They have qualified for every European Championship since. Their golden generation peaked at Euro 2004, where they went unbeaten through 2002 and 2003, scoring 53 goals in 19 games. Key players included Pavel Nedvěd, Jan Koller, Tomáš Rosický, Milan Baroš, Marek Jankulovski, Tomáš Galásek, and goalkeeper Petr Čech. Their 20-game unbeaten streak ended in Dublin on 31 March 2004 against the Republic of Ireland. At Euro 2004, they trailed the Netherlands 2–0 before winning 3–2, beat Germany, then defeated Denmark in the quarter-finals. In the semi-final against Greece, Tomáš Rosický hit the bar after two minutes, Jan Koller had shots saved, and Pavel Nedvěd left injured at half-time. The match finished 0–0 after 90 minutes, and Greece won with a silver goal in the last minute of the first half of extra time. The Czech Republic qualified for their first World Cup in 2006, finishing second in Group 1 and defeating Norway in a playoff. At the tournament, they beat the United States 3–0, but Jan Koller's hamstring injury and Jan Polák's red card contributed to losses to Ghana and Italy. For Euro 2008, they topped their qualifying group above Germany on head-to-head record. They beat co-hosts Switzerland 1–0, lost 3–1 to Portugal, then led Turkey 2–0 before conceding three goals in the final 15 minutes to lose 3–2. In 2010 World Cup qualifying, they finished third in Group 3 under coaches Petr Rada and Ivan Hašek, failing to qualify. For Euro 2012, they finished second in their qualifying group behind Spain, then beat Montenegro 3–0 on aggregate in the play-offs. At the tournament, they lost 4–1 to Russia, then beat Greece 2–1 with goals from Petr Jiráček and Václav Pilař inside the first six minutes.

Did You Know?

• The Czech Republic's first international competition after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia was UEFA Euro 1996, where they finished runners-up.
• Jan Koller became the all-time top scorer for the national team with his 35th international goal during an 8–1 win over Andorra in 2006 World Cup qualifying.
• The Czech Republic went on a 20-game unbeaten streak through 2002 and 2003, scoring 53 goals in 19 games.
• At Euro 2004, the Czech Republic came from 2–0 down to beat the Netherlands 3–2.
• The Czech Republic have taken part at every European Championship since 1996.