Hasek snubs Czech Republic job

AFP - 28 April 2008 20:06

Al Ahly coach and former Czech Republic international Ivan Hasek, seen here in 2003, on Monday pulled no punches in rejecting the job of national team coach when Karel Bruckner stands down after Euro 2008.

PRAGUE (AFP) - Al Ahly coach and former Czech Republic international Ivan Hasek on Monday pulled no punches in rejecting the job of national team coach when Karel Bruckner stands down after Euro 2008.

"I have absolutely no interest in becoming part of the wheeling and dealing and bizarre without rules machinations so typical of Czech football," the former Sparta Prague player and manager explained in a statement on Monday.

The 44-year-old added: "In all the humility that I've picked up in my time as a player and manager it's with regret that under any circumstances am I going to seek the job as Czech coach."

Hasek's snub to the Czech Republic football federation (CMFS) follows a similar rejection last week from Slavia Prague coach Karel Jarolim.

Capped 56 times for his country Hasek - a member of the Czechoslovakia side that reached the 1990 World Cup quarter-finals - is considered as a candidate to take over from the controversial and powerful Vlastimil Kostal as vice president of the CMFS.

In 2005 he lost out to Karel Mokry in the election for the CMFS presidency.

With Hasek and Jarolim out of the picture the two favourites to take over from Bruckner are FK Teplice coach Petr Rada and Vitezslav Lavicka, manager of the Czech Republic's Under 21 side.