Ivan Hasek to coach Czech Republic at Euro 2024

Ivan Hasek returns for a second stint to coach the Czech national team at Euro 2024, the Czech Football Association (FACR) said on Thursday.

Hasek replaces Jaroslav Silhavy, who quit in November after the Czechs had secured automatic qualification for Euro 2024 with a second-place finish behind Albania in Group E.

“The FACR’s Executive Committee unequivocally approved the appointment of Ivan Hasek as the head coach of the Czech national team,” FACR chairman Petr Fousek told reporters.

Hasek will sign up until the end of the World Cup 2026 qualifying campaign in November 2025.

“It’s a great honour to lead the Czech national team, because it’s the top of the career for any coach,” Hasek said.

“We’re meeting the analytical team tomorrow to divide the work. On Sunday we are going to Hamburg to see our (Euro 2024) camp,” he added.

The 60-year-old Hasek played for Sparta Prague before joining Strasbourg in 1990-1994 and then moving to Japan to play for Hiroshima in 1994-1995 and Ichihara in 1995-1996.

He scored five goals in 56 games for the then Czechoslovakia and its successor the Czech Republic.

Hasek also led Czechoslovakia as captain to the World Cup quarter-finals in Italy in 1990.

As a coach, he led Sparta to two titles in 2000 and 2001.

A plethora of coaching jobs followed, including at Strasbourg, Kobe, St Etienne, several teams in the United Arab Emirates as well as SC Qatar.

He had a brief stint as the Czech national team coach in 2009, managing five games.

Hasek’s last coaching job was with the Lebanese national team in 2021-2022.

Silhavy, who led the Czechs to the Euro 2020 quarter-finals, quit after he came under fire over a streak of lacklustre performances in Euro 2024 qualifying.

He was also hurt by a scandal just before the last qualifier in November as three players including West Ham defender Vladimir Coufal spent a night at a disco during a training camp.

The Czechs will face Portugal, Turkey and the winner of a qualifying path comprising Georgia, Greece, Kazakhstan and Luxembourg in Group F of Euro 2024 hosted by Germany and starting on June 14.