Summary
IF IT is no longer a novelty to boast membership of the European Union, at least the Czech Republic never tires of the continent's biggest football tournament. The country, which split with Slovakia from the former Czechoslovakia in 1993, was accused of apathy after a poor turnout at the recent EU parliamentary elections, but around 9,000 obsessive fans are in Portugal this month to strengthen their team's enduring love affair with the European Championship.
Ever since Half Man Half Biscuit asked Santa Claus for a Dukla Prague away kit, there has been a fascination with the Czechs' faded charms. In the village of Sintra last week, at a training ground decrepit enough to be a product of communism, around 200 of their supporters whooped and hollered as Pavel Nedved led his team on a gentle jog around the pitch. They had been due to train in Lisbon's Jose Alvalade Stadium, but there was a match on TV and, well, they couldn't be bothered.See the full content of this document
Extract
Czech Mates On Another Euro Silver Streak
Their supporters, revelling in the team's flawless negotiation of Group D, are as noisy and passionate as any at Euro 2004. In the defeat of Germany on Wednesday, they drowned out their counterparts in black and white, before celebrating a meaningless victory as though it were a title. One banner revealed that the Czech menu was...
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