Sparta reign supreme

By Ladislav Josef

AC Sparta Praha have won the Czech First Division title with five rounds remaining, following their 2-0 win at SK Sigma Olomouc on Saturday and FK Teplice's 2-0 defeat at SK Slavia Praha on Monday.

Capital domination
As well as an unassailable 18-point lead in the table, those results gave Sparta their 33rd league crown overall and their ninth since the break-up of Czechoslovakia in 1993. Only Slavia in 1996, FC Slovan Liberec six years later and FC Baník Ostrava last season have interrupted their supremacy.

New coach
Sparta, with only two league defeats to date, withstood a change of coach after the autumn campaign when the popular František Straka was surprisingly replaced by Jaroslav Hrebík, despite the team holding a nine-point advantage. The 56-year-old Hrebík completed the task successfully, but has been forced to endure the fans' displeasure at Straka's removal.

Goals galore
Sparta are the league's top scorers with 49 goals from 25 games, although the individual leader, Sparta's Tomáš Jun, has suffered a spring drought, scoring only twice and missing a penalty on Saturday. Fortunately, Lukáš Zelenka has contributed five goals from midfield including Saturday's opener.

In the balance
The battle for second spot and a place in next season's UEFA Champions League third qualifying round remains tight. Slavia's 2-0 win over Teplice leaves them three points behind with a game in hand, and a win at 1. FC Brno on Wednesday would lift them into second position on goal difference.

Old face
Slavia have also changed coach, Karel Jarolím succeeding Josef Csaplár only days before the 1-1 home draw with Sparta on 16 April. Jarolím, 48, was sacked by 1. FC Slovácko in January, and returns for his second coaching stint at the club he played for. Previously, in 2000/01, he led Slavia to the runners-up berth and he will hope to repeat the feat.

Teenage tyros
Outgoing champions Baník remain in contention for UEFA Cup qualification, their form improving markedly under new coach Jozef Jarabinský. Teenagers Lukáš Magera and Petr Tomašák have each scored three goals since their promotion to the first team, making up for leading scorer Miroslav Matušovic's winter sale to Sparta.

Fighting chance
At the other end of the table, newly installed František Cipro - a title-winning coach with Slavia in 1996 - has boosted SK Dynamo Ceské Budéjovice's hopes of avoiding relegation, with three wins out of five since his arrival.