First foreigner in the role: Czech Republic appointed the coach who won Olympic gold

Spanish coach Santi Denia was appointed today (Friday) as the head coach of the Czech national team, becoming the first foreigner to hold the position. The Czech Football Association announced that the 52-year-old coach signed a two-year contract, with an option for a two-year extension.

Chairman of the Czech Football Association, David Trunda, introduced Denia at a press conference in Prague and said:

"We highly appreciate the fact that a professional with such a reputation and vast experience at the international level is joining the Czech national team."

Denia himself said:

"I am happy to be here and I have huge motivation, because I see this as a great opportunity to lead the Czech national team. Czech football has a glorious history, and I truly see it as a great honor to be here."

The Spaniard replaced Miroslav Koubek, who resigned following the team's early elimination from the World Cup. Koubek took responsibility for the poor results at the World Cup, where the Czech Republic finished last in Group A with only one point, following losses to South Korea and Mexico and a draw against South Africa.

Denia was an Atletico Madrid defender between 1994 and 2005 and made two appearances for the Spanish national team. As a coach, he led Spain to a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. In addition, he won the U-17 European Championship with the Spanish national team in 2017 and the U-19 European Championship two years later.