PRAGUE (AP) — Czech Republic coach Jaroslav Šilhavý has been given a contract extension despite the team’s failure to reach the World Cup in Qatar.
Czech soccer federation head Petr Fousek said Monday that Šilhavý will remain in charge through 2023 for European Championship qualifying, and his contract will be automatically extended if the Czech Republic qualifies for the 2024 tournament in Germany.
The 60-year-old Šilhavý was hired in 2018 and led the Czech Republic to the quarterfinals of the 2020 European Championship, which was postponed until 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Czechs also advanced to the top League A in the Nations League but the team failed to advance to one of the playoff finals in European qualifying for the World Cup in March after a 1-0 loss to Sweden in extra time.
“We were pretty disappointed after the playoff in Sweden,” Šilhavý said. “(But) you don’t refuse such a post.”
A former player, Šilhavý was an assistant to Czech Republic coach Karel Bruckner from 2002-08, helping the team reach the semifinals of the 2004 European Championship. He also led Liberec and Slavia Prague to titles in the Czech league.
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