'Czech Lionel Messi' takes Twitter hot seat

UEFA EURO 2012 stars have been responding to UEFA.com users' questions via our Twitter page, @UEFAcom, with Czech Republic winger Václav Pilař – the newly dubbed 'Czech Lionel Messi' – the latest interviewee. With two goals at the finals, the 23-year-old is one of coach Michal Bílek's liveliest performers and will join VfL Wolfsburg upon returning from Poland and Ukraine. Here he lifts the lid on his favourite teams, his hobbies and how he feels about his new moniker.

@LMDDGTFY: What are your favourite clubs, both in your homeland and abroad?

Václav Pilař: In the Czech Republic, I love the clubs where I have played. I started at [FC] Hradec Králové – I liked it there. Then I went to [FC] Viktoria Plzeň and we had a great season. We managed to get into the Champions League, so I like Plzeň as well. As for the international scene, I watch a lot of football. I like Barcelona's style, for example.

@OfficialLaxmi: What do you enjoy doing away from the football field?

Pilař: When I'm not playing football, I relax, I go home. When I was in Plzen, I simply went home and relaxed with my family. When I wanted to do some sport, I played tennis. I like it. I also like other sports but I prefer tennis.

@JerryJezza: With the Czechs winning Group A after a stuttering start to their campaign, how far can they go at EURO?

Pilař: Our aim was to qualify from the group stage and we succeeded. We qualified in first place in the group – we're very happy about that. Now we have another match to play, against Portugal, and it's going to be a difficult game. We want to fight for a medal.

@SivanJohn: The chances of the Czechs topping their section looked pretty remote after the 4-1 defeat by Russia. What was the secret to the turnaround in fortunes?

Pilař: We were all disappointed after the match against Russia. We didn't play the way we wanted. Nevertheless, in the next two matches we managed to show the quality of our team, not only on the pitch but also off it. We managed to stay united. We won the following two games, so we can be proud of ourselves for that.

@Hamu_Ali: How does it feel to be called the 'Czech Lionel Messi'?

Pilař: It feels great. I'm happy to hear it, of course. I'm not very tall, so that's also a reason why we are kind of similar. Nevertheless, there's only one Messi, but I still like this nickname.

@bernietho: Will EURO success help increase the popularity of football in the Czech Republic?

Pilař: We succeeded in doing one thing – we managed to get out of the group. That is a big success. We have good players in the Czech league. There will still be good players. I hope we can go a long way at the EURO so we can be an example for Czech football players, and so that Czech football will become even more popular.