Czech Republic coach Miroslav Koubek has opened up about his decision to drop West Ham United veteran Tomas Soucek ahead of their 1-1 World Cup draw with South Africa.
Five days after Soucek was denied what would have been a debut World Cup goal thanks to an offside flag, the long-serving midfielder started on the bench in Atlanta.
Soucek was one of five Czech changes. A decision justified when Michal Sadilek, the Slavia Prague ace who was picked to start ahead of West Ham United number 28, coolly slotted home the opener inside just six minutes.
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The 74-year-old Koubek, who briefly became the oldest manager ever at a World Cup until Dick Advocaat led Curacao out against Germany, would not go into detail about his decision to remove Tomas Soucek from the XI.
Yet, after the former Slavia captain was stripped of the captain’s armband pre-tournament, this was another blow for a man who no longer wields the same influence on the international stage.
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“The team has developed a bit,” Koubek tells Idnes. “Tomas is an important player, but no one is indispensable.
“The team must always come first.”
Soucek struggled on matchday one as South Korea outran and out-manoeuvred the Czechs. His introduction with around half an hour to go in Atlanta also coincided with a late equaliser from South Africa, meaning Koubek’s side have thrown away points in each of their World Cup matches so far.
Czech Republic need a win against Mexico – the group favourites – in order to keep their hopes of progression alive.
“Maybe we were a little unlucky,” adds Koubek, who saw Teboho Mokoena level from the spot after Lyon’s Pavel Sulc was adjudged to have handled the ball.
“Two stupid mistakes against Korea, that’s what football brings. This time, we were maybe ten minutes away from advancing [to the round-of-32] because three points would probably be enough. But we don’t have them and there’s nothing we can do.
“We have to keep fighting.”
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Whether the Czechs will go into battle with or without Soucek against Mexico remains to be seen.
Last week, meanwhile, Soucek admitted he was torn regarding his future at West Ham. A fresh start in Italy appeals to the four-time Czech Footballer of the Year, though he must balance his own sporting ambitions with the needs of his family.
“In football, you never know what will happen every six months,” Soucek told Forbes. “I love West Ham, but I need to calmly discuss with the manager [Nuno Espirito Santo] and the board what their views are on the way forward and what the options are.
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“I played in the best league in the world or European cups for almost seven years, playing maybe 90 per cent of what I could, so I don’t want to say that I’ll just play in the second league now and I don’t mind. However, the life of a footballer is not just about ambitions on the pitch.
“I have a family, a wife, three children, and any potential football transfer means a major disruption to family life. So it is necessary to consider all possible options.
“On the one hand, I have achieved everything. On the other hand, I am a realist and know that I will probably not go any higher. If I were to leave West Ham, I would probably not go to the top three teams in England, but rather to a team of similar quality.
“And if not, staying at the club and trying to get them back to the Premier League can also be a special and in many ways attractive challenge. As well as trying out another of the top five leagues in Europe, both in terms of sport and life, because we know nothing other than the English league and the eternally rainy London.
“Probably Italy [interests me] the most, because if there’s one thing we miss in England, it’s the beautiful weather.
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