Czechs pay tribute to missing Mareček

Having earned a point in Monday's opening Group B fixture against England, Czech Republic keeper Zdeněk Zlámal has dedicated the goalless draw to the side's assistant coach Vlastislav Mareček.

Impressive credentials
The 41-year-old Mareček was a key figure during the qualifying campaign but has been forced to miss the UEFA European Under-21 Championship as he battles leukaemia. Twice named Czech Republic Coach of the Year for his work at the FK Teplice helm, he will be missed by Ladislav Škorpil's young charges though he is not far from their thoughts. "We dedicate the point to our former assistant Vlastislav Mareček," said Zlámal. "We keep our fingers crossed for him."

'The gods helped us'
The custodian was in fine form at the Gelredome, keeping out an attack-minded England team to help the Czechs claim a share of the spoils. They were forced to sweat towards the end, however, as Roman Hubník blemished an otherwise excellent performance when he handled in the penalty area. Leroy Lita stepped up, but screwed his effort just wide and the Czech Republic captain believes anything else would have been an injustice. "The penalty was correct as the ball hit my hand, but the gods helped us," said Hubník. "It would have been wrong to lose as we were the better side."

'Well-balanced game'
It is a view endorsed by Daniel Pudil, the only member of the squad with senior international experience, who came closer than anyone to that elusive goal when his scorching free-kick was tipped on to the crossbar nine minutes after half-time. "The fans did not expect much of us after our poor preparations but we have now proved that we can play a well-balanced game against any opponent," said the FC Slovan Liberec midfielder. "We had the best chances." Convert them against Serbia on Thursday and the Czechs will really give Mareček some cheer.