Sports News

In Sports News this Monday: heartbreak for the Czech Republic as they lose in a game to decide third spot in the Floorball World Championship in front of over 13,000 fans in Prague – their coach says they can be proud of their participation in the “best championship in history”; skier Šárka Záhrobská records her second best finish of the season in the Slalom World Cup; and Czech football legend Pavel Nedvěd dismisses reports he is preparing to sign a new deal that would keep him at Juventus for one more season.

Czechs miss out on bronze at “home” Floorball World Championship

Photo: CTK

The Floorball World Championship held in Ostrava and Prague reached a crescendo in the Czech capital on Sunday. Over 13,000 people turned out to see the first game of the day, the Czech Republic versus Switzerland in a game to decide third place. Just two and a half minutes before full-time the Czechs were leading 4:3, a score-line which – had it stood – would have given them their greatest result ever. However, the more experienced Swiss managed to equalise, forcing overtime in which they scored in the dying seconds to take bronze with a 5:4 win. Some of the Czech players were in tears afterwards, but coach Zdeněk Skružný says his charges can hold their heads up high.

“Five minutes ago I said to the players in our locker room that they must be proud of their games, practices and everything to do with floorball during the last 10 days. I think this event was the best World Championships in floorball in history. I hope that from January our clubs, in the whole of the Czech Republic, will have some troubles with a lot of small [young] floorball players.”

Following the game for third place Sweden, who had won every previous Floorball World Championship, took on Finland in the final, with the Finns running out 7:6 winners in overtime. Some 14,208 spectators were in attendance, making it the second highest gate ever for a floorball game.

Záhrobská records second best finish of season in Spain

Just 19 seconds separated skier Šárka Záhrobská from third place in a Slalom World Cup event in Spain’s La Molina on Sunday. It was the Czech’s second best placing of the season, after her first ever World Cup win in Aspen two weeks previously.

Nedvěd not preparing to sign new deal with Juventus, though plans still unclear

Pavel Nedvěd has dismissed reports he is preparing to sign a new deal that would keep him at Italian giants Juventus for one more season. The former European player of the year, who is 36, has previously said he planned to retire next summer and denied that his wife told an Italian newspaper otherwise. That said, Nedvěd did not state categorically that he would not extend his career by another 12 months. He came off injured during Juve’s 4:2 win over AC Milan on Sunday night.

Baroš joint top striker in Turkish league after latest strike for Galatasaray

Milan Baroš has been looking like a player reborn this season and is now joint top scorer in the Turkish league with 11 strikes. The 27-year-old, who failed to impress at a series of clubs before arriving at Galatasary, scored one and set up another as they beat Genclerbirligi 3:1 away on Friday.