Nedvěd opens Czech House in Wroclaw
Friday, June 8, 2012
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Famous names from the Czech Republic's sporting past gathered in Wroclaw to open the Czech House football embassy and were keen to give their predictions on UEFA EURO 2012.
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On the eve of their opening match against Russia, the Football Association of the Czech Republic (FAČR) inaugurated the Czech House, a 'football embassy' in Wroclaw located in the historical Teatr Lalek building near the team's hotel.
Guests at the ceremony had the opportunity to meet several former Czech footballing stars, including many from the side that reached the final of EURO '96. Pavel Nedvěd, Karel Poborský, Luboš Kubík, Miroslav Kadlec and Pavel Kuka were all in attendance and were joined by other Czech sporting greats, including javelin thrower and three-time Olympic champion Jan Železný.
Leading the festivities was former Juventus midfielder Nedvěd, who told UEFA.com: "It was a great honour for me to open such a fantastic venue. I hope our players – together with the other guests – will enjoy it. For us it's a great advantage that we play all three of our games in Wroclaw."
Speaking ahead of the Czechs' Group A opener against Russia on Friday, Nedvěd was in confident mood. "Our group will be tight but we certainly have a chance," he said. "If we can claim three points against Russia then we can maybe avoid the situation where we would have everything to play for in the last match against Poland."
Asked who his favourites for the competition were, the six-time Czech Golden Ball Winner opted for Germany. "They always have a good team and they know how to play at tournaments all the way to the final," he added.
Miroslav Kadlec, captain of the Czech EURO '96 team, will be justifiably nervous when watching the opening game; his son Michal will be playing in defence, just as he used to. "I know very well how he'll feel. On the other hand, he has enough experience. I'm always proud to watch him playing at this level."
Karel Poborský, whose 118 appearances for the national side is a Czech record, believes the current crop are not just at the tournament to make up the numbers. "We are definitely capable of qualifying from the group, although anything else will probably just be a bonus," he said.