Michal Bílek becomes fourth Czech football manager this year – but is he up to the task?

Less than a week after Ivan Hašek stepped down as manager of the Czech international football team his successor has been announced. Michal Bílek, hitherto Hašek’s assistant, has been given a three-year contract and a clear task: rebuild the Czech squad and lead them to Euro 2012. But does the 44-year-old have what it takes?

Michal Bílek has become the fourth man to hold the post of Czech football manager this year, after Petr Rada, František Straka and Ivan Hašek. Hašek is the president of the Czech football association and chose Bílek as his assistant when he also took on the manager’s job in a vain attempt to save the Czech Republic’s World Cup qualifying campaign. Bílek is clearly Hašek’s man and was approved unanimously on Tuesday when no other candidates were put forward.

Michal Bílek, photo: CTK

After failure to reach the World Cup, the Czech national team set-up is at a low ebb. Bílek’s task is to rebuild ahead of qualification for the 2012 European Championship, which begins next September. He says Hašek has already laid the groundwork.

“There’s something to build on, we have quality players. On the other hand, we need to reinvigorate the squad with younger players, players with perspective. I’d like to build on the work that Ivan started, bringing in the likes of Hubník, Huebschman, Sivok, Hloušek, they’re players who’ve shown their quality and that it was the right move.”

Michal Bílek’s biggest success to date has been helming Sparta Prague to the league and cup double in 2007. Though he is widely respected, some in Czech football have questioned if, at just 44, he is ready for the job of national team manager.

Among the doubters is Czech football legend Antonín Panenka.

“For me he isn’t the ideal trainer for the Czech national team. He doesn’t have the experience, and I don’t think his results are that convincing either. On the other hand, he’s young, he has a lot of advisors around him, and I’ll be crossing my fingers for him. It’s a tough choice, because I can’t think of who I personally would prefer to see leading the national team.”

Photo: CTK

In that case, should the Czech FA have considered appointing a foreign manager for the first time?

“I’m not in favour of the idea of a foreign coach, because the Czech character is more specific or different from in other European states. I think a foreign trainer would find it hard…I personally am not in favour.”

Bílek will get a chance to start building for the future soon, with a short tour in Dubai scheduled for mid-November and a friendly versus Argentina planned for the following month.