CZeCH repuBliC

How tHey qualified: 1st in Group A; P10 W7 D1 L2 22pts. Netherlands (h) 2-1; Turkey (a) 1-2; Kazakhstan (a) 2-4; Iceland (h) 2-1; Latvia (h) 1-1; Iceland (a) 2-1; Kazakhstan (h) 2-1; Latvia (a) 1-2; Turkey (h) 0-2; Netherlands (a) 2-3.

CoaCH: Pavel Vrba

ALTHOUGH a relatively-unknown figure beyond the Czech Republic, Vrba is a legend in his homeland. The 52-year-old took charge of the Czech national team in late 2013 after being named Coach of the Year for the fifth consecutive season.

After stepping up to international level, Vrba has stuck to the attacking approach that served him so well at club level, whilst also turning what looks like an ordinary squad on paper into something far greater than the sum of its parts.

Star player: Tomas Rosicky

AFTER leaving Arsenal last month, Rosicky won’t just be playing for his country in France – he’ll be playing for his future.

The 35-year-old was expected to miss out on a place in the Czech squad after a nightmare, year-long battle with injury. Instead, he snuck in after proving his fitness in training.

analySiS:

UNDERDOG status is something the Czechs are used to. It’s also something they seem to relish.

Petr Cech, Tomas Rosicky and Hertha Berlin star Vladimir Darida are the only big names in a squad made up largely of players from the Czech league and a selection of Europe’s less glamourous clubs. However, with shrewd boss Vrba pulling the strings, neither are they mugs.

Vrba’s side proved their credentials with a group-topping qualification, which included home-and-away wins over the Netherlands and an impressive away win in Turkey.

“Maybe we don’t have famous names, but because of this we work harder to get the best result,” is Vrba’s assessment of his side, which rarely lines-up in any formation other than an adaptable 4-2-3-1.

It remains to be seen whether application alone will be enough to better Spain, Croatia and Turkey – none of whom are averse to hard work themselves.