The biggest floorball tournament in the world starts in Prague. The anniversary will be celebrated by the international elite
A quarter of a year has already passed since the end of the domestic floorball club season, and only about a month and a half remain until the start of the next one. So the clubs have their squads more or less together and are working hard in the summer preparation. Which have seen the biggest changes so far and which will remain the same composition?
Předvýběr.cz Floorball Mladá Boleslav
Undoubtedly the biggest bomb of this floorball transfer period in the country is the departure of record holder Jiří Curney from the squad of the reigning champion, Mladá Boleslav, after nine long seasons. His incredible 678 Canadian points in 299 games are to try to replace two attacking reinforcements – Matyáš Krebner with experience from Switzerland and Ostrava’s Michal Sládek.
Departures: Jiří Curney (Sparta Prague)
Arrivals: Matyáš Krebner (Wiler-Ersigen, Switzerland), Michal Sládek (FBC Ostrava)
Tatran Střešovice
The historically most successful Czech club manages to keep its young staff together after a brilliant return to the super final. Only Martin Pánek is leaving for a loan to Znojmo, and Dalibor Švéda is also leaving due to a one-year study internship in Germany, who will now devote himself to floorball both as a player and as an assistant coach in Saská Kamenice.
On the contrary, the team was successfully completed with junior world champion Tomáš Hanák, who has had brilliant seasons with the Black Angels.
Departures: Martin Pánek (TJ Znojmo), Dalibor Švéda (Chemnitz, Germany)
Arrivals: Tomáš Hanák (Black Angels)
1. SC Tempish Vítkovice
At the end of last year, Vítkovice had to say goodbye to a player who played floorball for them for 16 long years. Marek Bräuer decided not to continue with the Knights and found a job in the second Ostrava unit. Martin Nehera also ended up in the squad. On the contrary, the arrival of the captain of the Slovakian national team Michal Pažák from Sparta Prague should be a big boost.
Departures: Marek Bräuer (FBC Ostrava), Martin Nehera (unknown destination)
Arrivals: Michal Pažák (Sparta Prague), Martin Děček (FBC Letka)
ACEMA Sparta Prague
Probably the biggest changes are taking place before the new season at Sparta, which welcomed the Super League record holder in terms of the number of Canadian points, Jiří Curney. On the other hand, she lost three of her important players right away – she sent Lukáš Ujhelyi to Switzerland, Michal Pažák to Vítkovice and the legendary Milan Garčar, who moved from the field to the bench, where he fills in as an assistant to the coaching team under new coach Marek Vojta.
Departures: Lukáš Ujhelyi (Alligator Malans, Switzerland), Milan Garčar (transfer to the implementation team), Michal Pažák (Vítkovice), Michal Zeman (unknown where)
Arrivals: Jiří Curney (Florbal Mladá Boleslav), Matyáš Velc (Jaroměř), Michael Petráň (Panthers Prague)
Other changes: new coach – Marek Vojta
FbŠ Bohemians
Prague Bohemians report huge reinforcements. They acquired three-time Czech champion Jan Řehoř from Thun, Switzerland, and national defender Martin Kisugite returns to the green and white jersey after five years abroad.
On top of that, Ondřej Kawulok will also work under Martin Jedlička, who has a gold medal at home from the Junior World Championships. The only major departure so far is the transfer of Marko Ďopan to Pardubice.
Departures: Marek Ďopan (Sokoli Pardubice)
Arrivals: Martin Kisugite (Floorball Köniz, Switzerland), Ondřej Kawulok (Floorball Ústí), Jan Řehoř (UHC Thun, Switzerland)
FAT PIPE Floorball Chodov
From Chodov to Finland. Petr Majer, the junior world champion and the most productive player of the team from the South City last season, chose such a path. Coach David Podhráský then decided to release another quartet of players who did not fit into his squad for the following season, and instead invited a trio from Kunratic to try out and a dozen of the club’s juniors, who are to fight for their spot in the A-team.
Departures: Petr Majer (Westend Indians, Finland), Michal Strnad, Martin Řezáč, Ondřej Plíhal, Adam Balatka (various reasons, possible new clubs not announced)
Arrivals: Jiří Lebeda, Jan Novotný, Marek Šmíd (Start98 Kunratice)
Black Angels
The Blecs lost Tomáš Hanák, only a 19-year-old fighter, who, however, collected a great 42 Canadian points in recent years, and after Jakub Boček, he was the most productive player of the team. The fans of Střešovice will be able to enjoy his services next year. However, the Prague club has not yet announced any other changes in the squad.
Departures: Tomáš Hanák (Tatran Střešovice)
Arrivals: unannounced
FBC ČPP Bystroň Group Ostrava
The people of Ostrava gained two very interesting names in their squad. The promising Slovakian Jakub Košarišťan is coming from Nižná, and the city rival from Vítkovice then took over their long-time regular Marek Bräuer. However, one of the key players Michal Sládek left the Silesian Manchaft, who was lured by the championship team Boleslav.
Departures: Michal Sládek (Floorball Mladá Boleslav)
Arrivals: Jakub Košarišťan (Nižné, Slovakia), Marek Bräuer (Vítkovice)
FBC Liberec
Under Ještěd, they keep the squad together and apparently do not even plan any strengthening there. The most important thing for the club from Liberec is the fact that, despite the interest of many big, not only domestic, clubs, it managed to keep its young players Vojtěch Wiener, Filip Smutný and Šimon Stránský, who were already pulling the team last year and should have an even bigger role this year.
The only farewell took place with Matěj Kluch, he received an irresistible offer to coach the junior national team.
Departures: Matěj Klucho (new head coach of the junior national team)
Arrivals: unannounced
He drew the Panthers Otrokovice
The team from Zlín was able to keep all its important players, including the two most productive – František Vykopal and Slovak striker Ronald Gašparík, who was also interested in Sweden. He extended his contract with both.
In addition, the squad was strengthened by its former support Matěj Kostka and Martin Grlický, both of whom came from Brno. In the opposite direction, i.e. to the Moravian metropolis, players who did not prove themselves very well with the Panthers are heading.
Departures: Lukáš Kvapil (Bulldogs Brno), Vít Máček (end of loan), Matěj Hronek (Hattrick Brno)
Arrivals: Martin Grlický (Bulldogs Brno), Matěj Kostka (Hattrick Brno)
FBC 4CLEAN Česká Lípa
Česká Lípa has not yet officially announced any departures from its staff. The eleventh team from last season will probably start the new one with more or less the same squad. However, it will be supplemented by three players from the first league Ústí, Václav Vavruška, Jan Peška and goalkeeper Marek Netopilík.
Departures: unannounced
Arrivals: Marek Netopilík, Václav Vavruška, Jan Peška (Florbal Ústí)
Falcons of Pardubice
Pardubice, who narrowly escaped relegation when they announced a playoff series with Brno from 0:2 to 3:2, dismissed the coach after an unsuccessful season. Ladislav Štancl took the place of Milan Koubek again after two years. Until the following season, he will not be able to count on the trio of players who have decided to end their Super League careers. However, Marek Ďopan from Bohemians is an important reinforcement.
Departures: Patrik Petr, David Petržela, Michael Smola (end of Super League career)
Arrivals: Marek Ďopan (FBŠ Bohemians)
Other changes: old new coach – Ladislav Štancl (again after two years)
TJ Sokol Královské Vinohrady
After the only one, in which they avoided direct relegation by sheer luck (they had the same points as the descending Hattrick), Vinohrady lost four players immediately. Lukáš Lanc, Oliver Gold and Jan Fiala decided not to continue with floorball at the highest level, and Viktor Kopecký, the supremely productive player of last year’s match, achieved his dream transfer to Switzerland. Another of the Prague teams then reached for a change of coaches and will be led by Jan Kapucián and Miroslav Purkrábek.
Departures: Viktor Kopecký (UHC Thun, Switzerland), Lukáš Lanc, Oliver Gold, Jan Fiala (end of Super League career)
Arrivals: Vojtěch Klápa (after a 2-year loan transfer from Tatran)
Other changes: end of coaches – Michal Kotlas and David Bouša; new coaches – Jan Kapucián and Miroslav Purkrábek
FB Hurricane Karlovy Vary
The Super League newcomer, who, after finishing fourth in the regular season of the 1st league, relatively dominated its play-offs and earned direct promotion among the domestic floorball elite, has not yet announced any changes in the squad. The only one, but a very important one, remains the arrival of former Spartan coach of many years Ondřej Kašpárek, who takes over Vary after the successful campaign of Miroslav Závora.
Departures: unannounced
Arrivals: unannounced
Other changes: new coach – Ondřej Kašpárek
Source: websites of individual clubs, Czech floorball, Florbal.cz