Czech Republic is a country that consistently gives birth to a talented footballers who play in various European clubs. The reputation of this country's national football team is also somehow high, where they take a role as one of the dark horses in Europe, threatening the existence of elite football countries such as England, Germany, Italy, and France.
Some names such as Patrik Berger, Pavel Nedved, Karel Poborsky, and Jan Koller and are very familiar to the soccer fans, as they have won a lot of prestigious individual as well as team achievements. The question is, who deserves the title as Czech Republic's best player of all time?
15. Vladimir Smicer
Vladimir Smicer is ex-an attacking midfielder who could also play as a striker. One of his best performances was when he scored a goal in the final match against AC Milan, a goal that helped Liverpool win the Champions League 2005. He was also part of the Liverpool squad that won five trophies in 2001. In 1997, Smicer claimed French League title when he played for Lens. He ended his career as a professional footballer in 2009 at Slavia Prague, one of the biggest clubs in Czech League.
14. Pavel Kuka
Pavel Kuka's best achievement was helping Kaiserslautern win the Bundesliga in the 1997-98 season. At that time, just Kaiserslautern promoted from the first division and shocked the world by winning the highest division of the German League. The success of the team could not be separated from the role of Pavel Kuka who acted as the main goal machine. Not only that, was Kuka also the main striker of the Czech Republic team in the Euro 1996, a tournament where they managed to be the runner-up.
13. Tomas Galasek
Tomas Galasek was a central midfielder with excellent defending abilities. Sometimes, he was also played as a central defender. Galasek's best period in his career occurred in 2000-2006 when he played for Ajax Amsterdam. During that period, he won two league titles and two Dutch KNVB Cup trophies. Throughout 13 years playing for the Czech Republic national team, Galasek played in 69 international matches and scored one goal.
12. Vratislav Lokvenc
Vratislav Lokvenc is a former striker who played for the Czech Republic in three major tournaments; Euro 2000, Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup. This player spent most of his career abroad, where he won Austrian League with Red Bull Salzburg and Swiss League with FC Basel. During his period of playing for Czech national football team, Lokvenc had a role as a backup for the two main strikers, Jan Koller and Milan Baros.
11. Jiří Nemec
Jiri Nemec was a winger who underwent considerably great club career at Schalke 04. During nine years at the club, Nemec won two DFB-Pokal trophies and a UEFA Cup trophy. His individual achievement was also quite good, where he was voted as the best player of the Czech Republic in 2007. In total, Nemec played in 64 matches for his country and scored one goal.
10. Miroslav Kadlec
Miroslav Kadlec is a retired central defender who was trusted to be the captain of the Czech Republic in the Euro 1996 tournament. In the tournament, Kadlec performed brilliantly and brought his country to reach the final. Throughout his career, Kadlec is known as a tough defender, with a great tackling and marking abilities. He also helped Kaiserslautern win two Bundesliga titles and a DFB-Pokal trophy in the 1990-1998 period.
9. Tomas Ujfalusi
His toughness and versatility make Tomas Ujfalusi is often regarded as one of the best Czech Republic defenders of all time. He could play as a central defender or right-back equally well. Ujfalusi also played for various clubs in different European countries, such as Fiorentina, Galatasaray, Atletico Madrid, and Hamburger SV. Throughout his career, he won two Turkey League titles, a Europa League trophy, a DFB Pokal trophy, and a UEFA Super Cup trophy.
8. Milan Baros
Milan Baros' best individual achievement is becoming the top scorer of Euro 2004. In the tournament, he scored five goals and helped his country reach the semi-finals rounds. Throughout his career, Baros is known as a striker with very high goal scoring instincts. He was also quite successful at the club level, where he won a Champions League trophy, a FA Cup trophy, a Ligue 1 title, and a Turkish League title.
7. Patrik Berger
Patrik Berger was a flamboyant midfielder with excellent dribbling skills and wonderful techniques. His left foot was also very deadly, even Steven Gerrard dubbed him as "the best left footed player in the world." Berger's golden period occurred when he joined Liverpool. At that period with the club, he won six major trophies, five of them were won in a single season. In 1996 when he played for Dortmund, Berger won a Bundesliga title, helped his country to be Euro 1996 finalist, and named as the Czech Footballer of the Year.
6. Jan Koller
Jan Koller was a giant striker with a height of 2.02 meter. Not only tall, he was also very prolific in scoring goals. Koller holds the record as the top scorer of all time of Czech Republic national team with a total of 55 goals. His career at the club level was also quite a successful, especially when he played for Anderlecht. At the club, Koller won the Belgian League championship and became the top scorer of the competition.
5. Marek Jankulovski
Marek Jankulovski is a versatile player who became one of the mainstays of AC Milan in the 2005-2011 period. His position was primarily a left back, but he could play as a winger, a defensive midfielder and a central defender equally well. Jankulovski also has a deadly left-foot shot which often resulted goals from outside the penalty box. Throughout his career, he managed to help Milan win a Serie A title, a Champions League trophy, and a FIFA Club World Cup trophy.
4. Karel Poborsky
Karel Poborsky was a winger with excellent technical abilities who often scored beautiful goals. He was part of the Manchester United squad that won the 1996-97 Premier League season and was instrumental in bringing his country reach the Euro 1996 finals. In Euro 1996, Poborsky scored a memorable goal in a match against Portugal. In the match, he lobbed the ball over the head of the opponent's goalkeeper before beautifully landing inside the net. The goal was named as the most beautiful goal in the tournament and known with the nickname of "Poborsky's Lob."
3. Tomas Rosicky
After the era of Karel Poborsky and Patrik Berger, Rosicky is a Czech midfielder that is considered to be able to continue the flamboyant, beautiful, and graceful playing style. Rosicky is a playmaker who had a pretty good career at Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal. He won a Bundesliga title and twice elected as the German league's best player and three times awarded the title of Czech Footballer of the Year.
2. Petr Cech
Petr Cech's greatness as a goalkeeper is no longer in doubt. His name can be aligned with the world's best goalkeepers of his generation, such as Iker Casillas and Gianluigi Buffon. Cech was part of Chelsea golden generation established by Roman Abramovich and Jose Mourinho. The goalkeeper also made a brilliant record of not conceding a goal for 1,025 minutes and seven times selected as the Czech Footballer of the Year. At Chelsea, he won three Premier League titles, four FA Cup trophies, one FIFA Club World Cup title, a Europa League title and one Champions League trophy.
1. Pavel Nedved
His determination and hard work as a midfielder make Nedved is regarded as one of the best foreign players in the history of Serie A. He was a midfielder with high stamina and had vital role in the team's offense, either by providing a lot of assists or scoring important goals. This player spent most of his career in the Italian League at Lazio and Juventus. During his career, Nedved claimed three Serie A titles, one Coppa Italia trophy, one UEFA Cup and one Cup Winners' trophy.
