<em>“It’s good to touch the green, green grass of home.” (Tom Jones)</em><br /> <br /> The long lost son is back. Marek Nikl, who grew up in Bohemians youth system and left at the age of 21 for the first Bundesliga team of 1.FC Nürnberg. It was quite an unusual transfer at the time as most players leaving the Czech football for greener pastures abroad were usually recruited from the largest first division clubs of Sparta or Slavia. Bohemians played at that time only in the second division. That speaks volumes about Marek’s talent.<br />
Marek spent over nine years with Nürnberg, staying in the club even when the club was relegated on three occasions to the second Bundesliga. His greatest achievement came last season when he was part of the team that won the German Cup.
With his football career approaching sunset years, he was asked to play for the Nürnberg reserve team this season, however, to be ready to fill in any vacancies on the first team. Bohemians saw an opportunity and decided to approach Marek and his German club to negotiate his transfer. After short negotiations, an announcement was made that Marek Nikl will, once again, become a Kangaroo.
There is hardly a better choice for reinforcement than Marek Nikl. He is strong defensively, excellent in the air. But what is more important, his heart is green-and-white. Both Marek and his wife are members of DFB (Bohemians Supporters’ Trust), the organization that revived the clinically dead club. Whenever he had time, Marek attended Bohemians games in Ďolíček. He made it known that if he ever returned to his homeland to play football he could not visualize playing for any other club but Bohemka. His approach to the game and his presence both on and off the field will give a lift to all other Bohemians players.
His former club, 1.FC Nürnberg, invited him for a farewell ceremony prior to the game with Leverkusen. 40000 fans cheered him on as he was thanked for all the good work he had done for their club. They even unfurled the transparent that, written in Czech said: “Nine years of loyalty is not a commonplace.”
Welcome back and good luck, Marek!
