Sports News
Sparta Prague were sunk by a late goal from glamour team Chelsea in the Champions League - we hear the post-match reactions of Sparta striker Igor Gluscevic and Chelsea's Italian manager, Claudio Ranieri. In the domestic league, Ostrava have steamed even further ahead, with a win over Slavia in Prague. Two Czech ice hockey stars from the Nagano winning-team have been reunited at club level, while another Olympic winner has announced his retirement. Meanwhile, the domestic hockey world has been shocked by the news of the suicide of a young player.
Sparta Prague sunk by late goal from Chelsea in Champions League opener
"I think we cannot be satisfied with the result because after everything we showed and what we did during the game a draw was at least a result that we could be satisfied with."
How did you feel about your own performance?
"Ah, OK, I think in general it was good but of course when the team loses nobody can be satisfied. We had a couple of half-chances where we should have maybe done something more. But that's football, there are teams with more quality in Europe but of course it can be from both sides. If we had scored we then could have won the game, otherwise the game finished like this. It's really a pity...but, yeah, we have to be conscious that we have chances, that we can play one against one with anybody, and to wait for the next games."
"It's too early to say but definitely every game is very important so let's see in the next couple of games how it goes. Of course now if we want to do something more we have to be conscious that we have to take points away also. So yeah, it won't be easy but it's not impossible, definitely."
For all their stars, it took Chelsea some time to get into their stride. Chelsea's Italian manager Claudio Ranieri, however, was not disappointed by his team's performance in their first Champions League game of the season.
"This is the right level for the first match, because both teams didn't want to lose of course but Sparta didn't want to go forward, they wanted to go only on the counter-attack, to try to score from free kicks or from corners. For this reason it was very, very difficult to try to score. We wanted to give them the space to attack us and then we would go on the counter-attack, but they didn't come. Always when they lost the ball they stayed behind the ball; it was very, very difficult to look for the space."
Ostrava beat Slavia away to go even further ahead in Czech league
In the Czech league, Banik Ostrava have gone further ahead at the top of the table, after beating Slavia in Prague on Monday evening. Ostrava's second goal in their 2:1 came from a very clever deflection by Marek Heinz, who is the league's top scorer with an impressive six from seven matches. The north Moravian club are four points clear of second-placed Brno, and nine points ahead of champions Sparta, who are languishing in seventh place.
Hnilicka joins Cechmanek at Atlanta, Smehlik retires
Czech ice hockey goaltender Milan Hnilicka has just joined the NHL's Los Angeles Kings from Atlanta. Hnilicka joins fellow Czech goalie Roman Cechmanek at the club. It is not clear which of the two, who both won gold medals at Nagano, will be Los Angeles's first choice. Another Nagano winner, defender Richard Smehlik, announced this week that he had retired from the game; reports say he plans to open a dog kennels.
Domestic hockey world shocked by suicide of young Liberec player
The Czech domestic hockey world was shocked this week by the news that Liberec forward Pavel Kabrt had committed suicide; there has been some speculation that the motive was health problems. Kabrt's Liberec team-mates heard the news a few minutes before the game against Zlin, and both teams agreed to postpone the match. Pavel Kabrt was 24 years old.
Sparta Prague heading Extraliga after three rounds
After beating Vsetin 1:0 at home on Tuesday, Sparta Prague lead the Extraliga. Second-placed Trinec impressed in a 5:3 win over Karlovy Vary and Vitkovice, who are in third, were held to a 3:3 draw by Litvinov.
Czech Davis Cup team preparing for play-offs against Thailand
The Czech team of Novak, Ulihrach, Berdych and Rikl are in the Far East at the moment, preparing for this weekend's Davis Cup World Group play-offs against Thailand. The winners will retain a place among the big boys of world tennis next season.
