Czechia continue their run at the European Championships with an eighth successive appearance this summer.
After the dissolution of Czechoslovakia, the independent Czechia - previously the Czech Republic - made their first appearance in the 1996 European Championships in England.
They have been ever-present at the tournament ever since, with mixed success.
They finished as runners-up in 1996 and reached the semi-finals in 2004, while also making the quarter-finals in 2012 and 2020. In the intervening tournaments, however, they exited at the Group Stage each time.
Czechia made it to the quarter-finals in the last Euros but were knocked out by Denmark.
They will hope to replicate or improve that performance in Germany, but first, they face a tough challenge in Group F against former champions Portugal, Turkey, and Georgia.
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The Manager: Is Ivan Hašek's return the correct choice?
Ivan Hašek was appointed the new Czechia coach in January ahead of the European Championships.
Hašek was hired until November 2025 with an option to extend his contract to the 2026 World Cup if the team qualifies, according to a statement from the Czech Football Association.
Hašek, aged 60, replaced Jaroslav Šilhavý, who resigned on November 20 after the final game in Euro 2024 qualifying - a 3-0 victory over Moldova.
The result secured an eighth straight qualification to the Euros for the Czechs, but the criticism of a ragged qualifying campaign to that point became too much for the incumbent boss.
It meant a homecoming for Hašek, as he returned to the head coach role after leading the team for five games in 2009-10.
Hašek was a midfielder who played 54 times for Czechoslovakia, and once for the Czech Republic, from 1984-94 and was a surprise replacement for Silhavy.
Since his interim spell as Czechia boss in 2009, he has spent 15 years coaching in France, Japan, and the Middle East, managing the Lebanon national side with limited success.
Hašek is also a qualified lawyer and former FA president, so his man-management skills may help the squad to achieve another successful campaign.
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How they qualified for Euro 2024
Czechia qualified as Group E runners-up on 16 November 2023, a day when they secured their eighth successive appearance in the European Championship finals since their first in 1996.
The Group E runners-up won four games in their qualifying campaign, drawing just three and losing just one to eventual group winners Albania.
Czechia finished equal on 15 points with Albania but missed the top spot based on head-to-head rules. Albania had beat Czechia 3-0 at home and drew in Prague at the Eden Stadium.
Three out of four of Czechia’s qualifier wins were won by scoring at least three goals against Moldova, Faroe Islands, and Poland in March 2023.
The man who guided Czechia to European Championship qualification with a final win of 3-0 at home to Moldova resigned from his international post.
Jaroslav Šilhavý took over as coach in 2018 but was under fire for the team’s poor performance in qualifying and was soon replaced by former manager Hašek.
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Czechia's Golden Boot Contender: Patrik Schick
Patrik Schick has had restricted minutes for Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen this season, having started the campaign out injured.
However, Schick was one reason Leverkusen remained unbeaten for almost the entirety of their season, scoring a late equaliser in the First Leg of their Europa League Last-16 tie against Qarabag before another late equaliser and winner in the return fixture.
He scored 13 times this season for Leverkusen and did not make a single appearance for his country in the qualifiers due to injury, but he scored five goals in five games in Euro 2020.
The skill and magic he showed in scoring from the halfway line against Scotland in 2021 may be needed if Czechia are to advance further into the tournament.
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How Czechia will line up this summer
Having reached the Quarter-Finals at Euro 2020, Czechia exceeded expectations with a dependable side.
There has been a lot of change recently, with new manager Hašek opting to update his side with a young and hungrier bunch of players for their Euro 2024 campaign.
Captain Tomas Soucek is the most experienced member of the team, approaching 70 caps.
The West Ham star is the only player to have more than 50 caps in the current national team, signifying the shift in values Hašek has implemented.
In the recent international break, we saw three inexperienced goalkeepers selected, of which Jindrich Stanek has the most caps and is the oldest, so they might be the first choice.
Tomas Holes and David Zima are the most certain centre-back starters, and Ladislav Krejci has the potential to join them.
The midfield two has been disrupted at the last minute, having been expected to be a partnership between the experienced Soucek and Michal Sadilek; a duo capable of holding and offering that creative spark.
Sadilek's comical yet disastrous injury sustained while falling off a bicycle has seen his leg lacerated and his tournament ended, leaving a gap in the heart of midfield.
Vladimir Coufal is expected to start at wingback despite missing the previous break. If left out, David Doudera is a capable option, with David Jurasek on the left.
Finally, in attack, should Czechia opt for a narrow front three, Patrik Schick will lead the line alongside Adam Hlozek and Antonin Barak behind.
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Predicted Line-up:
(3-4-3): Jindřich Staněk (Slavia Prague); David Zima (Slavia Prague), Tomáš Holeš (Slavia Prague), Ladislav Krejčí (Sparta Prague); Vladimir Coufal (West Ham), Tomáš Souček (West Ham), Ondřej Lingr (Slavia Prague), David Jurásek (Benfica); Adam Hlozek (Bayer Leverkusen), Patrik Schick (Bayer Leverkusen), Antonin Barak (Fiorentina).
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Czechia's route to the Euro 2024 Final
Czechia's Group F fixtures are as follows:
Portugal vs Czechia (18 June 2024, 8pm, Red Bull Arena)
Georgia vs Czechia (22 June 2024, 2pm, Volksparkstadion)
Czechia vs Turkey (26th June 2024, 8pm (Volksparkdstadion)
Czechia’s best chances of qualification will probably be as one of the best third-place teams, with tough opposition in their opener against 2016 champions Portugal and dark horses Turkey in Group F.
If they were to get through a third-placed side, Czechia would face the winner of Group B or C, throwing in the likes of Spain and England.
Then, depending on the route, Czechia could have a path of Germany, Portugal and finally France, or a path of Italy, Belgium and then Germany.
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How far can Czechia go in Euro 2024?
Czechia are no stranger to the Euros, making their 11th appearance at the tournament when counting Czechoslovakia's entries, and their eighth in a row.
Since Czechia’s first appearance in the finals in 1996, they have alternated between reaching the knockout phase and elimination in the Group Stage of the Euros.
Having reached the Quarter-Finals at Euro 2020, they will want to break their inconsistent streak by overcoming a tough Group F.
They will need Patrik Schick to maintain his five-goal scoring streak in Euro 2020 to help his teammates and manager Ivan Hašek achieve at least another knockout-stage appearance.
According to Opta, Hašek’s side has a 60.7% chance of reaching the knockout stages, and on the balance of their squad, their minimum aim should be to reach the Round of 16 as one of the best third-place teams.
