Sports News
In Sports News: Czech international footballer Tomas Ujfalusi has signed with Italian club Fiorentina, just days after being appointed captain at Hamburg; Marek Jankulovski looks close to signing with Inter Milan and Tomas Rosicky has turned down Champions League holders Porto; Banik Ostrava face Leverkusen in a Champions League qualifier, while Sparta are still in with a chance of reaching the competition; decathlete Tomas Dvorak looks set to miss the Olympics, while canoeist Martin Doktor could be in trouble after "sleeping through" a drugs test.
Ujfalusi becomes latest Czech player to sign with Italian club
Just days after being appointed captain of German side Hamburg, Czech international central defender Tomas Ujfalusi has left the club, fulfilling a boyhood dream with a move to Italy's Serie A. The 26-year-old, who started his career with Olomouc, has just signed a four-year six-million euro contract with Fiorentina, who were promoted to the Italian top flight last season. Ujfalusi says he is satisfied that the club want to achieve more than just staying up.
"Of course I spoke to the management at Fiorentina about what kind of team they have and what ambitions they have, and it looks really good. I don't know yet who I'll be playing alongside in defence, but I do know some of the players."
Meanwhile, Ujfalusi's Czech team-mate Marek Jankulovski looks set to leave Udinese for Inter Milan - that after months of speculation he was going to join Pavel Nedved at Juventus.
Rosicky turns down Porto, Smicer out for six months
And bad news for Vladimir Smicer: after a long-running Achilles tendon problem last season, the Liverpool midfielder has just undergone a knee-operation which will keep him out of action for six months.
Two Czech clubs in Champions League qualifiers
On the Czech club scene, title-holders Banik Ostrava have drawn Germany's Leverkusen in the first qualifying round of the Champions League. Sparta Prague, meanwhile, will play either Tirana or Hungary's Ferencvaros for a place in the lucrative competition, if they can get past APOEL of Cyprus. In the first round of their tie last week, Sparta came from 2:0 down in the last ten minutes to secure a draw.
And both Sparta and Ostrava will be in action next weekend, when the Czech league kicks off once again.
Dvorak likely to miss Olympics
Doktor hoping to escape punishment after "sleeping through" drug test
Canoeist Martin Doktor - who already has two Olympic golds - will be hoping he escapes punishment after an odd incident, in which his father (and trainer) refused to let an anti-doping commissioner enter their home. The commissioner arrived at the canoeist's flat at 10 pm, and Doktor sr. refused to let him in, saying his son was sleeping.
Hernych impresses at Toronto Masters
Czech player Jan Hernych impressed with a good run at tennis's Toronto Masters. Hernych, who reached the tournament as a qualifier, knocked out Brazil's Gustavo Kuerten before going out to eventual finalist Andy Roddick in the quarter-finals.
