Sports News

In Sports News: a black day for Czech football as famous Prague club Bohemians go to the wall; sacked Sparta manager Frantisek Straka proves he did not take cocaine; the trend of Czech players joining English Premiership clubs continues; ice hockey star Jaromir Jagr comes home to nurse an injury: and New York Rangers player Jason Marshall scores his first goal in the Czech Extraliga.

Bohemians FC go bust in year of 100th anniversary

Photo: CTK

Today is a truly black day for Czech football, with the news that Bohemians football club is no more. Barring a miracle the club - which is heavily indebted - will go into receivership on Monday afternoon. Around five hundred fans chanted "long live Bohemka" during its last ever game on Saturday, a 5:0 cup defeat against another old Prague club, Slavia.

Bohemians - who were due to celebrate their 100th anniversary later this year -got their kangaroo logo and "Klokani" nickname after a tour of Australia early in their history. Perhaps the most famous player to wear Bohemians' green and white was the great Antonin Panenka.

All of Bohemians' results from this season will be annulled and the second division will continue with 15 teams.

Former Sparta boss Straka refutes cocaine rumours with hair test

The former manager of Sparta Prague football club Frantisek Straka has proven that he did not take cocaine. Straka had strands of his hair tested for cocaine after Mlada fronta Dnes reported there were rumours he was sacked by Sparta after being caught taking the drug by the club president. Speaking at a special news conference on Friday, the coach said he was now planning to sue the daily for damages.

Trend of Czech players joining English clubs continues

With football's winter transfer window closing on Monday night much has been made in the Czech media about the new trend of Czech players joining English Premiership clubs. Slavia Prague goalkeeper Radek Cerny has signed a one-and-a-half-year loan deal with Tottenham, where he joins young Czech midfielder David Limbersky. Meanwhile, another Czech goalie, Jaroslav Drobny, has agreed terms to join Fulham in the summer from Greek club Panionios. And the biggest Czech transfer has of course been Jiri Jarosik's move from CSKA Moscow to Chelsea, for whom he has already made several appearances.

Jagr comes home to Czech Republic after reoccurrence of injury

Czech ice hockey megastar Jaromir Jagr unexpectedly arrived in the Czech Republic on Sunday evening, after a recurrence of a groin injury during a Russian league game for his club Omsk. Jagr is due to return to Russia in just under two weeks' time, but says he still believes the NHL season may start, in which case he would return to the New York Rangers.

Marshall scores first goal in Czech Extraliga

Slavia Prague - Pardubice, photo: CTK

Another Rangers player, Jason Marshall, scored in his third game in the Czech Extraliga, helping Pilsen to a 6:2 win over Jihlava on Sunday. Marshall is only the second player from North America to join a Czech club during the NHL lockout; the other, Andrew Ference of Calgary, plays for Ceske Budejovice, but in the division below the Extraliga.

Extraliga round-up

The leaders of the elite league, Hame Zlin, are just one point ahead of Sparta Prague after the 44th round. Zlin beat Vsetin 4:2 at home, while Sparta travelled to Vitkovice, where they won 2:1. But the big hit of the round was Slavia Prague versus Pardubice, which drew over 14,000 fans to Prague's Sazka Arena. Slavia beat the visitors 5:4, after the game went to penalties.