Sparta failure costs Straka
Thursday, December 16, 2004
Article summary
AC Sparta Praha have parted company with coach František Straka and replaced him with Jaroslav Hrebík.
Article body
Single point
Straka has paid the price for Sparta's UEFA Champions League failure, as his team have a nine-point lead in the Czech top flight entering the winter break. In the Champions League, they took just one point from six Group D games, with the 5-0 Matchday 6 defeat by Olympique Lyonnaise being the final nail in the coffin.
Nine-month spell
Straka, a former Czech international and Sparta defender, took over from Jirí Kotrba in March and led Sparta to second place behind FC Baník Ostrava in the First Division. Sparta lost only one league game under his guidance, but their early exit from the Czech Cup at second division MUS Most raised concerns and their Champions League campaign ended in elimination from all European competition.
Return from Russia
Former SK Slavia Praha coach Hrebík, 56, returns to the Letná stadium after a two-and-half year absence. He took Sparta into the Champions League second group stage in 2001/2002, but he was fired after only eleven months in the job in April 2002. His last appointment was with FC Dinamo Moskva, but he was sacked in July and has since worked as television pundit.
Eighth change
Sparta are the eighth top-flight club to change coach in the Czech Republic this season, but the first from the top six. Hrebík becomes Sparta's fifth coach in three years.
