Tomas Soucek has found himself at the centre of a rather bitter flashpoint in the last few days, with the West Ham United midfielder coming under fire back home in the Czech Republic.
The November international break should have been a period of celebration for the former Slavia Prague captain.
Soucek equalled an all-time Premier League record when scoring off the bench in West Ham United’s 3-2 victory over Burnley. The next time he finds the net, for the 39th time in England’s top flight, he will have officially overtaken ex-Liverpool ace Patrik Berger as the most prolific Czech player ever to feature in the competition.
The Czech Republic then secured their spot in the play-offs for the 2026 World Cup.
Jaroslav Kostl’s side finished second in their group, behind Croatia, and will now face Troy Parrott’s Republic of Ireland with a private jet chartered for the Atlantic awaiting the winner.
Any good feeling quickly went up in smoke, however, with Tomas Soucek accused of ‘overshadowing’ his nation’s second-place finish in Group L. The West Ham veteran has lost the captain’s armband, and will therefore be denied the privilege of leading out his nation in a World Cup play-off.
Losing the captaincy is certain to hit Soucek a lot harder, meanwhile, than the financial penalty he received for allegedly refusing to acknowledge the home fans after last week’s 6-0 thrashing of Gibraltar.
Czech media hit out at Tomas Soucek as West Ham United ace punished for fan snub
According to Sporty Zive, Soucek and former West Ham sparring partner Vladimir Coufal opted to turn their backs on the Fanatismus Cesko fan group because ‘they did not feel unity’ with this particular branch of ultras.
Soucek and Coufal will now be denied the bonuses they usually receive when representing their national team. Not that the experienced duo will be short of a few bob this month.
Sporty Zive report that Soucek has lost a ‘ridiculous’ £1,800 as punishment for his post-match behaviour.
Tomas Soucek dreams of captaining the Czech Republic at the 2026 World Cup
“For most players of the national team, [that fine] is small change,” Sporty Zive write. “Thanks to his contract with West Ham, Tomas Soucek will earn it in about four hours!”
Soucek reportedly earns £90,000-a-week in East London.
The Czech football federation released a statement on Soucek and Vladimir Coufal controversy
In a statement put forward by the Czech football federation, they said there was ‘disappointment’ with the actions of Soucek and Coufal.
“Unfortunately, the players’ attitude completely overshadowed the performance on the pitch and the positive fact of the national team’s qualification for the World Cup play-offs,” the statement read, via the official website.
“None of the players stand above the country they have the honour of representing, and none of the players are more than a fan who dedicates their resources, time, and energy to supporting the Czech national team.
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“At the same time, fans have every right to express their disagreement with the unsatisfactory performances in recent matches.
“The players’ reaction should have been the opposite. They should have thanked the fans. Not only for the support [against Gibraltar], but also for their long-term and tireless support throughout the entire qualifying cycle after a series of unconvincing performances.
“The FACR Football Association also decided that Tomas Soucek will not lead the team as captain in the next match and the players will not be paid bonuses related to yesterday’s qualifying match. These funds will be donated to help those in need.”
Tomas Soucek has come in for criticism pretty frequently when representing his country in recent times. Not only due to his seemingly strained relations with sections of the fanbase, but also because of his occasionally below-par performances on the pitch.
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