Rosicky receives Czech acclaim
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Article summary
Tomáš Rosicky described how he has become a "different man" to when he first won the Czech player of the year award after making it a hat-trick of titles.
Article body
Tomáš Rosický has been voted the Czech Republic's player of the year for the third time on the eve of their friendly international against Belgium.
Prestigious prize
The 26-year-old playmaker, who has quickly established himself at Arsenal FC after leaving BV Borussia Dortmund last summer, previously won the prestigious prize in 2001 and 2002. At the Prague ceremony, coaches and captains of the country's top-flight clubs all voted for the award, along with internationals capped at least 25 times, previous winners, journalists and Football Association of Czech Republic officials.
'Different man'
Rosický said: "It was good year, although we failed at the [FIFA] World Cup, the positives prevailed. I did not play badly at Dortmund but I needed the transfer to get better. I settled quickly in the Arsenal lineup and that is a mental boost for every player. I am a completely different man to when I first won this award in 2001. I have grown up, although I probably still look like a child because of my baby face."
Čech respect
Now captain of the national team, Rosický finished just ahead of last year's winner Petr Čech and veteran Juventus midfielder Pavel Nedvěd, who has taken the crown on four occasions. For Rosický though, it was clear who should have been given the trophy. "[Čech] deserved to win for all he has had to overcome," he said. The goalkeeper will make his international return in Brussels wearing the special helmet he has used since returning from a fractured skull for Chelsea FC last month.
Brückner beaten
In the Czech coach poll, national-team supremo Karel Brückner saw his five-year reign end at the hands of Vítězslav Lavička, who led FC Slovan Liberec to the Czech title. Daniel Kolář of AC Sparta Praha was voted the young player of the year. At the awards, the Hall of Fame of Czech football was opened with the 1962 European Footballer of the Year winner Josef Masopust the first to be honoured. It is a fair assumption that Rosický will join him at some point in the future.