Sparta sell to survive

By Sam Beckwith

Limited financial resources have not stopped AC Sparta Praha qualifying for the UEFA Champions League's group stage in five of the last six seasons. However, with defeats in their opening games against Fenerbahçe SK and Olympique Lyonnais, the Czechs are finding their limits again.

Key departures
The regular departure of key players to wealthier teams, in western Europe, Russia and Ukraine, has made it difficult to compete with the continent's best. "It's inevitable that players will be leaving Sparta because we can't compete financially with sides in western Europe or the former Soviet Union," said coach František Straka.

Consolidation first
"We haven't managed to fully replace some of the players who left recently, such as defender Tomáš Hübschman [now with FC Shakhtar Donetsk]," he added. "It's important to consolidate the squad and to make sure that the players around whom we'll build our new team won't leave in the near future."

Favourite sons
Talented young centre-half Hübschman was the latest in a long line of Sparta players to seek their fortunes abroad. A quick glance at the Czech Republic's preferred first XI reveals six graduates of the capital club - Petr Cech, Zdenek Grygera, René Bolf, Karel Poborský, Tomáš Rosický and Jan Koller.

Frequent changes
Of those, only 32-year-old Poborský is at Sparta today, having returned to the Czech league from Italy two years ago. "Players leaving is a part of life at any football club, but the departures are more frequent here," said Poborský. "They do not affect team spirit, as the new players sense their chance, but frequent changes can affect the strength of the side."

Limited resources
Sparta are the wealthiest and most successful club in the Czech Republic, but by Champions League standards they are minnows. Last season, for instance, the average attendance in their domestic league was just 7,707, while television and sponsorship revenues in a country of 10.5 million are inevitably limited.

Youth system
Mainly thanks to Champions League income, however, Sparta have been remarkably effective at filling the gaps in their squad, either developing their own talent through a formidable youth system or buying from their Czech rivals.

Lizarazu talks
Sparta have also begun to look west in their search for new players. Over the summer, veteran French defender Bixente Lizarazu was linked with a move to the Toyota Arena, before financial realities dawned. "It'll be very hard to sign players like Lizarazu in the short term," said Straka. "We were looking at some other players from the west this summer, from Germany and Portugal, but the talks always ended with money.

'Effective teamwork'
"We have to focus on effective teamwork because this is the quality that lifted Sparta among Europe's élite in previous Champions League campaigns," he added. "With good teamwork and tactics, it's easier to replace one player with another and we can then compete with sides containing better individual players."

Realistic hopes
With two defeats behind them, and two games against Manchester United FC ahead, Straka is realistic about his team's chances of progress in the competition. "Advancing to the group phase was an achievement in itself for this Sparta," he said.

Fighting spirit
However, United should not expect Sparta to obediently roll over and die. "Every Champions League match should be played with total commitment because it gives each player a unique chance to experience top-level European football," Straka continued. "Experience gained in the Champions League is priceless."