In Sports News this Monday: football league leaders Slavia come a cropper in Olomouc, losing for the first time in 20 games; midfielder Vladimir Šmicer, 35, contemplates retirement as he goes under the surgeon’s knife; Marek Jankulovski threatens to retire from international football, adding to the woes of the Czech national team; and Karlovy Vary and Slavia Prague are tied at 1:1 after the opening games of the ice hockey Extraliga finals playoffs.
Leaders Slavia lose for first time since day one of season
Olomouc - Slavia, photo: CTK
The leaders of the Czech football league Slavia Prague lost 1:0 away to Olomouc on Sunday evening, in only their second defeat this term. In fact, Slavia’s unbeaten run stretched to 20 games; they had previously only lost the first game of the season to Liberec. Coach Karel Jarolím said defeat after such a long time was no tragedy, adding that it could prove a spur in the remaining games this season. In any case, Slavia have built up quite a cushion – if second-placed Sparta beat Slovan Liberec on Monday evening (after the recording of this programme) they will still trail the leaders by a full nine points, with eight games to go.
Šmicer to hang up boots at 35?
Slavia midfielder Vladimir Šmicer may have played his last game. The popular 35-year-old, who scored 27 goals in 81 appearances for the Czech Republic, said on Friday he was going to undergo a knee operation and then decide afterwards whether to keep playing. Šmicer has been dogged by injury for several years.
Jankulovski threatens to quit national team after being wrongly implicated in ‘scandal’
Marek Jankulovski (left), photo: CTK
Given the way things are going with the Czech national side Šmicer may feel well off out of it. Defeat to Slovakia in Prague last Wednesday leaves them with only 8 points in six games in their World Cup qualifying group, and a mountain to climb if they are to reach South Africa. Calls for the coach Petr Rada to resign only intensified following newspapers reports that several players had been partying hard after the Slovakia game. Now one of the Czechs’ most experienced players Marek Jankulovski of AC Milan is threatening to retire from international football; he says he has been wrongly accused of being, if you will, party to the party.
Extraliga playoffs finals tied at 1:1
Karlovy Vary - Slavia, photo: CTK
The final series of the ice hockey Extraliga playoffs got underway in Karlovy Vary on Friday evening, with the hosts defeating defending champions Slavia Prague 4:1. Karlovy Vary have a good record at home in the playoffs, only losing once on their own ice on their way to the finals. However, Slavia managed to nullify that home advantage on Saturday; their 5:1 win leaves the best of seven series tied at one game apiece. Game three takes place at Prague’s O2 Arena on Tuesday.
