PRAGUE (AP) — A trio of Bayer Leverkusen players who won the Bundesliga and the German Cup unbeaten headline the Czech Republic squad for the European Championship.
Forwards Patrik Schick and Adam Hložek and goalkeeper Matěj Kovář were in the 26-man squad named by coach Ivan Hašek on Tuesday.
West Ham midfielder Tomáš Souček will captain the Czechs, and picked with clubmate and right back Vladimír Coufal.
Viktoria Plzeň midfielder Lukáš Červ made the squad for the first time.
“I trust these players and hope the’re ready to fight for us to be successful,” Hašek said.
The Czechs have a training camp in Schladming, Austria, before playing two warmup matches against Malta in Grodig, Austria, on June 7 and North Macedonia in the Czech city of Hradec Kralove three days later.
The team opens the tournament in Germany in Group F on June 18 against Portugal in Leipzig followed by Georgia on June 22 and Turkey four days later in Hamburg.
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Czech Republic:
Goalkeepers: Jindřich Staněk (Slavia Prague), Matěj Kovář (Leverkusen), Vítězslav Jaroš (Sturm Graz).
Defenders: Vladimír Coufal (West Ham), David Douděra (Slavia Prague), Tomáš Holeš (Slavia Prague), Robin Hranáč (Viktoria Plzeň), Ladislav Krejčí (Sparta Prague), David Zima (Slavia Prague), Tomáš Vlček (Slavia Prague), David Jurásek (Hoffenheim), Martin Vitík (Sparta Prague).
Midfielders: Tomáš Souček (West Ham), Michal Sadílek (Twente), Antonín Barák (Fiorentina), Lukáš Provod (Slavia Prague), Ondřej Lingr (Feyenoord), Václav Černý (Wolfsburg), Matěj Jurásek (Slavia Prague), Pavel Šulc (Viktoria Plzeň), Lukáš Červ (Viktoria Plzeň).
Forwards: Patrik Schick (Leverkusen), Jan Kuchta (Sparta Prague), Tomáš Chorý (Viktoria Plzeň), Mojmír Chytil (Slavia Prague), Adam Hložek (Leverkusen)
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