The Generals in Germany
Karel Bruckner, Czech Republic
Bruckner, 66, is an avid chess player; that should explain his fondness for smart moves. In his home country, he also has a nickname, 'Kleki Petra', after a fictional American Indian leader.
He stresses on team unity, and he has no problems enforcing it, given that many of the present players were part of the under-21 team he took charge of in 1998.
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In 2002, when the Czech team under Jozef Chovanec failed to qualify for the World Cup, the under-21 team under Bruckner was dazzling the UEFA European U-21 Championship. The country's soccer bosses took notice and entrusted the responsibility of coaching the senior side to Bruckner.
Since then, the Czechs have bounced back to football superstardom. But, as their defeat at the hands of African newbie Ghana shows, Bruckner might have to rethink a few gambits yet.
Image: Bruckner exhaults as the Czechs drub the United States. Photograph: Karim Jaafar/AFP/Getty Images
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