PRAGUE: The Czech football federation (FACR) announced the sacking of national team coach Ivan Hasek on Wednesday, following a humiliating 2-1 defeat in a 2026 World Cup qualifier against the Faroe Islands.
Seeking their first World Cup appearance since 2006, the Czechs are not even completely sure of a berth in the playoffs next March — a situation compounded by their loss in Torshavn on Sunday.
Croatia top Group L, three points ahead of the Czech Republic, and the 2018 World Cup runners-up also have a game in hand on their rivals.
The Faroes lie one point behind the Czechs, with both having one match remaining in their campaign.
“We have terminated cooperation with Ivan Hasek as of today,” FACR head David Trunda told reporters.
Trunda added that the FACR would now look for a new coach, possibly a foreigner.
An “interim coach” is meanwhile likely to lead the team in their last World Cup qualifier at home to Gibraltar in November.
Hasek started his second stint as national team coach ahead of Euro 2024, at which the Czechs were knocked out in the group stage.
Pundits criticized the 62-year-old former midfielder for his unattractive style of play, while he bemoaned having no players coming even close to the level of former Czech greats such as Pavel Nedved or Tomas Rosicky.
Hasek came under heavy fire following a 5-1 defeat in a World Cup qualifier in Croatia in June.
As a player. Hasek scored five goals in 56 games for Czechoslovakia and led the country as captain to the World Cup quarter-finals in Italy in 1990.
As a coach, he took Sparta Prague to back-to-back Czech league titles in 2000 and 2001.
Since then he has had a nomadic coaching career taking him to France, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and even the Lebanese national team.
His first stint as the Czech national team coach was in 2009 when he oversaw just five games.
Czech Republic sack coach Hasek after Faroes flop
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Czech Republic sack coach Hasek after Faroes flop
- “We have terminated cooperation with Ivan Hasek as of today,” FACR head David Trunda told reporters
- An “interim coach” is meanwhile likely to lead the team in their last World Cup qualifier at home to Gibraltar in November
Euro 2028 to kick off in Cardiff, final set for Wembley
- The semifinals and one quarter-final will also be held at Wembley
- “At UEFA EURO 2028, we will all speak football – loud, clear and united,” UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said
LONDON: Cardiff will host the opening match of the 2028 European Championship on June 9, with the final scheduled for London’s Wembley Stadium on July 9, tournament organizers UEFA announced on Wednesday.
The tournament, co-hosted by England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, will feature 51 matches involving 24 nations across nine venues in eight cities, also including Birmingham, Dublin, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle.
The semifinals and one quarter-final will also be held at Wembley, while the other last-eight matches will be staged in Dublin, Glasgow and Cardiff.
Matches in the round of 16 will be distributed across all host venues, with the exception of Wembley. Host nations that qualify for the tournament directly will see their group-stage matches played on home soil.
“At UEFA EURO 2028, we will all speak football – loud, clear and united,” UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said in a statement.
“The host nations, where the game first took shape, are eager to welcome millions of fans into legendary stadiums...
“In the way matches are staged – including a new, more convenient kick-off time for the final ... we want to maximize the fan experience.”
UEFA has confirmed three kick-off times for the tournament: 1400 GMT, 1700 GMT and 2000 GMT.
The tournament is projected to generate 3.6 billion pounds ($4.83 billion) in socio-economic benefits for the UK and Ireland between 2028 and 2031, according to an independent assessment, UEFA said.
These benefits include job creation, regional prosperity and spending from international visitors.
The UK Government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Government of Ireland have collectively pledged up to 740 million pounds ($993.15 million) in funding to ensure the “event is safe, secure and offers a world-class experience” for fans and host communities alike.
“The scale of the tournament will have a really positive impact on communities throughout the country,” England FA CEO Mark Bullingham said.
“This will be a tournament for the fans, with their experience at the heart of our planning.”
In May, Europe’s soccer governing body UEFA said England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales would participate in qualifying for Euro 2028, with only two spots reserved if they do not make it to the tournament.
England finished runners-up at Euro 2024 while Scotland were knocked out in the group stage. Wales and Ireland did not qualify for last year’s tournament hosted by Germany.
Belfast has been chosen to host the Euro 2028 qualifying draw, scheduled to take place in Northern Ireland’s capital on December 6, 2026.
