Czechs name veteran coach Koubek for World Cup play-offs / Photo: CESAR MANSO - AFP
-
Italy set for Winter Olympics opening ceremony as Vonn passes test
-
England's Jacks says players back under-fire skipper Brook '100 percent'
-
Carrick relishing Frank reunion as Man Utd host Spurs
-
Farrell keeps the faith in Irish still being at rugby's top table
-
Meloni, Vance hail 'shared values' amid pre-Olympic protests
-
Olympic freestyle champion Gremaud says passion for skiing carried her through dark times
-
US urges new three-way nuclear deal with Russia and China
-
Indonesia landslide death toll rises to 74
-
Hemetsberger a 'happy psychopath' after final downhill training
-
Suicide blast at Islamabad mosque kills at least 31, wounds over 130
-
Elton John accuses UK tabloids publisher of 'abhorrent' privacy breaches
-
Lindsey Vonn completes first downhill training run at Winter Olympics
-
Digital euro delay could leave Europe vulnerable, ECB warns
-
Feyi-Waboso out of England's Six Nations opener against Wales
-
Newcastle manager Howe pleads for Woltemade patience
-
German exports to US plunge as tariffs exact heavy cost
-
Portugal heads for presidential vote, fretting over storms and far-right
-
Suicide blast at Islamabad mosque kills at least 30, wounds over 130: police
-
Russia says Kyiv behind Moscow shooting of army general
-
Greenland villagers focus on 'normal life' amid stress of US threat
-
Iran, US hold talks in Oman after Trump military threats
-
Dupont, Jalibert click to give France extra spark in Six Nations bid
-
'Excited' Scots out to prove they deserve T20 World Cup call-up
-
EU tells TikTok to change 'addictive' design
-
India captain admits 'there will be nerves' at home T20 World Cup
-
Stellantis takes massive hit for 'overestimation' of EV shift
-
'Mona's Eyes': how an obscure French art historian swept the globe
-
Iran, US hold talks in Oman
-
Iran, US hold talks in Oman after deadly protest crackdown
-
In Finland's forests, soldiers re-learn how to lay anti-personnel mines
-
Israeli president visits Australia after Bondi Beach attack
-
In Dakar fishing village, surfing entices girls back to school
-
Lakers rally to beat Sixers despite Doncic injury
-
Russian pensioners turn to soup kitchen as war economy stutters
-
Japan taps Meta to help search for abuse of Olympic athletes
-
As Estonia schools phase out Russian, many families struggle
-
Toyota names new CEO, hikes profit forecasts
-
Next in Putin's sights? Estonia town stuck between two worlds
-
Family of US news anchor's missing mother renews plea to kidnappers
-
Spin woes, injury and poor form dog Australia for T20 World Cup
-
Japan's Liberal Democratic Party: an election bulldozer
-
Hazlewood out of T20 World Cup in fresh blow to Australia
-
Japan scouring social media 24 hours a day for abuse of Olympic athletes
-
Bangladesh Islamist leader seeks power in post-uprising vote
-
Rams' Stafford named NFL's Most Valuable Player
-
Japan to restart world's biggest nuclear plant
-
Japan's Sanae Takaichi: Iron Lady 2.0 hopes for election boost
-
Italy set for 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony
-
Hong Kong to sentence media mogul Jimmy Lai on Monday
-
Pressure on Townsend as Scots face Italy in Six Nations
NYSE - LSE
Czechs name veteran coach Koubek for World Cup play-offs
The Czech Football Association said Friday it had appointed Miroslav Koubek as national coach for next two and and a half years, giving him time to prepare for the 2026 World Cup 2026 play-offs in March.
The 74-year-old Koubek will replace Ivan Hasek, who led the Czechs in World Cup qualifiers and was sacked following a humiliating 2-1 defeat at the Faroe Islands in October.
The Czechs finished second in Group L, six points behind Croatia, and booked a place in the play-offs against Ireland in Prague on March 26.
"We will do everything to clinch a World Cup spot," Koubek told reporters.
"This is my task and I have to cope with it. I call it heads or tails... but I'm optimistic and believe that we'll make it," he added.
If the Czechs beat Ireland, they will face either Denmark or North Macedonia in the play-off decider in Prague on March 31.
The winner of that play-off leg will face co-hosts Mexico, South Africa and South Korea in Group A of the World Cup in June and July next year.
The 74-year-old Koubek, a former goalkeeper, has mostly coached Czech top-flight clubs.
His last stint with Viktoria Plzen ended in September, following a streak of poor results.
Before that, he led Viktoria to the Conference League quarter-finals in 2024 and the Europa League last-16 phase this year.
Pavel Nedved, the former Lazio and Juventus midfielder who is the national team's general manager, said Koubek has been his first choice.
"He was really successful in European cups in the past two years," said Nedved,
"I have a very clear idea about the national team coach and Koubek meets all criteria," he added.
The Czech Republic have played at all Euro tournaments since the country became independent in 1993, but they only qualified for a single World Cup, in 2006, when they bowed out in the group stage.
T.Batista--PC