EURO 2020 inside track: Czech Republic

Group D fixtures

14/06: Scotland 0-2 Czech Republic (Glasgow)
18/06: Croatia vs Czech Republic (Glasgow)
22/06: Czech Republic vs England (London)

Team profile

Coach: Jaroslav Šilhavý
Captain: Vladimír Darida
Nickname: Národní tým (National Team)
How they qualified: Group A runners-up (W5 D0 L3 F13 A11)
EURO best: winners (1976 as Czechoslovakia; 1996 runners-up as Czech Republic)

Where they could play their knockout games

Round of 16: London, Copenhagen, Budapest, Seville or Glasgow
Quarter-final: Saint Petersburg, Munich, Rome or Baku
Semi-final: London
Final: London

Final 26-man squad

Goalkeepers: Tomáš Vaclík (Sevilla), Tomáš Koubek (Augsburg), Aleš Mandous (Olomouc)

Defenders: Vladimír Coufal (West Ham), Pavel Kadeřábek (Hoffenheim), Ondřej Čelůstka (Sparta Praha), Tomáš Kalas (Bristol City), David Zima (Slavia Praha), Jan Bořil (Slavia Praha), Aleš Matějů (Brescia), Jakub Brabec (Viktoria Plzeň)

Midfielders: Lukáš Masopust (Slavia Praha), Vladimír Darida (Hertha Berlin), Tomáš Souček (West Ham), Antonín Barák (Verona), Alex Král (Spartak Moskva), Tomáš Holeš (Slavia Praha), Petr Ševčík (Slavia Praha), Jakub Jankto (Sampdoria), Adam Hložek (Sparta Praha), Jakub Pešek (Liberec), Michal Sadílek (Liberec)

Forwards: Patrik Schick (Leverkusen), Michael Krmenčík (PAOK), Matěj Vydra (Burnley), Tomáš Pekhart (Legia)

UEFA.com Czech Republic team reporter: Ondřej Zlámal

This is my third EURO. I started in 2012, where the Czechs recovered from an opening loss to reach the quarter-finals, with the Poland fans memorably applauding the Czechs after Michal Bílek's charges advanced at the expense of the co-hosts. My other favourite moment came earlier in the tournament following the opening training session in Wroclaw, when Petr Čech ordered the team bus to leave without him because he didn't want to disappoint the kids waiting for his autograph. He stayed three more hours!

How they play

Czech Republic never sit back and want to play positive, pacy and high-pressing football. Their attacks are supported by advanced full-backs with many players getting into the penalty box. Jaroslav Šilhavý is likely to use a 4-2-3-1 formation with attack-minded wingers. West Ham midfielder Tomáš Souček is the heartbeat of the midfield, offering energy and teamwork – which is this team's greatest weapon.

Key player: Vladimír Darida

The all-action midfielder plies his trade at Hertha Berlin. In the national team, he leads by example and was the inspiration behind the surprise qualifying victory over England. The captain will play at his third EURO, which may prove to be the pinnacle of his career. Alongside Souček, he will be a playmaker and leader.

Coach: Jaroslav Šilhavý

The 59-year-old holds the record for the most Czech top-flight appearances (465) and won titles as a coach with Slovan Liberec and Slavia Praha before taking the national team reins in September 2018. Assistant to Karel Brückner at UEFA EURO 2004 and the 2006 FIFA World Cup, he arrives at his first major tournament as a head coach having successfully navigated qualifying and led his team into UEFA Nations League League A.

One to watch: Tomáš Souček

The 2020 Czech Player of the Year, who joined West Ham in January of that year from Slavia, is the beating heart of the midfield and redefines what it means to have 'good feet for a big man'. The defensive midfielder became the first Czech to score ten goals in an English Premier League season, beating the previous record held by Milan Baroš and Patrik Berger.

Can they win it?

The Czechs will be difficult opponents for every side as they want to dominate games even when facing the best teams in the world. Their football may earn them qualification from the group and then anything can happen. In 1996 they reached the final at Wembley, so they need look no further for inspiration.