Sparta stop selling spree
Thursday, January 17, 2002
Article summary
AC Sparta Praha have announced they will not be selling any more players this season.
Article body
AC Sparta Praha coach Jaroslav Hrebík has announced that the Czech 1. liga champions will not be selling any more players until the end of the season.
Selling spree
Sparta sold defender Vladimír Labant to West Ham United FC and midfield player Martin Hasek to FK Austria Wien in January after selling Lubos Kozel and former Under-21 international Petr Papousek to Ferencvárosi TC and FC Baník Ostrava respectively. And now Czech Republic midfield players Libor Sionko and Jirí Jarosík have been linked with a host of top European clubs including FC Girondins de Bordeaux and Arsenal FC.
Hrebík's pledge
But Hrebík has pledged to keep the rest of the squad intact as they prepare to bid for domestic and UEFA Champions League glory. "We will not sell another player until the end of this season," he said. "I know that there is an interest about Jarosík but I think that he will stay. I was talking with president [Vlastimil] Kostál about what price he would demand for Jarosík if he left the club right now and I must tell you, it is really very high."
