Czech Republic manager Miroslav Koubek has taken issue with how his comment last month about Ireland playing “island football” was interpreted by some as claiming the Irish team had a “primitive” approach to the game.
“I never said ‘primitive’. Please don’t put words in my mouth,” Koubek said in reply to an Irish journalist’s question at a press conference before Thursday’s World Cup playoff in Prague.
“Maybe Google Translate? Ireland definitely have great players. I never said anything like that.
“A lot of heart goes into their game. Ireland are a tough opponent. We’ve a similar mindset. It will be a tough match.”
Koubek is a late bloomer. The 74-year-old has been coaching professionally since 1983 and had a stint as assistant coach of the national team under Karel Jarolím from 2016 to 2018.
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A crisis unfolded around the Czech squad last year following defeat away to the Faroe Islands that led to Ivan Hasek being sacked as manager.
The situation turned into a crisis when Tomas Soucek was stripped of the captaincy for not recognising the fans after the Gibraltar match last November.
Miroslav Koubek during a training session in Prague on Wednesday. Photograph: Adam Davy/PA
Pavel Nedved, one of the great Czech footballers from the 1990s and 2000s who is now the Czech association’s director of football, was charged with finding a solution. He turned to Koubek after the former goalkeeper, in the twilight of his career, guided Viktoria Plzen into the knockout rounds of the Conference League in 2024 and Europa League in 2025.
On the eve of this playoff at the Fortuna Arena, as rumours swirled around Soucek being dropped, the local media made repeated attempts to draw Koubek on the West Ham midfielder’s role against Ireland after Koubek handed the captaincy to Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Ladislav Krejci.
“You will see the team tomorrow. Tomas is an outstanding player with a great career. He does not have the armband, for reasons you all know, but he has not lost his value,” Koubek said.
On the appointment of the 26-year-old Krejci, the manager said: “He is a born leader. It was an easy choice from the beginning.”
Krejci sounded like a leader when he proclaimed that the Czechs would set up a playoff final against the winner of Denmark versus North Macedonia in Prague next Tuesday.
“You all know the reality of the situation that got us here,” the centre half said. “We will make it. We will reach our goal. We will qualify for the World Cup.”
The Czech Republic have an intimidating record at home, going unbeaten in 17 matches since a 4-0 loss to Portugal in September 2022.
A physically imposing team with several players well over 6ft, there was another question for Koubek about fielding a team of “universal soldiers” or allowing their technical superiority to overwhelm Ireland.
“You need both. You can’t put all your money on one type of player. There must be balance,” he said.
Koubek said his first night as the national manager would be the biggest moment in a career spanning five decades.
“Nothing is more serious than this competition, and nothing is more serious than coaching the national team,” he said.
“I am not a nervous person, but definitely tomorrow when I wake up I will feel nerves. It’s a good thing. I’m an elderly person, I would love to feel no nerves, but it is all positive.”