Atmosphere in Bratislava will be crazy, says Petr Čech ahead of crucial World Cup qualifier

The Czech Republic’s footballers are currently preparing for their most important match in a long time – a clash with Slovakia on Saturday that they have to win to keep alive their hopes of reaching next year’s World Cup. Record goal scorer Jan Koller has come out of international retirement for the big game, while playmaker Tomáš Rosický is also back, though it’s not clear whether he’ll be fit. So what’s the mood like in the Czech camp ahead of what’s sure to be an intense match in Bratislava? That’s a question I put to goalkeeper Petr Čech.

Petr Čech, photo: CTK

“We’re all very positive because everyone’s back playing at their clubs. You could see from the first moment when we met here that everyone is looking forward to the game. We all know it’s one of the most important games for us because it’s a must-win game. But we have five days to get ready for the game and I think we can make it.”

You haven’t had much chance to train with [new manager] Ivan Hašek. But what do you think in general he brings to the Czech international team?

“He’s got a lot of experience. He’s managed teams in France, the Middle East, Japan, and the Czech Republic. As a player he played for good teams and you can see that he’s got the international pedigree, and he brought something new to us.”

Tomáš Rosický, photo: CTK

Tomáš Rosický is back with the Czech squad. Do you think there’s a danger, though, that people might expect too much from him?

“You know, we will see. It will all depend now on how he feels in training in the coming days, in which role the manager wants him for Saturday’s game. I think we all know he’s been out of the game for a long time. We know we will get quality from him, but I think we need as well to respect the fact that he hasn’t played for such a long time. We would like him to play well of course, and we will do all that’s possible to support him on the pitch and off the pitch, for him to get ready for the game.”

What about Jan Koller – were you surprised he came back? And what does he bring to the team?

“I think he brings another option. When the defence is low and you can’t use the passing game much more he’s an easy target, and sometimes a target man is a big weapon. He can score goals, and he brings another option.”

Martin Jiránek, Radoslav Kováč, Jan Koller, Petr Čech (left to right), photo: CTK

Finally, what kind of atmosphere are you expecting in Bratislava on Saturday night?

“I think it will be a crazy atmosphere. They haven’t been for a long time in a position where they could qualify for the World Cup. It’s a derby – that’s always a special game. And it’s already sold out. So I think there’ll be a great atmosphere there.”