The Czech Football Association (FA) has dismissed head coach Ivan Hašek following a stunning 2-1 defeat to the Faroe Islands in a World Cup qualifying match. The loss, which occurred on Sunday, leaves the Czech Republic's chances of securing a spot in the 2026 World Cup uncertain.
The defeat against the Faroe Islands, a nation with a population of just 55,000, is considered one of the Czech Republic's most significant upsets in a major tournament qualifier in recent memory. The last time the Czechs suffered a similar setback was 20 years ago when they lost to Luxembourg in the European Championship qualifiers.
Czech FA president David Trunda announced that an interim coach would be appointed to lead the team for the remainder of the qualifying campaign. According to Trunda, the FA is likely to consider a foreign coach to take over the position on a permanent basis. Former Czech football legend Pavel Nedvěd has been tasked with compiling a list of potential candidates for the job.
Despite the shocking loss, the Czech Republic can still qualify for the 2026 World Cup. To advance to the playoffs, they must win their final match against Gibraltar on November 17.
Under Hašek's leadership, the Czech team was eliminated in the group stage of the 2024 European Championship. However, they also secured a group win in the Nations League, which resulted in their promotion to League A.
The defeat to the Faroe Islands marked the first time the Czech Republic has lost to the Faroese after ten consecutive victories in previous encounters. Before the upset, the Czechs drew 0-0 against group leaders Croatia.
Ivan Hašek, born on September 6, 1963, was a midfielder who played for Sparta Prague for 11 years, appearing in over 300 official matches and later becoming the club's coach. He represented Czechoslovakia at the 1990 World Cup and also served as president of the Football Association of the Czech Republic. Before returning to manage the Czech Republic national team in 2024, Hašek coached clubs in the Middle East from 2012 to 2019 and Lebanon in 2021. He also resigned as coach of the Czech Republic national team on October 14, 2009 and FA president on June 26, 2011 to return Dubai-based club Al-Ahli.
