Euro 2020 Qualifying: Czech Republic

Last updated : 07 January 2019 By Three Lions

 

The changes made to the international calendar arising from the new Nations League competition means that 2019 runs to a tight schedule for Gareth Southgate and his England team as they aim to lift silverware in Portugal in the summer and also qualify for Euro 2020.

All of the matches in England’s Euro 2020 qualifying group will take place between March and November 2019 with double-headers for the Three Lions in each of the international windows except for when they take part in the Nations League Finals (qualification for which means they are in a five rather than six-team Euro 2020 group).

England’s first opponents in qualifying are the Czech Republic.

European Championship winners in 1976 (as Czechoslovakia), when Antonin Panenka gave his name to a penalty chipped down the middle of the goal, the Czech Republic reached the final of Euro 96 after more tournament memories were made by Karel Poborsky’s lob over the stranded Portugal goalkeeper.

The Euros has been a competition the Czech’s have qualified regularly for, reaching the semi-finals in 2004 and the quarters in 2012.

In the Nations League recently they defeated neighbours Slovakia twice but missed out on promotion to Group A as they lost twice against Ukraine. Their last three Nations League matches were overseen by new coach Jaroslav Silhavy who took over from Karel Jarolim, sacked after the first Ukraine defeat was followed by a heavy loss in a friendly against Russia.

It is over 10 years since the last meeting of the two sides which took place at Wembley in August 2008 and saw Joe Cole rescue a 2-2 friendly draw for the hosts with a late goal.

The Czech’s come to Wembley on Friday 22nd March with the return fixture scheduled for Friday 11th October.