Slavia Prague
Full nameSportovní klub Slavia Praha – fotbal a.s.
Nickname(s)Červenobílí
(The Red and Whites)
Sešívaní
(The Stitched)[nb 1]
Slávisté
(The Slavists)
Founded1892 (1892) as ACOS (Akademický cyklistický odbor Slavia)
GroundFortuna Arena
Capacity20,800[1]
OwnerPavel Tykač
PresidentJaroslav Tvrdík
Head coachJindřich Trpišovský
LeagueCzech First League
2022–232nd of 16
WebsiteClub website

Sportovní klub Slavia Praha – fotbal (Sports Club Slavia Prague – Football, pronounced [ˈslaːvɪja ˈpraɦa]), commonly known as Slavia Praha or Slavia Prague, is a Czech professional football club in Prague. Founded in 1892, they are the second most successful club in the Czech Republic since its independence in 1993.[2]

They play in the Czech First League, the top division in the Czech Republic. They play the Prague derby with Sparta Prague, the most prominent rivalry in Czech football. Slavia has won 21 league titles, 11 Czech cups, and the Mitropa Cup in 1938. The club has won seven league titles since the foundation of the Czech league in 1993. They have also reached the semi-finals of the 1995–96 UEFA Cup and qualified for the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League group stage for the first time in their history. In 2019, Slavia reached the quarter-finals of the 2018–19 UEFA Europa League and also qualified for the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League group stage for the second time in their history. They once again reached the Europa League quarter-finals in 2020–21. In the title-winning 2020–21 Czech First League season the team completed an entire season undefeated and set a Czech record for the longest top-flight unbeaten league run at 54 games between 2020 and 2021.[3]

In addition to their men's squad, Slavia Prague has reserve, youth, and women's teams.

History

Slavia was founded on 2 November 1892 by medicine students in Vinohrady, Prague, as a sport club aimed at increasing sport activity among students. Initially the club focused on cycling, and expanded to football in 1896.[4] On 25 March of that year, Slavia won their first match against AC Prague 5–0. The captain of this team was Karel Freja.[4] Four days later, Slavia played against Sparta Prague, with the match finishing 0–0, this match being the start of the rivalry between these two clubs.[5][6] In 1905, Scottish manager and former Celtic player Johnny Madden brought new tactics and views on football from his home country to the club.

SK Slavia Prague team in 1901

He managed to set up an early golden age for the club that lasted 25 years. Under Madden Slavia won 134 domestic matches out of a total of 169, and 304 internationals out of 429 between the years 1905 and 1930. In 1930, Madden retired from Slavia and professional football at the age of 66, though he remained in Prague for the rest of his life.

In the 1934 World Cup, the Czechoslovak national team included eight Slavia players. The second golden period came when Slavia bought Josef Bican from Admira Vienna. Slavia with Bican won titles in 1940, 1941, 1942 and 1943, while many football players were at war. In 1951 Slavia finished in 11th position in the league. Poor results continued during the 1950s and 1960s when Slavia were relegated twice, in 1961 and 1963. They next played in the top level of football in 1965.

In 1996, Slavia won their 14th title after 49 years.[7] During this season, Slavia played in the semi-final of the UEFA Cup and four players of this team had big importance for the silver medal-winning Czech team from UEFA Euro 1996.[8][9]

Slavia participated in the qualifying rounds for the UEFA Champions League five times (1996, 2000, 2001, 2004 and 2005), being eliminated each time until finally qualifying for the group stage in the 2007–08 season following a 3–1 aggregate victory over Ajax in the third qualifying round. For the group stage, Slavia were drawn in Group H along with Arsenal, Steaua București and Sevilla. They started with a 2–1 win at home against Steaua and a 4–2 loss to Sevilla. Next came two matches against Arsenal; Slavia lost 7–0 at the Emirates Stadium, but in the second leg they managed to draw 0–0. In Bucharest came a 1–1 draw, which qualified the Czech team for the UEFA Cup round of 32, from third place in Group H, in spite of a home 0–3 defeat against Sevilla.

In October 2006, the construction of the new and long-awaited stadium at Eden for 21,000 spectators began. The stadium was opened on 7 May 2008 with an exhibition match against Oxford University.[10]

In the 2007–08 and 2008–09, Slavia were back-to-back Czech champions, although they did not play in the Champions League group stage due to elimination in the qualifying rounds by Fiorentina (0–2 on aggregate in 2008–09) and Sheriff Tiraspol (1–1 on away goals rule in 2009–10). In the 2009–10 season the club managed only 7th place in the league.

In the autumn of 2010, the club found itself in crisis due to its economic problems. It was discovered that Slavia owed 112 million Czech koruna to the club's former owner, ENIC Sports Ltd (English National Investment Company).[11] As a result of this, major cost-cutting was needed to service this debt and it was confirmed that the squad would need to be purged.[11] In addition to the players sold, midfielder Petr Trapp left the club mid-season, claiming that Slavia had not paid his wages for three months.[12]

On 5 May 2011, the first leg of the cup semi-final against Olomouc was suspended after the first half at a score of 1–1 due to Slavia fans invaded the pitch in protest against the deteriorating financial situation of the club.[13][14] As a result of this action, Sigma were awarded a 3–0 win.[15]

In September 2015, CEFC China Energy Company bought the team. Since November 2018, the club owners have been the Sinobo Group and CITIC Group.

Historical names

  • 1892 – SK ACOS Praha (Sportovní klub Akademický cyklistický odbor Slavia Praha)
  • 1893 – SK Slavia Praha (Sportovní klub Slavia Praha)
  • 1948 – Sokol Slavia Praha
  • 1949 – ZSJ Dynamo Slavia Praha (Základní sportovní jednota Dynamo Slavia Praha)
  • 1953 – DSO Dynamo Praha (Dobrovolná sportovní organizace Dynamo Praha)
  • 1954 – TJ Dynamo Praha (Tělovýchovná jednota Dynamo Praha)
  • 1965 – SK Slavia Praha (Sportovní klub Slavia Praha)
  • 1973 – TJ Slavia Praha (Tělovýchovná jednota Slavia Praha)
  • 1977 – TJ Slavia IPS Praha (Tělovýchovná jednota Slavia Inženýrské průmyslové stavby Praha)
  • 1978 – SK Slavia IPS Praha (Sportovní klub Slavia Inženýrské průmyslové stavby Praha)
  • 1991 – SK Slavia Praha (Sportovní klub Slavia Praha – fotbal, a.s.)

Club symbols

Flag of SK Slavia Prague.

The club's colours, red and white, were chosen as standing for the heart and blood, and fair play and sportsmanship respectively. The inverted five-pointed star was intended to symbolise "new hope, forever strengthening the mind and uplifting the spirit."[4] The name "Slavia" is a Latin term used in older literature to denote the lands inhabited by Slavs.[16]

Supporters and rivalries

Slavia's greatest rivals are Sparta Prague, with whom they contest the Prague derby. A local Vršovice derby is also contested between Slavia and Bohemians 1905, whose stadium is situated a kilometre from Eden.[17]

Slavia is widely misconceived as being a Jewish club among other fans, particularly Sparta fans, and its fans and players are often subjected to anti-semitic abuse. However, the club was not founded by Jews nor did it have any Jewish history. Football historian Vladimír Zapotocký commented in an interview that were this the case, the Nazis would have shut the club down during the wartime occupation, as they did with DFC Prag. The association stems from a friendly match played against West Ham United in 1922, when Slavia insured the match against adverse weather conditions, and the match was later cancelled due to rain. They then agreed with West Ham to play the fixture the next day, while also collecting money from the insurance company for cancelling the fixture. A week later in a Prague derby fixture, Slavia were greeted onto the pitch by chants of "vy židi!" ("you Jews!") from the Sparta fans.[18]

Since 2021, there is a fan coalition with Sportowe Zaglebie (Zagłębie Sosnowiec hooligans).[19]

Cooperations

In May 2018 a strategic cooperation with Chinese club Beijing Sinobo Guoan for both professional and youth level football started.[20]

Corporate Social Responsibility

The Slavia Foundation is a charitable organization established by the renowned Czech football club, to embrace its social responsibility and create a positive impact on society. Founded in the spirit of Slavia's historical values and moral principles, the foundation traces its origins back to the Jubilee Fund of the Literary and Oratory Association Slavia, established in 1892. Rooted in the club's DNA, the foundation strives to make a difference in the lives of individuals and communities across the whole of Czech Republic.

In January 2023, Slavia Prague introduced the umbrella project 'Beyond the Pitch,' signaling the club's commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR). This initiative rapidly transformed into a comprehensive CSR strategy. The club's 'Ten Commandments' became the guiding principles, emphasizing specific goals and achievements.

To amplify its impact, the Slavia Foundation collaborates with Odbor přátel, the largest fan organization in the Czech Republic. With 156 branches and over 5,000 red-and-white volunteers, this partnership ensures that charitable efforts reach Slavia's fans nationwide. The foundation also seeks collaboration with other football clubs so the impact will increase over a wider range.

The Slavia Foundation stands as a testament to Slavia Prague's dedication to social responsibility. By combining historical values with contemporary initiatives, the foundation strives to create a lasting legacy of positive change. Through healthcare support, education, environmental conservation, and rapid disaster response, Slavia Foundation's impact reverberates far beyond the football pitch, shaping a brighter and more compassionate future for all.

Players

Current squad

As of 11 January 2024[21]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Czech Republic CZE Ondřej Kolář
2 DF The Gambia GAM Sheriff Sinyan
3 MF Czech Republic CZE Tomáš Holeš
5 DF Nigeria NGA Igoh Ogbu
6 MF Norway NOR Conrad Wallem
8 MF Czech Republic CZE Lukáš Masopust
9 FW Nigeria NGA Muhamed Tijani
10 MF Norway NOR Christos Zafeiris
11 FW Czech Republic CZE Stanislav Tecl
12 DF Senegal SEN El Hadji Malick Diouf
13 FW Czech Republic CZE Mojmír Chytil
14 FW Netherlands NED Mick van Buren
15 FW Czech Republic CZE Václav Jurečka
17 MF Czech Republic CZE Lukáš Provod
18 DF Czech Republic CZE Jan Bořil
No. Pos. Nation Player
19 MF Liberia LBR Oscar Dorley
20 MF Czech Republic CZE David Pech
21 MF Czech Republic CZE David Douděra
22 DF Romania ROU Andres Dumitrescu
23 MF Czech Republic CZE Petr Ševčík
25 MF Slovakia SVK Jakub Hromada
26 FW Slovakia SVK Ivan Schranz
27 DF Czech Republic CZE Tomáš Vlček
28 GK Czech Republic CZE Aleš Mandous
29 DF Slovakia SVK Michal Tomič
30 DF Ukraine UKR Taras Kacharaba
31 GK Czech Republic CZE Jan Sirotník
33 DF Czech Republic CZE Ondřej Zmrzlý
35 MF Czech Republic CZE Matěj Jurásek
36 GK Czech Republic CZE Jindřich Staněk

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— DF Syria SYR Aiham Ousou (at Häcken)
— DF Ukraine UKR Maksym Talovyerov (at LASK)
— MF Czech Republic CZE Ondřej Lingr (at Feyenoord)
— MF Brazil BRA Ewerton (at Baník Ostrava)
— DF Czech Republic CZE Filip Prebsl (at Slovan Liberec)
— FW Czech Republic CZE Filip Horský (at Slovan Liberec)
— GK Czech Republic CZE Antonín Kinský (at Pardubice)
— DF Czech Republic CZE Denis Halinský (at Pardubice)
— MF Czech Republic CZE Marek Icha (at Pardubice)
— MF Czech Republic CZE Petr Hronek (at Teplice)
— DF Czech Republic CZE Albert Labík (at Teplice)
— FW Czech Republic CZE Daniel Fila (at Teplice)
No. Pos. Nation Player
— FW The Gambia GAM Ebrima Singhateh (at Sigma Olomouc)
— MF Czech Republic CZE Michal Beran (at Bohemians 1905)
— GK Czech Republic CZE Jan Stejskal (at Vyškov)
— GK Czech Republic CZE Matyáš Vágner (at Vlašim)
— MF Czech Republic CZE David Planka (at Vlašim)
— MF Czech Republic CZE Martin Šubert (at Vlašim)
— MF Czech Republic CZE Štěpán Beran (at Vlašim)
— FW Czech Republic CZE Jonáš Kneifel (at Vlašim)
— FW Czech Republic CZE Erik Biegon (at Vlašim)
— FW Czech Republic CZE Daniel Šmiga (at Vlašim)
— FW Nigeria NGA Victor Osuagwu (at Vlašim)

Reserve squad

All time best Slavia's eleven selected by fans at the 125th club anniversary[22]

Notable former players

The best known Slavia player of all time is perhaps forward Josef "Pepi" Bican, one of the most prolific goalscorers in the history of football. Other famous players include forward Antonín Puč, goalkeeper František Plánička (both of them members of the Czechoslovakia national team in two World Cups) and midfielder František Veselý. Other big names in club history are Karel Jarolím, Ivo Knoflíček, Vladimír Šmicer, Karel Poborský, Patrik Berger, Vladimír Coufal and Tomáš Souček.[4][23]

Player records in the Czech First League

As of 18 December 2023.[24]

Most clean sheets

#NameClean sheets
1Czech Republic Radek Černý86
2Czech Republic Ondřej Kolář80
3Czech Republic Jan Stejskal42
4Czech Republic Martin Vaniak39

Ownership and finances

Under the Czech jurisdiction the club's legal form is a joint-stock company (updated 1 August 2020) with the largest shareholder being the Chinese real estate Sinobo Group,[25] which has on 11 November 2018 purchased a majority stake from CITIC, at the time holding 99.98% of the 212,074 stocks worth of CZK 1.514 billion (Annual report from 30 June 2018). CITIC remains to be a minority shareholder and the companies did not reveal the distribution of the shares.

According to their chairman Jinhui Zhou, the Sinobo business model is a combination of real estate development and sports activities.[26] In a similar business model, Sinobo owns 64% of the shares in the Chinese club Beijing Guoan where the 36% minority belongs to CITIC. Sinobo also holds the naming rights of the arena, the Sinobo Stadium.

The Chinese investment activity in Slavia has firstly started in September 2005, when a private conglomerate CEFC acquired 59.97% shares of the club through its Czech subsidiary CEFC Group (Europe) Company a.s. from Aleš Řebíček for CZK 27 million. Through the course of the years, the share has increased to 67% and 80%, and on 22 November 2016 CEFC has capitalized its loan into the equity and increased their shares to 99.96% which made them the sole owner. In early 2018, it turned out that CEFC had serious financial problems and CITIC bought the club and arena. In late 2018, CITIC transferred Slavia's majority stake to the Chinese company Sinobo Group.

Slavia's financial results for the 2017–18 season show group revenue of CZK 837.4 million, with a profit before tax of CZK <366.7> million.

Financial data in CZK millions[27]
Year 2020-21 2019-20 2018-19 2017–18 2016–17 2015–16 2014–15
Revenue 942.133 837.390 430.070 204.806 137.909
Net Income 156.0 [28] <219.208> <366.376> <263.442> <117.099> <61.503>
Assets 1,024.278 605.796 610.835 386.571 211.416
Employees 114 108 125 115 118

Management

The club's current manager is Jindřich Trpišovský, who joined the club in December 2017 from Slovan Liberec. He replaced Jaroslav Šilhavý, who was appointed in September 2016 and moved on to manage the Czech national team. There have been 65 managers in Slavia's history. The club's first professional coach, Johnny Madden, was appointed in 1905, serving in that position until 1930. He remains the club's longest-serving coach in terms of both length of tenure and number of games overseen.

Managerial record of Jindřich Trpišovský in Slavia
From To Record[29]
G W D L GF GA GD Win %
22 Dec 2017
As of match played 15 July 2020
 84 60 15 9 171 50 +121 071.43

Former coaches

Only competitive matches are counted.

Honours

Type Competition Titles Seasons
Domestic League Czech First League 7 1995–96, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2016–17, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21
Czechoslovak First League 13 1925, 1928–29, 1929–30, 1930–31, 1932–33, 1933–34, 1934–35, 1936–37, 1939–40, 1940–41, 1941–42, 1942–43, 1946–47
Bohemian Football Union Championship 1 1913
League titles not counted by Czech FA[30] Czech Championship 10 spring of 1897, fall of 1897, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1901, 1915, 1918, 1924, 1948
Domestic Cup Czech Cup 7 1996–97, 1998–99, 2001–02, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2022–23
Czechoslovak Cup 2 1940–41, 1941–42
Domestic cups not counted by Czech FA Charity Cup 4 1908, 1910, 1911, 1912[31]
Central Bohemian Cup 8 1922, 1925–26, 1927, 1927–28, 1929–30, 1931–32, 1934–35, 1940–41[31]
Liberty Cup 1 1945[31]
European Mitropa Cup 1 1938
Coupe des Nations Runners-up (1) 1930

In European football

Progress in UEFA competitions

Accurate as of 26 October 2023
CompetitionPldWDLGFGAGDW%
UEFA Champions League 46 13 12 21 34 63 −29 028.26
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 8 3 3 2 11 9 +2 037.50
UEFA Cup / UEFA Europa League 150 56 40 54 194 178 +16 037.33
UEFA Europa Conference League 25 12 6 7 52 32 +20 048.00
Total 229 84 61 84 291 282 +9 036.68

Club records

Czech First League records

Notes

  1. ↑ Sešívaní means "stitched together", referring to the home kit with a red half and white half which were traditionally sewn together.

References

  1. ↑ "Eden Arena". SK Slavia Prague. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  2. ↑ "Historická tabulka". Fortuna Liga. Archived from the original on 17 May 2021. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  3. ↑ "NEPORAŽENÍ 582 dnů. Série, na kterou se nezapomene". Slavia.cz. Archived from the original on 17 October 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Běrný, Aleš (2 November 2012). "Přesně před 120 lety založili studenti Slavii, klub funguje dodnes". iDnes. Archived from the original on 27 January 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  5. ↑ "Historie Zápasů – 1896". Slavia Prague. Archived from the original on 11 August 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  6. ↑ "O derby. Proč a jak dlouho se nemáme rádi". Sparta Prague. Archived from the original on 9 August 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  7. ↑ Jeřábek, Luboš (2007). Český a československý fotbal – lexikon osobností a klubů (in Czech). Prague, Czech Republic: Grada Publishing. p. 163. ISBN 978-80-247-1656-5.
  8. ↑ SK Slavia Praha – official site Archived 9 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ↑ SK Slavia Praha – official site Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ↑ "Czech champions Slavia too strong for Blues". Archived from the original on 6 December 2008. Retrieved 13 November 2008.
  11. 1 2 "Konec sporů: Natland se dohodl se zástupci ENICu a uhradil dluhy Slavie". ihned.cz. Archived from the original on 10 October 2011. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  12. ↑ "Fotbalista Trapp se po dvou letech vrací ze Slavie zpátky do Plzně". iDnes. 5 January 2011. Archived from the original on 29 May 2014. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  13. ↑ "Zápas ukončete, přikázal velitel policejního zásahu, říká delegát". Idnes.cz. 6 May 2011. Archived from the original on 9 May 2011. Retrieved 6 May 2011.
  14. ↑ "Slavia Prague match abandoned after fans storm pitch". uk.eurosport.yahoo.com. Eurosport. Retrieved 13 May 2011.
  15. ↑ "Ondrášovka Cup: Ředitel Lubas potvrdil očekávanou kontumaci" (in Czech). The Football Association of the Czech Republic. Archived from the original on 16 September 2011. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  16. ↑ Kollar, Jan. Sláwa bohyně a půwod gména Slawůw čili Slawjanůw.
  17. ↑ "A look ahead: Here comes SK Slavia Praha". Union Berlin FC. Archived from the original on 21 February 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  18. ↑ "ZAUJALO NÁS: Kde se vzal pokřik jude Slavie?". Supporters.cz. Archived from the original on 29 May 2014. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  19. ↑ "Bitka Slavia Praha + Zaglebie Sosnowiec vs Baník Ostrava + GKS Katowice + Spartak Trnava (pohled SKS)". 30 June 2021. Archived from the original on 28 April 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  20. ↑ "Slavia Prague seals cooperation with oldest Chinese football club". 19 April 2018.
  21. ↑ "Soupiska A-tým". slavia.cz. SK Slavia Prague.
  22. ↑ "Historické jedenáctky". slavia.cz. SK Slavia Prague. Archived from the original on 15 July 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  23. ↑ "Fourteen years red and white". slavia.cz. SK Slavia Prague. Archived from the original on 17 July 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  24. ↑ "Detailed stats". Fortuna liga.
  25. ↑ "Slavia má oficiálně nového majoritního vlastníka. Čínskou společnost Sinobo". www.isport.blesk.cz. Archived from the original on 5 April 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  26. ↑ "Luxury apartment builder Sinobo to focus on mix-use projects". www.chinadaily.com.cn. Archived from the original on 27 July 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  27. ↑ "Veřejný rejstřík a Sbírka listin - Ministerstvo spravedlnosti České republiky". Archived from the original on 31 August 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  28. ↑ "Zábava za všechny prachy. Majitelé "S" musejí kluby dotovat, platy vzrostly". www.isport.blesk.cz. Archived from the original on 15 May 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  29. ↑ "Jindřich Trpišovský | CSFOTBAL". www.csfotbal.cz. Archived from the original on 16 July 2020. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  30. ↑ "eFotbal.cz » Česká liga : Slavii nebylo přiznáno deset historických titulů, Spartě čtyři. Vzniká iniciativa, která chce, aby t". eFotbal.cz. Archived from the original on 14 July 2020. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  31. 1 2 3 Czech Republic - List of Cup Finals Archived 17 July 2022 at the Wayback Machine RSSSF
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