SPORTS

Euro: Czech coach believes his team can progress

June 13, 2016 23:14 IST

IMAGE: Jaroslav Plasil (C) of Czech Republic shows his dejection after his team's 0-1 defeat in the UEFA EURO 2016 Group D match against Spain on Monday. Photograph: Dennis Grombkowski/Getty Images

Despite their close loss to Spain in their opening Euro 2016 Group D match in Toulose on Monday, Czech coach Pavel Vrba set a target of four points from the remaining games against Croatia, on Friday, and then Turkey on June 21.

“That should be enough to qualify,” he said.

Although pleased at the way his side defended, he wanted the Czechs to do more in possession and was disappointed not to have achieved more.

“After the first 45 minutes I told my players we had to have more patience when we had the ball. We lost the ball a lot and couldn’t counter-attack without it," he said.

“But the quality of Spain is at another level to us. Spanish football is the best in Europe, we can see that in their clubs, in the Champions League and Europa League.”

Czech defender Roman Hubnik, who might have scored at both ends early in the second half, promised that his side would play more adventurously from now on.

“We had to defend a lot in a block but we’re going to play more offensively in the other games,” he said. 

- Euro 2016 Coverage 

Euro 2016 Schedule

Recommended by Rediff.com

NEXT ARTICLE

NewsBusinessMoviesSportsCricketGet AheadDiscussionLabsMyPageVideosCompany Email