Tomáš Satoranský, captain of FC Barcelona, has been added to the Czech Republic’s national basketball team roster ahead of crucial FIBA World Cup qualifying matches against Sweden and Estonia. The inclusion of the experienced point guard, alongside Barcelona teammate Jan Veselý, is intended to provide stability and leadership as new head coach Luboš Bartoň makes his debut with the national team.
The Czech team will face Sweden and Estonia in their bid to advance in the World Cup qualification process. Bartoň’s squad is responding to a significant 40-point defeat to Slovenia in their previous qualifying match, a game marked by a particularly poor second half performance from the Czechs. The team will play its home game in the newly opened Horácká arena in Jihlava, which hosted a record 3852 spectators for a women’s league game on Saturday.
Satoranský, 34, returns to the national team after recovering from a back injury that sidelined him during preparations for the EuroBasket 2025. Veselý, 35, also joins the team, potentially returning to international play for the first time since a previous injury. The pair’s presence is seen as vital, though coach Bartoň has not confirmed whether both will feature in both upcoming matches.
Changes to the roster also include the promotion of Kevin Týml, a player from Písek, who will take the place of František Rylich and Ondřej Hanzlík. A forced change in the pivot position sees Martin Kříž replacing Martin Svoboda, who sustained an ankle injury during a recent training camp in Koper.
The Czech Republic’s roster for the upcoming matches includes point guards Tomáš Satoranský, Vojtěch Sýkora, and Richard Bálint; forwards Vojtěch Hruban, Tomáš Kyzlink, Patrick Samoura, and Kevin Týml; and pivots Jan Zídek, Martin Peterka, Martin Kříž, David Böhm, and Luboš Kovář.
Bartoň acknowledged the challenge ahead, stating after Saturday’s training session, “I don’t believe there’s a forty-point difference between us and Slovenia.” The team is hoping to leverage the support of a large home crowd in Jihlava as they seek to improve their standing in the World Cup qualifying tournament.