But as director Jakub Kohák showed two years ago in a short film called The end of football in Dolní Zálupy, the village football is currently facing a big problem. The playgrounds are hopelessly overgrown with thickets, the men are just twinkling ping-pong and nostalgically remembering football in an improvised prayer room.
Amateur football is fading and with it life in the countryside. As the teams fall apart, so do the pitches, which used to be the center of social events for every good village. “Where it is played, it lives there,” confirms Pavel Horváth, the face of the Kopeme for Football project.
And to top it all off, the coronavirus pandemic hit this year, crippling not only the football forest, but all sporting events.
| Let’s kick off the season together! |
| The Kopeme za fotbal project under the patronage of Gambrinus has been trying to help amateur football for many years. At the start of the new season, he is launching the Výkopná 2020 event, during which fans can support their local club. Registration, rules and voting can be found at www.vykopna.cz. |
Until the season with the manual
But now it’s time to restart. And lower competitions are reviving. Of course, with the amended competition rules, which include the newly introduced obligations of clubs in connection with the covid-19 disease.
The amendment also addresses issues of the order of competitions in the event of early termination of the year, including procedures and relegations. It deals with the conditions for postponing matches or declarations of infectivity, which club members sign before the first match and then always after the end of treatment for the disease or after the end of quarantine.
Rural football pitches come to life after a long break.
“It is clear that the global fight against covid-19 is unfortunately not a thing of the past and all interested parties in amateur competitions must know which manual to follow in this direction,” emphasizes Martin Malík, chairman of the FACR.
“Our priority always remains the health of the players and the implementation teams, but at the same time we would like to finish the competitions under the FACR banner. The amendments to the FACR Competition and Disciplinary Rules are thus a key to how to proceed in a number of situations that may arise in the coming weeks, “he warns.
Scientists are also drawing the way out of the circle
Football in the villages is experiencing a major crisis. However, this is not just a problem of the Czech Republic. “Some UEFA statistics are shocking, because 40 percent of players over the age of 15 end up playing football,” said Verner Lička, head of the Union of Czech Football Coaches.
Researchers at the university have also begun to address the issue, and their studies clearly show that with the decline of amateur football, social life in the countryside is fading.
Trailer of the documentary The End of Football in Dolní Zálupy.
Stream.cz
“Without team sport, the quality of life will decrease. Without sport, the countryside will not be sustainable, because we will pass it on to future generations without something that has belonged to it for decades. Apart from firefighters or hunters, it is the footballers around whom the social life of the village revolved, from balls and dances to events for children, “pointed out Professor Michal Lošťák from the CULS Faculty of Business and Economics.
The playground is an ideal place for community life
The basis for maintaining the population in rural areas or in areas at risk of displacement is transport infrastructure and the availability of services. “The existence of sports clubs has a positive effect on the stabilization of people in the village, mainly due to the possibility of healthy youth development,” emphasizes Pavel Drahovzal, vice-president of the Union of Towns and Municipalities of the Czech Republic.
He agrees with Professor Lošťák that the playground is an ideal place for community life. “There is also a pub, parents meet during youth training. But the state does not systematically support the construction of facilities and infrastructure, such as artificial turf, which everyone wants to have today, “Drahovzal points out another tangible problem.
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Milan Baroš agreed to return to his mother’s Vigantice.
Vlastimil Vacek, Right
Where to go to famous internationals?
At the same time, lower competitions can offer not only pleasure and entertainment, but also stellar names. As for Brückner’s bronze team from EURO 2004, for example, Tomáš Hübschman in Jablonec remains the last active player on a professional level.
Most of his teammates at the time either appeared or are still active in lower competitions.
The last example? Gunner Milan Baroš only a few weeks ago, in the jersey of the Ostrava Baník, he ended his professional career, and he had already agreed to return to his mother’s Vigantice. He also helps the team playing I. A class in the Zlín region René Bolf. Other big returns home are known, for example Pavel Nedvěd to Skalná or Jan Koller to Smetana Lhota. Vladimir Smicer takes care of Dolní Chabry. Marek Heinz he even manages the division in the colors of Všechovice.
Such a midfielder Tomáš Rosický he catches for Šestajovice in the district championship, the defender plays at the same level Martin Jiránek for Červené Janovice. Jaromír Blažek catches I. And a class for Újezd nad Lesy.
Contributed by Baroš a spol. to revive amateur football?
I have to give the registration fee, so I’ll pay for the keg, Baroš laughed after the premiere in IA class
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Canola back on stage
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Will he drive away the predators? The former national team striker has adjusted his menu and is preparing a comeback
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