Coach Ivan Hašek on Czechia's fans, ambitions and facing Cristiano Ronaldo and Türkiye
Saturday, June 8, 2024
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"We will try to play football that pleases the fans," said Hašek as Czechia prepare to take on Portugal and Türkiye in Group F.
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Capped 55 times by Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic, Ivan Hašek was an icon in his playing days at Sparta Praha before starting his coaching career with the club in 1999.
A vastly-experienced coach who has since worked all over the world, the 60-year-old took the reins for his country for the second time at the start of 2024 ahead of Czechia's eighth successive EURO appearance. Hašek spoke to UEFA.com about the passion of the Czech fans, their goals at the tournament and the prospect of facing the great Cristiano Ronaldo.
On Czech football and their fans
What I have witnessed in Czechia over the last one and a half to two years is an unbelievable growth, especially when it comes to club football and the quality of the matches in the league. I can safely say that a person has fun whether they see Sparta, Slavia, Plzeň or another one of the teams in the league. The level is much higher now – It is able to compete with leagues in more developed football countries.
We must cherish and be proud of the fact that we have managed to qualify for the EURO for the eighth time in a row. It's a huge success, especially when we look at other developed countries that have not managed to do the same.
On Czechia's hopes for the finals
I will do everything possible to take the team as far as I can in this competition but success and failure are both possible. I believe in our team, our players, the people around me and in our ability to create a strong, competitive team that can make it out of the group and then, come what may.
I will be satisfied when we advance from the group stage, the fans agree that we gave it our all, and our play pleases them. That's important for us. We need to pick the players that will best please our demanding audience and we will try to play football that pleases the fans.
On going up against Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal
It's not just Ronaldo. If you take a look at the team, it's clear to see that many of their players play for some of the best clubs in the world. They are dangerous. They showed us their power and strength in the last match, so we need to prepare thoroughly. It's also important to know and understand their strengths and weaknesses, which I will keep to myself.
Although I believe we can play against any team, Portugal do have dominant strengths. It would be quite an experience for any coach [to play against Ronaldo] because he is one of the best players in history. It's a valuable experience for anyone to play against him and I am not the only one looking forward to it.
On their final group opponents Türkiye
They are an unpredictable team and they have improved significantly in recent years. Their new Italian coach (Vincenzo Montella) has combined their gameplay and technical skills with discipline and excellent organisation. They will be tricky opponents. They proved themselves in the qualifiers. The Turkish team has gone from strength to strength in the past few years and they now have several new and successful young players, so they might be tough opponents.
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