Before oncoming season in the second league, it should be good to remember shortly the last season. It is not an official statement of a club FC-Bohemians Prague, it is just a personal view.
How important is the entrance into the competition, showed Bohemians, the fourth team in the first league in the season 2001/02. Bohemians lost after insipid performances the first three home matches. The defeats especially from weak teams like České Budejovice or Brno were painful. And when we added the beating in Strahov (against Slavia in the second round), no wonder those Bohemians were the last, in crisis. A little bitter if we had remembered the words of the Pavel Svarc about attack the title…
After four defeats in row, coach Borovicka resigned and his place took his assistant Dusan Uhrin. Immediately in the first match under his coaching, Bohemians gained against Hradec Kralove their first league point. In the next round fans of Bohemians could celebrate the first win, Kangaroos beat Ostrava 2:1. In CMFS Cup Bohemians went down to Prachatice but it was not important in context of whole bad season. Bohemians then won also in a very important match in Blsany and fans had new hero – Dusan Uhrin. It seemed that crisis was over. The opposite was truth. Bohemians did not pulled off their next home match against Zlin, they only tied. They led, were better, but Zlin equalized the score just before the end. Because Bohemians lost in Jablonec, they needed to win in their next home match against Olomouc. Once again, Bohemians were absolutely better, they had a lot of goal’s opportunities but Vaniak, the goalkeeper of Olomouc, showed fantastical performance. Bohemians only tied and it was their last league point in the autumn season because Bohemians lost next three matches in row. Before winter break they were the last, only with 9 points. Especially the home match against Teplice was terrible, Bohemians turned the score from 0:1 to 2:1 but fatal faults in defensive decided about our defeat. Coach Uhrin fired our captain Petrous after this match. It set the fur flying of fans; they wanted leaving of Uhrin.
Coach Uhrin won a vote of confidence from the management of Bohemians. It was evidence that Bohemians needed to reinforce the team, among unknown players came also very experience players (Obajdin, Lesak, Zoubek, Kozel). League table showed that to fight for the saving the first league will be Bohemians, Hradec Kralove, Brno, Blsany, Jablonec, Ceské Budejovice and surprisingly also Olomouc.
The beginning of the spring was not bad, three draws in a row and the win over Zizkov made a real chance for the saving of the first league, Kangaroos began to believe in it. After awful performance in Liberec Bohemians beat in a very important match Hradec Kralove at stadium Dolicek and condemned Hradec to second league. In next round Bohemians lost in Ostrava and since that time all following matches of Kangaroos were crucial. Immediately the first match against Blsany did not work out as we wanted. Bohemians only tied, the referee Benes did not accept their regular goal, so he probably saved the first league in Blsany…
The matches in Zlin and at home against Jablonec (where Bohemians got altogether only one point) were just cramp. Only result of other teams still gave to Bohemians the chance to save the first league but more and more theoretically. But about relegation of Bohemians finally decided their fans in a derby against Sparta, one of the rowdies insulted the referee. Sparta won by default. And because in the next round goalkeeper of Stare Město unbelievably blundered in match against Blsany (remember his elementarily faults in Olomouc), Bohemians left the first league.
Bohemians were in spring better but catastrophic loss from the autumn was too much big. The relegation is probably logical result of inner problems in our beloved club. Amateurism in management and financial problems did not give big chance for saving the first league and also prospect is not very positive. According me, among the best players belonged Kisel (now is in Liberec, we wish him all good), Kozel (he is in Plzen, ask the president of Bohemians Pavel Svarc why…) and Janacek. Big disappointment was the performances of our goalkeepers.
Hard work is waiting for new coach tandem Hruska/Dobias, the return to the first league will be difficult. The problems with our stadium, sponsorship and amateurism in management must be resolved if Bohemians want to play dignified role in the first league.
Daniel Jirak.
.png)