Czech Republic – Participating Teams in the Euro Football 2024 Tournament

Czech Republic are one of the 24 national teams competing in the 2024 European Championship finals this summer. Not much is expected, but can the Czechs have a positive tournament in Germany?

In this Czech Republic Euro Championship overview, we look at their current squad, check back on how they qualified for the 2024 tournament, and see if they can cause any upsets in Germany. Join us as we check out the Czech national team and their expected performances in the 2024 tournament.

The Czech Football Team in the Euro Football Tournament

Czech Republic will be competing in their 11th European Championship. From 1960 to 1992, they played under the Czechoslovakia name before becoming Czech Republic from 1996 onwards. 

In the first two decades of the Euro Cup, the Czechs were one of the most successful nations. In the first edition way back in 1960, they finished in third place to take the bronze medal. 

The Czechs failed to qualify for the next three but were back with a vengeance in 1976. They went all the way in Yugoslavia, beating West Germany in the final. Four years later, they reached the semi-finals in Italy and finished third again. 

Fast forward 16 years, and they were back in the Euro Championships, this time as Czech Republic. They had a memorable tournament on English soil, reaching the final. Having finished second to Germany in Group C, the Czechs went on to beat Portugal and France in the knockouts. Unfortunately, they lost to the Germans in the final at Wembley Stadium.

Czech Republic also went far in the 2004 edition in Portugal. They were sensational in the group stage, beating Latvia, Netherlands, and Germany to win Group D with nine points from a possible nine. 

They eased to a 3-0 victory against Denmark in the quarter-finals, but they were beaten by underdogs Greece in the last four. Against all odds, the Greek national team beat the hosts in the final to get their hands on the trophy. 

As Czechoslovakia and Czech Republic, the nation has been very successful in the European Championships. Only Germany, Spain, Italy, France, and Russia have better records in the history of the competition. 

Since becoming Czech Republic, the Czechs have qualified for every European Championship. This will be their 11th appearance overall, with just Germany and Spain competing in more. 

After finishing runners-up in qualifying Group E, Czech Republic were seeded into Pot 3 alongside Netherlands, Scotland, Croatia, Slovenia, and Slovakia. The Czechs were drawn into Group F, where they will face Portugal, Turkey, and the winners of play-off Path C. 

All three group games will be tough, but Ivan Hasek’s side will be aiming for a top-two finish and automatic qualification to the knockout phase. Portugal are the clear favourites to win the group, while in-form Turkey will also fancy their chances of progressing to the last 16. 

In game one on June 18th, Czech Republic will face Portugal. Cristiano Ronaldo & Co. will be waiting at the Red Bull Arena. It will be a difficult task, but can the Czechs pick up a positive result in Leipzig? 

Their next match in the finals will be against the play-off C winners at Arena AufSchalke. They will face one of Georgia, Luxembourg, Greece, or Kazakhstan. Regardless of who they play, three points are a must from the game in Gelsenkirchen.

Czech Republic’s final group fixture is another tricky one, as Hasek’s troops go head-to-head with Turkey in Hamburg. The Turks had a terrific qualifying campaign and will be formidable opponents at the Volksparkstadion.

The top two from every group will automatically qualify for the last 16. However, third place will be enough for four nations. Finishing in the top three is the priority for the Czechs this summer. 

Czech Republic’s Road to the European Championship 2024

Czech Republic secured their passage through to the finals by finishing second behind Albania in Group E. Their qualification was confirmed on the final day of qualifying. 

It was a thrilling group, with four countries all battling for two automatic places. Albania went on to win the group with 15 points, with Czech Republic snatching second position at the death. The Czechs finished up on 15 points, losing out on the top spot on head-to-head points. 

Poland had to settle for a place in the play-offs via the Nations League, while Moldova pushed all the way but narrowly missed out in the end. The Poles took third, and the Moldovans finished up in fourth. 

Czech Republic kicked off their European Championship 2024 qualifying campaign with an excellent 3-1 win over the Poles in Prague. They raced into a 3-0 lead before a late consolation strike by the away team.

After a hard-fought 0-0 draw with Moldova in Chisinau, the Czechs cruised to a 3-0 win against Faroe Islands on June 17th. Vaclav Cerny scored twice after a Ladislav Krejci goal. 

Cerny netted again as Czech Republic played out a tense 1-1 draw with Albania on matchday four. The Wolfsburg winger opened the scoring in the 56th minute, but Nedim Bajrami equalised for the away side ten minutes later. 

Czech Republic crashed to the only defeat of their qualifying campaign in the next one, losing 3-0 to Albania. Ultimately, that result cost the Czechs first place in the group, with the Albanians finishing top on the head-to-head record. 

Czech Republic bounced back with a much-needed three points in game six. They were expected to beat Faroe Islands by a considerable margin in Plzen, but that was far from the case. They needed a late penalty from Tomas Soucek to see off the battling minnows. 

The Czechs then picked up an invaluable point in Poland in the penultimate match. Jakub Piotrowski gave the Poles a first-half lead in Warsaw, but the Czechs were not to be denied. West Ham United star Soucek was the hero again, levelling in the 49th minute. 

Czech Republic were involved in a straight shootout for an automatic qualification place with Moldova on the final day. Whoever won the match at the Andruv Stadion would book a ticket to the 2024 European Championship finals. 

David Doudera’s 14th-minute effort put the home team in front. The game was in the balance until Vladislav Baboglo was sent off for the Moldovans ten minutes into the second period. Tomas Chory then netted on his international debut before Soucek made it three at the end.  

Group E was one of the most exciting groups in Euro Cup 2024 qualifying. Albania and Czech Republic claimed 15 points and went through, while Poland took third with 11 points. Moldova had an excellent campaign but missed out on the top two on the final day. 

Soucek and Cerny finished as Czech Republic’s top scorers with three each. Poland’s star man, Robert Lewandowski, only managed three. The group’s top scorer was Moldova’s Ion Nicolaescu, who helped himself to four goals. 

Czech Republic’s Star Players in the Team

After Jaroslav Silhavy’s surprise departure at the end of 2023, new man Hasek has just a few months to put his squad together. Luckily for the much-travelled boss, the team is pretty settled and should pick itself. 

The Czechs have several reliable performers within their ranks, including Tomas Soucek. The West Ham midfielder has been playing his football in the Premier League since 2020 and has racked up over 60 appearances for his national side. 

Soucek is having a solid season for the Hammers and will be crucial for Czech Republic this summer. He always works hard in the heart of the midfield and can chip in with goals. He was the Czechs’ joint top scorer in qualifying, netting three times. 

Soucek’s club teammate, Vladimir Coufal, was kicked out of the squad in November but could be back in his nation’s plans this summer. Former Hammer Alex Kral, who is now on loan at Union Berlin, will play a part in Germany. 

Adam Hlozek will be heavily relied upon in the 2024 tournament. He has been in decent form for Bayer Leverkusen this season, and Hlozek played a huge role in the 2020 tournament for his country. 

Czech Republic’s Chances of Winning the 2024 European Championship

Czech Republic are one of the tournament underdogs. Despite having a great historic record in the Euro Championships, not many punters will be backing Hasek’s side to lift the trophy in Berlin on July 14th. 

They are involved in a tough group with Portugal and Turkey, but finishing in the top two is a real possibility. They reached the quarter-finals in the 2020 edition, beating Netherlands in the Round of 16 before narrowly losing to Denmark in the quarters. Can they go even further this time around? 

On their day, the Czech national team is capable of beating any side in European football, and they could be a dark horse in Germany. Winning the competition for a second time will be a step too far, but can the class of 2024 cause a few upsets in the 2024 European Championship finals?