CZECH REPUBLIC

Long overlooked due to his slight build, Coufal was told at 17 by coaches at Czech club Banik Ostrava that he would never make a living from football. He was quick and determined, but too small and easily outmuscled in duels. At that time, he hated football. “But I promised myself I’d prove them all wrong. I’m a bit of a madman who likes chasing his dreams,” he said. True recognition only came at 26, when he was signed by Slavia Prague and went on to win three consecutive league titles before making a surprise move to the Premier League. “At first I thought they had the wrong name. Why would they sign a veteran?” he joked of his move to West Ham. In London he enjoyed a fairytale spell, culminating in winning the Europa Conference League. But after five years he found himself on the periphery with the Hammers. Again, though, he refused to give up. Now 33, he has rebuilt his career at Hoffenheim and is playing arguably his best football.

Krejci’s childhood dream of playing in the Premier League turned into something of a nightmare last season as Wolves endured defeat after defeat, suffering relegation to the Championship. The centre-back, however, has quickly – and to the surprise of some – turned into one of Rob Edwards’ most valuable players. Over the past four years, his rise has been rapid. He won two league titles with Sparta Prague, became the most expensive signing in Girona’s history, before a loan to the Premier League last summer. Krejci follows a simple motto: ”If you feel you should do, decide or change something, don’t hesitate. No one else will do it for you.” He used to struggle with discipline and picked up too many yellow cards. Yet since March, he has been captain of the national team and led with distinction, scoring in the playoff games against Republic of Ireland and Denmark. “I believed in myself because I know what I can do,” said the 27-year-old.

A real talent, who could make a big impact. Hlozek has played in Germany since 2022 when Bayer Leverkusen took note of his record at Sparta Prague: a senior debut at 16, scoring 40 goals and making 36 assists in 132 games, and winning the Czech Cup. He joined for an initial €13m, but only stayed for two years, having grown frustrated with a rotational role, moving to Hoffenheim for an initial €17m. Hugely versatile, he’s a threat out wide or through the middle. He’s a big fan of tattoos, with a giant lion on his left thigh. “It has a deep, personal meaning for me and gives me strength,” he said last year. “Leo is my star sign and I identify with the animal. The lion is known for its fighting mentality, exudes an aura and is the king of the wilderness. It took five and a half hours in the first sitting, then we took a break and after that it was another five and a half hours. But I'm happy that I got through it. I like it a lot."

Schick’s goalscoring gift was obvious from a very young age. Playing for Vestec, a village near Prague, he didn’t celebrate his goals, said coaches, but would instead just pick the ball up, take it to the centre circle and ask for the game to be resumed. When he missed a big chance, he would cry and had to be substituted. Aged eight he was inspired by watching Wayne Rooney play for Manchester United at Sparta Prague. He recalled: “I thought that I want to do this – never get a normal job, and earn a living like him.” It worked out well. He played a grand total of 36 league minutes in Sparta Prague’s first team before Sampdoria decided they had seen enough, paying €4m for the gangly 20-year-old. He signed for Roma a year later in a move that could have been worth up to a club record €42m, but it didn’t really work out there: he ended up on the wing, was loaned to Leipzig, then was sold to Leverkusen in 2020 for €26.5m - which is where everything clicked. In April this year, he scored his 100th goal for them in all competitions. He helped Czechia qualify for the first time in 20 years via the playoffs. He was 10 when they last played at a World Cup. “I vividly remember the games. The Czech fans have waited a long time for this.”

It wasn’t an easy season for Soucek as West Ham struggled, but he remains a fundamental part of Miroslav Koubek’s national side – a brilliantly energetic 1.93m force in midfield. Last year he was named Czech Footballer of the Year for the fourth time. He was brought up in Havlickuv Brod, a town with a population of 23,000 people, and comes from a sporting family: his dad a football coach and his mum a runner. “She runs half-marathons and marathons and sometimes when I was younger I went with her to the forest,” he says. “And sometimes when I was in pre-season I would go with her to run in the forest. I think I got my stamina from her.” Last year he published his autobiography, in which he revealed he had considered retiring early during what were “two years of horror” spent with insomnia and depression. He improved with medical help, and said his trademark “helicopter” goal celebration rose from the experience: “From match to match, I focused mainly on not sleeping, which actually disturbed me doubly. And that’s why the helicopter was created, my goal celebration. I start to spin slightly and enjoy the feeling of taking off. I like it when fans call me a helicopter. It’s a symbol of what I’ve done, what I’ve overcome, and where I am. It expresses my inner feeling that I can fight.”