Czech team fined
Afp, Prague
The Czech football team has been fined for bad behaviour following their 2-1 defeat to Germany in Euro 2008 qualifiers at the weekend, the Czech football federation (CMFS) said on Monday. The CMFS fined the team one million crowns (35,750 euros) for drinking and partying at a Prague hotel while celebrating the 29th birthday of defender Tomas Ujfalusi. The CMFS said the behaviour "was incompatible with what is required of a member of the national team," adding "the players recognised they had done wrong." Calls for the departure of Czech coach Karel Bruckner were made by the country's press on Monday following their Germany defeat. The daily newspaper Sport, which pointed out the Czech Republic had not beaten a major international team since Euro 2004 in Portugal, said: "If the coach does not radically change the way he works and continues to ignore modern training methods, he should leave." The Czech press said the team would have lost by a bigger margin to Germany had it not been for a good showing from keeper Petr Cech. The Czechs, who are second in Group D behind Germany, host Cyprus on Wednesday at Liberec in the north west of the country. The other teams in the group are Republic of Ireland, Slovakia, Wales and San Marino.
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