Re: Who the f*ck are FC Viktoria Plzeň
Done.
Also, as mentioned in the mega-thread, heard some VERY good things about this team and that they play with similar tactics to Dortmund and Pellegrini's Malaga. The away game could be very tricky as they have a great home record. Their manager is also very highly rated.
And the game will be played at their normal 11,200 seater.
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Pavel Vrba, 49, Viktoria Plzen
An outside choice, granted, but in an era when the big clubs stay big and the small clubs stay small -- unless huge cash injections are involved -- Vbra's performance at Viktoria Plzen over the past five years has been magnificent.
Pavel Vrba has the right characteristics to be considered for a top job in Europe.
Vrba initially made his name by winning the Slovakian league with MSK Zilina in 2006-07 and then transitioned to the Czech Republic. Viktoria were traditionally a yo-yo club, experiencing both promotion and relegation three times in seven seasons between 1998 and 2005, but after becoming established as a midtable side, the 2008 appointment of Vrba took them to another level. He won the Czech Cup in his first full year and has since triumphed in the league twice, being named the Czech Coach of the Year in the each of the past three seasons.
Equally impressive has been Viktoria's record in Europe -- Champions League qualification in 2011-12 was a huge achievement, and after dropping down to the Europa League, they were only eliminated at the hands of Schalke in extra time. Last year, they thrashed Napoli 5-0 on aggregate before narrowly being defeated by Fenerbahce in the round of 16.
Vrba has the right characteristics to be considered for a job in a major European nation -- he's media-friendly, emphasises the importance of a long-term vision featuring youthful players and attack-minded, passing football. It's no surprise that he looks to La Liga for inspiration, although, arguably, Italy coach Cesare Prandelli would be a better comparison.
Described by Czech legend Pavel Nedved as a "fantastic coach," Vrba's job with Viktoria has seen the club record impressive UEFA coefficient scores in the past two seasons -- looking at 2011-12 and 2012-13 alone, they're ranked above Ajax, Liverpool and Roma. Vrba might be a relative unknown, but he has all the attributes to become a genuinely top-class coach.
jrb said:
Done.
Also, as mentioned in the mega-thread, heard some VERY good things about this team and that they play with similar tactics to Dortmund and Pellegrini's Malaga. The away game could be very tricky as they have a great home record. Their manager is also very highly rated.
And the game will be played at their normal 11,200 seater.
-
Pavel Vrba, 49, Viktoria Plzen
An outside choice, granted, but in an era when the big clubs stay big and the small clubs stay small -- unless huge cash injections are involved -- Vbra's performance at Viktoria Plzen over the past five years has been magnificent.
Pavel Vrba has the right characteristics to be considered for a top job in Europe.
Vrba initially made his name by winning the Slovakian league with MSK Zilina in 2006-07 and then transitioned to the Czech Republic. Viktoria were traditionally a yo-yo club, experiencing both promotion and relegation three times in seven seasons between 1998 and 2005, but after becoming established as a midtable side, the 2008 appointment of Vrba took them to another level. He won the Czech Cup in his first full year and has since triumphed in the league twice, being named the Czech Coach of the Year in the each of the past three seasons.
Equally impressive has been Viktoria's record in Europe -- Champions League qualification in 2011-12 was a huge achievement, and after dropping down to the Europa League, they were only eliminated at the hands of Schalke in extra time. Last year, they thrashed Napoli 5-0 on aggregate before narrowly being defeated by Fenerbahce in the round of 16.
Vrba has the right characteristics to be considered for a job in a major European nation -- he's media-friendly, emphasises the importance of a long-term vision featuring youthful players and attack-minded, passing football. It's no surprise that he looks to La Liga for inspiration, although, arguably, Italy coach Cesare Prandelli would be a better comparison.
Described by Czech legend Pavel Nedved as a "fantastic coach," Vrba's job with Viktoria has seen the club record impressive UEFA coefficient scores in the past two seasons -- looking at 2011-12 and 2012-13 alone, they're ranked above Ajax, Liverpool and Roma. Vrba might be a relative unknown, but he has all the attributes to become a genuinely top-class coach.