Sports News

Sport now, and in footbal, no sooner have France lifted the trophy than the transfer rumour mill spins into action again. The latest Czech player to be touted for a big-money move is the giant Anderlecht forward, Jan Koller. The 27-year-old has apparently impressed the Newcastle United manager, Bobby Robson, so much that Koller may well be on his way to the English Premier League club in a deal worth 10 million pounds.

Robson may be prepared to pay 6.5 million plus Temuri Ketsbaia and Silvio Maric in part-exchange for Koller - a deal that would easily shatter Anderlecht's transfer record. However, the Belgian club would be loath to lose the striker, as much of manager Aime Antheunis tactics are built around his arial abilities.

One player definitely on the move is the Czech goalkeeper Pavel Srnicek. The 33-year-old former Newcastle and Banik Ostrava goalkeeper has secured a lucrative two-year deal with the Italian club Napoli, reputed to be worth over half a million dollars per season.

Srnicek - who played in goal in all three of the Czech Republic's Euro 2000 matches - took advantage of a release clause in his contract with the English club Sheffield Wednesday.

From Euro 2000 it's over to the rather less glamourous Intertoto Cup. Yes, the most ridiculously named competition in football this summer has three Czech clubs battling it out for a place in next season's UEFA Cup. And not bad second-round results at all for them this weekend. Banik Ostrava recorded a first-leg home victory over Inter Bratislava 2-1 and Marila Pribram gained a credible away draw at ASK Linec - Marila Pribram used to be called Dukla Prague, by the way, remember them? Anyway, the result of the day must go to the village club Chmel Blsany, who slaughtered their Belorussian visitors - the beautifully entitled Dnepr-Transmas Mogilev - by six goals to two. UEFA Cup football in Blsany... surely not.

Finally to Wimbledon and well.. there's not that much to talk about. Martin Damm's third-round exit at the hands of Germany's David Prinosil means that no one Czech single's player has made it beyond the first week. Considering the glories of the past, it really is a depressing thought.

(Click here for our Euro 2000 results and group tables page.)