Developing football in Czechia
Article summary
Through on-field success and focused strategic planning, the Football Association of the Czech Republic (FAČR) aims to put Czech football in the European and world spotlight in the coming years.
Article top media content
Article body
Overview
The FAČR has a wide-ranging package of strategic projects and initiatives addressing the upcoming period, including:
Data + IT: (new information system, completion of the membership digitisation project, XPS software for coaches and players).
Image: Building a positive PR image and constantly improving the perception of the FAČR; achieving a 5% increase in the number of people who perceive the FAČR to be a modern, dynamic and progressive organisation, as well as a 10% increase in the number of people who feel that the FACR shows a high degree of social responsibility.
Sport Concept: The association's aim is to compete and succeed in all of the major tournaments during the 2021–24 period.
Membership: A target of 360,000 members in total by 2024, with 170,000 of the membership below the age of 19.
Women's football: The FAČR has been able to boost the number of registered female members to almost 17,500, which currently corresponds to 5% of the member base. The aim is to reach 25,000 female members by 2024.
Referees: The association's goal is to have 6,000 referees by 2024.
A key on-field challenge that the Czech association has set is to be among the top 30 teams in the FIFA rankings by 2024, returning Czech football to its historical position of prominence.
"Czech football is at the start of a new era. We want to be an inspirational role model, whether it's working with young players and integrating them into national teams or in the area of sport development as a whole. We will adapt structure and processes accordingly. We want to write the history of European football and are ready to put our best efforts into it."
UEFA support
The UEFA HatTrick programme is giving significant help to the FAČR in various areas, as these past and present examples show:
Multifunctional national FAČR centre – construction of an additional building at FAČR headquarters
- Construction of an FAČR headquarters building allowing all the FAČR's administrative offices to be centralised in one location in Prague and the creation of an educational centre for coaches and youth coaches, as well as quality infrastructure for the training of national youth teams of all age categories, with suitable conditions to develop their potential. This new building also includes a modern press centre and the Czech Football Hall of Fame.
UEFA's HatTrick programme also led to the creation of the position of FAČR social projects manager in 2016.
Since then, HatTrick has helped to finance a wide range of social responsibility projects, including those for people with disabilities – health-related, mental or social.
In addition to the FAČR’s own social projects, this specific work also involves cooperation not only with many non-profit organisations but also with other sports associations that help those in need to participate in sports – and football in particular – as well as helping them, thanks to inclusion, in many difficult life situations.
Timeline
In 1993, following the peaceful division of Czechoslovakia into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the Football Association of the Czech Republic (FAČR) began writing its own footballing history.
Association history
National team history
President
Petr Fousek
Nationality: Czech
Date of birth: 19 November 1962
Association president since: June 2021
General secretary
Martin Procházka
Nationality: Czech
Date of birth: 6 July 1981
Association general secretary since: February 2024