Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan and FC Barcelona. For most of the leaders of small clubs the draw of the Champions League would have caused a deep sigh. Especially if you could qualify for the first time after twelve years for the premier class of European football. This was not the case for the bosses of Slavia Prague. When their club was tied to this group F, headed by Czech goalie legend Petr Cech, they had to laugh.
That feeling when you get Barcelona, Dortmund & Inter in the #UCLdraw! @Slaviaofficial pic.twitter.com/O8j1ABg0u5
- UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 29, 2019That the Czech traditional club in the Champions League, however, can be more than a points supplier for the heavyweights from Germany, Italy and Spain, was already on the first matchday: A much-noticed 1-1 draw drew the Czechs at Inter Milan and missed it just barely a surprise. Only in injury time did the Italians equalize. A warning for the Dortmunder, who are received in the evening from Slavia (18.55 clock, live ticker SPIEGEL, TV: Sky).
Crash of a traditional club
This sporting development of Slavia seemed unthinkable eight years ago. Because of unclear ownership and economic problems, the traditional club founded in 1896 was facing forced relegation to the amateur league. Despite regular participation in the group stage of the Europa League, successes in the national league and a modern football stadium in which Slavia since 2008 its home games.
Although the crash into the amateur football could be prevented, Slavia had from then on put back sporty. Instead, since 2010 Viktoria Pilsen has become a total of five won championships to the top team in Czech football. A club that only established itself with the rise in 2005 in the highest Czech league. Slavia even finished 2016 again a Europa League place in the league. CEFC China Energy joined the club the year before. In 2016, the Chinese conglomerate took over 99 percent of the shares.
With the involvement of the Chinese private enterprise also began an unprecedented, millionaire arms race in the Czech league: Both Slavia and local rivals Sparta tried to outbid each other by the commitment of seasoned professionals. Slavia's then best-known commitment from a German perspective was Halil Altintop, who moved from FC Augsburg to Prague on a free transfer. However, the hoped-for success did not materialize. Slavia could neither qualify for the group stage of the Champions League, nor defend the championship title.
imago images / Gribaudi / ImagePhoto
Four million man Nicolae Stanciu
After this experience, the transfer policy of the association changed. Slavia is still willing to spend four million euros on individual players, as this season for Romanian Nicolae Stanciu. However, instead of relying on old-timers, those responsible are now focusing primarily on young, viable players like 23-year-old Nigerian Peter Olayinka, who came from KAA Gent in Belgium last year. Or the 21-year-old Czech international Alex Kral, the club for € 900,000 from FK Teplice committed and half a year later for twelve million euros to Spartak Moscow has sold.
Also regarding his coaches Slavia sets himself apart from many newly rich clubs in East Central Europe. While these often oblige foreign coaches, Slavia trusts in Czech football teachers. From 2016 to 2017, Jaroslav ŠSilhavy was responsible for training the Czech national team since January 2018. His successor Jindrich Trpišsovsky, who earned his money just a few years ago in a gambling center, not only won the championship with Slavia last season, but also reached the quarter-finals of the Europa League, in which the club defeated eventual winner Chelsea had to.
Achievements yes, rest conditionally
The fact that there are problems despite the positive developments with an investor was shown by the events last year, when CEFC, which had invested heavily in the Czech tourism industry before investing in Slavia, got legal problems at home. Suddenly, not only investment in Czech companies, but also the future of Slavia as a top club were at risk. It was not until autumn 2018 that it was clear that the club would acquire two new Chinese owners, the Sinobo Group and the CITIC Group, which acquired CEFC. And also these state corporations, to whose realm the Chinese club Beijing Guoan belongs, have expressed a long-term interest, which calmed the minds at Slavia Prague.
Whether the successful model continues, will turn out, even if Borussia Dortmund and FC Barcelona have met the traditional Chinese club from Prague.