Sports News
In Sports News this Monday: Roman Bednář is suspended by West Bromwich Albion following a newspaper report that he bought illegal drugs – the player says sorry, while the Czech football manager says the player won’t now be called up for a friendly next month; Bohemians 1905 celebrate returning to the top flight in the Czech league; and Radek Štěpánek should be fit in time for next week’s French Open.
Bednář suspended over drug deal while Straka says international call-up now out of question
The Czech footballer Roman Bednář has been suspended by his club West Bromwich Albion after photographs in a British Sunday newspaper showed him apparently buying cocaine and cannabis from a drug dealer. In a statement, Bednář said he was sorry for his actions, and that the drugs – which included five grammes of cocaine – were not for him but friends.
The suspension came ahead of a game that saw West Brom relegated from the Premier League, and the 26-year-old said he hoped he would be able to help the club return to England’s top flight next season. However, his agent said the revelations could cost Bednář his career. And the new Czech football manager František Straka said he would not now pick the player for a forthcoming friendly against Malta. This is what Straka told Czech Television.
“What has happened simply cannot be allowed to happen. Players are examples for our children and our youth…such a blow is completely irreconcilable with being a professional footballer, and the national team.”
Roman Bednář first made a splash in British football after joining Scotland’s Hearts from the Czech club Mladá Boleslav in 2005. In his first season at West Brom he scored 17 goals in 22 games as the club reached the Premier League and the semi-finals of the FA Cup. The striker has been less successful this term in England’s top tier, mostly figuring as a substitute. He has three caps for the Czech Republic.
Kangaroos hop straight back to first division
Štěpánek expected to be fit for French Open
