Sport | Topic Archive

Czech football has been engulfed in a fresh scandal following the charging of a dozen current and former players with match-fixing. Police say the bribery occurred at various levels of the game, though most of the matches under investigation were in the second division and at junior level.

On Tuesday, the Czech national football team faced Italy in Turin –a final chance to try and keep World Cup dreams alive. For part of the match, it appeared the squad was on the right track, taking the lead in the 19th minute. Italy, however, soon struck back.

In Sports News this Monday: Czechs’ dream of reaching soccer World Cup evaporates – Rosický blames poor finishing; and Czech tennis players score major success in US Open doubles competitions.

In Sports News this Monday: rower Synek crowned world champion in single skulls; Czech soccer in team in Prague ahead of World Cup qualifiers; Čech looks forward to more trophies with Mourinho; Czechs fail to impress at Czech Games; and Berdych enters week two at US Open without losing set.

Czech league titleholders Viktoria Plzeň have booked a spot in the Champions League this season after they defeated the Slovenian side Maribor 4:1 on aggregate in the competition’s final round of qualification. Plzeň have extended their respectable winning streak in the Champions League, advancing to the group stage for the second time in three years.

In Sports News from the past week: Slovan Liberec pulled off an unexpected victory against Udine in the Europa League qualifying match; Tennis player Petra Kvitová failed to defend her title at the New Haven Open; Only Jakub Kornfeil managed to win any points at the Moto Grand Prix in Brno; And canoeist Kateřina Hošková took second place at the slalom cup in Bratislava.

Anyone interested in the history of athletics will have heard of Emil Zátopek, the greatest Czech long-distance runner of all time. His life story is the subject of a short novel by the Prix Goncourt winning French writer, Jean Echenoz, called simply “Running” – “Courir” in the original French. The book is an account of the life of an athlete whose quiet, determined attitude towards his sport contrasted with the complex political dramas going on around him in mid-20th century Europe. David Vaughan looks at the book and at the life of Emil

In Sports News this Monday: Veselý’s long awaited javelin gold gives the Czechs three medals at World Athletics Championships; Berdych reaches career-high fifth in world rankings; Sparta sell Kadlec to Frankfurt; and Plzeň prepare to host Maribor in Champions League playoff.

In Sports News this Monday: Plzeň to play Slovenia’s Maribor in Champions League’s final qualifier Liberec face Udinese while Jablonce play Real Betis to reach Europa League; and two Czech medal hopefuls qualify for their events’ finals at World Athletics Championships in Moscow.

In this edition of In Focus: extreme high diver Michal Navrátil talks about his sport including his recent trademark jump at the Worlds. If you are afraid of heights, understand that the professional regularly dives from 27 metres, reaching a velocity of 90 kilometres per hour when he breaks the water. Don’t even think about trying anything like this unless you’ve had years of training!